Looking for house-sitter recommendations

[protogeek.livejournal.com]

Hi all,

We're looking for someone to feed our cats twice a day and water our plants (there are many and they need to be watered daily) when we go on vacation. This isn't an immediate need, more that we want to have someone lined up for when we do go away (we just returned from vacation and were unhappy with the person whose services we've usually employed). We're looking for someone who is very reliable, good with cats and plants, and does this regularly (preferably professionally). We don't want them to stay at our place, just come twice a day. If you know of anyone (or a service) that you've had good experience with, please let me know.

Comments

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I get a cat sitter through Stinky's Kittens and Doggies Too (http://www.stinkyskittens-doggiestoo.com/). We had someone come in for a week in July, and the same berson is coming back for two weeks at the end of the month. One of my boys is 15 and needs medication, and they did that, too; they also watered the plants and fed the fish. I only asked for them to come in once a day...but it's about $150 a week for four cats, including the medicating.

[protogeek.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

We used a woman named Laurie at something like New England Pet Sitters? Do NOT NOT NOT use her. She booked and confirmed a pet sitting with us and then DIDN'T SHOW UP! Thankfully it was only an over night and we'd left plenty of food and water, but still. She handled it completely unprofessionally, IMO (never returned calls or emails, when I asked for our key back, mailed it back to us without a note or anything).

However, we had great service from Alan at Creature Comforts. http://www.creaturecomfortscorp.com/index.jsp We have an elderly cat that needs meds twice a day, and they were great with this. I really recommend them highly!

[protogeek.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know of any services, no...but I'm pretty good with cats and plants (have a few of each myself), and if you're on my way home (94/96 bus route), I'd be perfectly willing to stop by and take care of them, provided our vacation times don't coincide. Might even be able to work out an exchange of similar services that way, since I worry about my own fuzzies when I'm on vacation.

...Watered every day?? Are they bonsai? Mine complain if I do that.

[protogeek.livejournal.com]

Thanks for offering, but I'm really looking for a bonded professional (my kitties have some medical issues). As for the plants -- I have a fairly extensive container garden on our back porch, so in times of high heat and dryness, they do need watering every day.

[noire.livejournal.com]

Peg Evans of Peg's Cat Care. (I don't have cats, I have birds.) I've been very happy with her for 5 years now. She's a licensed vet tech, which makes me feel more secure. And she lives in Davis. call her 617-625-1897, tell her Baci and Ozone's human refered you...

When she has not been available, we have also used modpixie, who has also been very reliable and I would recommend her as well.

[protogeek.livejournal.com]

Great, thanks!

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Why were you unhappy with the previous servicer?

[protogeek.livejournal.com]

They missed one of the days they were supposed to come, which means my cats missed two meals and two sets of medications. Also, a bunch of my plants died -- as I mentioned in another comment, I have a pretty extensive container garden on my porch, and they need to be watered pretty much every day. I offered to pay them extra to water them every day, they happily agreed... And I got home to find them dead from not being watered, the soil so dry water just runs off of it. FYI, I'd rather not mention who the service was -- it's an old friend of mine.