I have used this Watchers and been totally happy. They responded quickly and took great care of my Dog. They walked him when they were suppose to (2 x a day). They filled up his water bowl before they left. I have used them periodically, and they have never failed in responding to my (and my dog's) needs. I wish them a lot of success in the future. This is great and caring company. I recommend them to all my clients. Montana Big Sky Dog Training Skokie, IL 847-997-4707 read more

We used this company to do a daily cat visit over a five day vacation. Our cat was to be fed and watered, administered a dissolvable tablet medication, and have her litter cleaned daily. Visits were supposed to be 20 minutes long, and we were assured that we'd receive regular updates. Cost: $21/day paid in advance. Pros: Eric, who arranged my service, was friendly and responsive. They agreed to come to East Glenview, although that is technically out of their service area (though I don't understand why, since it's basically next door to their other service areas). Services described were performed as far as I could tell, and our sitter Margo did come daily (which we verified through the arming/disarming of our alarm at the house). Our mail was also brought in, which was very nice. Cons: Margo did not stay for the 20 minute time allotment during her visits. I can tell this because I get record of when the alarm system is turned off (her arrival) and turned back on ( when she left). Although her tracking sheet she filled out by hand indicated she stayed for exactly 20 minutes per visit, I have record of visits as short as 13 minutes on more than one day. Am I being picky, you ask? Perhaps. But when you are paying $1 per minute and this is the only contact your cat gets for an extended period, I believe each minute counts. Furthermore, the fact that our sitter lied about her visit times on the tracking sheet simply leads me to assume that she could have lied about any other detail - did my cat get her medicine for real each day? Did this sitter brush her as she claimed to have done? I have to say I doubt it. Having used a good service in the city in the past (30 minute visits, daily texts including pics of our pet, all performed by someone who clearly enjoyed cats), I must say we won't hire this company again. I don't feel our sitter was interested in caring for the pet, nor would I feel I could trust the service after being short-changed this time around. read more

We have relied upon Petwatchers ever since we inherited the best cat in the world, and they have done an admirable job of caring for her. She is fine when we return, although very eager to see us and get a belly rub from her favorite servant. Because of Petwatchers, we can be (almost) carefree about traveling--of course we call in to check--because we are helicopter cat guardians. If you must leave your pet, at least you can ensure that they will be well looked after. read more

I have used Pet Watchers since 2009. Initially I was very happy with them. I have 3 cats. In 2010 I hired PW for a week and despite my feeding instructions, my cats had been crazily overfed. I spoke with the owner, and she said she would clarify things with the actual petwatcher. Thinking that this was the exception to the rule of care, I hired PW to watch the cats for approximately 18 days in December of 2011. I left detailed written instructions and photos for more clarity. I specifically requested that the pet watcher to look for signs of "gastric distress" (vomiting, or poop where it shouldn't be) - and if this happened to immediately contact their boss, who would in turn contact me. I also left my cell-phone # for the pet watcher. My trip was extended and I called Pet Watchers to extend the care for 7 more days. This is what I came home to at 10 pm on a Friday night: 1 cat, sick, with a crusted nose and eyes, with labored, phlegmy breathing. He was visibly thinner, and as it turns out had lost 3 lbs of weight. The cat food bowls were empty. The water bowls were almost empty. An un-opened bag of cat food I had left on the kitchen counter was ripped into, with the shreds of packaging on the counter and kitchen floor. The 30 cans of Fancy Feast (I had planned for 1 can per day) were almost untouched. The cat's litter boxes are in their own room. The boxes were recently "cleaned", but cat litter and cat feces were all over the rug. (I had to throw it away.) Cat feces (diahrrea) was on my bedding, my rugs and on almost every cat bed. It was in various states of decomposition. I took the sick cat that night to Animal 911. He had a respiratory infection and was dehydrated. I took another cat to my regular vet the next day. She had diahrrea and was dehydrated. I called Pet Watchers on Saturday, after that vet visit. I left a message, and the owner returned my call that week-end. When I described the state of my pets and my apartment, she was apologetic. She said that the man assigned to my cats was "more of a dog person". Otherwise she had no explanation for me. I had pre-paid. This money was not returned to me (I didn't ask for a refund). I was not charged for the 7-day extension. I didn't get an answer to "WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS?" The owner said she was in daily contact with the pet watcher. It is inexcusable with email, and videos, and cell-phones that this could happen. My cats' distress was ignored, and my apartment was disgusting to come home to. I don't trust this business anymore and I would encourage you to look for another business. In the future I will hire the actual person who will be with my pets, in my home. read more

I've used Pet Watchers a few times a year for the past two years and my cat is always, always well taken care of. Pet Watchers is great for weekends away or week-long vacations. Every time I've called they've been available, even on short notice. In addition to taking care of the pets, they'll also bring in packages, turn on lights, water plants, etc. Every pet watcher that makes a visit when I'm out of town has been great, leaving thorough notes and even tips. I can tell that these people really love animals. I especially love when Lyn comes to take care of Felicity because she leaves my apartment even cleaner than I left it! She always goes above and beyond the usual service. To give an example of how accommodating Pet Watchers is, I'll mention a recent experience. I booked Pet Watchers a few weeks before Thanksgiving for a long weekend. I was traveling home to visit family. At the end of my trip, there was a family emergency and I needed to stay longer than expected. Pet Watchers came to the rescue. Not only did they come a few extra days, they also picked up more cat food. They kept in touch regularly and reassured me that I didn't need to worry about my cat. I would highly recommend Pet Watchers. They're completely trustworthy and I'm always comfortable leaving my cat in their care. read more

