Karen S.
High Point, WA
Karen S. has Star Sitter status
The Star Sitter program highlights responsive sitters who deliver highly rated care and have a history of listing accurate availability and preferences, making it easier for pet parents to find the best care for their pets.
Fun, Energetic Lover of Cats & Dogs
Pet care experience
Hello there, pet parent! I’m Karen, a fully vaccinated supporter of equal love and respect for all humans and pets, regardless of amount of slobbering, shyness, energy, or curiosity, etc. To sum me up, I’m a longtime non-smoking / non-drinking, savvy, responsible, patient, and FUN LOVING laid back dog and cat fun partner / lover / caregiver. Rover is not a temporary pitstop for me, I'm very dedicated to building my Rover business and developing positive relationships with you and your pets for the longhaul. If you have both a dog(s) and cat(s), send me your proposed schedule and ask me for a cat discount. I offer heavy discounts for the 2nd+ pet, whether it's a dog or cat. What you can expect from me is 100% attention to your pet/child and duties during my entire 30 or 60-minute drop-in visit or dog walk. This means no personal texting or emailing, only texting updates to you. Caring for your pets' physical and emotional needs is my focus. I walk / play catch with dogs, play with cats and their cat toys, and give massages and scratches during my entire visit after other duties are competed. I'm a part-time freelance marketing consultant / web designer who works from home, so my days are wide open Mon - Sun to visit / walk your pet(s) for mutual fun time. I owned 4 dogs + 2 cats at same time for years and LOVED taking care of my big pet family. And I have discovered how much I love taking care of other family's pets. I respect each pet's need to be individually acknowledged, understood and appreciated. And I talk to your pet(s) pretty much the entire time during drop-in visits to help them like me and reassure them that everything is OK. (My chit chatting with pets comes naturally and out of habit.) Pet owners often tell me how surprised they are to see how quickly their pet warms up to me. Animals instinctively know what’s in someone’s heart. And my heart is full of appreciation for ALL animals. They see me walk into a room or a dog park and there’s usually an immediate connection. I love that. I have great compassion and respect for animals. An owner of many cats and multiple rescue dogs over the years, I have a lot of experience loving and calming shy cats and anxious and territorial dogs and puppies. A dog park is a favorite hangout to expose dogs to other dogs, and reinforce positive social behavior. And a backyard works great for playing catch. Or just hanging in the living floor, quietly talking and giving massages and scratches goes a long ways comforting and relaxing any jitters. I can't decide what "pet period" of my life I enjoyed most: More recently when I had 4 dogs + 2 cats. Or earlier in life when I had 4 cats + 1 dog. I like dogs and cats equally. I work remotely part-time as a marketing consultant / digital designer, so my Rover schedule is very flexible. I treat my Rover business as my primary business and am very dedicated to it because I love this kind of work and want to grow it. I do a lot of overnight pet sitting and do travel extra distances outside my neighborhood to reach my pet families in West Seattle and Gig Harbor for overnight sitting. So, even if your address falls out of the typical 3-mile neighborhood range, touch base with me anyway and let's see if your location might work for overnight pet sitting. About my rate structure: I heavily discount your second pet, whether it is a cat or dog. So if you have a dog and a cat, your cat would be charged the same rate as a second dog rate which currently is $5. Please ask me. For all visits at your home: I start talking to your dog(s) or cat(s) as soon as I walk through your door to remove any fear they have of the unknown person entering their home. "Hello, Bitty, it's Karen! I'm here!" I then go find the pet to personally greet them before I do anything else. And I continue this routine. If the pet knows what to expect, then they can look forward to it. Next up is handling duties like cleaning the pet dishes, filling them with fresh food and water, changing the kitty litter and taking the old to the garbage, giving medication, etc. After that, the pet and I might play. If you're a homeowner like Bitty's parents, I will put a harness and leash on your cat right after ear drops, and take your cat outside with me where we will walk around the yard, then water the plants. Unless you have a secure, fenced back yard, I don't allow dogs I care for off leash. And if you live in the country, even if you have a fenced yard, I don't let dogs off leash...unless you make a special request. I typically walk your dog around the yard and neighborhood or take him/her to a fenced dog park by request or with your advance permission. If you like receiving lots of photos of your pets while you're away, then you'll be very happy with my style of sending a lot of photos with comments about your pet's activities or mood. During overnight or longer daytime visits, I can also walk your pets, bathe your dog(s), pick up your mail, and water your plants. Your pets' safety and sense of well-being are always top of mind and a priority while I'm caring for them. It's also important to me that I send you mini regular updates about your pet(s) so you can feel good that you left your pets in good hands. When you return to your home, you will find your home in the same condition you left it which means if you left your home spotless, it will still be spotless when you return.
Reviews
Karen has cared for my cat Merle several times now, and she is always reliable. We come home to a happy cat every time.
