Julia was an amazing sitter and we couldn't be happier with our experience! From our first contact to when we arrived home after our trip, communication was excellent and we were able to enjoy our time away with complete peace of mind that our pets and our home were in good hands. We particularly appreciated how clean and tidy everything was when we got home with the linens and towels all washed and dried! Our cats clearly didn't miss us a bit - they were relaxed, their coats brushed and were giving us side-eye "oh, so, back to normal then? " looks as we unpacked. Thanks for everything Julia!
Our review is written by Steven (house owner, host + my father) + also by Kim (the daughter). Written by Kim: This was our first house sit since the passing of my mother in late Dec 2023. I was helping my father Steven (whose profile it is) manage all the emails + try + find a great house sitter + came along Gretchen’s profile! Not only is she a cool cat + someone you might want to get to know, I found myself quickly talking to her. I shortly found out her profile is just a glimpse of how interesting she is but talking to her was so much better! She is a world traveler with many experiences + stories to share. We quickly became conversationalists who could talk forever + probably will continue to do so! Thank you TH! She is easy to communicate with + continued the consistent communication all along our journey of having her as our *first* guest after my mom’s passing. It was clearly a time filled with anxiety + sensitivity so there were some sensitive topics to go over + Gretchen got it right away. A few of our rooms in the house were off-limits (as they housed my mom’s things) but we reassured her the house has ample space for her to enjoy + there are many lovely outdoor spaces to boot! When she arrived she felt she was in paradise + really relished in the outdoor beauty + the indoor coziness. We were happy to share it with someone who appreciated it so much! She also was very understanding with the fact that both my dad + I would both be involved as we both handled different parts of the stay. Me, writing + setting up the Welcome Guide + would go over the situation but then upon her arrival my dad would take over + answer any questions mostly during her sit. The good part of having 2 people is she had accessibility to us both, in the case she needed it + sometimes it came up! She juggled all the communication oh so well. My mom usually handled most of the logistics so this being our first time we were nervous something would come up we might not know but it didn’t! It was new territory for us + we wanted to make sure she had everything. Gretchen handled it all with such ease, seamlessly, really respecting our wishes/desires + taking all the information into her hands + making it seem easy on her end to do so. She was easy to coordinate schedules with! There was a gap in her 1st + 2nd sit but everything went seamlessly even when my flight had a day long delay. She was able to coordinate schedules with me arriving in between, then leaving, my dad arriving different days + us extending the trip too. It all worked out! We were all a good team! She absolutely loved our older cat, Benny + he fast + furiously fell in love with her oh so easily. When I saw him, he looked oh so loved + after saying hi to me went over to ‘her’ bed + slept there waiting for her to come back. She sent many pictures, videos + even cute creations + toys she made for our Benny + it was obvious the house + our Benny were her first priority. She even asked us if she could help prune our flowers/shrubs, something my mom used to do + honestly it was an honor to hear her ask that. She was welcome to set up her art studio + play away. She was very communicative when our house cleaner, landscape gardener + house manager showered up for different reasons. When I arrived back for a short stint before she came back the 2nd time our mail was so well organized it was an assembly line! She also offered to take down our xmas tree (as we were a bit behind in taking down our xmas decorations) + she was sensitive to the fact that we were adjusting to a new normal. Thank you so much Gretchen! You made our first sit in a long time so seamless + such a relief that we are ready now to host again. We only wish we could have more Gretchen’s! (She’s also a super talented artist!) Written by Steven: Overall, Gretchen has been an absolute treasure. She has fulfilled our goals for a house sitter perfectly - she took good care of the house, great care of our treasured pet, Mr. Benny + took care of the grounds such as watering a few plants + trees. She excelled in all the above + is welcome back anytime I will be out of town in the future.
Becca was fantastic - we cannot say enough about how great she is as a pet and house sitter and as a human being! Becca committed to the sit 8 months in advance and was great with her responsiveness in communication during the long lead up to the sit. She arrived early and got the low downs on the animals and house stuff prior to us leaving. She woke up crazy early to help us get to the airport and picked us up when we returned, which made the traveling so much easier on our end. She left the house spot-less (and this is no exaggeration), with the linens cleaned, and a wonderful meal waiting for us upon our return. She is an absolute gem of a person with a great sense of humor and a kind and compassionate nature, and she really enjoys the animals in her care. Our dog and cat were very well cared for and totally at ease upon our return. If you are lucky enough to have Becca sit for you, you will be very pleased at how well she does the job!
Susan and Miranda are amazing! I've had the pleasure of working with many sitters and they are truly exceptional. They were great at keeping in touch, sent lots of updates, asked good questions, really bonded with the cats, clearly very experienced working with animals and understanding their needs, and generally lovely to deal with. They were really patient putting up with a whole bunch of deliveries and even assembled a spare bed! They also left the place spotless with clean sheets on the bed. I'm pretty sure the cats loved Susan and Miranda more than us by the end of their stay! I'd highly recommend them to anyone and would love to have them stay again any time.
