Oak Park Illinois

I am looking for an apartment and pet sitter for my Maine Coon (Tequila) for the entire month of December. I will be out of the country, I will be contactable, but on a 13-14-hour time difference. I do have local friends that you can reach out to if you need more immediate assistance.

Because this is not until December, I won't be making a final decision on the sitter until around August/September; but please let me know if you have an absolute "must-know date" when contacting me (planning flights etc). Because of this, if you are someone who likes to reach out to multiple people all at the same time, please let me know. This won't mean that you won't get the sit, but it will let me know to choose a backup in case you book yourself elsewhere before I confirm.

DATES/TIMES
My international flights are booked and I will be out of the country between Dec 1 and Dec 31. I have not yet been able to book my domestic connections, so actual dates could still be 1 day on either side depending on flight availability/times.



WHO AM I LOOKING FOR?
Tequila does not spend a lot of time with men (or children) and can be very skittish, so I would prefer at least 1 female. Couples/mature friend groups are possible. Someone who is well-versed in the grooming of a long-haired wiggle champion is a plus.

PET CARE
Tequila's general care is fairly easy but she is shy when meeting new people. Once she understands you are there to feed her and pay attention to her, she tends to warm up a bit. By the end of your stay you may or may not have a lap cat. A lot of her stuff is automated (Litter Robot and Water Fountain), and she will let you know if she wants to play, so aside from feeding and grooming, most of your time can be spent relaxing or exploring nearby Chicago.

SLEEPING SPACE
I have a two-bedroom apartment, the main bedroom has a queen bed, and the second bedroom has a Full/Double Bed. The second bedroom is also my study (I can leave the desk clear if you are a remote worker) and it is also where you will find Tequila's litterbox. I do have a sofabed in the living room, but would prefer to keep it unoccupied incase there is an overlap our arrivals/departures.

APARTMENT
My apartment is located in Oak Park which is just west of the official Chicago border, it is in close proximity to the Eisenhower Expy and a short (4 min) walk to the Blue CTA train that runs from O'Hare international airport and also through "The Loop" in downtown Chicago.

I am in a Garden unit, with a couple of stairs. I have radiator heat (aka you don't have to worry about heating costs). There are no live plants to take care of and if it snows, no shoveling is required, but there is access to a shovel and salt if the maintenance crew can't get here until late in the day.

If you choose to drive (I don't have a car), there is permit street parking available with length of stay restrictions between Dec 1 - Dec 17. From December 17 through January 3, the Holiday parking schedule begins and there are no restrictions. All street parking is weather permitting (significant snow means you may need to dig and move your car daily for the plows). There is a zipcar location within walking distance (even in the cold), if you only need short term access to a car (i.e. grocery shopping).