Catherine R.
Catherine R.
Contact for Drop-In Visits
from $30 per visit
Highlights
Pet care experience
Fear Free Certified Animal Lover!
I don’t remember a time in my life where I haven’t had at least one animal in my home. Over the years I’ve had a host of non-human animal companions including a parakeet as my first pet, a guinea pig, a number of hamsters and gerbils, ferrets, and cats. After college when I moved out on my own for the first time, my main priority was to find an apartment that would allow me to adopt a cat. That cat was my sweet Alyosha who was with me for 18 years before it was time for him to cross the rainbow bridge. Along with his brother Koshka, I learned that as much as I love all animals I am truly a cat lady at heart. After it was time for Koshka to meet his brother Alyosha again, I started fostering with the Washington Humane Society (now the Humane Rescue Alliance). I enjoyed working with these animals so much that I also volunteered with the foster program as a case manager triaging issues as they arose and an orientation assistant. Eventually, I went on to work with the organization professionally for a year running orientations for our new foster parents. Today, I’m a Purrfessor with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s Kitten College program where I help with various tasks. You can regularly find kittens in my home from only hours old who need to be fed every couple of hours, to those on medical or behavior treatment. I also foster adult cats who need a special home to hang out in until adoption, as well as the ferrets that come into the shelter. Over the years, I have been very lucky to learn a plethora of skills in animal care. I can read cat and dog body language, administer medications in all forms, and give fluids. I have experience with animals that have chronic conditions including but not limited to kidney and heart diseases, megacolon, hyperthyroidism, and various skin ailments. I am always learning new skills and have certifications in pet CPR and Fear Free Handling with a focus on animal sheltering.
Qualifications
Pets
Safety, trust & environment
No matter the service you need, I promise to take care of your animals like they are my own. I know how scary it can be leaving your precious family members with someone new. I hope to alleviate some of that anxiety for you! For cat sitting, each visit will include a change of food and water, scooping the litter box, and if your kitto is playful a bit of time with their favorite toy. Or if they are a social butterfly and enjoy a good snuggle, I have a nice warm lap for them to curl up on. Whatever your cat needs, just let me know and I’m sure I will be able to accommodate their own unique personality! For my feline boarding friends, I start them out in my office so they have a safe place to call their own while you’re away. They will not have contact with my cat friendly cats unless you approve and I am confident interaction won’t have a stressful impact on your kitto. I spend several hours a day minimum with my boarders so you can feel confident that your cat will get as much interaction with me as they would like. To make them feel as much at home as possible please bring with them their litter box with enough litter to last their stay, food, any special treats they love, medicine if applicable, a favorite toy or two, and their favorite bed to curl up in. Please note the published pickup and drop off rate is for locations within 5 miles driving of the US Arboretum (3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington DC, 20002). Destinations outside of that range will have a $1 per mile round trip fee added. If you’re looking for a place to board your ferrets while you are away I have a double ferret nation cage. It is in the hallway between my living room and kitchen so they will have sniff access to my fully vaccinated and vetted cats. Ferrets are allowed at minimum an hour out of the cage time in the morning, and again in the evening so they can get all that furry noodle energy out! The space provided is fully ferret-proofed so you can be assured they will not have a way to slip out or get into ‘too’ much mischief :) Since each dog is different and may have their own exercise needs, we can map out exactly what that looks like when we talk.
Ratings and reviews
Catherine as always is amazing and really attentive to our lovely Taro’s needs. We feel at ease knowing our cat is well taken care of and we get lots of pictures 💕
My girls love Catherine! I’m always so at ease leaving them knowing she’ll be taking such good care of them. I’ll be using her again.
Catherine is the absolute best! We never have to worry about our fur babies when we are out of town.
Catherine is the best! It was the first time I’d left my cats alone together for an extended time and she made me feel so safe and secure and provided amazing updates and care. She treated my babies like her own. I will definitely be booking her again.
Excellent!
Catherine took great care of our cat while we were away. She kept us updated on his condition, which we appreciated very much. She was a great communicator and is clearly knowledgeable and experienced with cats. We would absolutely ask her to come care for him again on the future!
Calendar and availability
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Schedule
Thursdays and Fridays I work from home which allows me flexibility to spend time with your furry family members as needed on those days. I'm also available after 6PMs on all weekday evenings and throughout the weekend.