Christin Z.
Berkeley, CA
Puppy-loving PhD student
Pet care experience
I grew up with two dogs, and raised and trained a puppy myself (from age 8 weeks to 1+year old) as an adult. Dog-walking and dog-sitting for neighbors was my very first job as a child, and I continued as an adult. I have also lived with, fostered, and cared for cats.
Reviews
Christin reassured my husband and I by taking excellent care of our two kitties for 17 nights. We were a long way away and needed to have confidence that the cats and our home were well and safe in order to enjoy our trip. Christin enabled that. She obviously enjoys animals, stayed in good communication with us and sent photos as well. We would not hesitate to recommend Christin for in-home care.
Christin is truly wonderful with dogs! She took great care of Toby while we were away, despite the challenges of an extreme heat wave. She is very patient and kind, attended to Toby's needs with outmost love and responsibility. Thank you so much Christin!
Christin is the most loving, gentle, attentive, and reliable petsitter we could ever ask for. She has effortlessly and dutifully cared for our very needy dachshunds on multiple occasions over the years--both for shorter stretches and also for weeks at a time. She is excellent with dogs and cats of all breeds and ages, and a thoughtful listener who sincerely attends to the specific needs of any pet: detailed dietary regimens, regular administration of medications, safety concerns (e.g., carrying a dog up and down stairs when they have a bad back, making sure they don't get into foods they shouldn't, avoiding run-ins with other animals/vehicles, making sure they don't eat cat poop or garbage, etc. etc. etc.). In short, we would trust Christin with our pets (and even our young children!) on any occasion, knowing that all needs would be met exactly as requested, and that she would deftly and responsibly handle any issues or emergencies that might arise with the utmost care. You simply can't find a more wonderful person--or a more prompt, clear and thorough communicator--to care for your furry friends.
Christin has cared for two of my cats on multiple occasions. I periodically have to travel for work, and leave my babies behind. Christin was sensitive and thoughtful to this, sending me updates and pictures to know my cats were doing well. She had incredible attention to detail, remembering exactly which toy worked best for each cat (an important thing when one of my cats had behavioral/play aggression issues and needed particular kinds of stimulation to help manage those issues) . She was extremely patient and kind with them, and I know that if I ever need to leave my babies behind, they’ll be safe and well taken care of if left in Christin’s hands.
About Christin Z.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
When I have cared for other people's dogs and cats in the past, I make sure to follow their normal schedules and expectations as closely as possible so that the pet's life is minimally disrupted. This is why I prefer to housesit, because pets tend to be more comfortable when they can stay in their home environment. I tend to adjust my sleep schedule, their feeding and walking schedule, etc, based on what their owners say. As mentioned in the schedule section, the type of care varies depending on the pet - some need frequent exercise, some sleep in the bed whereas others on their own bed or in a crate, some have medications, et cetera.
Information Christin Z. would like to know about your pet
I like to know as much about your pet before taking on caring for them. Their habits, idiosyncrasies, special needs - all are important. I have cared for a variety of dogs and cats, but the reason it has gone well is because I have known how to cater that care to the pet and their comfort. As a general heads up, I don’t have a car, so I only accept requests for places that are either walkable to BART or have frequent bus service to downtown Berkeley.
A typical day
I like to go to neighborhood parks as well as tree-lined sidewalks to walk dogs. Fetch, tug-of war, and others are classic ways to play that I enjoy with dogs, as well as of course snuggles. With cats, it of course depends on the personality. I've watched some cats who want to be on my lap all the time, even sleeping with me, whereas others want their space and still others are very active and like to play.
Services
Christin can watch in your home
Availability
I am a doctoral student who is on campus three days a week to teach, and then on the other days can work from home, which means that I can spend extended periods of time with a dog/dogs and/or cat/cats in the home as well as walking dogs. During COVID with our own dog Ellie (I moved in with family and trained and raised the new family puppy during COVID - she now lives in the house with my family and I have moved back out to a no-pet apartment, so if I were to dog-sit or dog-walk I wouldn't be bringing another dog along) she probably got an excess of attention and training because we were around all the time, but even with the new in person schedule I have the capacity to be home with pets for extended periods of time other than some daytime hours on certain days during which I need to be on campus to teach. I am used to both high energy dogs that need to be exercised and walked frequently, as well as older dogs that are low energy but need to be taken out frequently for short walks to relieve themselves. If/when we meet so that I can get to know your pet and expectations before taking responsibility for their care, I am fully vaccinated (and boosted). Additional Information: For Drop In Visits, I have listed myself as unavailable 11-3pm because I couldn't customize my day & time availability. I can actually often do drop in visits in that time frame, just not on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so feel free to book or reach out. Berkeley (rather than Oakland, SF etc) drop in visits & dog walking preferred for daytime hours of Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
About Christin Z.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
When I have cared for other people's dogs and cats in the past, I make sure to follow their normal schedules and expectations as closely as possible so that the pet's life is minimally disrupted. This is why I prefer to housesit, because pets tend to be more comfortable when they can stay in their home environment. I tend to adjust my sleep schedule, their feeding and walking schedule, etc, based on what their owners say. As mentioned in the schedule section, the type of care varies depending on the pet - some need frequent exercise, some sleep in the bed whereas others on their own bed or in a crate, some have medications, et cetera.
Information Christin Z. would like to know about your pet
I like to know as much about your pet before taking on caring for them. Their habits, idiosyncrasies, special needs - all are important. I have cared for a variety of dogs and cats, but the reason it has gone well is because I have known how to cater that care to the pet and their comfort. As a general heads up, I don’t have a car, so I only accept requests for places that are either walkable to BART or have frequent bus service to downtown Berkeley.
A typical day
I like to go to neighborhood parks as well as tree-lined sidewalks to walk dogs. Fetch, tug-of war, and others are classic ways to play that I enjoy with dogs, as well as of course snuggles. With cats, it of course depends on the personality. I've watched some cats who want to be on my lap all the time, even sleeping with me, whereas others want their space and still others are very active and like to play.
Location
Berkeley, CA
Christin Z.
Berkeley, CA