This is an extraordinary service. The managerial staff are personable, always remember your name, and ensure great service by performing a consultation before they accept you as a client. They have extremely high expectations of their watchers-- they require them to leave owners notes concerning the health and behaviors of the pets, and ask the watchers to stay for at least 30 minutes. It is very reassuring to know that my pet will be so well cared for! Particularly, I was very impressed by my pet watcher, Lyn Bernstein. She handled my case with exceptional care. I was out of town for a month, and she took the time to spend extra hours (not just minutes) with my cat when she noticed that the animal needed more attention. She also showed an exceptional personal interest, calling and texting me to make sure I was updated on my cat's well-being. Lyn also was kind enough to water my plants at no extra charge-- what a gem! I was so incredibly impressed with her professionalism and extraordinary service that I know I will request her specifically next time I need a pet sitter! I would highly recommend this service to anyone needing a sitter. They are affordable, reliable, and very professional. read more

I had a better experience with Pet Watchers than I did with Heaven Sent Pet Care but still below my expectations. Again, litter not scooped well....came home to hardly any water left in the bowls and they did not follow my feeding instructions. read more

I've been using Pet Watchers for 14 years and have been very pleased with their service. I have two cats so the sitter comes once a day...cleans the litter, feeds them and fills water and food for the rest of the day, takes in my mail, waters my plants if I'm gone for over a week, changes which house lights are on and leaves me a detailed note. They try to have the same person come, but as I've used them for so many years, there have been changes. All seem excellent. Highly recommend. read more

I called Pet Watchers on short notice to walk my dog twice a day. They have exceeded my expectations showing up regardless of the weather. I mentioned that Buddy liked to walk by the lake and so now his morning walk is to the lake. I wholeheartedly recommend Pet Watchers. read more

Pet watchers has been walking my dog, Ruby, for as long as I have had her, 6 years. They are very reliable, respond almost instantly when I need an extra walk or someone to go in and feed her. She is getting old and is slow and the walkers are understanding and patient with her. I rely on them and would recommend them (and have) to a friend. read more

My dog and I are wagging our tails after her long weekend with the dog sitter from Petwatchers. He gave her great walks, was super attentive to our dog and sent regular photos and updates about how she was doing. When we got home, the Petwatchers dog sitter had left our house cleaner and nicer than we left it. Can't recommend this service enough! read more

I used Pet Watchers for a year, until I came home after a weekend trip to find my cat missing. The pet sitter had apparently let her run out the door when he came in, and not noticed at the time. Nor did he notice during the two subsequent visits when the cat did not appear to eat her food. When I came home, I found my poor kitty huddled outside of my building, wet, bedraggled, and bloody (fight with a rat? squirrel? another cat?). When I phoned to complain, Pet Watchers opined that the cat must have climbed out through an air conditioning vent (?!?!?), even though there were no gaps or spaces visible, and jumped from the third-floor windowsill to the ground. They refused to apologize, refused to refund my money for the visits, and lost my business. Avoid at all costs. read more

We have used this service multiple times and have always been extremely pleased with the owner's response and the level of care given to our pets. We always opt for the in-home overnight service and have trusted each person in our home. We've never been disappointed, nor have I ever experienced a delay in terms of a response. These folks are top-notch and just really good people who care about your pets as if they were their own. I highly recommend them! read more

I have used Pet Watchers twice now, and have been very pleased with their service. If you can request a Pet Watcher, request Renee. I loved the notes she left, plus she really seemed to "get" my cats. I would much prefer to use Pet Watchers then board my cats, because it's less stressful on all of us. Thanks Pet Watchers! read more

I would give zero stars if I could. I called multiple times and emailed to inquire about their service (I was a bit desperate). Never received a call back or response to my email. Fast forward 2 months later, I stopped into their Evanston storefront yesterday as the Pet Watchers banner is still up and wanted to find out if they were actually in business. The store clerk took my name/number to refer to Barb, the Pet Watchers owner. Barb called me back this morning, told me she never received any phone messages but that she had received my email. When I asked why she didn't respond to my email, she said "uh, I guess it was the wrong email address.". Huh? I asked her to clarify, she said it bounced back (doubt it!). I had included my phone number in the email stating that I had tried multiple times to reach them, requesting a call back. I asked her why she didn't call, her was response was "uh... I guess I shoulda." The "apology" was a very insincere, "uh, well...sorry if you had a negative experience". Wow! Definitely crossing this so-call business off my list for the future. read more

Hard to say if this service is worth the trouble as the owner can't seem to find the time to respond to website inquiries (last check the form doesn't work) or direct e-mails. read more

Pet Watchers was responsible, thorough, loving, attentive to detail, and left great daily notes. Highly recommended! They took care of our dog, cat, ferrets, and turtle. read more