Love cats and Mexico and enjoy the beach

About this assignment

We are Judy and Dave, retired Canadian ExPats who live full-time in our Yucatán Mexico villa and return home to Canada periodically. Our eight cats are our babies and we are looking for a responsible, trustworthy couple to care for each like their own. The responsibilities are fairly easy; the most important responsibility is to ensure our cats are well taken care of and provide periodic updates. Our gated villa is one block from the beach and loaded with all the amenities (see below for more details).

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

Cats: Feed wet food twice per day; keep dry food and water replenished and bowls cleaned periodically. Clean two litter boxes daily. Lots of cuddles and play are always appreciated.
House: overall, keep as we left it, treat it as your own, and pick up after yourself. A few details:
* We have two cleaning people come once per week for deep cleaning, we cover this cost (you'd leave the money each week). We ask that you maintain our tradition of buying them lunch (which we also cover the cost of).
* Pool & hot tub: easy to maintain; skim debris and add chlorine tablets as needed.
* In case of heavy rain, may need to squeegee upstairs tile floor.
* Be present for a once per month (outdoor) bug spray.

What are the good features of the property and location

Our beautiful villa is located 1.5 blocks from the beach in a gated community with a full-time door/maintenance man. It is unique in many ways, including the large "palapa" (thatched roof made of dried palm leaves) indoor/outdoor entire second floor where we spend most of our time. We have a small pool and a brand new hot tub. The house sitter's guest room has an extremely comfortable king-sized bed with a closet, dresser, two sliding glass doors, and next to your own bathroom. We have strong WiFi, two large-screen (internet-enabled) televisions with cable, Netflix, YouTube, etc. We have air conditioning when needed, although we try to limit usage when possible. Unique to this area is a full washer/dryer and toilets which you can flush toilet paper. There are two bicycles you are welcomed to use to explore the area. Progreso is very safe and is a very walkable city, including the nearby "Malécon" (promenade) along the white sandy beaches. This is truly a paradise with a large variety of restaurants and markets for your every need.

*Our previous housesitters made a virtual tour of our villa and cats which you can watch here (house tour starts at 13:26): https://youtu.be/ijxhVDKtLCw
*If you'd like to learn more about Progreso area, the same house sitters made another video showcasing Progreso which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/X1nximdEKeE

We have a large network of friends who can help with anything you need, and we are always accessible by phone / video.

The closest airport is Merida (airport code: MID / ~ 30 mins from our villa), or, you can fly into Cancun (airport code: CUN) and take an ADO bus (~4 hours) to Progreso. There is good public transportation around Progreso and the use of our vehicle can be discussed (JUDY - you decide if you want to keep or remove this).

There are nearby medical facilities and grocery stores / markets for anything you may need.

What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment

Most importantly, must love cats. Prospective housesitters should be prepared with references and, if selected, have a video interview to ensure a good fit.

Can I bring my own pets?

No, sorry.

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