Walter is truly exceptional. From the moment I left, I felt completely at ease knowing my home and my animals were in his care and that peace of mind is priceless. He went above and beyond in every way. Not only did he care for my cats and guinea pig with so much attention and compassion, but he was incredibly hands-on, thoughtful, and proactive in suggesting ways to enhance their care. Throughout the entire two weeks, Walter maintained consistent communication, keeping me updated and reassured, which meant so much while I was away. He treated my home/pets with the utmost respect, everything was immaculate when I returned. My plants, both indoors and outdoors, were thriving, and every detail was handled with care and intention. What truly sets Walter apart is his genuine love for what he does. It's not just a job to him, it's something he takes pride in, and it shows in every interaction, every detail and thoughtfulness.My animals were happy, relaxed, and clearly well cared for, which speaks volumes. :) I wholeheartedly trust Walter and would recommend him to anyone without hesitation. Whether it's cats, dogs, guinea pigs, or caring for your home, he is reliable, attentive, and simply an all-around amazing human being. read more

We in the south county are so lucky that Walter has relocated to the Laguna Niguel area and had continued his pet sitting business. We needed someone to stay in our home and hang out with our senior furry baby for a few days and Walter was who we chose, and we couldn't have asked for a better person. Walter took our dog, Sam, on daily walks and took excellent care of him. Since Walter is retired he was able to spends lots of time with Sam in his own home & neighborhood, which is extremely important since Sam is a bit older and is anxious when we leave town. I HIGHLY recommend Walter to watch any of your animals, he has a lot of experience with different types as you can see on his Yelp site. Thank you Walter for your superb service and for being such a wonderful human being!! read more

Walter is the best thing that ever happened to our two cats!! He has given us invaluable information in helping us to help our cats age comfortably. He helped with a strategy to deliver their prescription medicines, and recommended a small heated and padded bed so they could stay warm all winter. Walter also reengineered our domed cat box with a placemat in the back so the cats couldn't pee out the back side, which really smelled. Our cats are very shy, but they come out for pets when Walter is taking care of them! read more

Piedmont Pines Pets - Pet Sitting Near Me

Walter is the best thing that ever happened to our two cats!! He has given us invaluable information in helping us to help our cats age comfortably. He helped with a strategy to deliver their prescription medicines, and recommended a small heated and padded bed so they could stay warm all winter. Walter also reengineered our domed cat box with a placemat in the back so the cats couldn't pee out the back side, which really smelled. Our cats are very shy, but they come out for pets when Walter is taking care of them! read more

My name is Oliver (my human's Yelp password is so predictable). Walter is the best. When I send my humans away, I need someone reliable to bring me my food and freshen up the bathroom, if you know what I mean. Plus I want a human who understands ME, not one who would rather be hanging out with those canine chumps. Mostly I'd rather sleep than pay much attention to a human, but I have to say that Walter does some trick with a shoelace that I find very entertaining. My humans say that Walter is trustworthy, is easy to contact, sends them updates while they are gone, and is often available even if I send them away with little advance notice (not that I care much what they think). Anyway, to all you cats out there, get your humans to hire Walter before you send them away, he's the one you want for a relaxing staycation. read more

Piedmont Pines Pets - Pet Sitting Near Me

We've just returned from a three-and-a-half-week tour of Southeast Asia, and we were really rather trepidatious about whom we should leave our cats with--the trip was unexpected and they're not yet a year old. We found Walter through his Yelp reviews and we can only second everything that has been said before in his favor. He's meticulous, caring, loving and playful with the cats. He anticipates problems you didn't know you'd have and he swiftly and completely deals with any unexpected problems that do arise. He is a friendly, warm presence and we cannot recommend him more. Beyond offering an excellent level of service, he's truly adaptable to strange situations: when we rather suddenly decided to begin a large construction project in absentia, Walter took it in his stride (though we forgot to warn him of it) and oversaw the cats' welfare throughout our absence. When ants invaded our cats' food dish, Walter took care of the situation instantly. And throughout, he kept us well-apprised of developments and worry-free. In short, where we proved scatterbrained, Walter proved to be Johnny-on-the-Spot. We returned to happy, healthy cats, mail that had been brought in and plants that had been watered. Walter ROCKS! read more

