🐱 The cats

Priska — 8 years old, calico

• Shy and timid. Needs time to warm up to you, let her come to you.
• Doesn't like being handled or picked up: she'll hiss and growl, but won't bite or scratch on purpose.
• If you must pick her up (for care): use a bath towel. Place it over her back, then pick her up and gently hold her paws still.
• She loves soft blankets ("dodo"). Lay one next to you, pat the surface gently and say "come on the dodo".
• Sleeps in the storage room (door left ajar), in the bookshelf cubbies, the closet, or under the bed.
• Dinner at a fixed time around 7pm. In the morning, if her bowl is empty, she'll wake you up around 8am.
• If she sits on the bottom stairs staring at you: she wants you to come upstairs and encourage her to eat (bowls are at the bathroom entrance). Talk to her gently, pet her while she eats.
• Small territory: garden and surroundings. May wander a bit further in the evening. Always within earshot. To call her back: "petit gouté" / "little treat".

Holly — 3 years old, white

• Very affectionate and sociable, no fear at all. Will come to you, sleep on you, "talk" through meows.
• If she's a bit cold, she'll scratch at the blanket to slip underneath (she won't suffocate, she comes out on her own).
• Partially deaf (with a possibly selective hearing).
• Large territory: roams the whole neighbourhood, hops fences, visits neighbours (who know her).
• GPS collar is mandatory, never let her out without it. Prone to getting into mischief (trees, car boots).

Holly's GPS app: Weenect

Download the Weenect app

Pairing instructions:

• Place the tracker outdoors and wait for the yellow LED to flash rapidly (searching for first GPS signal)
• Create an account in the app and follow the on-screen activation steps
• Full guide: help.weenect.com/hc/en-us

• You should see her roughly every 1.5 to 2 hours max. Beyond 2 hours without a sighting: check the GPS app, she may be napping in the storage room, or stuck somewhere.
• Collar functions: ring / flash / vibrate in the app to locate her.
• Loves climbing into any bag, especially not her own.

The two together

• Get along well, fairly independent of each other, sometimes play in the evening, no issue sharing bowls side by side.
• Go in and out through the living room window facing the garden if the shutter is left ajar during the day (mild weather).
• Close up the house at night only once both cats are inside. Never leave a cat outside overnight.

🍽️ Meals, water, litter

Food

• If leftover kibble from the morning hasn't been finished, you can still give wet food in the evening.
• Clean the bowls every day, especially the wet food bowls: in hot weather, flies can lay eggs in leftover food, and the cats already eat less. A dirty bowl makes the appetite problem worse.

Water

• One bowl in the kitchen, another in the bathroom next to the food.
• Change the water daily, especially in hot weather (the fountain keeps water cool, so it needs changing less often).

Litter

• One litter box, in the toilet room. Clumping litter.
• Clean it every day with the scoop (bags provided next to it). No need to fully change it daily, just scoop daily.
• If not done: Priska may pee on the bed to let you know.
• Food and litter are provided in sufficient quantity for the whole stay. If you do run out: Intermarché in Parempuyre (litter sold there, cheapest and effective). Victor handles restocking if needed, not you.

☀️ If there's a heatwave

For the house

• If the morning is cool: air out the house fully, then close both shutters AND windows to keep it cool all day.
• Fans available: large one in the living room, small one on the bedside table. Leave them running.

For the cats

• Avoid letting them out during the day even if they ask — they won't stay out long in this heat anyway.
• Outdoor time only in the evening or early morning, under 30°C.
• If they sulk about staying in, that's fine, don't give in.
• Holly: no need for the collar if she's not going out during the day. But charge it every evening (unplug from its stand, plug into the socket) — otherwise the GPS runs out and stops working the next day.
• To bring them in at night if Holly wants to play: it's a game, she'll run off meowing if you approach. Use the "little treats" for both cats at once.
• Wet food: put the cans in the fridge before serving, they won't eat it well if it's too warm. You can also give wet food in the morning (extra water intake).

🏠 The house

Access

• Keys handed over in person by Victor, who will also walk you through the house in addition to this guide.
• Access to the whole house except Emilie's storage room (door left ajar for the cats).
• No alarm system.
• Wifi: scan the QR code or use the password below.

Ground floor (~40 m²)

• Toilet, open kitchen onto the living room and garden/terrace.
• Fully equipped kitchen: fridge, freezer, oven, induction hob, toaster, air fryer, food processor, rice cooker, kettle, Italian stovetop coffee maker.
• No microwave.
• Cupboards available: oil, spices, soy sauce, basic condiments. Help yourselves, no need to buy anything for a short stay.
• No coffee (Emilie doesn't drink it): bring instant coffee if needed. Plenty of tea available.
• Dishwasher is a bit finicky: use programme 2 only, pods removed from their wrapper. It may stop before the drying cycle (F15 alert): not a problem, dishes are clean but may not be fully dry.
• Dyson stick vacuum, visible on its stand in the kitchen.
• White sink, porous material: can stain (tomato sauce, spices). For stains: bleach spray under the sink, spray and let it sit.
• Living room: sofa, Bluetooth soundbar, printer.

