Ciao a Tutti - or should I say Miaow a tutti!

Welcome.  Are you going to treat us to yet another nice cat avatar?

 dogs not cats and i could do with some help on the cat side...so all info and cat type postings more than welcome...recall from old days that someone was setting up either a dog or cat boarding place in the marche... and believe... other members will correct if wrong that it didnt really get going...am sure that the idea will work... would suggest at least a couple of things before you move see if  your profesional body has any relationship with italy... qualifications in the EU are supposed to be transferable...  so see if they have reciprocal arrangements...  and if so get your qualification translated into Italianwhat and where you buy... now we are estate agents as well as dog owners... get someone working for you that will ensure that a property you buy will be allowed to have a construction...even cats homes allowed on the land... dont accept an estate agents opinion have int written in blood... could be worth once you have short listed a few places having charlotte oliver check what can and cannot be done... an english speaking italian solicitor...learn italian...quickly... unless you can get a englsih speaking accountant to help deal with the buisiness set up... marche people will know more on that.. although if you take the solicitor route they might well be able to help finally dont discount the Italian market...we are an english speaking estate agency... and also because my wife is Italian work with that market too..  at first we concentrated on foreign buyers... but to be honest they are often more work ...and we now deal at least 50/50 with locals as well... easier cause they know the law.. speak italian and do not expect us to get the water conected... and they are happy ith our fees.. and dont write about us on forums......  seriously... the UK market here is small... even in the marche..  make sure you set up to take all foreigners... there are much more danes,germans ..dutch.. plus by far the biggest market is italian.. and unlss you buy south of the Pescara/Roma line then with few exceptions animals are regarded as family memebers and people will pay to have them looked after ..well  

Thank you so much for that Adriatica, most useful info. As regards to the house buying, we thought we had found our dream property (via an Italian agent).  We later found there were five owners and serious inheritance issues.  It was devastating to be told by the most scrupulous notaio that it was going to be almost impossible to buy it with a good title.  The house is still being advertised quite widely by several agents and I cringe to think of someone else going through the same problems that we encountered.My Italian is coming on steadily, it's the conversation side that is lacking.  It improves quite a bit after a glass or two of wine strangely enough!I expect I will have to start pet-sitting on a very informal basis.  It's often word of mouth that works for these ventures and we wouldn't be going for an extensive (or expensive) outlay at the start.  Catteries are licensed over here by the local council so I will have to find out if the same applies in Le Marche.As far as cats go, I expect the same applies: regular worming, regular Frontline or Advocate and keep white noses and ears out of the sun!      

 Perhaps you could find some interesting information regarding animal welfare in Italy through www.dogwelcome.it