atualizado  

Elder cat and kitten sitting + house-keeping in semi-rural area of West of Bangkok, Thailand

  • Favorito 1749 vezes
  • Última atividade: 27 mar. 2024

Disponibilidade

  2024 

 Hospedagem min. solicitada: mínimo 1 semana

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Detalhes

  • Descrição

    Descrição

    Bonjour à toutes et tous,

    I'm the lucky "carer" and humble servant of 5 adult cats (3 Siamese, 1 lovely grey Oriental and 1 younger fluffy black and ginger half Persian) + from February 2024 a young kitten who was sick I rescued from the street (he's OK and full of life now).

    I've been living for more almost 16 years with the Siamese (who are elder cats by now, hence the title of the listing) who are extremely nice but sometimes impudent and dirty: some of them (especially Bob, Bobine and Ping Pong) LOVE peeing on new things (make sure to leave your valuable and fragile items somewhere safe).

    In September 2012, I rescued a lovely (even if he loves chewing backpack straps [please make sure he cannot access yours]) grey cat from the street.
    His name is Laski (the one dressed as Santacat in the pictures below).
    As he was the last one who entered the house, so there used to be conflicts from time to time mainly with Bob, especially at night (you might exceptionally be awaken by their "argument") and you will have to stop any potential fight.

    In July 2016 (7 years already...; time flew!), someone abandoned a very young and sick kitten in a beer box in front of our former place's door... :-(
    Since she was so lovely and got along quite well with other residents, we have decided to keep her in the family.

    On Thursday, February 8th, 2024 a sick 5-week-kitten was abandoned in a cage at the entrance of the lane where we live. He was so desperate that his little cries for help reached my ears a few dozen meters away.
    First I did not want to keep him because of a bad experience with one of the Siamese and the plan was only to keep him safe for one night but the next day, the cage was gone and I had no choice but to keep on keeping him safe, luckily with the help of a workawayer who kindly accepted to arrive 10 days earlier to look after him.
    His name is "Sam" = "3" in Thai language.

    My furry family members (I'm insisting on the fact that I see and consider them as individuals and not as pets) are super friendly and love spending time with people especially during meals time (the young black and ginger half Persian usually comes at that time on the table either to beg for some food or to be part of the conviviality).
    Since I grew up on a farm, I don't mind that kind of behaviour but I can imagine that some people may not feel at ease.

    If you're a hygiene freak, I guess you do not need to read further down: our place is not the right one for you.

    ************************************************************************************************

    WHO I AM:

    100% VEGAN by heart / 95% successful* and non-smoker/non-drinker mid-40s French Metalhead and PhD student (for the second time after having earned one in 2009**) interested in:

    ° Cats (Siamese particularly);
    ° Animal rights;
    ° Vegetarian/vegan food;
    ° Alternative Education (the topic I am doing research about at the moment);
    ° Metal music;
    ° Live music;
    ° Eco houses;
    ° Japan;
    ° 渋み;
    ° Korean and Japanese films;
    ° 20th and 21st century French literature.

    * I never eat meat and cheese nor I drink milk but many Thai products (such as bread!!!) include tiny quantity of milk powder or eggs :-(
    I do my best to get the 100% vegan alternative but sometimes it's not possible, that's my 5% failure rate...

    ** The reason why I mentioned this is because many of friends and people who know me always joke about the fact I pay a lot of attention to and see details in everything which surrounds me and in any actions I can witness but the years on this beautiful planet proved me that the idiom "The Devil's in the details" is correct.
    A word to the the wise! :-0

  • Tipos de ajuda e oportunidades de aprendizado

    Tipos de ajuda e oportunidades de aprendizado

    Jardinagem
    Construção/faça você mesmo
    Cuidar de animais
    Ajuda a cuidar da casa
    Manutenção geral
  • Oportunidades de intercâmbio cultural e aprendizado

    Oportunidades de intercâmbio cultural e aprendizado

    The neighbourhood we live in is mostly Thai with virtually no foreigners living there. So, most of the people don't speak English but they are always friendly and ready to help the many people visiting.
    So it will be a genuine and authentic semi-rural life experience among locals especially at the little restaurants and at the market when you go shopping there.
    You can also watch on YouTube [ask me for the link] a GREAT VIDEO of how life is in the village made by Japanese volunteers last November; by watching it, you will exactly know what you will find here.

    P.S. Please make sure you dress and behave properly: I already got complains from previous neighbours who felt "attacked" by the outfit and behaviour of some volunteers.