Upstairs

• Bedroom ~15 m² with closet and wardrobe, memory foam mattress 140x190.
• Wifi repeater, projector above the bed (streaming + Bluetooth headphones recommended for sound).
• Bathroom: bathtub/shower (watch for splashing), washing machine and dryer.
• Dryer: empty the lint filter after each use (Victor will show you where), otherwise it damages the machine.
• Laundry pods available. No outdoor drying rack, but you can hang things on the garden furniture.

Closet under the stairs

• Steam cleaner, iron, storage, basic tools.
• Refills for the mosquito plug-ins (the plug-ins stay on 24/7 in the living room and bedroom, ~40 days of autonomy).

Garden and terrace

• Small, fairly dry garden (30 m²). Three tomato plants to water — feel free to eat the tomatoes if they're ripe!
• South-facing terrace with garden furniture and an awning (manual, bring it in if it's windy).

Shared supplies

Basic safety

• Electrical fuse box: inside the house. In case of a power cut → call Victor.
• Main water shut-off valve: outside, not accessible to you. In case of a leak → call Victor.
• Smoke detector: present and working, upstairs.
• First aid kit: in the bathroom cabinet.
• No fire extinguisher in the house.
• Mail/letterbox: no action needed on your part, Victor handles it.

Neighbourhood

🔑 Keys & safety

• Always lock the front door at night.

🚗 The car

• Toyota Aygo 2004, automatic transmission. Some cosmetic dents (hail damage), but serviced before being lent out (tires, brake pads and discs, air conditioning).
• Fuel: unleaded (95, E10 or 98 — all compatible). Closest station: Intermarché Parempuyre.
• Built-in GPS with multifunction screen, Bluetooth (mirror your phone, Apple or Android).
• A passenger seatbelt warning light may turn on: known sensor error, not dangerous.
• Registration document: in the manual pouch, inside the car.
• Spare key: held by Victor.
• Number plate: CY-147-MW
• Parking in Bordeaux: all street parking is paid. Use the EasyPark app to pay without hunting for a meter (enter the plate above).
  Download the EasyPark app
• If you're not comfortable driving in Bordeaux: leave the car at the Blanquefort tram park-and-ride and take the tram instead.
• Any parking fine received showing the date of your stay (the plate is registered to Emilie) will be forwarded to you.

🗺️ The area

Public transport (TBM)

• Buses 22, 52, 76 from Parempuyre. Parempuyre train station (regional trains towards Bordeaux and Pointe de Grave).
• Tram: take the bus to Blanquefort tram station, then the tram into Bordeaux centre.
• Network map: infotbm.com/fr/plans/plan-dynamique
• All lines: infotbm.com/fr/lignes
• TBM Mobilités app for tickets and real-time schedules.

Bordeaux — what to see

For Bordeaux: bordeaux-tourisme.com (official site, in French and English).

For the whole Gironde region (Médoc, Arcachon Bay, Saint-Émilion, Entre-deux-Mers...): tourisme-gironde.fr, the official departmental tourism board site, also available in English.

• Triangle d'or, Saint-Pierre (old Bordeaux), the Chartrons, Bacalan (Cité du Vin, Halles de Bacalan), Bastide/Darwin, rue Sainte-Catherine, the water mirror (Miroir d'eau), place des Quinconces.
• Victoire district: best avoided at night.

Day trips

Shops and errands

Parempuyre (walking distance): Intermarché + petrol station, Tiembo bakery, pharmacy, 2 cash machines, tobacconist.

Le Pian-Médoc retail area (Route de Pauillac): E.Leclerc, Léopold (organic), Picard, GiFi, Atol, Orange, Orchestra, Casa, Mégarama cinema, Total Access petrol station.

Blanquefort: Grand Frais, Lidl, Total Access petrol station.

Bègles — Rives d'Arcins: largest shopping centre in the Aquitaine region (Carrefour, Decathlon, Castorama, ~150 shops).

Bordeaux Lac: shopping and leisure area north of Bordeaux.

🚨 Emergencies

If a cat gets sick

If Priska goes missing

She doesn't have a GPS collar. If she hasn't shown up after several hours (which would be unusual), call Victor.

If Holly goes missing

Check the GPS collar app to locate her, make her collar ring or flash.

✅ Before you leave

Generally check out before noon, so the next pet sitter can arrive in the late morning / early afternoon.

