A lot of these folks write exactly what I would, but I like this: "I wish they had Catherine's People Sitting." The most telling thing for us, as we (pre-Covid) travel a lot, is that when we come home, all worried, the two dogs, cat and turtle are all completely relaxed, yawning, chill. They LOVE their Auntie Catherine. She knows medicines and can give. She once stayed at our house with a dog that got ill that day while we were gone, until 11pm. We have used her service for 14 years. She rescues all kinds of animals including a donkey at her nearby farm. Very awesome person, we're lucky to have her, but our furr (and scale) babies are the really lucky ones. read more

Just looking at my Yelp reviews and noticed that it's been 10 years that we've been using Catherine's services. Sadly, our two beautiful little girls who originally led us to Catherine are no longer with us but right up until the end they loved their visits and loved Catherine. Now we have two new little monsters who stay with Catherine regularly and (we're sure) do their best to driver her crazy - and Catherine takes it all in stride and with a smile. Thank you for 10 years of loving our girls, Catherine! We simply don't know what we'd do without you! read more

Ok... so I have a confession to make. And please don't tell anyone... don't want to hurt my newly found "yelp cred" (am I supposed to say "yo" after using the "word" "cred?") I haven't actually used Catherine's service. However, my best friend adopted his dog from her and so I met her a couple of times... In my book, the CHARACTER of someone providing a PERSONAL service (like caring for your kids, your house, your dog, stuff like that) is VERY important. And I have nothing but good things to say about her. She works very hard and loves animals... has a few herself. She was at one point going to "dog pounds" (or whatever the PC term is these days) in surrounding areas and rescuing dogs that were about to be put to sleep. Then on her own time she would set up outside of local pet shops and try to get them adopted. She's just really one of those rare amazing people that we happen across from time-to-time... not the type that wear their "good deeds" like badges (I dated one of those... they suck) but one that you have to get to know before you realize what a truly good person they are. I'd turn my house and kids (well I don't have any of those, but I would if I did) and dog and even my favorite cilantro plant over to Catherine and my only worry would be that they would want ME back after spending time with her. 3 thumbs up. read more

I have a love/hate relationship with Catherine's Pet Sitting. I love the quality service. I hate how jealous I am of her well-oiled machine of an independent business! Argh! After a brief stint in the corporate world, Catherine (of Catherine's Pet Sitting) decided the suits were not for her and passionately pursued the pet kingdom. She has built a successful at-your-home pet sitting business for the Austin community. With two cats and ten days of absence, we needed some help. We'd picked up one of Catherine's cards at the vet and gave her a call(see...you can tell she's smart if she's putting business cards in vet waiting rooms...). After locking in our travel dates, Catherine scheduled a time to meet our pets. To make an already long story shorter, we had a great experience. CPS is very thorough - taking care to cover everything. I won't give away her suave business secrets, but I will say this. She asked me questions that I hadn't even started to think about regarding my trip. "No, as a matter of fact, I haven't thought about what I should leave the thermostat on. And no, I haven't considered what lights I'd like to leave on, either!" Anyway, point being, I would absolutely recommend Catherine's Pet Sitting to anyone. Catherine has loads of experience with cats and dogs and guarantees "playtime" with your pet. So at the very least, you know Fido or Boots is getting some attention. Although Catherine's Pet Sitting has a physical address, I would recommend calling instead. (512) 786-3802. I wish they had Catherine's People Sitting. read more

Wow... we've had pet sitters before, but this was something different! I called Catherine based on the reviews here and she promptly returned my call. She was a little unsure of our location (we live off 1826 on the way to the Salt Lick) but I am happy to say she decided to venture a little further afield than usual. She explained that she specializes in geriatric and aggressive dogs, and had been a vet tech so she's fine with dispensing meds and giving shots. She set up an introductory appointment, and on the designated day I opened the door to a cute and perky 20-something with a mind for business and a way with canines. When my youngest dog Lillie promptly began French kissing her, she handled it with aplomb and seemed to understand that my senior citizen dog was going to be a lot harder to get to know. She started with a questionnaire about pretty much anything and everything you can think of regarding our pets and our house (since she will bring in mail and water plants as well) and explained her system. She verifies all appointments via email, leaves a detailed journal of her visits and wants you to call her when you return so she knows the dogs are being taken care of (wow, we've never had a pet sitter ask us to do that before!) In this particular case, she also needed to give Lance the geriatric an antibiotic twice a day, which was no problem. I am very impressed with Catherine! We arrived home to find everything exactly as we wanted and the dogs were happy and healthy. I loved reading the journal she left, and, as it turns out, Lance did eventually give her a kiss - it just wasn't the tonsil-massaging type for which Lillie is famous. read more