  • Ajuda

    Ajuda

    ** VERY IMPORTANT - MUST READ **

    Read the full profile before sending any messages/requests. (7 minutes reading time)

    ** VERY IMPORTANT - MUST READ **

    ****************************************************************************************************

    Workaway published a list of great tips in "How to be a great guest" which can be found in "Information for Workawayers" whose link is accessible at the bottom of the page in "INFORMATION" main menu
    I strongly advise to read if you have not done it yet.

    ****************************************************************************************************

    No Wi-Fi at home: if you need to be connected, please get a 4G connection.
    Coming to our place could also be a way to cut away from the all-day web connectivity.
    If you feel that you cannot live without your phone and/or laptop next to your hand when you are in the presence of other people during convivial times (coffee/tea times and/or meals), no need to read further down, we won't be the right place.
    (#7 Workaway tip: "Disconnect From Technology")

    Please also note that I do not use a smartphone and therefore I do not use any communication apps.
    So please do not ask and/or give me Whatsapp/Line/etc. ID since I do not use them and please do not use WorkAway messaging service as one of them: it means no endless ping pong messages and please be courteous and polite (it means that your messages should always start with greetings and not directly with the info you want to share).

    ****************************************************************************************************

    We need workawayers to take care of the furry family and their home (please let me insist on that because I had cat whisperers who did not mind living in the mess and dirt they made while living with us...) while I'm away or I'm working outside (meeting for my association [which happens more and more] or at the recording studio) and to keep the house clean.
    As you may be on your own in the house for a significant period of time, this placement really suits persons who are happy to keep themselves busy/amused.

    When I am away for long periods of time (more than 5 days but that has become extremely rare), I always try to find at least 2 people to make sure that my companions are always well looked after and to be sure that there will be at least 1 person in case someone would cancel at the last minute (it happened too many times already; see no show, negative or neutral feedbacks below).

    Here is the list of the things to do and the time it takes:

    * learning who they are (especially their name), how they look like (in order to recognize them) and what makes them happy (it depends on your memorization skills);

    * giving them fresh water every 3 hours from waking to bed time (10 minutes);

    * cleaning their litter at least 4 times a day (10 minutes);

    * feeding them with little amount of dry food along the day since they only like crunchy bites and leave the rest once it is limp and/or damp because of the Asian humid weather (5-10 minutes) - You will need to wake up around 6.15/6.30 am for their "breakfast";

    * Feeding Bobine who has teeth problems with wet food throughout the day when she asks for it and spoil the other cats with the leftovers once in the morning for breakfast and once in the evening for dinner.
    Make sure to wash the plate only with water and your clean hands and no dish-washing liquid nor sponge for human dishes once the "wet meals" are finished; please do not leave the plate "rotting" on the ground once it is empty whereas a quick wash takes less than 2 minutes and the plate has time to dry up before the next serving;

    * playing with them (it's up to you);

    * petting them (it's up to you);

    * GIVING THEM SOME LOVE (the more, the better!);

    * (when I'm away for long periods) sending me emails if I am abroad or SMS if I am in Thailand every 2 or 3 days to let me know that they are doing well;

    * preventing the potential fights between them (you might be awaken at night even if it has become quite rare over the years...) it also means to make sure they are safe and well when you go out (even for a very quick errand):

    * cleaning the territorial pissing when it rarely happens (5 minutes);

    * sweeping and mopping the floor (downstairs and upstairs), not only the living room with CLEAR WATER, no detergent because of the chemicals) every morning for your own comfort and the health of the cats (usually it takes me 15/20 minutes);

    * keeping the house clean and tidy for everyone's comfort;

    * if we have a meal together and I did the cooking, I count on you to wash the dishes and pots & pans / if you did the cooking, I will the one taking care of the washing-up (by the way, please note that for obvious hygiene reasons, I do not mix the sponges: there is one for the dishes, one for the counter and and the stove and a last one for the floor, so please make sure you use the right one for each task to avoid any kind of poisoning);

    * closing the doors and mosquito nets in the whole house at 5.30 pm to make sure the mosquitoes stay outside for the cats' and your own comfort. (2 minutes);

    * switching on outside lights at 6.15 pm to make sure cats can see what happens when they play outside.
    Please keep some (at least kitchen and front) switched on all night long for the cats having a night errand;

    * before going to bed, make sure that all the 3 Siamese are in the house or in the garden (1 to 10 minutes depending on where they are/hide);

    ** Please note **

    The total amount of active work/chores is about 1 hour but please note that your presence is required longer than the usual 5 hours indicated by default on the profile.
    I'm making this clear because I have had a bad experience with a volunteer who literally refused to look after the cats one evening arguing that she had already made her 5 hours shift (which she mainly spent laying on the couch looking at her smartphone looking at me doing DIY work without offering any kind of help...); obviously, she was not with us for the right reasons and I heard from her own mouth that she had a similar time issue with another animal shelter in Bangkok :-(

    So if you are the type of persons counting hours, no need to read further down.

