What is Catsitting? 

Catsitting basically means taking care of your cat(s) at your home. Catsitting is a special service that can be booked by cat owners (cat parents:) for the time when they are not at home. It is more than just a ‘put food and water out’ service, and includes what it takes for cats to spend their ‘alone time’ healthy, relaxed and yes - happy. One of my clients calls me the ‘cat nanny’. This term sums up my activities very well.

 

Where do you offer Catsitting Services?

I am travelling 20 km around Zollikofen. This includes the greater Bern area, but I also have customers in Lyss,  Konolfingen and Thun. Until further notice, I will not accept new arrangements in Thun - for my existing ones I will of course provide my services as before. For the time being, I won't charge additional fees per kilometre. I want to offer a simple price model and, in my opinion, not only the distance, but also the duration of the journey, simplicitty of finding a parking space, etc. are relevant. You can find an overview of my locations here. 

 

How does the process from contact to order work?

I'm happy to leave that up to you. You can call me, send me a message or directly book an appointment to get to know me.

 

What happens during the initial meet-up?

For you, this personal meeting is an opportunity to assess whether you would like to hand over the care of your cat(s) to me and thus also the key to your home. Especially if you don't know me yet, this can be an overwhelming experience. After all, trust has to grow first. And last but not least, you can also see how the cats react to me. The introductory meeting is also important for me so that I can get an idea of how the catsitting should be organised. What is important to you and the cats? Do they have a medical history? Do they prefer to play or how should the care be organised? See also my checklist, which I always bring with me to the personal interview

 

What happens after our initial meet-up?

After the introductory meeting, I will send you a summary of what we have discussed so that you can see whether I have understood everything correctly and also whether there is anything else you would like to add. This document also contains all the key dates, e.g. start and end of cat sitting, conditions, etc. 

If not already mutually agreed during our conversation, you may want to let me know if you would like to place the booking. 

 

What happens during my absence?

While you're away, I'll keep you up to date with what's going on with your cats and your home. You are free to choose how often this should be. I have clients who like to see or read something every time I visit, while others only want a brief update every few days. This is up to you.

If I notice anything special with your cats or your home, I will let you know immediately. If a visit to the vet is necessary, I will of course take your cat to the doctor. For safety reasons, I always have a cat basket with me in the car.

 

How do you schedule your Catsitting visits?

I plan the routes and visits so that they are as regular as possible. Catsitting that takes place once a day is carried out on a 24-hour cycle. Two visits per day take place within 12 hours, ensuring that the time between visits is neither too long nor too short. I naturally take conditions such as medication administration into account when planning.  

 

Do you have a substitute – just in case?

That's a very important point. You certainly don't want to have to cut your holiday short if I fall ill and can't work. So, yes, I do have substitutes. Additionally, I started working with Catsitting helpers on a regular basis so that we can organise the peak periods around the holidays well. Plus, they help me so that they I can take the some weekends off. 

 

What is your opinion on petcams?

I have no problem with that at all, as long as I don't end up as content on social media platforms :) By the way, if you're going to be away for a long time, you can borrow a pet cam from me (Model Petcube 360). You can then use an app to see what your pets are up to at home. I have three pet cams and am happy to lend them out free of charge for the duration of my assignment. Provided they're not all already out on loan, of course. 

 

Is Catsitting at home better than boarding at a cat hotel?

I don't think there is a better or worse option here. Both approaches, Catsitting at home and boarding at a cattery, have their merits. It really depends on what is best for your cats and what causes the least stress for you and your fluffy friends. If you are looking for a good cat hotel in the Bern area, I recommend Büsus Bijou - das Katzenhotel.