My House/Dog Sit Experience in El Gouna

We all love our pets as if they’re our own child, they become a fundamental part of your family. They take care of you as much as you take care of them. But leaving your pet can be stressful on both you and them. You feel guilty for leaving them alone, you worry if they’ve eaten enough or too much, hungry or thirsty, bored or lonely. As much stress as it causes you, it’s not good for them either.The majority of house pets are cats or dogs, and while dogs require more attention, cats don’t like being left alone either. Until we invent some sort of video calling device between pets and humans where we can know for sure how they’re doing, we need to consider the best care options for our fur-babies.

Thankfully, there has been a considerable improvement in animal care and welfare in Egypt over the last few years. You have shelters, pet hotels, cat palaces and dog parks all trying to do their best for our animals. And while those may be good options for caring for your pet, they don’t always like it as much as we may hope. Personally, my trips or vacations are usually cut a little short because I can’t leave my cat at the Cat Palace in Hurghada for too long – even with the impeccable care they offer her, it still makes her nervous. In their own home, where they feel protected, is where they should be, ideally.

photo courtesy Samy Tabet

Although I live in Hurghada, I just spent three weeks housesitting in El Gouna, in the company of the adorable and loving Golden Retriever, Toffee, who needed looking after, while his owner was travelling. I’ve lived with dogs before, but none could compare to Toffee’s fun-loving playfulness and energy. While we were both getting to know each other, he was definitely the one in charge of our daily adventures. North Golf was his territory, so he led the way. We stuck to the schedule he was used to; a morning walk for him to do his business and get some energy out, a good breakfast and a nap, a refreshing swim and chill in the garden, a midday snack and some playtime, which often involved me trying to play catch with his ball but would eventually lead to him chewing it instead. An afternoon walk followed by another nap and dinner as we get ready for what could only be his favourite part of the day: playtime with his friends near the Golf course, and finally a pre-bedtime walk. It was evident that Toffee was a popular dog in his area, with his friends showing up left and right. Bella, Rambo, Kaya etc…all playing with each other and trusted enough to go off-leash. However, as fun as it was at most times, it didn’t always go so smoothly. His fun-loving playfulness got us both in some awkward situations. Having a dog on your arms, especially if they’re as good looking and charming as Toffee is, can be tricky in the first stages of getting to know each other. Wanting to socialize with everyone that crosses our path, you are obliged to socialize as well. So while Toffee makes friends with his fellow dog mates, I make friends with the person in charge. Not to mention, he has a special talent of being an ‘escape artist’, like when he wanted to play with a pack of loose baladi dogs and I tried to pull him away from them. This was only on the second day of us getting to know each other, so it’s understandable that he wasn’t totally convinced in listening to me just yet. One second I had him on the lead, and the next I found the lead and collar in my hands. Trying not to panic myself, (and failing to do so), I ran after him, while he ran after them. In his mind he was probably just having fun, however to me was the fear that I would not be able to catch him. Thankfully, he stopped mid-run for a quick ‘business’ and that’s when I pulled a sneaky one on him and managed to get his collar back on. I took that as a lesson to not pull too hard when he wants to play and eventually we both understood how to handle one another. I knew when to listen to him, and he knew when to listen to me. While we did stick to his routine and schedule, there was always something new every day; a new dog friend on one of our walks, a new lagoon to swim in, sniffing new bushes and parked cars, avoiding some of the neighborhood cats, even making friends with new humans. 

While Toffee was entertained and cared for, I, in return, felt safe and loved, and I hope he did as well. After about a week and a half, I woke up in the middle of night because for some reason my bed felt a little smaller than usual – and there he was, snuggled up next to me sharing my pillow. It was an extremely windy night and the windows or doors were shaky, so I assume he got scared. Nevertheless, I was more than happy to accommodate him. The time for Toffee’s favourite human to come back home was drawing closer, and in the end we had established a relationship that could have only happened for Toffee being able to stay in his own home and maintain his routine.

Always consider what will be best for your pet before making any plans, because we all want what’s best for them in the end. Cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters – whomever your fur-baby is, please know that I am happy to care for them as well as look after your home while you are away. For more information, please contact me, Hannah, on +201289423643. 

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