Updating my review to say that Dan reached out on April 1, 2025 after I posted my original review and offered me a complete refund. I accepted and asked that he mail it to me as I wasn't comfortable meeting up with him again and was busy with work. As of April 27, 2025 he has not responded to my message asking he mail the refund, nor has he sent the refund. read more

Dan disappointed me greatly when I hired him recently to cat sit for my kitty. I trusted the good reviews, and I was incredibly disappointed. I'm sure Dan does have the years of experience he says he has. However, during my interactions with Dan, it became increasingly clear that his business standing has allowed the quality of his service to decline and him to be overly prideful. During every conversation. he mentions constantly how many other clients he has & how much other work he has left to do after he finishes this job or meets me, making it clear he does not prioritize me as a client. We booked him for only 3 visits. In that time, all of the following events transpired. I am terrified at the prospect of what could've happened, if my cat had had special needs, encountered an emergency, or my first booking with Dan had been longer than 3 days. - Interrupted our trip 10+ times: this is what angered me the most. Dan interrupted my wonderful anniversary vacation and made me travel 5 hours roundtrip back to Seattle because he couldn't use our apartment key correctly. I confirmed later that his original set did indeed work. This might've been just a minor blip, but the way Dan handled the situation infuriated me greatly. Over the phone, Dan flatly refused to try another minute of troubleshooting the keys. This would've saved us several hours of travel and a mar to our anniversary vacation. He kept on insisting he needed to get back to his other work, and cut me off as I was trying to help him figure out the door. When he came to my apartment for the exchange as well, he reeked of cigarette smoke, and showed no empathy at all for my screaming cat left alone all day. - Coldness: My cat was howling, but Dan offered no apologies or compensation, any expression of remorse for putting us 3+ hours out of our way. He asked if he was still going to be paid (when we were exchanging the keys), and then rushed off immediately without even checking in on my kitty. Again, he complained about how much other work he had to do other than visiting our home. I spent the next hour doing what Dan should've done and was paid to do for my cat, because Dan neglected to do so. I do not trust him around my cat, if Chewie ever experienced an emergency. - Incompetency: Additionally, after I explicitly told him not to contact me any further until my vacation ended, called me 2x more because he 1. ran out of bags & b. couldn't remember the instructions I gave him for my cat on our initial meeting. I guided him through all the steps before, but he cited his old age and said he couldn't read the notes left for himself. Thus, interrupting my vacation again. - Lack of accountability & overcharging: Dan left the treat container open, and my cat got into the drawer and ripped the treat bag apart. When I asked Dan if he had done this, he denied responsibility. Once I came home, the apartment was a mess, and Dan had indeed left the treat box open - I've attached pictures. Not once did Dan ever take responsibility for his actions, or try to make amends for all the mistakes he made. He cancelled my December booking and only refunded part of the money I paid him, overcharging me an extra day, before I even finished my vacation. Then, he repeatedly called me 3x more, despite indicating several times that I was unable to call. His conduct and behavior was worrying from the start: I should've just listened to my instincts and not listened to the reviews. This is the word of caution: take his older reviews with a grain of salt. Dan is now a much different person than reflected in these reviews. He showed no interest in my cat, and much more in how well decorated and respected he was. From his behavior, he acted more like an amateur than someone with 20 years of experience. Dan has lost my respect. My advice is to pay a little more for another cat sitter. I would never recommend Dan to anyone I care about. His rates were reasonable, but I had to order a checkbook specifically to pay him, as he doesn't trust online payments. Plus, the constant irritation Dan incited in me does not compensate for the cheaper rates. Please avoid booking his cat/dog sitting at all costs, I wish I could undo all the damage he's done. read more

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Dan, and Jeff, have taken impeccable care of my cat over the past 5 years. I got referred to them through my landlord who had used Dan's services before. Always professional, very reliable, clear communication, and my cat loves Jeff! As most pet owners feel their fur babies are the most precious and special, it takes a lot of trust to leave their care in someone else's hands. I'd also receive photos and updates during care visits, which made me feel really good. I wholeheartedly trust and recommend Dan and his team for the quality of care my pet and for knowing my fur baby was in the best of hands! Thank you, Dan and Jeff! read more

I've worked with Dan for a long time and know him to be highly caring, competent, responsible and a real lover of animals. With regard to one not-kind review on this site, there are 2 sides to every story and this seems like an over-the-top take-down that has the potential to do great harm to his well-earned reputation in one fell swoop, with little room for recourse. Not everybody's personality works for everyone, but is that reason to decimate someone's livelihood? Anyway, give him a try - I think you'll be glad you did. read more

Great experience, used services for about three years. Rina walked and pet-sat for my dog (and cat). My dog didn't get along with most other dogs, and was wary of strangers, could not do a kennel, so needed someone special to walk her and take care of her. It was a challenge to find someone with just the right personality. Rina was perfect, she didn't mind going the extra mile getting to know Kiki, keeping distance from other dogs etc. I can't say enough about this, for those of us with "special" pets this means more than words can say. No worries for me when Rina was there. Priced well to, pretty comparable with other services. read more

