Catswhiskas

I asked my vet the very same question when I left UK with my 6 cats and 4 dogs! One of the cats is very nervous and I thought she might benefit from sedation. The vet commented that this was not a good idea because the cat could end up more worried by the lack of control induced by the sedation. I was advised to use a covered box - at least partially so that the cat can hide away - and to leave water but to avoid food before and during travel. My lot were loaded up at the kennels by my mother as I had had to leave first and were in transit for a good 24 hours in total. They came over with the removal company but in a separate transit van used for that purpose - they took very good care of them, I was impressed. All the animals were absolutley fine on arrival, including the nevous cat. Hope this helps. Charlotte

Have a look at this website www.housecarers.com. You can register with them and search through matches for your details or post an 'ad' which then generates replies. It is all free of charge and most sitters sit in exchange for rent-free accommodation. Anyway, the site has a good faq section. THe only experience I have had so far is being let down by someone who was going to sit for me and then changed their mind but people do seem to have success. Let me know how you get on, I would be interested to know. Charlotte

Holier than thou? Yeah, you'll get loads of that on this forum. Sometimes some really good advice too, it has to be said (!). Unfortunately, people too often think the worst and jump in feet first with some lecture or other. The kittens sound absolutely wonderful - I have a similar oriental/tabby cross and she is a real character, bossy and completely better than everyone else (including me!)!!! It doesn't seem to be the done thing to have animals neutered here which is a real pain. I have been singled out by a local cat who seems to want to have her kittens here (at least I think that is the way she is going as she is very fat!) rather than stay at home. I eventually found her owner after putting posters up everywhere but she came back after only being home 1 day. I am going to talk to the owner and see what she wants to do but if she does stay here I will be looking for homes for kittens and then having mum 'done'. Why can't you people (some of you anyway) assume that someone is doing a good deed rather than acting irresposibly first? I came back to this forum to search for an entry on 'plus value' and came up with this entry about the kittens - go figure! I have been avoiding it for a while because of the general holier than thou attitude. I actually subscribe to another forum now which seems to be much more down to earth and judgement-free (or less so anyway!). Re. finding homes for the kittens - have you put some signs up? I got my last cat from a poster at Point P!!!!!!! I have 6 and the extra guest in the barn! And 4 dogs!!!! Good luck to you, cats like this are lucky to come across people like you.

I always wear specifically designed gloves and helmet but rarely put on my boots or trousers and never (well, once) the jacket as they are so heavy I can hardly walk in them, never mind work. I sometimes wear gaiters which are not heavy but don't stay put either, I put them on when I'm using the saw nearer to my feet than I would choose. Do be careful Pucette. I haven't bought a chainsaw yet although I intend to. A friend who uses chainsaws all the time came and gave me some safety and maintenance training. He recommended the minimum of safety gear he would consider is boots (or some kind of covering for the feet), trousers or the straps at the back half trouser things, face visor and ear defenders. Gloves and jacket great but not the highest priority if you handle the machine right. He had cut marks on his trousers and boots and would have had nasty injuries if he hadn't been wearing them. I would seriously consider covering your legs and feet.  

What a nightmare! I might be crossing wires here but do you really have to do all that technician stuff? Whereabouts are you? I simply went to the local mairie and found out what colour code I came under which they looked up on a map. This then translated into a spec leaflet telling you what kind of a fosse you needed. I had to have a slightly different system where the filtering system was condensed into a square area rather than long trenches because my land is sloping and fairly near a stream. The chap who quoted for the work (whose name was recommended by someone locally who he had put a fosse in for) then looked at the leaflet, went away and came back with a price. He did the work and a chap from the commune came out and checked it out afterwards, well actually dropped in when passing. I rather got the impression no-one had informed him and they were supposed to have but he didn't seem bothered and knew the chap who was doing the work. I signed a piece of paper and he went away again. THis is the first fosse sytem put in here and I certainly didn't have to pay for any technical reports etc. Hope this helps. I know it doesn't answer the subsidy question but perhaps queries the need for tech. costs? Charlotte

PS! AS far as I know it is you who needs to get the cheques not him. I was told by my employer that I had to go and sort it out at their bank and the bank told me he could simply have used the same cheque book that he used to pay the housekeeper. In retrospect I think I was being given the runaround! But, your friend shouldn't have to register at all just give you his details which you fill in on the paperwork provided with each cheque. He does need a number though.