What can I say that hasn't been said. Catherine is the most thorough and professional dog sitter I've ever seen. On her initial visit, she takes a comprehensive history of your dog and it's health, how your house works, dog food, medicine, etc. She has watched my dog at least 5 or 6 times now while I was traveling. Upon my neurotic request, she text msgs me EVERY time she comes to take the dog out and gives me a full report of how it went. And that is three times per day. She is great with doggie medicine, if that need to be given. She even watered the plants and brought the mail in. Don't even hesitate to call her if you need a pet sitter. Oh and your dog will love her too : ) read more

This review is long overdue. Catherine, woah, she ROCKS! I am a freelancer with 3 large dogs and a diabetic cat. My husband and I hadn't had a vacation in years, so when we finally had the opportunity to go somewhere I thought I would search for a pet sitter. My quest for a pet sitter was how I found Yelp. The reviews here won me over and I called Catherine up. I will admit, that I was at first very hesitant about leaving my "kids." I have never left them before, not by choice but circumstances. When I met Catherine for the first time, it was instant peace of mind. Her professionalism was very obvious, but I had that gut feeling that she could handle anything. She has a ton of experience and absolutely loves what she does. I was a little nervous about how my Rottie mutt was going to be with a new person, but she took to Catherine so fast! Plus we didn't have to worry about our dogs and cat getting their meds at the right time. Now, when ever we plan a trip, I tell my girls that they are "going to see Catherine!" Their ears instantly perk up the same way they do when I say the words "lets go for a walk" (yes, I am a total dork.) Chris and I can actually go somewhere and relax and enjoy ourselves. Plus someone responsible looking after the abode is such a comfort. We have hired Catherine several times now and our experience has always been equally as great. We get home, the dogs and cat are chilling out to the stereo, fed, happy, and excited to see mom and dad. Catherine always leaves these wonderful little notes of what they did together. Its such a nice touch! read more

I found out about Catherine's Pet Sitting through Yelp and thought I would give her a try and I'm so glad that I did! Catherine is so thorough in the questions that she asks (things I would never think to tell someone about my animals). She also helped me out with one of my cats that had an ear problem that the vet couldn't resolve. So far, it looks like he's doing well and won't have to go back to the vet. Talk about service! As mentioned in other reviews, she will also water your plants, pick up your mail, etc. Also, I absolutely LOVED the notes she left behind regarding the two visits she made! They were personalized and I could tell that she truly loves what she does and that she loves my animals as much as I do! I would recommend her to anyone that has a pet sitting need. She has thought of absolutely everything! I trusted her to be in my home and around my animals and she didn't disappoint! I will definitely do business with her again! read more

Catherine is the pet sitter of our dreams. Early in 2007, I stumbled upon the lovely reviews below for Catherine's Pet Sitting services and upon further research, I gave her a call to watch my two little chihuahua pound puppy monsters. In our initial phone call, she asked my availability to have her over to check our home setting, the pups and ask a few questions. I believe she came over later that day - very prompt! She's the Austin Dog Wisperer. My little monsters calmed down within moments of Catherine's arrival. She's a life saver. She recently watched the pups for the third time when my husband and I left the country for 12 days. We sent her a text message as soon as we dropped our luggage to tell her how thankful we were for her taking care of our littles. We have been completely comfortable with turning over our keys to Catherine and we're very thankful that she services the Brentwood/Crestview neighborhoods. read more

Catherine is great, reliable, dependable, and very great with animals. I have NEVER had a bad experience with her. I love the fact that she leaves little report cards each time she visits. This was especially helpful when I first adopted Jules and she was fear aggressive towards other dogs. I could be kept up to date on any "instances" that might have occurred. Although I have recently started working at home and no longer need help checking on Jules throughout the day. I will, however, call her first the next time I leave town and want the best pet sitter in town to watch my pup. read more

Catherine is quite amazing. My pups love her and I love the pics and updates I get. I would recommend her to anyone.