📞 Contacts

🐱 The cats

Priska — 8 years old, calico

• Shy and timid. Needs time to warm up to you, let her come to you.
• Doesn't like being handled or picked up: she'll hiss and growl, but won't bite or scratch on purpose.
• If you must pick her up (for care): use a bath towel. Place it over her back, then pick her up and gently hold her paws still.
• She loves soft blankets ("dodo"). Lay one next to you, pat the surface gently and say "come on the dodo".
• Sleeps in the storage room (door left ajar), in the bookshelf cubbies, the closet, or under the bed.
• Dinner at a fixed time around 7pm. In the morning, if her bowl is empty, she'll wake you up around 8am.
• If she sits on the bottom stairs staring at you: she wants you to come upstairs and encourage her to eat (bowls are at the bathroom entrance). Talk to her gently, pet her while she eats.
• Small territory: garden and surroundings. May wander a bit further in the evening. Always within earshot. To call her back: "petit gouté" / "little treat".

Holly — 3 years old, white

• Very affectionate and sociable, no fear at all. Will come to you, sleep on you, "talk" through meows.
• If she's a bit cold, she'll scratch at the blanket to slip underneath (she won't suffocate, she comes out on her own).
• Partially deaf (with a possibly selective hearing).
• Large territory: roams the whole neighbourhood, hops fences, visits neighbours (who know her).
• GPS collar is mandatory, never let her out without it. Prone to getting into mischief (trees, car boots).

Holly's GPS app: Weenect

Download the Weenect app

Pairing instructions:

• Place the tracker outdoors and wait for the yellow LED to flash rapidly (searching for first GPS signal)
• Create an account in the app and follow the on-screen activation steps
• Full guide: help.weenect.com/hc/en-us

• You should see her roughly every 1.5 to 2 hours max. Beyond 2 hours without a sighting: check the GPS app, she may be napping in the storage room, or stuck somewhere.
• Collar functions: ring / flash / vibrate in the app to locate her.
• Loves climbing into any bag, especially not her own.

The two together

• Get along well, fairly independent of each other, sometimes play in the evening, no issue sharing bowls side by side.
• Go in and out through the living room window facing the garden if the shutter is left ajar during the day (mild weather).
• Close up the house at night only once both cats are inside. Never leave a cat outside overnight.

🍽️ Meals, water, litter

Food

• If leftover kibble from the morning hasn't been finished, you can still give wet food in the evening.
• Clean the bowls every day, especially the wet food bowls: in hot weather, flies can lay eggs in leftover food, and the cats already eat less. A dirty bowl makes the appetite problem worse.

Water

• One bowl in the kitchen, another in the bathroom next to the food.
• Change the water daily, especially in hot weather (the fountain keeps water cool, so it needs changing less often).

Litter

• One litter box, in the toilet room. Clumping litter.
• Clean it every day with the scoop (bags provided next to it). No need to fully change it daily, just scoop daily.
• If not done: Priska may pee on the bed to let you know.
• Food and litter are provided in sufficient quantity for the whole stay. If you do run out: Intermarché in Parempuyre (litter sold there, cheapest and effective). Victor handles restocking if needed, not you.

☀️ If there's a heatwave

For the house

• If the morning is cool: air out the house fully, then close both shutters AND windows to keep it cool all day.
• Fans available: large one in the living room, small one on the bedside table. Leave them running.

For the cats

• Avoid letting them out during the day even if they ask — they won't stay out long in this heat anyway.
• Outdoor time only in the evening or early morning, under 30°C.
• If they sulk about staying in, that's fine, don't give in.
• Holly: no need for the collar if she's not going out during the day. But charge it every evening (unplug from its stand, plug into the socket) — otherwise the GPS runs out and stops working the next day.
• To bring them in at night if Holly wants to play: it's a game, she'll run off meowing if you approach. Use the "little treats" for both cats at once.
• Wet food: put the cans in the fridge before serving, they won't eat it well if it's too warm. You can also give wet food in the morning (extra water intake).

🏠 The house

Access

• Keys handed over in person by Victor, who will also walk you through the house in addition to this guide.
• Access to the whole house except Emilie's storage room (door left ajar for the cats).
• No alarm system.
• Wifi: scan the QR code or use the password below.

Ground floor (~40 m²)

• Toilet, open kitchen onto the living room and garden/terrace.
• Fully equipped kitchen: fridge, freezer, oven, induction hob, toaster, air fryer, food processor, rice cooker, kettle, Italian stovetop coffee maker.
• No microwave.
• Cupboards available: oil, spices, soy sauce, basic condiments. Help yourselves, no need to buy anything for a short stay.
• No coffee (Emilie doesn't drink it): bring instant coffee if needed. Plenty of tea available.
• Dishwasher is a bit finicky: use programme 2 only, pods removed from their wrapper. It may stop before the drying cycle (F15 alert): not a problem, dishes are clean but may not be fully dry.
• Dyson stick vacuum, visible on its stand in the kitchen.
• White sink, porous material: can stain (tomato sauce, spices). For stains: bleach spray under the sink, spray and let it sit.
• Living room: sofa, Bluetooth soundbar, printer.