    ***************

    My place is not a meal-included position, it is a free accommodation with cats (I have very limited financial resources; I work FOR FREE for 2 NGOs and live on a very little alimony I get once a year and rare extra French online classes), it means that I will be more than happy to share the meal I cook while at home but I won't be able to give you "per diem" while I'm outside for the day or away for longer periods than 24 hours.
    However, you can eat all the vegan instant noodles (spicy and non-spicy) you want that are freely available on the shelf in the kitchen.
    But please note that since it's a local area, food (at restaurants and at the markets) is pretty cheap so your visit should allow to save money for further journey while staying with us.

    I've been harsh but FAIR (see the negative feedbacks - some have not been published) and I will do it again and again with people who do not care properly about my furry companions.

    * Before you send a message, please make sure that:

    - you are available for the requested periods; I've had some kind of a bad experience with a workawayer who left right after her paper work, that she had to do in Bangkok, was done. It gave me the feeling that I was only an information center and a free guesthouse;

    - you are sure about your dates and that you won't change your plans (do not contact me more than 6 weeks in advance): I've been contacted by so many workawayers who made me waste some precious time by replying to their messages to finally read at the end: "sorry, my/our plans have changed for X reasons, bla-bla-bla, bla-bla-bla...";

    - YOU WON'T LEAVE THE CATS ALONE ALL DAY LIKE OTHER CAT-SITTERS DID... :-(
    It's fine to be out of the house for quick errands during the day time (they usually all sleep from 11 am until 2/3 pm but later they are longing for company and need to be well looked after at night time.

    * Since,
    - I want the cats to be well looked after;
    - I can accommodate at least 2 persons;
    - I used to get many requests;
    you might be staying home with a fellow workawayer but I will always inform you beforehand to give you the opportunity to let me know your feeling about the other person.

    * No outsider allowed in the house: please understand that I only let people I know or I've been in touch with enter the "Cats' house".

    * Unless you are very mature and can prove it with your initial request no workawayer aged less than 22 years.
    I've had a truly horrible experience with an 18 year-old girl who allowed a stranger (whereas the rule above was written) to stay at our place and she left him alone giving the possibility to do whatever he wanted. I let you imagine!

    * Never forget that THE HOUSE BELONGS TO THE CATS; you and I are GUESTS.
    So we cannot do things that will disturb their routine; e.g. in our first place, 2 of the first workawayers kicked my lovely Doudou out of the bedroom because they did not want to be disturbed and wanted to enjoy it on their own; later some other volunteers woke up late and did not feed them nor open the door so they can enjoy the garden, etc.
    IT CANNOT HAPPEN LIKE THIS!

    * Many volunteers really love my lawn but did not water it when it was very hot and dry, so please do not let it die and use the sprinkler at night and morning time (then the water does not evaporate too quickly) during the dry season; nothing to do when it daily rains.
    Thanks!

    When I'm home, I might ask you some little help for the general maintenance (extra cleaning) and beautification (mainly painting) of the house as well as help for food preparation if this happens.

  • Idiomas

    Idiomas
    Inglês: Fluente
    Francês: Fluente
    Alemão: Intermediário
    Khmer: Iniciante
    Thai: Iniciante

    Este anfitrião oferece intercâmbio de idiomas
    I would be happy to dust my German with people who want to learn or dust their French.

  • Acomodação

    Acomodação

    We live in a semi-detached house with a cute little garden where yogi can practice in a typical middle-class "Muban" [=estate] in Nakhon Chai Si, Nakhon Pathom province, next to Bangkok (45 kilometres away from city center); "Wat Ngiu Rai" is a landmark you can easily find on e-maps; our home is located 3 kilometers away from there.

    You will either sleep on a floor mattress in some kind of guest room which will eventually become our reading room that we need to access during the day or on an IKEA's "Friheten" sofa-bed in the living-room.
    And as soon as the place is ready, you will have your own tiny house on a land 2,5 km away from the cats' house but you will be expected to sleep at home when I am away for the night.

    I do provide clean sheets, a blanket and a pillow with its pillow case.
    NO TOWEL since I consider it as a personal item and I do not have the same washing machine as in hotels to make sure they are hygienically clean. So please make sure you have yours.