Walter is wonderful. For 5+ years he has provided reliable, loving and attentive care for my cats when I'm out of town. Walter is more than a cat lover; he is very knowledgeable about cat behavior and health. On my most recent trip, Walter altered me that my cat had not urinated in 24 hours, a sign of blockage that can be life threatening. Because of his knowledge and attentiveness we able to get our fur baby to the emergency vet quickly and avoid what could have been a very bad situation. Thank you, Walter! read more

Walter watched our cat while we went on a road trip. He sent updates and pictures about our kitty each day. Walter even took in the mail and watered the plants. He went above and beyond our expectations, we highly recommend Walter for any cat sitting needs! read more

My partner and I went to Maui for a little over a week and were really nervous about leaving our three kitties behind. Thanks to yelp we found Walter and he exceeded all of our expectations. He is the cat whisperer! Meow! Walter gave us email updates about our cats, which made us feel at ease, plus his emails are hilarious. We came home to happy, purring cats what more could a kitty mom ask for. Thank you so much Walter, you're our pet sitter for life. :) read more

Walter is very professional and a kind kitty-caregiver. My Willow is like my child, so I am cautious about who takes care of her...took to Walter from the first moment he came over to meet her. : ) She was in safe, loving hands for the weekend. Walter also collected the mail for us and called me to reassure that I had indeed not left my flat-iron plugged in, as I had worried. Highly recommended! read more

I highly recommend Walter Ohlemutz. From my first email inquiry to our first meeting, Walter was responsive, patient, and flexible working around my hectic schedule, professional, thorough, relaxed and affable. My very shy cats' preferences were respected. eMail from Walter while I was away was appropriately economical and reassuring. I returned to cats whose needs were met completely and an apartment just as I left it. Walter provided good insight and recommendations during our follow-up meeting when he returned keys. I couldn't be happier with everything Walter provides. As long as Walter is available, concerns about pet care will no longer be part of anticipating and making arrangements for my next away. Cheers Walter. read more

Walter was a blessing and a saving grace when we moved to the Oakland Hills and lost our previous pet sitter. During the initial meet-and-greet, he showed himself to be a patient and attentive listener and took on the challenge of taking care of lovebirds - animals he had not previously had experience with. On the day before our departure, when we needed to hand over keys and go over a refresher list of things to do, Walter noted that the day I was planning to restock the birds' food was going to be a holiday - something I had overlooked! I assured him that I'd procure the food on the morning of our departure, but nevertheless, Walter insisted to note down the specific kinds of food he might need to get for us in case we failed to find an open store. Before I realized what he was about to do, he got down on his hands and knees to carefully look over the specific brands of food the birds eat (we keep the bags on the floor in a big central closet) and wrote the brand names down on a piece of paper in that position. I was on the verge of astonished to see him crawl on his knees, write while propped on one elbow, then get up like nothing hurt! It was very thoughtful of him. One pair of our lovebird crew took advantage of his good graces and escaped twice (he underestimated their inventiveness as escape artists), but he handled it like a pro. He called and texted and emailed me to inform me of what had happened and to seek my advice. As it turned out, I was out of range and couldn't reply right away. By the time I spoke with him, he had corralled the jailbreaks back into their cage. His intuition told him exactly what needed to be done to entice them back - and he even noted the location of loose window screens and tears, which were critical hazards in such a situation. To top if off, he handled that little crisis with humor. And Walter retrieved my mail after hours - a necessity one day when I was expecting some correspondence, and we have a problem with mail theft. If you need a pet sitter in the Piedmont/Montclair/Elmwood area, I highly recommend Walter. My understanding is that his specialty is cats, but he transitioned to little birds seamlessly. read more

We have been through the ringer with pet sitters/boarding - you name it. Then we found Walter. He is considerate of each client's needs (human and otherwise). We are able to go on vacation and NOT worry about what is happening at home. He gives his full attention to the job at hand and even takes care of the "small" details that come up. All I can say is that he is stuck with us... Thank you Walter. read more

Walter has taken wonderful care of my kitties many times. He is responsive, dependable, and trustworthy. My kitties love him too.