Wow, what a find Justin is! I feel as though I won a lottery. As I was revelling in the communication we were having during his stay, I looked over his profile and realized either that he had updated it during his stay OR I never even read it. I was so impressed with his initial application that described multiple stays taking care of cats in Turkey that I knew he was going to be a great choice. So I'm not sure that I even read his profile or reviews. Turned out...he was more than I could have EVER hoped for. Justin is VERY organized and clear with his communication. Just as--or maybe more--important, he is a poster child for what zeewoi can be: more than just an economical way to get a pet sitter or a place to stay. Justin embraces the barter economy and the opportunity it presents to get to know people. Although we only met the day that I turned the house and my 2 cats over to his care, we had delightful communication throughout his stay. He wanted to be sure he was providing the right care to all living and non-living elements of my home as well as just chat beyond what we'd had an opportunity to cover when we were face to face on the handoff day. Bottom line: I'd have Justin back even if I wasn't going anywhere! I've met a friend. And my neighbors did as well! Oh yes, and my two cats were well looked after, the house was in ship shape, and Justin was able to brief the next sitter in person (I'd had to extend my time away and Justin already had another commitment). To say I felt confident leaving my pets and home in Justin's care is an understatement. Justin is a real adventurer and believer in the power of both human and animal connection. Without a doubt, I would recommend him as a sitter...and a friend! Thank you, Justin for a great example of how to wrestle so much more meaning out of zeewoi.
We knew that we would have a good experience with Carole & Ron from the moment we first had a video chat with them. They are very experienced house sitters and it showed in the questions they asked about our cats and our home. We were so fascinated by them that we invited them to arrive a day early so that we could all go out for lunch and then dinner to hear about their travel stories and share a few of our own. When we left, we felt very confident in our choice and took off on our trip with confidence that our dear kitties would be well cared for. We were not disappointed as Carole & Ron sent us photos and an update the very next day to let us know that all was well. During the next two weeks, we never had a moment of concern and fully enjoyed our vacation knowing that these seasoned sitters were both looking after our place and also enjoying themselves exploring our wonderful city of Philadelphia. We came home to two very happy cats, a clean house, and even a full bowl of fresh fruit on our kitchen counter. We would absolutely have Carole & Ron sit for us again and we wish them the very best of fun and exploration in their future adventures!
Ruthee was a fabulous pet sitter for our three cats while we were gone for a month. Prior to the sit, she was consistent and communicative; she even came over early for a meet and greet to learn the routine. During the sit, she took great care of our three cats by playing with them (she made a fun cat toy!), scooping litter, feeding and watering them, and sent us text updates and pictures. We came home to happy fur babies and a clean home. She left the place very tidy which was greatly appreciated! We are so thankful for Ruthee and would recommend her should the opportunity arise. Your fur babies would be lucky to spend time with her. Thank you again for everything, Ruthee!
If you are looking for someone to take care of your fur babies and your house while you're away, Daniel is your guy! I had discovered zeewoi just a couple of weeks before I was to leave on vacation and I was not only apprehensive if the website was too good to be true, but also under a real time crunch. I reached out to over 100 local sitters and several possibilities fell through. I was confident I would find the right sitter and when Daniel applied for the sit and I started to text and converse with him, I knew I had found the perfect sitter for my two cats! Daniel was upbeat and positive, articulate and personable, warm and caring, and he asked all the right questions about Lilly and Eli (I hadn't had the time to complete my Welcome Guide, yet!?!). I shared that I had an easy cat and problem cat -- Lilly, who is sweet, social and eats dry food, and Eli who is skittish, was periodically pooping outside the kitty litter box and was eating prescription canned food twice a day mixed with a probiotic and stool firmer. I asked if he thought he was up for the job and he happily said he was. Since he flew all the was from Chicago, I thought the least my husband and I could do was pick him up at the airport. When he arrived, he pulled out his notebook. He patiently walked with me as I reviewed kitty care, showed him around the house, and where he would be sleeping. He immediately picked up Lilly who was excited about meeting her new friend and Eli bugged out and down the stairs to the basement (his favorite hiding place!). We got Daniel connected to the internet, set him up at our dining room table and headed off to airport, leaving our house and kitties in the best of hands. Daniel wanted to make sure I felt comfortable and assured while we were away. He made sure to text with me every other day (he had asked my preference earlier), sent photos of Lilly being her cute self while Eli hid during the day although he gave me assurances that he was eating his food and using the litter box (there were a few accidents, but Daniel never complained about these additional duties). When we returned from our vacation, the house was also spotless and well cared for and Daniel had even washed the sheets for me! It is with utter happiness and complete confidence that I recommend Daniel as a fantastic Sitter. He is trustworthy, responsible, caring, and competent, and you can rest assured that both your house and sweet pets will be watched over and treated with TLC -- and will truly be in the best of hands while you are away!
Caroline was a fabulous sitter and looked after our cat and the house beautifully. She is sensible and very self-sufficient but also kept us informed. We came home to a happy cat and a tidy house. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to others and hope she will sit for us again in the future!
Kristine was wonderful again as our local sitter from just down the street. The boys take to her like she is their best friend whenever she comes to sit with them. She sent us photos of them playing, relaxing, drinking water and eating so we knew they were well taken care of. The house and the cats were in excellent shape and excellent hands while we were away. It is wonderful that she enjoys the house and the cats so much and tells us so. Kristine comes with our highest recommendation! Thank you Kristine!
Is it better to board cats or leave at home?
Veterinarians advising to leave cats at home with a pet sitter who will stay overnight in your home, boarding is not recommended for cats as they are stressed in a new environment, you can find a sitter who will care for your cats and home for free at Zeewoi.
How much should you pay someone to watch your cat?
At least $20 per visit, $60 per overnight watching in your home or $40 for a cat boarding, otherwise you can find a free sitter at Zeewoi.
What do people do with their cats when they go on vacation?
Inviting a cat sitter to your home, boarding the cat with a local business, asking a friend, family or neighbour to feed and check the well-being. The most efficient way to leave your cat during your vacation is with Zeewoi cat sitters for free, in this way, you will save cat sitting costs and make vacation not only for you but also for your cat sitter!