I managed to get the following information about the cheque d'emploi system as I was doing some gardening work at a chateau which originally started as cash for a trial period. When I insisted on being paid legally I lost the job - what can you do?!!! However, I gleaned some info. from the lady there who was employed under this system who worked as a housekeeper. She was literally paid her 'cheque' every interval (weekly I think) and to the best of my knowledge did not have to make any separate payments for insurance or anything. She also got the 10% extra thing that has to do with holiday time. I think there are areas that are negotiable between employer and employee but it is basically a system that allows you to work legally in this part-time manner and get all the usual benefits. I would suggest that the person your friend spoke to assumed he meant that he was going to be self-employed which does involve hideous charges! I think there is a maximum no. of hours you can work per week but this may well be per employer. You also have to do a certain no. of hours to qualify for the national health system which, from memory, was 60 hours in any preceeding month or 120 hours in the preceeding trimestre. I think I worked out that if you worked all year for a minimum of 12 hours a week you would be covered. TRy looking on this website www.ces.urssaf.fr and look at the cheque d'emploi info. Also, if you do a search on www.google.co.uk you can get the option to translate the page which is a bit sketchy but helpful if your French is limited. As far as the NI number goes (or equivalent), you should get this automatically when you first apply for a rebate from the CPAM using an E111 or E106 or whatever your friend has. The whole system is a bit tricky and some people (employers) are reluctant to use it because of this and obviously because of the extra charges that they have to pay. THe kind of work that you are allowed to do is also limited but general gardening work is fine.   Good Luck! 

Very helpful Hendo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where and how much?!!!!!!!!!!

A friend who is a roofer (handy!) is coming to help me re-do my roof. I have got permission to do the work but he wanted me to check what if any building regs there are. Any ideas? Nothing was mentioned when the permission came through. Also, does anyone have any recommendations for the cheapest possible insulation (roof)?   Thanks

Being 'multi cultural' is supposed to be one of the UKs greatest assets ! Hear hear Russethouse. You don't realise what you've got till it's gone and all the indirect benefits that filter out into things like availability in supermarkets. Don't get me wrong, I love all things French but would appreciate a few more things not, too!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Miki get off your high horse. I've already said that I'm looking into the situation again. I was told one set of things by one set of people and now another by you and yours. You are quite probably right which is why I am looking in to it and will change things if I need to. I actually read something in one of these 'things you need to do in France' that said the re-registering after a year thing no longer applies so who the hell knows! I will seek out official opinion and abide by that, so rest easy. AS for my off on a tangent whimsical words, that's all they were. I just get a bit sick of people slagging off the horrible Brits and how we should all be more integrated than the locals. I like my Marmite and English TV! and I actually miss the diversity of Tescos although I never thought I would say that!!!!!! Don't get me wrong, I haven't got a Union Jack flying over the house or anything I just like choice and diversity. As I said, a bit of whimsy! but I shouldn't think anyone much is reading this thread by now so who the hell cares?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Am I missing something Albi - what's AGF?! Yeh I know, probably being stupid!!!

Anybody know of an insurer in France or UK who will insure my 11 year old UK car in France whilst I do the necessary organisation/paperwork to register it there permanently?? Holy Smoke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are we getting back to somewhere near the original question? If you want the details of my insurance broker send me a private message. I have to be resident here and am entitled to no more that 28 days per year in the UK. The car must have a current MOT or controle technique when the MOT runs out. As to re-registering?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well that's a question I am re-investigating but have not had problems so far. I'm not flouting regulations or anything like that (although I'm sure some would rather otherwise!) but am now checking my own situation again as I don't want to end up in a bad situation if I could have easily avoided it. As to integration criticisms - I actually like my English plates on my English car. I integrate like the best of them but I'm an English lass living in France. I will do everything possible to fit in but I'm not French and don't want to be just because I live here. One thing I really miss here compared to UK is 'multiculturalness' (doubt this is a real word!!!) and think that other people from other places enrich rather than spoil - as long as they respect the culture they have moved in to. So I'm a Brit (for better and worse) and have no desire to hide it! All this from a silly numberplate? Silly I know but I'd rather keep it if I can!!! A few honest words from someone who is not afraid to admit to homesickness once in a while however much she loves her little slice of rural France!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I thought you weren't interested in tit for tat Miki?!!!!!!! This topic has spiralled out of control - relax, take a chill pill or you'll give yourself a hernia!!! Highly entertaining though!!!

