Melanie D.
Hollywood, CA
Cat Whisperer and Dog Friend
Pet care experience
Hi furents! Please read my entire bio prior to putting in a reservation request. I’ve been a cat lady ever since I can remember. I'm a lover of both cats and dogs. I said goodbye to the love of my life in December 2020 — a tuxedo named Maxwell Wellington. I found him as a young adult stray in September 2006 and he had been with me ever since. He had hyperthyroidism, chronic pancreatitis, IBD and kitty dementia. He was on a raw diet and had a number of daily medications and supplements. Because of this, I am skilled in administering various types of medication including subcutaneous fluids (& insulin injections) to cats. I volunteered for years with a LA based cat rescue so I learned to socialize and care for many different types of cats and personality types. I think Kenny Rogers said it best, “know when to hold them, know when to cuddle them, know when to walk away, know when to run.” That’s what he said, right? :) During a visit, I noticed my kitty client having shallow but fast breathing. With his dad’s consent, we went to the vet and he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He was hospitalized overnight and put on oxygen. The vet said had I not reacted as quickly as I did, the following day could have been a very different situation. Major issues like this come on quickly in cats and often times can be overlooked. With me as your sitter, you can be confident knowing I pay very close attention to any changes in your pet’s health. Current and past clients include: *multiple kitties with kidney failure (subcutaneous fluids and b12 shots administered) *kitties with congestive heart failure (oral meds) *kitty with mega colon (multiple oral meds twice daily) *kitties with IBS & IBD (meds, special diets) *kitties with asthma (inhalers required) *kitties with various cancers (some on chemo) *diabetic kitty (insulin injections twice daily) *blind kitty with a heart condition (oral meds twice daily) *multiple cats with thyroid conditions (oral/topical meds daily) *partially blind & partially deaf cat (oral meds, eye drops) *pup with disc issues who uses a wheelchair (requires oral medication administered twice a day) *many senior kitties and senior pups I was totally obsessed with my cat and I always wanted to know what he’s doing. I’ll always send you a detailed update and a combo of photos and/or videos of our visit! NEIGHBORHOODS SERVED: Hollywood, Thai Town, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, West Glendale, southern Toluca Lake, Hollywood Hills West, Hollywood Hills, Beachwood Canyon, lower Laurel Canyon, Nichols Canyon, Runyon Canyon, Outpost Estates, lower Mount Olympus, Hollywood Heights, Whitley Heights, Spaulding Square, eastern West Hollywood (to and east of Crescent Heights), Plummer Park, Fairfax (near The Grove), Park LaBrea, Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Larchmont Village, Oakwood, Melrose Hill, and parts of Koreatown ———
Reviews
Melanie was GREAT, I am so so happy to have found her. It was my first time using these services and leaving my babies alone but she made sure I had peace of mind while I was gone. She was able to administer asthma medication to my baby, she sent me DETAILED updates of every visit which I appreciated very much! Will definitely book her again in the future if needed. Thank you Melanie! ❤️
Lovely experience again!
Melanie is seriously fantastic. We’ve used her before during a normal sitting while on a vacation. This time we went and had a baby, and everyone knows it’s difficult to schedule for that kind of thing! Melanie was more than accommodating with our ‘up in the air’ schedule, making sure our fur babies were taken care of without upsetting her regularly scheduled clients. It was wonderful to come home to a clean house and well fed/loved kitties!
Amazing again!
About Melanie D.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
COVID PROTOCOL: *Despite LA lifting the mask mandate and myself being vaxxed & boosted, I require masks to be worn for any in-person meet & greet. If you refuse to wear a mask, a FaceTime meet & greet will be scheduled and a lockbox will be required. If I show up to the meet & greet and you refuse to mask up, I will contact the site and have them cancel our booking. I have immunocompromised loved ones and I take it very seriously.
Information Melanie D. would like to know about your pet
*your animal's temperament and personality. *please also provide your vet’s information should there be an emergency. *any and all important notes are outlined in my bio!
A typical day
your baby will get love, cuddles, belly rubs and head scratches. and of course they will get fresh food, water, and a clean bathroom area
Services
Melanie can watch in your home
Availability
IMPORTANT NOTES: *I don’t answer messages between 8p -9a. Any reservation requests or messages sent after 8p will be answered the following day. Pet sitting is my FT job so this is my downtime. *I require *at least* 7 days notice as my schedules are set in advance. If it’s a true emergency, I’ll do my best to accommodate if my schedule allows. If the request is for anything less than 7 days notice. I reserve the right to add a last minute fee. *I am very passionate about cat nutrition. I may have suggestions about your cat’s diet. If I do, please don’t be offended. It’s coming from a well meaning place. * If you have previously booked with me and do not see availability, send me a message. *If you need morning or evening visits but just once a day, please send me a message prior to sending a request. My calendar will show availability if I’m not at maximum capacity for the day *but* I may be at capacity for mornings or evening slots. It’s best to message to check prior to sending a request. I’ll always do my best to help when I can. *Please alert me when booking if your cat(s) has any contagious diseases such as FIV, herpes or ringworm. This will not deter me from taking you as a client. I’m with multiple cats daily so knowing this information is vital so I can take extra steps to keep every cat safe. *If your pet requires insulin twice daily, please message me prior to booking to check if I can accommodate timing. *If your cat is indoor / outdoor, I will keep him or her inside during our visits. Murphy’s law hits hard when parents aren’t around. This is for the safety of your cat. There are absolutely no exceptions. *Make sure to note whether the time is flexible or structured as I build my schedule around neighborhoods to maximize time spent with the cats (and not in traffic). *Holiday rates apply for both cats and dogs for a federal holiday as well as 3 days before, 3 days after. Please choose “drop in” rather than “cat care”. If you are unable to change it; I will modify the booking rate on my end.
About Melanie D.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
COVID PROTOCOL: *Despite LA lifting the mask mandate and myself being vaxxed & boosted, I require masks to be worn for any in-person meet & greet. If you refuse to wear a mask, a FaceTime meet & greet will be scheduled and a lockbox will be required. If I show up to the meet & greet and you refuse to mask up, I will contact the site and have them cancel our booking. I have immunocompromised loved ones and I take it very seriously.
Information Melanie D. would like to know about your pet
*your animal's temperament and personality. *please also provide your vet’s information should there be an emergency. *any and all important notes are outlined in my bio!
A typical day
your baby will get love, cuddles, belly rubs and head scratches. and of course they will get fresh food, water, and a clean bathroom area
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Pets
Melanie D.
Hollywood, CA