Shaina was a great sitter for my cat Lionel. She was great with communicating before the sit and was willing to come meet me in person before the sit. She also kept me updated throughout the sit, with photos and little notes. When I returned home the flat was tidy and Lionel seemed happy!
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.
We are thoroughly pleased with and impressed by Daniel's kind, generous, and careful care of our cat and our house. He is a committed and experienced sitter who completely understands his role and responsibilities and also how to gently win the confidence and affection of a pet. He is an excellent communicator, and he kept us regularly up to date on our cat's well being--sending us texts and photos at least once/week as we requested. Our cat who is a little afraid of new people, grew fond of him, and we have returned to a very calm, contented cat. We highly recommend Daniel, and we ourselves would be thrilled to engage him again when the need arises.
Sharon and Milton are two of the nicest people I've met in my life. This is my first time having a sitter fly in from out of state and it was so simple, stress-free, and didn't affect any part of me getting ready for my trip, leaving for my trip or returning from my trip. Sharon was very communicative before, during and after I returned. It just couldn't have been more wonderful! If you're considering applicants stop looking and choose Sharon and Milton. They are just delightfully wonderful wonderful people!! They go above and beyond just housesitting and pet sitting! Tidy, clean, respectful down to earth and the most kind and loving people. I do believe Milton really is a cat whisper!! They slept with my sweet babies, and even followed silly grooming instruction on one of my cats. Would have them sit for me absolutely anytime.
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.
Kathy and Ron arrived at our home with a most fantastical toy for our cats and a giant apple pie. Need I say more? They are very experienced sitters and brought personal items that they prefer. We knew we were leaving out cats in good hands. A large part of their 'job' was hand watering our garden and Ron took that in stride. Everything is thriving. Our cats are usually distant with new people but we received photos of them keeping Kathy and Ron company in various situations which was reassuring. They clearly won our cats over. Although Ron and Kathy had a ferry to catch on their last day, they took time to wash their linens and hang them on the clothesline. They also left us a gorgeous plant for our garden. We would very much like to have them back for a longer sit if possible.
Kathryn was such nice and kind sitter that both of my boyfriend and me were grateful to have, including my cats!! My cats seemed having great time with her, being around her, chilling on couch with her, or even sitting on her. I got several photos of my cats from her with whort updates. I’m thankful that she let me do facetimes with her when I missed my cats. The house was clean and tidy when we came back. I definately will ask her again to sit my cats and house when I need. Thank you Kathryn!!:)
Elyse was one of the best pet sitters we've ever met! Couldn't recommend her more. We hope she stays at our place again. She sent many pictures of our beloved cats throughout our absence. We returned to our cats seeming relaxed and happy as ever. She also left our apartment sparkling clean. 10/10 :)
Heidi was an outstanding cat sitter for my Luna! She was very communicable via calls or texts. She followed all my guidelines for feeding and care of Luna. Luna was very content when I arrived home thanks to Heidi! My home was immaculate when I arrived and she did some snow shoveling. She even pulled a large broken tree branch off my roof following a windstorm. I hope Heidi is available for my next trip because she is awesome. Jim
My husband and I reached out to Toby & Chloe after reading their profile and impressive reviews only a week before our trip, since our scheduled sitter had to cancel at the last moment. They were very friendly and quick to respond to chat from the very beginning, and ended up exceeding our expectations during their two week stay. It was evident they had thoroughly read our Welcome Guide beforehand, as they arrived knowledgeable and prepared to care for our home and pets. They were very willing and happy to take the necessary time with us to walk through the house and meet our cats, as we got them acclimated with our daily routines and answered any questions. Shortly after we left, our city had a heat wave come through, and after immediately notifying us, Toby went beyond the call of duty and inspected our struggling AC unit to pinpoint the issue. As far as cat care is concerned, we have two seniors (who have more sensitive tummies) that can get irritated after a fur ball or swallowing anything out of the ordinary. When this occurred, Toby & Chloe stepped in and took wonderful care of our cat duo; softening their food and even cradling while hand-feeding them for extra comfort. We truly could not have asked for more affectionate and responsible sitters. We returned to a spotlessly clean home, happy cats, and well maintained plants and pool. (They even cleaned our dusty Kitchen pendant lighting, which requires a steady hand and is definitely a time-commitment …We felt like professional housecleaners had been there!) On our way back, Toby & Chloe stayed in communication with us to monitor our arrival time, allowing them to care for our cats until just before we got home. Overall, they are very reliable and trustworthy sitters whose genuine goal is to provide a top-quality sit, while maintaining your household and seamlessly transitioning to your pets daily schedule.
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!