Real Experiences
Small homes, honestly told
Every story here was written by someone who actually lives it, and read by a moderator before publishing.
10 posts
Small lizard — Our unexpected summer visitor
A little brown lizard appeared on our terrace in Valencia one summer. My daughter named her Lola, although we had no idea whether she was female. She often appeared near the same flowerpot w…
Studio — Giving our dog and cat their own spaces
Our dog, Bruno, and cat, Cleo, share our studio, but they don’t share the same idea of personal space. Bruno wanted to follow Cleo everywhere. We moved a bookcase, fitted secure cat shelves…
Dwarf hamster — The night Milo disappeared
Our dwarf hamster, Milo, escaped one evening after I failed to close his enclosure properly. We shut the room door and spent ages searching, checking every corner twice. It was amazing how s…
Our husky’s coolest corner
Our adopted husky, Nala, lives with us in a one-bedroom apartment near Málaga. During our first summer together, we moved the sofa away from the coolest tiled corner and fitted blinds to red…
The aquarium that replaced our sideboard
Our guppy family started with a small group of adults, followed by tiny babies hiding among the plants. Before bringing the fish home, we replaced a wobbly sideboard with a proper aquarium s…
Studio — Making room for two guinea pigs
When we brought home our two guinea pigs, Pippa and Daisy, we realised our coffee table occupied the best place for their enclosure. We sold it and rearranged the armchairs, leaving room for…
One-bedroom apartment — Giving our tropical birds room to fly
Our small flock of four zebra finches lives together in a spacious indoor flight cage in our one-bedroom apartment. To fit it properly, we removed a decorative shelving unit and moved the di…
The song I still remember
To my ever loved PACO: My father kept two canaries in separate roomy cages beside each other, one yellow and one white. The yellow one, Paco, always began singing when Dad switched on the ra…
Living With Two Cats in a Small Studio in Paris
I live with my two cats in a 22 m² studio in Paris. At first, I worried that the space would feel too small but creating separate sleeping areas and following a simple daily routine made a h…
Two cats in a 19 m² studio
When I moved into my 19 m² studio in Lisbon. I was convinced I would have to rehome one of my cats. Two years later they are both here and honestly, calmer than before. What changed everythi…