Cat Sitting in Shockoe Slip

sandi

Florence and Robert were outstanding sitters.  We asked them to arrive a day early as our guests to learn the routine on our farm.  In getting to know them we found them to be good hearted, down to earth people with a love of animals and diligent in learning our routines to care for our poultry, cats and dog as well as our garden and orchard.  Not a typical or easy sit.  We travelled with ease knowing our critters were being well taken care of.

Arriving home, the house was very clean and looked well cared for.  The animals were healthy as were the garden and orchard.  Out pets missed them when they left – our dog stared down the driveway after them until their car was out of sight.

It is nice to find sitters we would like to hang out with and we look forward to having them sit for us again.

winslow

I am struggling with naming our top adjective to describe Michael and Jeanne.  "Conscientious" will likely be it but then again, "personable," "reliable," "organised," and "animal-loving" are top contenders. 

If you are reading this review and contemplating inviting this couple to watch your pets, then look no further. We have had a number of excellent house sitters but this pair was next level in terms of the love they showed our cats, Maxx and Nala.  When we came back, we could our animals already missed them.  These cats, who have never slept with anyone other than us, were getting in bed with them each night -- and that meant climbing stairs! 

The day before our trip, Nala got an ear infection and had to be put on steroids for asthma.  Michael and Jeanne did not sign up for that when the sit was booked but they took it in stride.  In the last-minute rush, I relayed that Nala needed her oral steroids morning and night.  Michael read the RX label, indicating one dose a day, and contacted the vet to clarify.  So you can see why "conscientious" is right up there.  They saved Nala from an overdose!

We were gone three weeks and they sent us just the right amount of pictures and videos.  They bought cat toys (I forgot to put ours out!) and actively engaged with them, including 20-minute massages for Maxx.  I truly believed them when they said they fell in love with our fur babies.

The house was spotless (which was not important to me but truly appreciated) but I smiled when all six water stations in our yard were filled.  They took seriously my love for and the needs of the wildlife in our yard.  Our plants were all in good condition as well.  

Sensing they were "next level" when I met them, I predicted they would want to leave a meal for us upon our return.  I asked them not to but they found another way to bow out with class.  They made a donation to a nonprofit I work with instead.  This I learned from the lovely thank you note they left. 

I hope they will consider Charles and I friends because we certainly feel that way about them now. What special people.  If you book them, treat them well because they are going to do that for you for sure.

Diana

Sharon and Milton were outstanding sitters and if I could give  more than 5 stars I certainly would.
     Reliable, communicative, helpful, self sufficient and tidy, they took great care of my home. More importantly my cats were lovingly cared for and extremely content when we returned.
I highly recommend Sharon and Milton without reservation and hope to have them return in the future.

Joel and Esme

Kathy and Ron have sat for us several times in the past and have always been excellent. They are our "go-to" pet and house sitters and we always check their availability before we post a sit. They are trustworthy, organized, communicate very well, and take great care of our cats and our house. We hope they will continue pet sitting for many years to come!

Sandi

Chris and Julia were our very first sitters and are the most perfect house/pet sitters anyone would ever want!!! Julia sent video/pictures of our fur babies everyday and we noticed early on that our animals were very relaxed and happy!! This made our trip so enjoyable and stress free knowing that our animals were safe and being spoiled and loved the whole time. They even trained our dog to sit while her leash was being attached and was able to pet and hold our cat that is somewhat nervous around strange people he doesn't know. When I got back from the trip, the house was very clean along with Julia/Chris had washed the bed sheets, bath towels, vacuumed, dusted etc., and even washed the pet bedding. They also left some SE Asia treats for us to try which so sweet of them. Definitely the perfect house sitters!!!

Esther

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.

Andrew

Lindsey was super communicative, friendly, responsible, and an excellent sitter for our two cats. When we returned, our home was clean and our cats relaxed and happy as if we had never left !  She sent us photos and updates every day, as requested, and when a random mishap occurred in the apartment, she let us know right away and was proactive in handling issue. We felt like both our cats and our home were in very caring, capable and respectful hands. Excellent! Thank you Lindsey!

Heather

We literally cannot say enough positive things about Susan and Miranda! They are the best! From start to finish, they did an amazing job communicating with us, giving our 3 (somewhat needy) cats extremely high quality care and tons of attention, and keeping our house clean and plants watered. They took adorable pictures of the cats and sent them to us several times a day, played with them and gave them so much love and affection, and when we got home the house was even cleaner than when we left. We even asked them for some tips on how they were caring for the cats because our cats seemed happier and more relaxed than ever when we returned home to them! This was by far our best cat/house sitter experience to date. We hope Susan and Miranda are available again in the future to sit for us and would invite them back without hesitation.

SARA

Kathryn was a wonderful sitter for Princessa!  She was flexible and communicative and took great care of my cat and home.

Claire

If Macie and Roman ever apply to your post for a house or pet sit, I strongly encourage you to jump at the. offer. You will not be disappointed. They are among the top (if not the top) sitter I've ever had and I've been on this site for years. Primarily, they are very organized. In the weeks and days leading up to the sit, Macie and Roman kept me abreast of their plans and status. I felt very comfortable in the days leading up to the sit
because I knew the plan we made to exchange the keys and walk them through the instructions would work as planned.

Second, Macie and Roman really care. When they got to my apartment after a very long morning of traveling, I explained the care instructions and they were very attentive and cared about the details - asking very specific questions on how to care for my cat and apartment. I had some pretty specific rules about how to feed my cat and take care of him and Macie and Roman followed those exactly.

Third, Macie and Roman make you feel comfortable while you are away. I got daily or twice daily updates about my cat. I got pictures which made me feel like my cat was having a good time. My cat came out of hiding very quickly and was snuggling with them and letting them hold him. It was so nice to see the pictures of them all bonding! Macie and Roman have a calming energy towards animals for sure! Macie and Roman were also very responsive when I reached out
first - replying within 30 minutes. I really
appreciated that.

Fourth, Roman and Macie will take good care of your apartment/house. I came back to a SPOTLESS apartment. The towels were washed. The apartment had been vacuumed. The kitchen was clean. The dishwasher had been run. Everything was in its place when I returned. Honestly, cleaner than when I left it which is difficult since I am a very clean person. Macie and Roman
also respects your property. We had a room we asked them not to enter and they respected that. 

In short, Macie and Roman are amazing. I would have them back in a heartbeat. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them. Ask Macie and Roman for my number.