House Sitting In Mourea

My Huirangi house sit has been completed and I’m straight on to my next place. I arrived here on July 29th and I’m here until August 10th while the owners spend some time down in Christchurch. This sit finds me in a small settlement called Mourea, which is about 15 minutes north of Rotorua and situated on a narrow strip of land (isthmus) between Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti.

My current abode is an older home, built in the 1930s, but it’s comfy and the interior has a nice art deco feel to it, and the house gets heaps of morning sunshine which is what you want during the colder months. The rear of the property backs on to the Ōhau Channel which links the two abovementioned lakes, which is pretty neat.

I have one doggie and two kitty cats to look after. Mia is 10 years old and is a Catahoula Leopard, crossed with a bit of whippet and staffy, but she’s predominately Catahoula and has the distinctive leopard markings that are typical of the breed.

She’s a good guard dog and soon lets you know if somebody is hanging around. A courier driver called in the other day with a parcel for the owners. He either ignored or didn’t see the dog sign on the gate and so he came to the front door, rang the door bell and left the parcel. Mia was having a snooze in the lounge, but as soon as she heard the door bell she ran out the back door barking and raced around the side of the house to say hello to the courier guy, whereupon he took to his heels and leapt over the gate!

But overall she’s a really nice natured dog and we were the best of mates from day one. She’s just very territorial, and I’d say she’d be quite protective of the kitty cats too.

Speaking of which, they consist of Gigi who is a gorgeous long-haired tortoiseshell, and then there is Ivy, a stray black kitten who is a real sweetie. The owners took her in a couple months ago. Gigi and Ivy aren’t the best of buddies as yet, but they both get on really well with Mia.