Walter has been taking care of our two indoor cats ever since we moved to the area. Anytime we travel I never worry because Walter comes to our home to feed and love our pets. He is comfortable with alarm systems and when you meet him you know he really cares about the wellbeing of your animals. I highly recommend Walter for any pet sitting needs if you want peace of mind! read more

I've read Yelp reviews for dining, entertainment, travel, and business for years and have never felt compelled to join the community and provide my own reviews to others... until now. I've never had anyone other than friends and family watch my cats while I've been away on vacation before, and was considerably nervous to place the well-being of my two kitties in the hands of a stranger (so much so that I mailed extra copies of my house keys to friends and family all over the bay area just in case!). My vacation truly started after my first email from Walter. Each update was so descriptive that I felt like I was at home watching them myself! I could picture my little shy guy Vinnie slowly warming up to Walter, and my prissy princess Samantha staring down from the cat tree in stern judgment of Vinnie's lack of shame in rolling around on the floor looking for attention... I always used to feel guilty for leaving my kitties behind while I went on vacation, but Walter's almost daily updates on the happenings at my home made me so happy that I can't wait to take my next trip and have him come back!! read more

Walter equals peace of mind. I can't tell you how many times I have gone away on vacation and found myself worrying about my pets. Not anymore. As I headed home from my most recent trip, I realized I hadn't had a moment wonder about my boys! Walter is the trick. Walter provides calm and gentle attention which my guys soak up. He even carries catnip with him! So awesome. Walter takes detailed notes on how we care for the cats. He also watered our plants and retrieved the mail! Best of all, Walter is VERY knowledgeable about cats and their well being. This factor is critical in my peace of mind while away. Walter is definitely my number one pet sitter by a long shot. Want to come home to happy pets? Call Walter. read more

You can't do better than Walter and Piedmont Pines for cat care. He goes above and beyond in caring for our cats and our home while we are gone. He is obviously a cat lover and attentive to the cats' behavior and needs. When I call him or he calls me while we are gone, he gives a thorough update on how the cats are doing. He also brings in the mail and even waters the plants if he thinks they need it. He is completely trustworthy, reliable, and an interesting person too. There is no need to look any further than Walter if you want the best for your pets. read more

Couldn't ask for better service. We have 2 cats, one is outside one is inside, so we had special requirements for each of them. Walter came a few days prior to check out the house, take notes and meet and greet us. He was very studios in making sure he made us happy with the cats as they are like our family here, we have no kids. I was even in contact with him via email about some things I had forgotten. He also left us some notes on the note we left him. Walter is great. Easy to talk with, precise and simple. We'll us his services again for watching our kids/cats! read more

Walter is great. He took care of my cat while we were away. He's local and made regular visits, taking in the mail, making sure the litter was clean, giving fresh water/food etc. I appreciate his knowledge and experience with the area too and waiting to return my key until I had returned from vacation. read more

Walter has been taking care of my cats for almost 10 years! He's amazing - really thorough and observant with the cats, and is always indulging his cat "mom" (me) with written updates, phone messages (for the cats, of course). He is 100% reliable, and I trust him totally to care for my furry friends and ensure that they are safe and sound. I don't know what i would do without him, and I hate to think of the cats with another pet-sitter. read more

Walter takes care of the feeding and nurturing of my elderly cat Cleo and he is wonderful. He clearly understands cats but more to the point he respects them and their quirks. He is wonderful. Your animals will love him . . . Oh yeah, so will you. read more