    Please also note that in South-East Asia, people usually do not use toilet paper (you may discover the dedicated sprays they use) and therefore the draining systems are not made for it.
    So in case you want to buy some and use it, please make sure you do not throw it in the toilet bowl; just put the used one in a plastic bag and throw it away regularly.
    Thanks!

    *** IMPORTANT: UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED, NO ARRIVAL AFTER 6 PM ***

    You can come from the capital by public transport quite easily.

    Here are the ways to come here:

    * Taxi
    From Bangkok, it costs between 350 and 700 THB (a very good option if you are at least 2 persons since it will make you save a lot of time);

    * Train
    The cheapest and most unique experience. You can take local trains (from "Thon Buri" [ธนบุรี / Stop ID: 4440] that stop at "Wat Ngiu Rai" train station [วัดงิ้วราย / Stop ID: 4012]) and then walk 35 minutes;

    * Via Salaya by public transport
    Take the bus 515 from Victory Monument (25 THB)
    + taxi/motortaxi:
    in Salaya, taxis or a motor-taxis are available from 60 to 100 THB depending on where you exit the bus;
    + songthaew (a passenger vehicle adapted from a pick-up truck with 2 bench seats fixed along either side of the back) departing every 20-30 minutes from this bus stop: " Salaya Railway Station / สถานีรถไฟศาลายา " (15 THB)

    * If you are in Khao San area:
    - You can take the 516 bus to "Sai Tai Mai" bus terminal and then interchange with bus 515 or 124 going to Salaya and then finish with taxi, motor-taxi or songthaew;
    - You can take the "Orange Flag" Chao Phraya river boat from the pier named "Phra Arthit [ พระอาทิตย์ ] [Stop ID: N13] to the pier named "Thonburi Railway Station Pier" [ ท่ารถไฟ ] [Stop ID: N11] and walk 12 minutes to "Thon Buri" [ธนบุรี / Stop ID: 4440] station to take the train.

  • Algo mais...

    Algo mais...

    * Workaway site warns people traveling to Thailand about the legal issues of their visit in the country, so I used to get many requests from workawayers for volunteer visa (called "Non-Immigrant O") which I cannot help with since I'm not a legal entity, which means I am not entitled to sponsor you, and of course, I am unable to provide any of the many documents you will need for the application at a Thai consulate/embassy.
    If you want to know more about this topic, you can find detailed and useful information from "Tasty Thailand"'s website by simply typing "tasty thailand volunteering" in your search engine.
    But the good news is that the position I'm offering should not create any problems in the unlikely event of a control by the immigration service since it's genuine personal help (no money involved) at a "friend (as the digital community likes to call it)'s place, which also benefits the local economy.
    So don't worry to stay with us ;-)

    * "Begpackers" not welcome; I hosted late 2022 a volunteer who constantly wanted to raid my fridge and my food supplies [included frozen cooked meals I keep to save time when I am home on my own] whereas I clearly specified my little incomes which barely cover the household monthly needs.
    So please get your own ingredients when you cook.
    Coming to our place should mainly based on and motivated by your love for animals and maybe also to get some rest, "refill your body batteries" and get ready for further adventures.
    To know more about them, you can read this quite witty The Guardian's article: "Young, entitled and over there: the rise of the begpacker" published on 22.07.2019.

    * NO DRUGS ALLOWED in the house and in the neighbourhood: it was Thai law for many years until a recent unclear change of situation which saw the booming of registered Amsterdam's style "coffee shops" but public polls show that the majority of the general population is very unhappy with that "legalization" and wants to go back to old penalizing laws.
    I had a very unpleasant conversation with a young Australian volunteer about this topic and I do not want to have it again.
    The rule is simple: NO DRUGS HERE!

    * NO MEAT PRODUCTS ALLOWED IN THE HOUSE. PLEASE RESPECT THE FACT I BECAME VEGAN BY LOVE FOR THE ANIMALS;

    * No late-risers if you stay at the house: the cats (and I) usually wake up between 6.15 and 6.30 am to be fed and go outside and we want to be able to do as much noise as we want without worrying about the sleep of other people in or around the house;

    * I have (very) good French and English books that you can read while staying with us, please do not take them away;

    * I will lend you a bicycle so that you can explore the nearby area when cats sleep or when I am home;

    * Please feel also free to use the kitchen to cook whatever plant-based 🌱 makes you happy;

    * There are water-filtering machines where you can refill empty bottles, please make sure there is always cold water in the fridge;

