Alpaca adventures: Silvi and Lucas’s Hawaiian house sit

Ever dreamed of swapping your everyday life for a house sit in Hawaii with a herd of friendly alpacas? Silvi and Lucas did just that! The German duo packed their bags for a once-in-a-lifetime pet sitting gig on Christine’s lush Hawaiian ranch, and boy, was it one to remember.

A day in the life of an alpaca sitter

With seven sits already under their belts, Silvi and Lucas were excited to get stuck into their first experience on a ranch. Their days started with feeding the dogs, Poppy and Daisy, before heading out to check on the alpacas.

“We enjoyed the morning air and greeted the alpacas, who had their paddock around the house. Sometimes, Dazzy, one of the young male alpacas, would come to the porch to grab some food.”

Next up was feeding time for the alpacas, and the pair would also take some time to clean the area.

“Dorothy, the oldest lady, received special soft food. We also had a greedy alpaca that needed to be fed separately because he would eat everything quickly, causing the food to get stuck in his throat. Then, we let the girls out to graze for the day.”

The pet sitting duo adapted their routine to the weather, too.

“When it was very warm, we sprayed the alpacas with water, as they cool down through their bellies. It was a lot of fun, and the girls really enjoyed it.”

With their pet care duties taken care of, Silvi and Lucas had the rest of the day to explore the ranch and visit the nearby beaches. As the evening rolled in, it was back to the alpacas for their nighttime routine.

“In the evening, we brought the girls back in, fed all the alpacas, and cleaned up the property, ensuring there was no alpaca waste left.”

They ended each day cuddling with Poppy, Daisy, and Lester, the cat. It doesn’t get much better than that!

There were so many memorable moments 

As you can imagine, this wasn’t your average pet sit. Silvi and Lucas really got to know the alpacas, and even saw some take their first wobbly steps.

“At the very beginning, we were there when the newborn alpaca, Rose, was weighed. It was a beautiful experience, and Lucas got to step on the scale holding her in his arms.”

They were welcomed by the whole fluffy family.

“Whenever we returned from outings and drove onto the property, the alpacas would come running – it was wonderful.”

By the end, one alpaca in particular had stolen their hearts: Dorothy, one of the oldest.

“She was already quite thin and no longer had such fluffy wool. Her hooves were very crooked, so we always had to give her special soaked food. When we let the girls out to pasture, she was always the last, and sometimes we had to use a bit of persuasion to get her to go out. But her calm and gentle nature made her special. She exuded a sense of peace and seemed like an old wise lady.”

An unforgettable experience

The sit had a huge effect on Silvi and Lucas, so much so that they’ve considered having their own alpacas!

“Since then, we’ve dreamed of keeping alpacas ourselves one day. It was a whole new life experience, we genuinely enjoyed the work, and we can’t repeat it enough – this sit definitely had a profound impact on us.”

And it wasn’t just the alpacas that made this a sit for the books – let’s not forget the other furry family members!

“Poppy and Daisy, the two dogs, were also great companions, always joining us when we fed the alpacas near the house. Every evening, they’d join us on the veranda to watch some of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen (and we traveled the world for over a year, so that says a lot!).”

Will there be another Hawaiian house sit?

“Definitely!” the pair says.

“We have stayed in touch via text, and Christine asked us to come back in March this year. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do the sit because we had just returned from our world trip and started new jobs. But we hope to see Christine and the animals again and would love to take care of the alpacas during her next vacation.”

It’s clear the bond formed between the sitters and Christine goes beyond a simple pet sitting arrangement. “We are very grateful to have met Christine,” Silvi and Lucas say. Their alpaca adventure is far from over, and we look forward to hearing where house and pet sitting will take them next!

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Want to hear the other side of the story? Find out what it was like for alpaca parent Christine, who passed the reins of her fluffy family over to Silvi and Lucas, and came home to a happy, healthy herd.