Dan took care of our large pet family while we were gone for a few days. He was very reliable and did all that we asked him to do. Our dogs seemed to really like him, and everyone was happy when we got back. I'm glad we found Fantastic Dog and Cat Sitting, and we'll use their services again! read more

Such a great and reliable pet-sitter! Dan has taken care of my cats while I was on vacation and he checked in with me every day, which was very comforting. He's incredibly experienced with animals and really cares about your pets. Also has really cute posts of the pets he watches on IG @danmacdonald8! I highly recommend this service if you are looking for a trustworthy, experienced person to watch your loved ones! read more

Dan took care of my cat for a week while I was on vacation. Soxy is skittish and can be difficult but she get along great with Dan. Dan is easy to work with, very communicative and reliable. read more

My usual cat sitter was unavailable when a last minute week long work trip popped up - Dan responded so quickly and was able to have a subcontractor, Billy, take care of my cat while I was gone. They were both friendly and communicative and Chicken was well cared for. I really appreciate the last minute accommodation! read more

We've used Dan's service three times (and counting) to take care of our cat, Oscar. Dan clearly loves animals, is very experienced and responsible and comms are great and very responsive. Give him a try. read more

I have a geriatric 18-year blind and slightly disabled dog that needs just a little more care so on the rare occasion I need someone to help take care of him when I need to go out of town, I have to make sure I leave his care to someone who is a pro and detail-oriented. I was on the verge of cancelling a trip I had planned when I found Dan's service online. He was able o accommodate me during the busy Memorial Day weekend, showed up for our meet and greet meeting prepared to ask questions and get details about my dog's specific care needs. While he was taking care of my dog, he called o make sure he understood my instructions correctly and after each visit, he gave me a summary of how things went/what he did. Everything went really smoothly, and I'm happy to have found someone who I can call on for those occasional needs. read more

Not only was owner Dan McDonald great, but he helped me out of a bind... Difficult series of events and demands and another dog sitter that flaked out and then Dan bailed me out by taking my call at 10:30 on a Friday and meeting with me at 8 AM Saturday to set up the agreement. When I got home my cute-as-hell AMPT Zoe was happy and healthy from regular visits and walks... Kudos to Dan and his company. ...best reccomendation (just don't wait to the last minute to call him - that's not cool). read more

Our two small dogs had feces caked and dried covering their backsides when we returned home from vacation. We were unable to remove it with soaking in the bath so we cut fur from their tail, legs and backside. The skin underneath was raw and red. Thankfully, neither dog developed abscesses. read more

after I posted my review, Ellen repeatedly called me and left messages on my phone, and today ... lo and behold, she shows up unannounced at my front door! What is wrong with this person and this not-so-fantastic dog and cat sitting service? read more

We've used Fantastic for more than two years now when we go out of town, in particular Ellen, and she is indeed fantastic -- responsive, reliable, trustworthy and great with our two cats, one of whom needs thyroid medicine every day. read more

Nice people, reliable service! My cat requires fluids and medicines daily due to Kidney Failure so I was lucky to find Fantastic. Rina, pet sitter, and the owner Dan offered affordable, reliable and professional Cat Visits for my cat while I was on vacation. Don't let the lack of reviews on Yelp scare you. I definitely recommend this company and will use them again. read more

With our cat's diabetes diagnosis, going on vacation suddenly became a lot more difficult. Between the injections, the feedings, and weighing out his food, we couldn't just ask a friend to help us out, and I didn't know who else I would trust to take care of our cat. Our vet recommended Dan, and I could not be happier. While having Dan or Rina over twice a day to take care of our kitty isn't exactly cheap, it's far more affordable than I'd hoped. He's always been prompt and reliable, and our cat loves him. (In fact, our cat deals with us going on vacation much better than he used to because now he has somebody to play with him and cuddle twice a day.) We've ended up calling him at the last minute on several occasions, and he's always been able to fit us in. I really don't know what I'd do without this company. read more

Fantastic is a perfect name for this company. They are professional, courteous and lovingly intuitive towards my dog 'Riley'. I have never before been so comfortable with anyone else being that familiar or close to my pets, I am at complete ease with these wonderful people. If you have any doubts about your current pet-care provider, you should look these guys up. They have always exceeded my expectations. read more

We were heading out of the country for a week and a half and needed someone to check on our cat, Nutmeg. Realizing that cats are fairly low-maintenance, we still wanted the peace of mind that she was cared for properly while we were away. A quick internet search led us to Fantastic Dog & Cat Sitting Service which was both local and affordable. We gave them a call and set up an appointment for Dan to come over and meet us (and Nutmeg). While we were away, Nutmeg was checked on daily...they checked her food and water, scooped the litter box and even played with her for a bit. They will even pick up your mail, water your plants and take the garbage out if you request it. We were very pleased when we returned to a clean house and well-cared for cat. My sister has used them to care for her cat and dog when she was away and also gave them glowing reviews when we asked her about it. They are true animal lovers and we would use them again in a heartbeat. read more