Welcome to the world of Animal Aunts
Imagine spending a few weeks in a beautifully converted barn in the gorgeous Surrey countryside with all mod cons, including cars, at your disposal.
The only exertion involves feeding and exercising the clients%26#39; well-trained field Labradors twice a day. Walking the dogs is a sheer delight in this stunning rural landscape.
Or perhaps a week in a luxurious four-storey apartment on the banks of the River Thames in London, complete with indoor heated swimming pool and a fully equipped gymnasium.
And the chores here? Caring for the owners%26#39; ancient Airedale terriers that sleep most of the time, but tag along for a quiet stroll along the Thames towpath in the late afternoon sunshine.
Believe it or not, I get paid to do this!
Welcome to the world of Animal Aunts a Hampshire based agency that specializes in providing animal sitters for wealthy English and European clients.
Being wealthy is a prerequisite, with fees ranging from $150 a day for a dog and cat to $300 plus for six stabled horses.
On top of that the client pays travelling expenses, food costs and extra fees if the horses need to be exercised ($20 per horse per day).
With an equestrian and farming background, partner David Morgan and I have found ourselves in demand since being accepted as Animal Aunts two years ago.
Spending a few months animal sitting has been a fantastic way to see the English countryside and fill in the time while our yacht Bandit is on the hard.
It%26#39;s also intriguing, as you never quite know where you will be sent or what you will be looking after.
We%26#39;ve been lucky to have had some fantastic sits in beautiful homes ranging from plush apartments in exclusive London suburbs to rambling houses on grand country estates in the heart of rural England.
Our charges have included all manner of dogs dachshunds, Dalmatians, retrievers, Labradors, Jack Russell terriers, a lurcher, a Great Dane, a Rhodesian ridgeback, a golden doodle (poodle retriever cross), a labradoodle, setters and a variety of mongrels.
We%26#39;ve had top-level dressage horses, hacks and hunters, a stallion, unbroken horses and exquisite show ponies.
Catwise there have been Persians, Siamese, Burmese, Birmin, Rag dolls, a Chinchilla, British Blue, Maine Coones, plain old moggies and an assortment of other creatures such as goldfish, geese, ducks, swans and reptiles.
Being passionate about horses and a lover of the countryside, it is the equestrian sits I%26#39;ve enjoyed the most, my favourite being a fantastic property in Hertfordshire where the charges are seven delightful dogs and six horses.
The beautifully mannered dressage hacks and expensive show ponies live the life of luxury in immaculate stables with two grooms to attend to their every need, except the early-morning and late-night feeds, a task which fell to us.
We find that most of our clients have a full complement of staff including cleaners, gardeners, handymen, secretaries and grooms.
Our presence is often simply to ensure the household continues running as usual and, most importantly, the animals%26#39; routine is not disturbed.
One client even had a dog walker who came in each day to walk the dog.
Another had a cleaner for eight hours twice a week, making me totally redundant in the housework department no complaints there!
Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to believe that we are being paid to do this.
But, naturally, there have been a few horror stories, including a cat that insisted on peeing inside despite my best attempts to persuade it not to.
Then there was the 10-week-old Rhodesian ridgeback puppy that just couldn%26#39;t get the hang of toilet training at least three frustrating times a day there was a mess for us to clean up.
Most English dogs have complete run of the house and sleep on the beds and furniture, which I still struggle with, especially when they leave their fur and hair everywhere.
It%26#39;s a big responsibility looking after client%26#39;s precious and pampered pooches and there have been a couple of heart-stopping moments.
The worst was when a valuable and beloved Tibetan terrier that the clients had insisted %26quot;never strays%26quot; ran off at night. I spent several hours wandering the streets on a freezing and foggy December night looking for it, realising that my days as an Animal Aunt were probably well and truly over.
When I finally returned cold and wet the dog was sitting at the back door waiting for me. Needless to say, it never went off the lead again.
I find the elderly animals the hardest to look after.
Dribbling, drooling and incontinent may be okay when it%26#39;s your own pet when it%26#39;s not it%26#39;s ghastly.
Luckily, most of the animals we%26#39;ve had the pleasure of looking after have been absolutely delightful and beautifully mannered.
We can%26#39;t wait until next winter when we return for another few months of Animal Aunting.