Thanks all. Yes I forgot to mention, I have 3 half brothers and sisters and this is where I would want the money to go. My neighbour seemed to be saying that the French Gov. took a huge percentage first. I know there is inheritance tax in UK which causes problems but only over 250K. THere always seems to be info re. people who are married and have children and the problems this can cause but not for single child-free people! I guess a trip to the notaire is in order! Sounds expensive!

I'm not going to throw this backwards and forwards and turn it into one of those hideous tit for tat links that goes on for pages. Sarcasm aside, I will check back with the gendarme and also the mairie (although my local one nevers seems to know much of anything!). I will also get the insurance chap to put something in writing which will no doubt draw him out if there is a problem. To be honest though I don't want to re-register unless I have to but if I have to I will, simple as that.

I bow to your superior knowledge and will go and ask again the mechanic who performed the CT and said re-registering was not essential and also the gendarme who shrugged his shoulders and said that there was no panic when I was reporting a theft.   

Be creative Chrissie! If you've got to look at it all the time, what would you rather see, concrete slabs and pre fab covering or something you designed and created yourself? Think along the lines of Oak posts with a raised 'decked' type of  base, perhaps with a couple of levels which would allow you to rotate the firewood efficiently and increase drying efficiency. Maybe a shingled roof extended almost to the ground where you could store kindling or garden tools, bore some large holes in the Oak posts and pack them with bird feed and sit and wait with your camera to capture a passing woodpecker.....carve the poles into totem or tiki subjects, anything goes Chrissie!   Great idea Mr Ground Force! Also, when you sell you can advertise it as having gite potential!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone know what the standard procedure is for someone who is not or hasn't been married and has no children? Someone told me that the state takes a massive percentage if you are (or were) single.

Note: Always do a search for your question first or someone will have a go at you for not doing so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I use an English company who have an agent in France. When my English MOT ran out I got a controlle technique and had no problems with using my English paperwork. People have said that I will have to reregister the car eventually but I have had no problems as yet. Price was comparable to what I had been paying previously in UK. You do have to be residing in France to get the cover but you get up to 28 days cover in the UK per year. E-mail me if you want agent's telephone number.

Velux will do it! Yes to the person who asked if they were being pedantic, yes, yes, yes! You are not alone though - there are lots like you on this forum. Balls to how limited your French is, just go and try! Draw pictures if you have to or try using the English word in a French accent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! actually this sometimes works as so many of our words are derived from french so it's not quite as stupid as it sounds! If you get a quizzical look, you'll know that you've stuffed up!!! I've found everyone really helpful down at the local builders' merchant and we have muddled along between us even if they do laugh at me sometimes!!! I even got a persian cat there last week!!! No this is not a joke, a black and white persian needed a home so he has come to live with me and my other 5 cats and 4 dogs. Oh and he's called Geoffrey Humbug Squidgit!!! I keep a little vocab book and write down new technical terms as I forget them so quickly. Schoolgirl French doesn't really prepare you for technical building terms!!!!   I'm sure this is of little use to you but I had to pass comment on Mr Pedantic's kind words!!!

What do you think of the quality of their emulsion? I've used it before and found it really watery. A painter also commented on it's lack of quality considering the price. The dead flat oil and eggshell were both fine though and the colours are to die for so I guess you can't have everything?!!!

Obviously not for you. Sorry but it was exactly as I said. He worked for us for over a year and now works for someone else. He didn't have to go to any kind of interview and nowhere did it say that it was a temporary number (although it could well have been). THat is the only experiance I have had so I can't compare to anything else.

And believe me there is no easy to 'get' a national insurance number in the UK. On the contrary, I got a national insurance number for a new employee who had come over from The Seychelles when I ran a Ltd Co. in the UK with the greatest of ease. He simply had to sign a form that I had filled in for him (one page basically stating that you agreed that this was your main job, blah, blah) and a national insurance number was forthcoming - within a week as I remember. Registering as self-employed was also like falling off a log and financially beneficial. Some things are most definitely easier in good old blighty!!! Having said that, I've never drunk a decent bottle of wine for less than 2 euros in the UK!!!!!!!!!  

Is there an easy way to get the equivalent of a national insurance number - ie sending a form off like in UK? or do I need to trug down to Cahors (I'm in the Lot)? Thanks