How Many Cats Is Too Many Cats? And Other Lessons from Living in Borrowed Homes

Post About the Post: A House Sitting Re-Edit
If you're curious about house sitting in France—or just wondering how many cats is too many—this one's for you. I’ve just re-edited and republished a piece from our early days living in other people’s homes across western France, the UK, and Brooklyn. It covers the basics (how it works), the emotional weirdness (living someone else’s routine), and the practical advice (don’t agree to care for 37 cats unless you’ve had a vision quest).

The updated post includes new reflections, better structure, and a firm stance on the maximum number of felines per household.

Check it out and tell me—what’s your cat limit?

House Sitting in France is a whole other way to see the place

Over the last few years, my wife and I have lived in a lot of other people’s homes—caring for their pets, keeping the plants alive, and figuring out how their heating systems worked. We used TrustedHousesitters, mostly, the biggest name in the game and gave us options across England, France, and even a short stop in Brooklyn. If you can juggle the logis…

Finding Home ElsewhereFinding Home Elsewhere

Post About the Post

This is a re-publish of one of my earlier pieces about house sitting, which was a really important experience for us in France and I just gave it a re-edit.

We’ve done this now in Brooklyn, England, and all over western France, caring for chickens, anxious cats, sleepy dogs, disinterested quail, and occasionally, each other.

It’s a good guide! If you need more information, let me know. I have a ton of draft material for that.

I get into the quiet routines that start to feel like your own, the art of not getting lost in the countryside with Google Maps (still updating), and how to tell whether a sit is too much for you. (Hint: if there are more than five cats, or if the directions include “cross the goat pasture and turn left at the wheelbarrow,” proceed with caution.)

the upper limit of cats

I also make a confession in the piece: my personal upper limit is three cats per person. Your opinions may vary. I like cats - a lot, but there are limits. Or should be.

If someone has an Unreasonable Number of Cats, that is a sign.

Your mileage may vary. But you should know your personal Cat Limit.

I also share some hard lessons about communication, among other things.

Because if you don’t ask early how often someone wants updates, you might find yourself scrambling for a photo of their cat napping in a different chair each day, just to keep people from freaking out, including you.

I know someone without a Cat Limit!

If you’ve ever considered house sitting, or just like reading about semi-feral domestic adventures, it’s been a wonderful experience for us, mostly.

Let me know your cat limit in the comments. (And yes, I read them all.)