Cats and Hamsters
Pet care in your own home. Limited home boarding for hamsters, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, etc
Pet care in your own home. Limited home boarding for hamsters, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, etc
I am a Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS), trained in pet first aid & CPR, Fear Free Certified, and am bonded and insured. I've had hamsters for three decades and cats for two decades. I was named one of the Top Five Finalists for 2021 Pet Sitter of the Year.
Before starting my pet sitting business in 2016 to have more flexibility for my family, I was an administrative assistant and executive assistant. I worked in universities, luxury retail, medical and research offices. Professionalism and excellence is important to me, and I bring that experience with me, along with attention to detail, communication skills, maturity, discretion, and responsibility.
I understand that it can be stressful leaving your home and pet with someone else while you are away. My job is to minimize stress for both human client and pet client. I am easily reachable via email or mobile. One example of the care I put into my business is that I always put on a clean pair of socks every time when entering a client's home, to ensure no damage or outside dirt enters the home. I send daily reports with pictures. I minimize posting client photos, usually only posting on the reviews page of my website. I select client photos to include as little of the property as possible, and disable gps location markers on client pictures that I post on my website, to protect my clients' privacy.
I love cats and small furry animals, and would love to cuddle yours! (Or not, if they aren't a cuddler.) If your cat hides, that's ok - I will give them their space, but will sit near them and talk softly or sing songs during our time together. I have a car and will drive. In addition to taking care of your cat during my visit - food, water, tidying litter box, spot cleaning vomit and accidents, brushing, nail trimming, playing, daily email/text reports with pictures - I can collect mail/newspapers, water houseplants, and move curtains and waste containers on designated days to help keep your home secure. In the winter, there will be foot prints going in and out of your walkway.
I have experience: pilling a cat, applying topical medication to a cat's eye lid and ear, administering an insulin injection to a cat, coaxing diabetic cats to eat, giving subcutaneous fluids to a cat, administering oral medication to a hamster, applying topical medication to a hamster (ointment). I can use my own grooming tools (cleaned and disinfected after each client) or your own.
I also board hamsters and small furry animals in my home on top of a tall, sturdy shelf. Maximum capacity is 3 hamster guests, to ensure a high level of service. Client provides all supplies - cage, bedding, food, toys - and I can provide occasional hamster-friendly fresh treats like unsalted stove-popped popcorn, vegetables, raisins, and unsalted peanuts. Weekly cage cleaning. Daily cat-free play time, daily reports with pictures. In addition to hamsters, I have experience boarding hedgehogs, guinea pigs, chinchillas, mice. New all-inclusive boarding option for Guinea pigs.
Prices are all posted on my website, with no added charges for things like nail trimming. The first step is to schedule a registration meeting, where I meet you and your pets virtually and go over their routine and needs. Everything is on my website. Pick me!
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"I’m convinced that Rachel would be a superstar at anything she endeavoured to do, but lucky for me she chose to operate a cat- and hamster-sitting business.
I reached out to her by email for the first time during the week leading up to a long weekend. She did not hesitate to respond and to accommodate my schedule with a free consultation a couple of days later where I gave her my key. She did not charge an extra fee for the holiday-weekend service. In fact, I found her rates to be extremely reasonable considering the high quality service she offers.
At our first meeting I found Rachel to be personable, generous with advice, thorough and organized. She comes prepared with supplies just in case someone doesn’t have toys, claw trimmers, Feliway calming spray etc. I told her I would leave her bags for the litter but I forgot and she used her own.
My favourite part of using her service was the photo updates I received during each visit (quality photos that I will keep, thank you Rachel!).
I felt so comfortable leaving my anxious cat with her for the long weekend. She visited him 6 times in 4 days. It may sound like a lot for a cat, but it absolutely improved my vacation because I had peace of mind that he wouldn’t be too lonely or afraid.
Rachel is a very professional person who does what she says she is going to. I am already looking forward to calling on her for my next weekend away, and I recommend that you do too.
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—AJ Specht
"Rachel is the best! She has taken care of our two indoor cats, Molly and Felix, several times, for up to two weeks while we travel. We love our kitties so much, and are so happy we found Rachel to care for them. She is super reliable and knowledgeable, and has a great connection with our cats. They love her, and want to climb all over her when she visits. We know because she sends the most amazing photographs – seriously, she is a talented photographer! Rachel’s photos make our day, and help us feel close to our dear furry ones. We trust Rachel absolutely. Felix has urinary blockage issues and requires special food and attention. She knows exactly what to watch for and has taught us ways to better manage his fluids. She brushes them, cleans up after them, plays with them, no wonder they love her! With Rachel, we know when have to leave them that they will miss us, at least a little, but they’re also going to be thrilled that they get to have her visits and special attention. Rachel is the consummate professional; what great fortune that she has chosen this profession, and that we have her on our team. Thank you Rachel!"
—Leonard Sklar
"I was so pleased with Rachel Reisner’s pet sitting service! She kindly looked after our cat with relatively short notice. Rachel’s fees were fair, and she was prompt in responding to messages. I particularly enjoyed reading her daily updates while I was away. Our cat was comfortable and content around Rachel at the consultation. Ultimately, Rachel is a really nice person, and provides a very professional pet sitting service. "
—Charlotte Thomas
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