Cat Sitters in Mine Run, VA

Janie

Cynthia was a perfect pet sitter for our little kitty. We knew from her extensive experience with cats that Nala was in good hands. She was extremely responsive via texts when we were away, ensuring us that the 2 of them were having a great time. She went absolutely above and beyond by scrubbing our bath and toilets to remove our mineral deposit rings that we haven't been able to get rid of! She even left the name of the product she used so we can get more in the future. The house was cleaner than when we left. We'll have her back anytime!

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.

Jessica

Kathryn was amazing. She helped me figure plans out after another sitter dropped out at the last minute and saved the day! My cat and fish were well taken care of, and she was super communicative when my tank had a problem child moment. Would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a reliable, helpful, and caring sitter!!

joby

Amanda is truly our trusted sitter "find"!  She comes back regularly, so much so that our kitties think she is their secondary owner!  Always reliable, clean, responsible and most of all loves our cats as much as we do!  Good communicator, self reliant - all in all a perfect "10"!

Olivia

Someone was smiling down on us when Kevin and Mary clicked on our very first House Sitter advert.
They are straightforward, pleasant, reliable and fun. They kept in touch about their own plans when their flights were delayed. They tactfully left the house when our own cancelled flights meant we were staying a few hours longer than first planned. 
They sent just the right amount of photos, videos and texts of our cat while we were away! We all loved that. 
And on our return, oh my word, the house fairies had been to visit! They somehow managed to walk the perfect line between improving everything, without interfering at all. Clean, tidy, replenished. They asked what food we’d like on our return and boy did they deliver! Home made bean stew :-) and different things for the children. Really kind and generous.
Communication was clear and also witty..! They dealt with the churn of small mammals our “somewhat independent” cat brought through the flap without complaint. 
They are a really nice couple, exuding a lovely American warmth and charm. It was a real pleasure, Kevin and Mary, thank you.

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.

Sunny

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!!:)

MARILYN

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Kathryn!  I needed to extend dates for the sit after we had set it up and she was able to accommodate this so was actually here from 10/4-20.  She was timely and communicative throughout - and she is a very nice person.   She kept the house really tidy and followed all instructions well.  My cats took to her quickly.  When I returned, they had been very well cared for and seemed fully content even though I'd never left them for long before.  While away, I reached out to Kathryn by text several times regarding deliveries, etc.  She was very prompt in responding and adept at handling issues as they arose.  I highly recommend Kathryn as a house sitter - and would happily work with her again!

Julie

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.

Cynthia

I whole-heartedly recommend Carly and her partner Fanny to sit for you! They were fabulous and reliable house sitters from start to finish. Carly was timely and thoughtful in all of her communications and let us know the state of affairs in our apartment with our cat and plant babies while we were away. They followed our directions to a 'T.' We came home to find a happy cat, thriving plants, a spotless apartment and laundered linens. We would definitely consider contacting them again to house sit for us!