Thank you for taking excellent care of our little guys. We hate leaving them and it's always comforting to know there is a kind, reliable person looking out for them. Thank you so much!
Karen has checked in on my kitties a few times now and always does an amazing job. She is reliable, communicative, and I can tell she really enjoys my cats. Thank you, Karen, for taking such great care of Sally and Stretchy!
Karen was reliable, caring and accommodating. Her care meant an elderly friend was able to keep his cat thereby greatly improving his quality of life. We would not have been able to do this without her. Much appreciated. Thank you Karen!
About Karen S.
Communication
Skills
Information Karen S. would like to know about your pet
I think it is a good idea to know in advance if a cat or dog is anxious, territorial, nips or has some kind of special need that could make other sitters uncomfortable. For me, I'm used to it all and will work with pets who do need special care. I also like to know what a pet likes. I can find out on my own, but it is helpful to know right away what a dog or cat's habits are. For example, I used to babysit a cat whose parents said the cat hated everyone and hid under the bed when anyone came over. I was told it was pointless to try and befriend the cat. Well, I wasn't about to give up that easily. So I went into the bedroom, crawled under the bed and talked to the cat. I took several breaks during each day to go and talk to the cat. And by day #3, that cat was out in the living room hanging with me, crawling across my shoulders, and purring. And I fell madly in love with it. The cat's owners were so pleased.
A typical day
Where your dog and I go, depends on what's available around your neighborhood. I like to map out dog friendly hiking trails and dog parks. One client's home is close to a pond where there are hundreds of fish, turtles and ducks. The pups and I walk around and around that pond, never tiring of all the beautiful life there is to see there. We also play with toys in the home. Stuffed toy dogs seem to be a favorite. I get on the floor and play hide and seek with the stuffed animal and pet, doing my best version of a pretend "bark! ruff!" Of course, many dogs like playing catch too. Sometimes, the best spots to take dogs are close by. I am reminded of when I had four cats and one dog. We lived about a block from the lake. But, when we went on twice-daily walks, we headed away from the lake, up a steep driveway to a place where the only thing in sight was a big field and trees. I'd turn around and see my four cats following me all the way there. Then I'd lay on my back in the field, and take in the pleasure of the animals playing all around me, and jumping on top of me. We all had so much fun! Over the years, I've owned as many as four dogs at one time and taken every one of them on camping trips and "hoteling." And, of course, visits to popular destinations like dog parks, scenic views and some "hole in the walls" were often frequented. What I'm trying to say is I thrive being surrounded by animals. Either one at a time or a whole bunch at once. I love making animals feel special. Whether in the home, or outdoors, your pets' needs always come first.
Services
Karen can watch in your home
About Karen S.
Communication
Skills
Information Karen S. would like to know about your pet
I think it is a good idea to know in advance if a cat or dog is anxious, territorial, nips or has some kind of special need that could make other sitters uncomfortable. For me, I'm used to it all and will work with pets who do need special care. I also like to know what a pet likes. I can find out on my own, but it is helpful to know right away what a dog or cat's habits are. For example, I used to babysit a cat whose parents said the cat hated everyone and hid under the bed when anyone came over. I was told it was pointless to try and befriend the cat. Well, I wasn't about to give up that easily. So I went into the bedroom, crawled under the bed and talked to the cat. I took several breaks during each day to go and talk to the cat. And by day #3, that cat was out in the living room hanging with me, crawling across my shoulders, and purring. And I fell madly in love with it. The cat's owners were so pleased.
A typical day
Where your dog and I go, depends on what's available around your neighborhood. I like to map out dog friendly hiking trails and dog parks. One client's home is close to a pond where there are hundreds of fish, turtles and ducks. The pups and I walk around and around that pond, never tiring of all the beautiful life there is to see there. We also play with toys in the home. Stuffed toy dogs seem to be a favorite. I get on the floor and play hide and seek with the stuffed animal and pet, doing my best version of a pretend "bark! ruff!" Of course, many dogs like playing catch too. Sometimes, the best spots to take dogs are close by. I am reminded of when I had four cats and one dog. We lived about a block from the lake. But, when we went on twice-daily walks, we headed away from the lake, up a steep driveway to a place where the only thing in sight was a big field and trees. I'd turn around and see my four cats following me all the way there. Then I'd lay on my back in the field, and take in the pleasure of the animals playing all around me, and jumping on top of me. We all had so much fun! Over the years, I've owned as many as four dogs at one time and taken every one of them on camping trips and "hoteling." And, of course, visits to popular destinations like dog parks, scenic views and some "hole in the walls" were often frequented. What I'm trying to say is I thrive being surrounded by animals. Either one at a time or a whole bunch at once. I love making animals feel special. Whether in the home, or outdoors, your pets' needs always come first.
Location
Seattle, WA
Pets
Karen S.
High Point, WA