Karla B.
Karla B.
Contact for Drop-In Visits
from $20 per visit
Highlights
Pet care experience
Lifelong Animal Lover & Caregiver
I’ve spent much of my life caring for animals of all kinds, including dogs, many cats, and other pets! I grew up with an Australian Shepherd, whom I trained in basic obedience as well as agility-course tricks (although I am not a formally trained or certified dog trainer), and cats. More recently, I’ve pet-sat for the cats and dogs of family and friends. This has included caring for an older pet with mobility limitations and a pet with complex health needs and a medication schedule. I understand how important it is to follow an owner’s care instructions carefully, especially when medications or special routines are involved. Beyond meeting their basic needs, I genuinely enjoy spending time with animals. I’m happy to play, provide enrichment, groom, go for walks, or simply give plenty of attention and snuggles while their people are away. I’ve even walked cats! I’m detail-oriented and appreciate thorough care instructions. As a graduate researcher, I’m accustomed to following detailed protocols, keeping careful track of schedules, and paying close attention to small changes—skills I also bring to caring for animals. My goal is to maintain your pet’s normal routine as closely as possible and make sure both you and your pet feel comfortable while you’re apart.
Cat care experience
Karla also cares for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Qualifications
Pets
Safety, trust & environment
I know that trusting someone with both your pet and your home is a big responsibility. I carefully follow each pet’s normal routine and the instructions you provide, including feeding, medications, walks, litter-box care, and any household or safety precautions. I’m detail-oriented and genuinely appreciate thorough written instructions, especially for pets with medical needs or established routines. Before caring for a new pet, I like to learn about their personality, normal behavior, feeding and bathroom habits, medications or health concerns, and anything that might frighten or trigger them. For dogs, I also want to know about leash behavior and how they respond to other dogs, people, wildlife, and unfamiliar situations. I respect each animal’s boundaries and won’t force interaction with a pet who is frightened or wants space. I also pay attention to changes in behavior, appetite, drinking, bathroom habits, or mobility and will communicate with you promptly if something seems unusual. In an emergency, I will follow your emergency-care instructions and contact you and/or your designated veterinarian as appropriate. When house sitting or providing drop-in care, I treat your home respectfully and make sure doors, gates, and other entry points are secured when I enter or leave. I’m also happy to provide regular updates and photos so you can feel confident that your pet is safe and comfortable while you’re away.
Ratings and reviews
Karla always takes very good care of our pets. Henry, Daisy, and Grizzly really enjoy her company and my fiancee and I have no doubt that our pets are safe and happy while we are traveling. I highly recommend Karla to anyone that needs a loving person to take care of their pets! Leonardo P.
Karla has watched our kitties several times and they love her! She is such a natural with cats, even my scaredy cat loves to snuggle with her. She has also administered meds to my medically complex asthma kitty. Karla provides regular updates and pictures of my boys when she watches them. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a pet sitter, and I will be asking her to pet sit for me again!
Karla has pet sat for me multiple times. She is responsible, dependable and caring. We have pets that have special needs as well as take medication and she has always made us feel like they are in the best of hands when we are out of town. She gives regular updates when requested and spends quality time with them. She has even earned the trust of our special needs cat Daisy who is the most weary by being patient and earning her trust.
Karla took care of our two tuxedo cats several different times. She was always reliable and diligent, taking care to make sure the litter was scooped and the cats had plenty of food and water. More than that, she spent time with them and regularly sent us pictures while we were traveling. I think the most convincing testimony came from the cats themselves - when she dropped by while we were here they ran to meet her rather than hiding, which they often do with strangers. Karla is welcome to take care of our cats anytime.
Calendar and availability
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Schedule
As a graduate researcher, I have a flexible schedule that allows me to incorporate pet care throughout my day. My research schedule varies from week to week, but I keep my Rover calendar up to date and only accept bookings that I know I can reliably accommodate. For house sitting, I’m able to spend mornings, evenings, and overnight with your pets while working around my university responsibilities during the day. Because much of my academic work can be done on my laptop, I can often study, read, or write from your home while keeping your pets company. For drop-in visits, I plan visits around my daily schedule and make sure I have enough time to provide attentive care rather than rushing through a visit. I appreciate having a few days of advance notice whenever possible so I can plan my schedule around your pet’s routine and care needs.
- Cats0 to 15 lbs16 to 40 lbsDogs over 1 year oldKarla can host up to 2 drop-ins per day