Katy H.
Austin, TX
⭐️ Full-Service Sitter!! ⭐️
Pet care experience
To my wonderful Austin clients: I feel so privileged to have been the person you trusted with your furbabies for these last five years. It was truly a charmed life, and I was honored to be chosen by each of you, and blessed to have been able to spend so much time with your pets. To say that I've moved away is a bittersweet thing, but I made the decision so I could be closer to family, and am so excited to say that I am happily settled and feeling right at home up here in this tiny town in North Carolina, nestled up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. This new chapter of my life has not come without its own set of obstacles, so I will be taking a break from petsitting to focus on my health and wellbeing for the foreseeable future. I wish you all the very best, and if you would like to follow this journey I'm on, please do add me on social media. For your future trips/occasions, I do have a small network of wonderful, trusted sitters that I know personally that are still working in the Austin area, and I am always happy to provide referrals. Please don't hesitate to reach out!
Reviews
Katy was wonderful. She was very responsive to a very nervous dog Mom and sent messages and pictures with updates to keep me informed of how Bodhi was doing each day we were away. I was able to relax and be present on my vacation knowing my pup was loved and well cared for. Will definitely be using Katy again :)
Wonderful care for our doggos!
Katy and Jen did an amazing job tag teaming watching my dog Han back in September. I have terrible ADD and it took me 6 months to write a review- oops! This was the longest I have ever left my dog with someone other than a family member, and Katy and Jen communicated multiple times a day with updates and photos, so I never once was left wondering if he was ok. We came home to a spotless house and a happy pup!!
Amazing care for our pups and very responsive and responsible.
About Katy H.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I had a Houdini dog for ten great years, so I am always very careful about entering and exiting so nobody slips past, because I know how sneaky a dedicated escape artist can be. I will never give pets any food or snacks that you haven't specifically stated are for them, and will only administer meds which are vet-prescribed/approved. (I know a lot of pet parents administer Benadryl for various reasons, but even vets debate whether regular use contributes to central nervous system difficilties long-term, so I am not comfortable giving it to pets without a note from their primary vet which specifically states their approval and includes dosage and frequency.) I always ask my clients to leave me the contact info for a local emergency contact, in case I can't get in touch with them and have an urgent question or pressing issue with the home. Even though I'm pretty good in a pinch, I'd always rather have a plan for contingencies.
Information Katy H. would like to know about your pet
I like to stick to your pets' normal routine as closely as possible, so I like it when you leave me a schedule! Detailed feeding instructions are also great, especially if your babies have a strict diet. Please include what time(s) to feed them, portion sizes, vitamins/supplements/medications they take (and how), and any allergies they have. I also like to know the rules of the home, like if they are allowed on the furniture, if they sleep in the bed with you, what (if any) naughty habits I should watch for. I've watched sock thieves, counter surfers, and toilet paper shredders, so a mischief-maker won't frighten me away. Just let me know if there are any specific words/commands you use, so I can communicate without confusing them and remind them to behave the way you would if you were here.
A typical day
If they like to snuggle, I am a total pro, so tell your babies to save the corner of the couch for me and fire up the Roku!! I hope they like falling asleep to documentaries... I have a fetch addict at home, so I'm no stranger to throwing a slobbery ball around, but if you let me know ahead of time, I can bring my Chuck-It or my Nerf ball gun and avoid drool-hands! I do follow Rover policy as far as keeping pets from encountering strangers, so I do not take my petsitting clients to dog parks, and only take them on walks if necessary for potty time as it limits the risk of escape or unfavorable contact with an unfamiliar animal (or person). If you would like your pet taken out for a walk around the neighborhood for exercise, I'm happy to accommodate that, but I do require that those be booked separately.
Services
Katy can watch in your home
Availability
I am so lucky to have such an awesome group of regular clients that I am able to be a full-time petsitter without working a "real" job. This means I am able to accommodate most pets normal daily schedule, even if you wake up super early! Since I also do drop-in visits from time to time, I generally do not accept any pets who require constant supervision or cannot be left alone for a couple hours at a time. I will occasionally be able to accommodate a request for limited doggie-daycare to give you dog moms and dads a break from your babies with destructive separation anxiety, or keep an eye on a pet recovering from an injury or operation. If you just need a couple hours away to go to a meeting, run errands, or have a date night, send me a message! I charge an hourly rate per pet for this service, and only provide this in your own home (as my own monsters have awful manners and don't share well with new friends unfortunately).
About Katy H.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I had a Houdini dog for ten great years, so I am always very careful about entering and exiting so nobody slips past, because I know how sneaky a dedicated escape artist can be. I will never give pets any food or snacks that you haven't specifically stated are for them, and will only administer meds which are vet-prescribed/approved. (I know a lot of pet parents administer Benadryl for various reasons, but even vets debate whether regular use contributes to central nervous system difficilties long-term, so I am not comfortable giving it to pets without a note from their primary vet which specifically states their approval and includes dosage and frequency.) I always ask my clients to leave me the contact info for a local emergency contact, in case I can't get in touch with them and have an urgent question or pressing issue with the home. Even though I'm pretty good in a pinch, I'd always rather have a plan for contingencies.
Information Katy H. would like to know about your pet
I like to stick to your pets' normal routine as closely as possible, so I like it when you leave me a schedule! Detailed feeding instructions are also great, especially if your babies have a strict diet. Please include what time(s) to feed them, portion sizes, vitamins/supplements/medications they take (and how), and any allergies they have. I also like to know the rules of the home, like if they are allowed on the furniture, if they sleep in the bed with you, what (if any) naughty habits I should watch for. I've watched sock thieves, counter surfers, and toilet paper shredders, so a mischief-maker won't frighten me away. Just let me know if there are any specific words/commands you use, so I can communicate without confusing them and remind them to behave the way you would if you were here.
A typical day
If they like to snuggle, I am a total pro, so tell your babies to save the corner of the couch for me and fire up the Roku!! I hope they like falling asleep to documentaries... I have a fetch addict at home, so I'm no stranger to throwing a slobbery ball around, but if you let me know ahead of time, I can bring my Chuck-It or my Nerf ball gun and avoid drool-hands! I do follow Rover policy as far as keeping pets from encountering strangers, so I do not take my petsitting clients to dog parks, and only take them on walks if necessary for potty time as it limits the risk of escape or unfavorable contact with an unfamiliar animal (or person). If you would like your pet taken out for a walk around the neighborhood for exercise, I'm happy to accommodate that, but I do require that those be booked separately.
Location
Austin, TX
Pets
Katy H.
Austin, TX