Walter is just what you need for a relaxing vacation. Who hasn't stressed about their pets when they're away? I know I have. We felt good about Walter when we first met him, he was very thorough and professional. He got lots of info about the cats and their preferences and vet info. While we were away Walter called and emailed to let us know that the boys were just fine. He has a calm demeanor which is perfect for my skittish kitties. I could tell by his emails and notes that he really paid attention to them and got to know them. It's so reassuring to know that we have a reliable trustworthy person to call in the future when we go out of town. read more

I've used Walter several times to take care of my cat while I'm away (so much so that he has an extra copy of my keys). Most recently I was away on 3-4 different business trips with gaps where I'd be back home during the month of April and he handled that without a problem. On two occasions, Walter was going on vacation and found me a substitute (a trusted friend of his), and the sub turned out excellent too! read more

I cannot begin expressing my gratitude for Walter Ohlemutz. He is a godsend and I'm so fortunate to have found him to care for my two cats. He goes above and beyond to ensure the safety and well being of my fur balls and my home. He basically has been my kitties surrogate daddy since I've been traveling extensively for the past year. I must also add he cares for one of my kitties who needs insulin shots on a daily basis. Recently my electricity went out for over two days and Walter took it upon himself to remove the insulin bottle from my fridge (needs refrigeration) to take it home where he had electricity and a working refrigerator to protect the drugs integrity - pretty amazing! There are so many other wonderful examples of his pure dedication that I could write for days! Thank you, Walter for your continuing service and support. L, B & B read more

Walter is professional, reliable, observant, caring and affordable. All fantastic qualities in a petsitter. I tend to worry about my cats when I am gone but I knew Walter was going to be there and take care of them. He seemed genuinely concerned that Cy and Goma were stressed out with the sawing and hammering happening at my house during my leave and he brought in the mail even though I did not ask. I highly recommend Walter as a pet sitter! read more

Walter is not only a GREAT pet caregiver, he is also a truly kind humanitarian. My mother lived with me the last years of her life. She had two 20+pound cats and I had a mini dachshund. I would return from trips to rave reviews from my mother not just on the careful and playful way Walter would take care of the three animals, but she would also rave about errands he'd run for her and the undivided attention he would give to her many concerns. She would encourage me to travel! My litlle dachshund passed away this spring and I decided to bury his ashes in the backyard, I invited Walter and he arrived with a brand new tennis ball to bury with his ashes. Schoen was never much of a walker, chasing the ball was his excercise and love. Thank you for the memories, Walter! I HIGHLY recommend him. read more

Well, I can only echo all of the other reviewers here, as I and my kitties are now "Walter Groupies!" My husband and I travel a lot and had our previous pet sitter for over 10 years. I discovered that she was no longer pet sitting for us, but "contracting" it out to others. Not comfortable with that, I turned to Yelp and found Walter. I have never looked back since. He is extremely conscientious and steps-up to take care of and solve issues that weren't anticipated. This can be bringing in more hummingbird food to fill the feeders (you have to keep them happy!) to making sure repairs were made during a complete melt-down of my alarm system. All this, and the kitties love him too! I highly recommend him. Yelp lead me right on this. read more

Walter really cares, and he went above and beyond the expected for us and our two shy kitties. We were three and a half days into our two-week summer trip when he called and said our house had been broken into! I could tell he was most upset that he could not find either of the cats; since a sliding-glass door had been broken, one or both might be outside. He called the police, searched the house thoroughly, set out extra food and water, including outside. The TV had been moved as if the thieves were going to take it, so Walter carried the TV to his house for safekeeping. The next day, he came early -- before the regular time -- and searched again, checking the food at all locations as well as the litter boxes. He reported one cat was inside, but there was no sure sign of the shyest one, Emily. His concern was palpable. He coordinated with a friend of ours who had agreed to come over and search for Emily. We thought Emily might appear only for me, so I prepared to fly home that night. The flight being cancelled, I went to the airport the next morning. An hour before my departure, Walter telephoned. He was in tears and could hardly speak, as he was overcome with emotion and relief -- he had sighted Emily inside, and she was OK! The depth of his concern was very moving. I would trust any pet to Walter. read more

