4.9

Another fantastic experience for us and the animals (and house) with Syd! As usual, she was communicative and gave us reports on the animals and we came back to happy, healthy animals and a clean house. Thank you Syd!

Another fantastic experience with Syd. Yet again, we had family emergencies with our aging and ailing parents; my mom is in the ICU in New York and my father-in-law just went back to the ICU in Virginia. Syd came through with less than 24 hour notice. Not only have we been so lucky and fortunate that Syd has been available and willing to accommodate our last minute sitting requests throughout these extremely stressful and taxing family emergencies, but also Syd's very fast response times (less than 2 hours) have provided critical relief and have aided tremendously in allowing me to use my bandwidth most efficiently in these crisis situations. Thank you again Syd! You really have preserved my sanity over the last few weeks!

Another great experience with Syd! I had to extend my trip and she got back to me so quickly to tell me she was able to cat sit again for me with basically zero notice. I like to plan ahead and usually do, but family emergencies don't allow for that at times, and Syd was so understanding and accommodating.

This was my second experience with Syd, and I just booked her for a third stay if that tells you anything about how happy and comfortable I am with her! When I met her for the first time at my house for our initial meet-and-greet leading up to her first cat sitting stay, I immediately felt comfortable with her and I could see how at ease she was with the cats and how well-versed she was in cat behavior and body language. I have one little princess kitty who is shy and aloof with new folks, and her younger (but much bigger) brother is a confidant and energetic handful and can exhibit some territorial behaviors with new folks (which I didn't find out until Syd's first visit!). Syd did great navigating and tending to their polar opposite personalities. The first time Syd catsat for me, it had been several months since we needed catsitting services, and in that window our boy cat Nico had transitioned out of kittenhood and into his adolescence, and was suddenly acting newly territorial when Syd first arrived for cat sitting. Syd asked if this was normal/expected behavior for him, and I was caught so off guard by this, as he had never acted that way previously (nor had any of my previous cat sitters reported any such behavior to me), so once we ruled out pain/discomfort/anything medical, Syd and I decided this was a newer behavior he was displaying now that he was out of his kittenhood. Syd was so understanding and adaptable to this new territorial behavior, and together we collaborated (myself from afar) to manage it in a way that made everyone feel comfortable and safe. By the end of that stay, our princess Piper had warmed up to her and allowed Syd to pet her (which is a big deal for a cat like Piper!) and Nico was still being a bit of a brat but his behavior definitely improved after we put some strategies into place (Churro treats and toys make a big difference! I did not have Churro treats at the house at that time, so after doing some research and coming up with a game plan, I asked Syd if she could stop by the pet store and buy some treats to help with Nico and text me a photo of the receipt, which she happily did and then I immediately Zelle'd her to pay her back. I now know to have extra treats on hand for him!) Syd was communicative throughout her stay and sent photos, and when I got back home from my travels, the house was immaculate. She has also been very quick to respond to newer cat sitting requests in the face of recent unexpected and untimely family emergencies (I was in New York helping my 79 year old mom undergo and heal from a total knee replacement surgery, and while I was in the pre-op room with my mom, I got word that my partner's 87 year old father, who also lives out of state, unexpectedly had a stroke and had to have emergency surgery in the ICU). It is such a huge relief and weight off my back to know my animals are in her kind, patient and attentive care while both myself and my partner are unexpectedly away dealing with caring for our elderly parents and all the things that come with that. Thank you Syd, a million times over! Your animals are in fantastic, knowledgable, attentive, and great care with Syd. If I could give Syd 1000 stars I would!

Happy cats and clean house, another 5 star sit!

Hired Syd for back-to-back sittings. One was unexpected/short notice. Syd was flexible and went out of the way to make sure I could focus on my needs away. Overall Syd was accommodating and reliable and left the house clean, kept the cats happy (they are in the same positive spirits as I left them!), and treated the space with respect. Five star cat sitter. Will book again