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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"Rachel offers an extremely professional and caring service. I have recommended her to all my pet-owning friends, and will certainly contact her again for any pet sitting needs."
—Rebecca Goodine
"Rachel was wonderful!
She is professional, organized, and really takes the time to understand the particularities of what your pets need.
I left my 2 cats in her care for the weekend and really was confident that they would be in good hands when I left.
She texted me with detailed updates after each visit which further put my mind at ease.
I think my cats missed her when I returned!
I will definitely be using her services again whenever I am out of town and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to my friends and colleagues with cats.
It was soooo nice to be able to travel and not worry that my cats were well cared for.
I am so glad I found Rachel!"
—Wendy Somerville
"Rachel was awesome with my hamster. We dropped off our little Chip for a week, and I received daily updates with pictures. Chip is very particular with who she likes, and she really seemed to like Rachel. She was very knowledgable and took the time to listen to what particularities my hamster has. :) I was very pleased with how she took care of Chip for the week, and will most definitely be using her services again, if needed! I’ve already recommended her to friends too! If you need to leave your hamster for a period of time, don’t hesitate to contact Rachel. She’s wonderful, and very reasonably priced as well."
—Matthew Zoern
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