Upstairs

• Bedroom ~15 m² with closet and wardrobe, memory foam mattress 140x190.
• Wifi repeater, projector above the bed (streaming + Bluetooth headphones recommended for sound).
• Bathroom: bathtub/shower (watch for splashing), washing machine and dryer.
• Dryer: empty the lint filter after each use (Victor will show you where), otherwise it damages the machine.
• Laundry pods available. No outdoor drying rack, but you can hang things on the garden furniture.

Closet under the stairs

• Steam cleaner, iron, storage, basic tools.
• Refills for the mosquito plug-ins (the plug-ins stay on 24/7 in the living room and bedroom, ~40 days of autonomy).

Garden and terrace

• Small, fairly dry garden (30 m²). Three tomato plants to water — feel free to eat the tomatoes if they're ripe!
• South-facing terrace with garden furniture and an awning (manual, bring it in if it's windy).

Shared supplies

Basic safety

• Electrical fuse box: inside the house. In case of a power cut → call Victor.
• Main water shut-off valve: outside, not accessible to you. In case of a leak → call Victor.
• Smoke detector: present and working, upstairs.
• First aid kit: in the bathroom cabinet.
• No fire extinguisher in the house.
• Mail/letterbox: no action needed on your part, Victor handles it.

Neighbourhood

🔑 Keys & safety

• Always lock the front door at night.

🚗 The car

• Toyota Aygo 2004, automatic transmission. Some cosmetic dents (hail damage), but serviced before being lent out (tires, brake pads and discs, air conditioning).
• Fuel: unleaded (95, E10 or 98 — all compatible). Closest station: Intermarché Parempuyre.
• Built-in GPS with multifunction screen, Bluetooth (mirror your phone, Apple or Android).
• A passenger seatbelt warning light may turn on: known sensor error, not dangerous.
• Registration document: in the manual pouch, inside the car.
• Spare key: held by Victor.
• Number plate: CY-147-MW
• Parking in Bordeaux: all street parking is paid. Use the EasyPark app to pay without hunting for a meter (enter the plate above).
  Download the EasyPark app
• If you're not comfortable driving in Bordeaux: leave the car at the Blanquefort tram park-and-ride and take the tram instead.
• Any parking fine received showing the date of your stay (the plate is registered to Emilie) will be forwarded to you.

🗺️ The area

Public transport (TBM)

• Buses 22, 52, 76 from Parempuyre. Parempuyre train station (regional trains towards Bordeaux and Pointe de Grave).
• Tram: take the bus to Blanquefort tram station, then the tram into Bordeaux centre.
• Network map: infotbm.com/fr/plans/plan-dynamique
• All lines: infotbm.com/fr/lignes
• TBM Mobilités app for tickets and real-time schedules.

Bordeaux — what to see

For Bordeaux: bordeaux-tourisme.com (official site, in French and English).

For the whole Gironde region (Médoc, Arcachon Bay, Saint-Émilion, Entre-deux-Mers...): tourisme-gironde.fr, the official departmental tourism board site, also available in English.

• Triangle d'or, Saint-Pierre (old Bordeaux), the Chartrons, Bacalan (Cité du Vin, Halles de Bacalan), Bastide/Darwin, rue Sainte-Catherine, the water mirror (Miroir d'eau), place des Quinconces.
• Victoire district: best avoided at night.

Day trips

Shops and errands

Parempuyre (walking distance): Intermarché + petrol station, Tiembo bakery, pharmacy, 2 cash machines, tobacconist.

Le Pian-Médoc retail area (Route de Pauillac): E.Leclerc, Léopold (organic), Picard, GiFi, Atol, Orange, Orchestra, Casa, Mégarama cinema, Total Access petrol station.

Blanquefort: Grand Frais, Lidl, Total Access petrol station.

Bègles — Rives d'Arcins: largest shopping centre in the Aquitaine region (Carrefour, Decathlon, Castorama, ~150 shops).

Bordeaux Lac: shopping and leisure area north of Bordeaux.

🚨 Emergencies

If a cat gets sick

If Priska goes missing

She doesn't have a GPS collar. If she hasn't shown up after several hours (which would be unusual), call Victor.

If Holly goes missing

Check the GPS collar app to locate her, make her collar ring or flash.

✅ Before you leave

Generally check out before noon, so the next pet sitter can arrive in the late morning / early afternoon.

📞 Contacts