Cat-sitter needed for Ziggy, in lovely port town of Marseillan
Marseillan, France
Introduction
We are a British-Greek family of five - including two children aged 7 and 5, and our mackerel tabby Ziggy who will be 1 year old in September. So far we've been able to always take Ziggy with us on holidays locally, but this time we'll be travelling to the UK, so we'd like to find someone to keep Ziggy company.
Our Home & Location
We live in a semi-detached house in the port area of Marseillan - a truly lovely market town located on the Etang de Thau lagoon, about one hour west of Montpellier. The house has two bedrooms - the master bedroom with one double bed, and the children's bedroom with twin beds. We also have a spacious living room (with TV and playstation), a kitchen with everything you need including dishwasher and Nespresso machine; an office; a laundry room in the garage; wc and shower (no bathtub); and terraces overlooking the garden (with trampoline). The town centre and the port are less than a 10 minute walk from the house, and you'll find everything you could possibly need including several great cafés, bars and restaurants - many of which feature the local delicacies of oysters and mussels which are cultivated right here in the lagoon. For wine-lovers, the famous Noilly Prat winery is just across the other side of the port, and a there's a great winery just opposite our house too - the Madeleine St Jean - plus many wine estates in the surrounding area. There is also Tabarka park just two minutes from the house with kids playground, skate park, and a little plagette where you can paddle in the lagoon. Two large supermarkets are located on the outskirts of town, about 15 minutes walk from the house. A short drive to the other side of the lagoon is where you will find the wide expanse of sandy beaches bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This is a great area: sea, sunshine, great food and wine, and a good base for exploring the rest of the region. Please note that the nearest airports are Béziers or Montpellier, and at this time of year, there are no viable local transport links from either of those airports to Marseillan so a rental car is necessary.
Responsibilities & Pets
Like any typical cat, Ziggy is quite independent - he spends most of his daytime snoozing in the office or living room or on the terrace; he often comes over for cuddles whilst we're watching TV in the evenings and then heads outside for exploring and adventures at night, returning in the early hours - we often find him in the mornings curled up at the foot of our bed. Your main responsibility will be to feed him and be around for cuddles when he needs them! Also, he does sometimes use the litter tray in the garage (but mostly does his business in his spot in the garden outside), so you may need to clear the tray a couple of times. He is, we imagine, quite used to the fact that we are mostly home (as we work from home) - though of course we have days when we are out a lot, so he is totally fine being on his own for large stretches of time. However, he has never been left alone overnight. So, whilst we would not expect you to stay home all day, our main requirement is that he doesn't feel that he's completely home alone, and especially that you are here at night.