Walter has been wonderful with my cats, whose feeding protocol is complicated because one of them is diabetic and food-obsessed. He's respectful of their idiosyncrasies (and mine) and communicates well. He's as responsible a person as you'd ever wish to have take care of your pets, as illustrated by this story: Though he's mostly about cats now, Walter graciously agreed to walk my dog on a recent day when I knew I'd be out of town for twelve hours. But I messed up -- didn't get him the key to my house before going offline for the day. Unable to reach me, Walter called my friend whose number I'd given him two months earlier. My friend somehow remembered that a neighbor had a key, but didn't know which neighbor. So Walter and Gisela, his wife, went knocking on doors! The first guess was right. The neighbors had long ago forgotten they even had my key, but they found it . . . and let Walter inside to get the dog. (Though I'd neglected to get my key to Walter, luckily I'd not forgotten to tell my neighbors that Walter would be coming.) Meanwhile, another neighbor had come over to interrogate Walter because he was a stranger walking around outside my house. But she knew his name by reputation, and Walter obviously knew not only me but another nearby neighbor of ours by name, so she elected not to call the police. Sometimes it takes a village to get a dog out to pee -- but you want to make sure the village includes Walter! read more

We just returned from a weeklong trip, during which Walter took great care of our two cats. Walter took the time to feed our gluttonous cat a little bit of food at a time to avoid making him sick. And, he stopped by the house a second time during some of the days when he was in the neighborhood. Walter kept in contact with us by email throughout the week, so we knew how things were going. We look forward to using Walter for our next trip. read more

Walter is an absolutely reliable pet sitter. He watched over my cats during trips both long and short, with advance notice and without. He is very thoughtful and scrupulous, and as other reviews say he foresees and prevents potential problems while dealing really admirably with any unexpected problems that do arise. Call him! read more

Walter has been caring for my kitties for many years. Though the great photo on Yelp is with dogs, Walter is also a cat lover. He's conscientious and has patiently befriended my otherwise shy cats, so they get the attention they need. He also keeps an eye on the house and communicates with you just the right amount whether you are traveling for business or on vacation. I am so at peace while I'm away with Walter taking care of Lucas and Leia. Thank you Walter! read more

We consider ourselves very lucky to have found a Piedmont Pines Pets business card at Cheshire Cat vet office in Oakland. While we were out of town for almost a month, Walter was the only professional of the 3 cat sitters who checked in on Lulu, our cat, on a rotating daily basis--the others were a trusted neighbor and a housekeeper. Walter's emails to us were so wonderfully reassuring. He gave us a detailed picture of how things were going with Lulu throughout the time away. She warmed to him after his first two visits and subsequently allowed him to hold her in his lap. From his writings, there was no question that he was genuinely fond of her. He also noticed that the furnace came on unnecessarily and asked us if he should shut it down; noticed that some plants needed watering and asked if we wanted him to do it; and even found some food going bad in the reefer and tossed it. We highly recommend him and are sure you will be happy with his professional, personalized, meticulous care of your pet. read more

These people were the sweetest most caring souls-you can tell they are "cat people". I had to look for places to board my cat on a tight budget and they were extremely helpful and kind. Returned my phone call within 2 hours and spent 15 minutes on the phone with me giving me websites, links and encouragement! Great customer service. Thank you Walter and the Mrs. Walter I would recommend you to anyone. read more

I'm new to the east bay and am very finicky about my cats. I worry about them a lot when i'm gone and i like things to be done how i want them...your average obsessive pet owner I guess. One cat eats all the food and the other doesn't eat any so I needed a cat sitter who would pay attention and make sure everything was done correctly. I read the reviews of Walter and PPP on yelp and called him -- he was very professional, and i could tell immediately that he loves cats and is a cat guy...the perfect cat-sitter for me. He took care of the boys for a week and did an excellent job. The second time I called him, he was out of town for that particular weekend, but had setup a substitute who he trusted and so that worked for me too. I highly recommend Walter for your cats. read more