    * There are laundry machines and many convenience stores in the village; a 7-Eleven is even less than 500 meters away from the house;

    * Before volunteers arrive, I usually make a big cleaning to show how the house needs to be kept; I count on you to make sure you keep it that way and keep the kitchen always spotless.
    The day you leave, while you prepare your luggage if it is the morning, I also count on you to go to the laundry machines place to wash your sheets with detergent, softener and coins I will provide and please wait the 60 minutes for the machine to have done the job and put them on the line for drying, I will take care of the folding later;

    * I don't have direct internet access, you will need to get a 3G/4G/5G sim card at a local phone shop or at a 7-Eleven;

    * Smokers can ONLY smoke outside in the garden;

    * I'm not a tourist information office; I will be happy to share experiences and give some tips during a meal or a coffee break but I have no time to organize long trips around the country and/or SE-Asia;

    * I give myself the right to ask you to leave before the agreed date if I feel we (the cats and/or I) don't get along: I have had too many times the feeling of being a prisoner of my own house;

    * Feedback:
    - I usually write a feedback after you leave yours. So do not hesitate to write yours when your memory (and mine) is still fresh so not later than a month after your departure [after that period, I won't leave any];
    - If you stand in after I first contacted you to usually "save the day", I will write an objective one first as another expression of my gratitude for giving me the freedom to do all the things I could not because I was stuck at home;
    - First-time volunteers with good will are also encouraged to contact us so they can be sure to get a feedback if they leave theirs within a month after their departure from the house;

    * MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE FULL PROFILE BEFORE SENDING ANY MESSAGE (don't make us waste some precious time - I have replied to each of the almost 900 requests I received over the 9 years we have been on the platform!!! Please imagine the precious time I spent for less than 10% of people who actually came... )
    So, please be considerate and greet me with my nickname which appears 64 times (!!!) in the feedback and write "Well-planned home-stay with Siamese cats" in the subject of your request and please also tell me about your history with cats; a discovery and/or new experience with them is totally fine as long as you are ready to take good care of them.
    If you don't, it will simply mean you have not read the profile until the end; then I will have to decline your request with a copy and paste reply since you have not read the tasks, conditions and rules.

    * Once you received my confirmation, please send me an acknowledgment of good reception as soon as you read it and in any cases not later than 7 days since I need a perfect visibility of my schedule. If you fail doing that, I will consider it as a deal-breaker.
    Thanks for your understanding.

    *** Final Word ***

    Because of too many bad requests and quite a few "not so nice" experiences, I made my profile look tougher and tougher - and also as detailed as possible - over the years so all info are available on this page so I would not need to repeat them over and over.
    Many volunteers also told me that they really appreciated the fact that I NEVER asked for anything else than what was first described and that their stay was exactly the way it was presented. It also explains why I went into this level of details.
    However once you have read the feedback left by workawayers below (I think that the one left by Yun-Chu (Corrine) in August 2023 describes best what you can expect and the experience you can live here, so please read it), then you should know that we are not the psycho-rigid people that we may first appear as.
    Your stay with us may make you want to come and visit us again as it already happened several times ;-)

  • Mais alguns detalhes

    Mais alguns detalhes

    • Acesso à internet

    • Acesso à internet limitado

      Acesso à internet limitado

    • Temos mascotes

    • Somos fumantes

    • Pode hospedar famílias

  • Pode hospedar nômades digitais

    Pode hospedar nômades digitais

    There are 2 comfortable spot to work with a computer in the house: a dining table in the living room and a big working desk in the veranda. As far as internet connection is concerned, you can get at the local phone shop or at a 7-Eleven unlimited 4G 10MB/S for 30 days for 320/350 THB (about 10 USD).

  • Espaço para estacionar campervans

    Espaço para estacionar campervans

    There is enough space in the village to either park your vehicle in front of the house or a little further on the main street.

  • Quantos Workawayers pode acomodar?

    Quantos Workawayers pode acomodar?

    Mais de 2

  • ...

    Horas previstas

    3 hours x 5 days- no food

Nº de ref. de anfitrião: 798687447838

Comentário (61)



Fotos

Comentário

Essas classificações são opcionais e foram dadas junto com os comentários dos membros.A classificação média deixada por cada opção é exibida.

Precisão do perfil: (5.0)

Intercâmbio cultural: (4.9)

Comunicação: (5.0)













































































Learn about permaculture and organic farming on our self-subsistent farm in Kanchanaburi National Park, Thailand
Join our animal rescue centre and help sick & injured animals on the road to recovery in in Satahip, Thailand