Cat Sitting in Bad Essen

Katharine

Seàn was an amazing pet and house sitter! He was super communicative and took amazing care of my dog Nala and cat Bruce. They were happy and loved while I was away- I couldn’t have asked for a better sitter for the two little fur babies! He sent great pictures and checked in every day so I had nothing to worry about. On top of all that, he also kept my place immaculately clean and left my place in wonderful shape. We can’t wait to have him back to sit and I would highly recommend him to anyone and everyone looking for a sitter!

Steven

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.

Jenner

Great pet sitter - took perfect care of our cat and our home. They were super communicate leading up to and during the sit and left our apartment in great shape. I'd absolutely recommend them to any future sitters!

Julia

Kerry and Megan were wonderful sitters and took great care of our two cats while we were on vacation for two weeks. They were responsive, gave us regular updates, and seemed to really care about Tumba and Cappa. When Tumba was more timid toward the beginning of our trip and not eating her meals fully, Kerry was sure to ask for additional suggestions from us on how to coax her to eat more.

Kerry and Megan also left the house just as we'd left it for them. We really appreciated them going the extra mile to ask about additional cleaning products so they could clean our bathrooms. It felt great to come home and just relax without needing to remake the bed.

Thanks for everything, Kerry and Megan! We would certainly entrust our home and kitties to you again in the future.

Tonya

Brian is a very professional sitter that does a good job, pays attention to details and is easy to work with. I have a lot of plants. A lot. He suggested me do a video for the plant care so he could be sure of which ones needed what. Brilliant! I’d never thought of that. They were in great shape when I returned. 
I explained that I needed some flexibility with travel dates, he agreed and rolled with the punches like a champ when my dates did indeed change. Unfortunately, he was a bit allergic to my cat but made it work anyway. He was really awesome about everything including a tree that fell next door in a storm and blocked the road for three days. I appreciate that he appreciated how funny and how much personality Boo has. They got along well and I received some great videos. I returned home to a happy cat and a house well taken care of 😊. I would definitely recommend Brian.

Anne

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.

Paige

Jenny was an absolute delight, lovely to speak to and patient with last minute changes. I have had bad experiences with trusting people with my cats before so was really anxious as Jenny is the first house sitter I have used from zeewoi. But, I felt at ease as soon as I spoke to her, she has a lovely manner and she came round the day before the sit to male sure she had every detail right.

But I think the thing that helped the most was her regular updates about my cats. I could see from the videos she sent they were given lots of love and attention. My cats don't usually play with people but my little girl seemed to love her! 

My flat was immaculate when I got back as well, I am so grateful to Jenny for all her help and really hope to have her sit for me again!

Erin

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!

Katie

Karen was an extraordinary house and pet sitter who I hope to invite back again soon. You would be extremely fortunate to have her take care of your pets and home. From the very beginning she radiated calmness, knowledge, caring and curiosity. We had a great initial conversation where Karen answered questions I didn't even know I should be asking, and asked excellent questions so she could be prepared and understand the special needs for both my cat and home. She flew into my city the day before I was leaving and stayed at a nearby hostel so that we could meet in person and do a walk through of my home. They say pets have an intuitive nature about people, and I knew Karen would be a winner when my normally very shy/nervous cat came right up and let her pet him. Karen sent wonderful pictures and updates while I was gone and asked questions when she wasn't sure about something. When I returned home everything was spotless and my cat was content. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better house sitter experience. Thank you Karen!

Paola

Chris was a fantastic cat sitter for our elderly and high maintenance kitty.  Chris was the perfect combination of responsible and on top of her medication needs while also being calm and relaxed about her picky eating habits and the need to monitor her food and medication consumption.  He was prompt, easy to get a hold of,  responsible, and overall, a great sitter.  I would definitely recommend him and most certainly hope to have him stay with her again.