From Perth to Melbourne: Cat sitting over the holidays

Perth and Melbourne are often referred to as two of the world’s most liveable cities, and what better way to experience them than with an Aussie House Sitters house and cat sit.

West Perth, which is where I spent the first three and a half weeks of my extended Christmas break, proved to be the ideal location for making my way around Perth and to other parts of Western Australia. 

A bus into the CBD took less than 10 minutes, and I could walk to museums and art galleries as the city’s cultural hub was one suburb over. South Perth was a short ferry ride away and Fremantle could be reached in around half an hour on a train from Perth station.

I took day trips to Rottnest Island, Nambung National Park and the surrounding Turquoise Coast, and dedicated a fair share of my days to relaxing at ‘home’ with the cats I was caring for.

Sibling duo Rio and Luna have very different personalities, but both are gentle-natured kitties. Rio would spend all his time with me while sister Luna preferred her independence.

Rio also enjoyed sitting on my things—my bag of cereal, my pizza box, my laptop, my hat—or on my lap whenever he got the chance. Luna, however, would rather sit next to me on the couch of an evening.

The temperatures began to get quite warm (not unexpected) towards the end of my time in Perth so I was really looking forward to the cooler weather in Melbourne.

Days in Melbourne still averaged around 35°C, but, thankfully, the couple I was house and cat sitting for had air con in every room. Their house was positioned in the shade which also helped to keep things cool.

Willow, the couple’s rescue kitty, is an indoor–outdoor cat, but she never ventured past the backyard. 

The couple told me there’s a local council law in which all cats must be inside the house by 7pm or owners risk a fine. I always get a bit nervous about cats who are allowed out, but Willow respected her 7pm curfew.

Once inside, Willow would curl up on the bed until the early morning when she would happily venture outside again.

Most days were spent shopping and eating—things people usually come to Melbourne do—and exploring neighbourhoods close to the house.  

High Street is where the bulk of my local cafes, restaurants and bars were situated, and it was a 15-minute walk from the house. This is where the tram left from and where some of my now-favourite boutiques are.

A week-long house and cat sit in Melbourne wasn’t enough time for me to see everything I had on my list, but I’m looking forward to ticking more of them off on my next house sit with Willow.

Madolline Gourley is a writer/editor from Brisbane. 

She has travelled in Australia and internationally as a house and cat sitter.

You can read more about her global cat sitting adventures on her blog, One Cat at a Time.

Are you keen to see more of this beautiful country while staying in free accommodation? Check out all our currently available house sits to see where you could be headed next.