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.
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.
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.
Young was the perfect house sitter for us. From the moment you meet her, you can tell she is animal person and is detailed oriented and will take great care of your house and pets. She exudes a peaceful and grounded energy. She was comfortable with each our pets from the high energy dog to the shy skittish cat. She played with the dog in the yard every day and took him on walks. And she was also very attentive to our cats and figured out how to maintain the equilibrium in the relationship between the cats and dog. She is an excellent communicator; she asked questions when our directions weren't clear and kept us updated on the pets. She is also an amazing photographer. She sent us pics of our pets every day that totally captured each of their personalities.
Raquel was simply terrific! She and her husband, Miguel, had to fill in at the last minute for another sitter who had a death in her family. This meant that the length of the stay and sitting they had originally signed up for doubled. Completely undaunted, they did a GREAT job for us. Our cat and dog got lots of love and affection, and plenty of exercise, food, and rest. Our house and yard were cared for with equal conscientiousness. It was wonderful for us to be able to rely so completely on these super zeewoi. We recommend them 100 percent!
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!!:)
Florence is everything you want in a cat sitter! We have two cats that need a lot of human attention. One takes multiple medications twice a day and they both are used to eating on their own schedule and having people around so it is always very important to us to find a pet sitter that will be spending a lot of time in the apartment and that doesn't mind being very attentive. We were able to meet Florence before our trip and felt 100% confident that she would take great care of our cats. Florence is comfortable giving medication, she sent us photos and updates and left our apartment spotless. We were so happy that we had her come back the following week when we went away again for a short trip! We will definitely contact Florence again whenever we travel and hope that she is available!
Tracy was an ideal pet sitter when we left for 12 days. She was communicative, friendly, and most importantly took perfect care of our two cats and our house. I would highly recommend her for any sit!
Tonya was great and filled in after our other sitter had to cancel. She was very self sufficient and navigated acclimating herself to everything since she arrived after we left. She gave thoughtful updates on my cat and I could tell she really enjoyed her, so that means the world to me! She left the place immaculate and we will certainly have Tonya back!
We've had many pet/house sitters over the last few years and Cat and Eugene will reside at the top of the list of favorites! From my first email with Cat I knew I liked her. She has all of the qualities of a good house and pet sitter: Reliable, a good listener, organized, flexible, caring, and honest. She and Eugene arrived exactly on time for our pre-sit visit, where they got to meet Maya and become familiarized with the house. It was a delight to visit with them and become comfortable knowing Maya would be in good hands. Our scheduled dates changed somewhat and they were extremely flexible and easy going about the changes. Upon our return home, we found the house pretty much in the exact condition we left it in. I can tell that great care was taken for Maya and for the house. Maya seemed to still be looking for them the next day, wandering around the house wondering where the other people who loved her went. I would recommend Cat and Eugene for anyone looking for reliable, kind, respectful, caring, tidy, and honest sitters. If I am lucky, I will get to have them back to sit for me again.
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!