For a fee that I consider a steal (especially compared to boarding), Kate came to our house for a pre-visit, then came by 3 times over the weekend to check on our cats, give them food and water, played with them, and even cleaned up a hairball (above and beyond the call of duty!). She also sent us an e-mail with a photo and an update on the boys on Saturday.
On the pre-visit, she had a sheet to write down the details on the cats, including their vet's phone number, their names, and feeding instructions. She was friendly and inspired confidence, which is important when you're handing over the keys to your house and your cats' well-being to a stranger :)
She also offered to do all kinds of extra things, like water plants. And, she did all this on less than a week's notice, which I really appreciated.
This was the first time we'd had anyone cat-sit our two boys, Jack and Ralph. We've taken them previously to Cats' Inn in Belmont and to Pet Smart in San Carlos--and while the people there were nice and all, the hassle of proving immunizations, paranoia about them finding a flea (and rejecting the cats hours before we would be boarding a plane), and the drive with two unhappy, confused kitties was always harrowing.
I loved coming home to find them calm and happy, and I will definitely call on Kate again to watch our kitties. read more