We've been using Catherine for a few years now, and I absolutely adore her. She will not hesitate to call me if she thinks my dogs need something or has a question. When I'm out of town and checking my dogs, she always provides a detailed outline as to what the dogs are doing, eating and their overall well being. This is especially important to me since one of my dogs is old, so I tend to worry about him more. She is so attentive with my dogs and I have complete trust that when I'm gone, they are in good hands. Literally the only person I call when we leave town. read more

We've been using Catherine for over 8 years. I have only wonderful things to say about Catherine and her staff. Through the years she has cared for three of my dogs. She is excellent with senior animals and the extra care they need. When my little guy got sick, I always new he was in excellent hands and that the care he would get would equal mine. When she shows up to the house my boy goes crazy over her, he is so excited, it is obvious he loves seeing her. Catherine is fantastic, and I highly recommend her. read more

This is my BUYER BEWARE story with Catherine's Pet Sitting. I had used Catherine for about 2 years and had always been happy with her service and reliability. My low rating has everything to do with her business policy and the contract she makes you sign, which I think is completely unfair. Here is what happened: 1. While on vacation, I got a note from Catherine stating that I forgot to sign the check I left her, which is entirely possible in the haste of getting out the door to the airport. 2. I immediately took the only action I could since I was outside the continental U.S. and had a check sent directly from my bank to her. 3. Catherine notified me that she will have to charge me a late fee since the check was not there (signed) on Day 1 of her service, and that she would send it as a separate invoice. I'm thinking, OK, well I guess I can deal with that ... expecting maybe a $20-30 late fee. 4. A week or two after we were back I got a LATE FEE INVOICE for $150 ... yes, $150!!! Her fee for watching my cats while gone was $168 and the late fee was $150???? That is an outrageous charge for her getting the check ONE DAY after her last visit to my house. We aren't talking about it being 30 days or 60 days late ... just one day after she was done watching my cats. There are consumer protection laws that protect credit card and banking customers from predatory lending practices and late fees. Initially I resisted paying it because it was so outrageous, but she reminded me that the contract I signed 2 years ago actually states a $20 per day late fee (starting on day 1 of service) and that she was doing me a favor by charging me $10/day. Ultimately I paid it because it wasn't worth my time to fight it. So, in conclusion, I don't have any complaints about her service, but I take big issue with her business practice and her insistence on charging me a $150 late fee. Regardless of what the contract says, does anyone else think that is fair? You decide for yourself, but buyer beware. read more

Until recently, I would have been the first in this long line to praise Catherine's Pet Sitting. In fact, I've probably sent her at least a half dozen new clients in the past 3 years with unqualified praise for her dependability and pet adeptness. Recent events, though, have led me to believe that something radical must have changed in her life, or else I've only now had the opportunity to have the fur yanked cruelly from my eyes. The scenario: I have used Catherine's Pet Sitting five or six times and always had a pleasant experience. So, as usual, I emailed her a month before Christmas, requesting two weeks of service. After a week, I finally got an email back confirming her availability - while the delay raised an eyebrow, I thought it uncharacteristic of her and chalked it up to the flurry of the holiday season. Some friends of mine who routinely use Catherine did the same, and were confirmed to her schedule. These friends wanted to meet with her to discuss their cats, as they have been fighting a lot recently and require different treatment than in previous visits. They had great difficulty scheduling a time with her. From their fleeting communiqués, my friends were able to glean that she was a. by her own admission, very hard to schedule for a 10 minute appointment, and b. she had the flu. Understandably, we questioned to ourselves whether this would have any bearing on her ability to care for our pets later in the week. By this point, we were all a little worried that something was going on with either her life or health, but again, I gave her the benefit of the doubt, blaming everything on temporary dilemmas and/or miscommuniciation. However, when I received an incorrect invoice, which was missing one week of service, I felt like I needed to touch base with her. The invoice explicitly said that if there were any problems with the order, to contact her immediately, as it was the last notice before she began service. So I sent her an email, asking her to confirm the original service dates. I also said that my friends mentioned she had been having scheduling problems, so I wanted to make sure she was still available to sit for our cats. It was a totally friendly and professional email - one of those "just checking in!" types. I expected to hear back with a reassuring, "yes, everything is still good!" responses. Instead, I got an extremely frosty and condescending answer to my question about the invoice, which concluded with her saying that she was "insulted" that my friends and I questioned her commitment and that she thought we should find a new petsitter. This is TWO DAYS before I am leaving for the holiday break. So, despite being completely shocked at the unprofessional response, I, AGAIN, excuse everything ("She's probably just sick and not herself"), and write her back immediately, apologizing profusely for any insult I may have caused her, begging her to stay on as my petsitter. I explained that I genuinely just wanted to check in on her health and her business, for peace of mind [Ed. Note: and, stupidly, ACTUAL CONCERN FOR HER] before leaving town. She didn't respond, but instead wrote my friends a completely passive aggressive and rude email, saying that in the future they should contact someone else for pet sitting, because they had talked about her behind her back to another client (SERIOUSLY?!?!). My friends called, emailed, and called her again, to no avail. 24 hours later, she hadn't answered my email, either, and I had only one day to scramble and find petcare for the holiday season on no notice. I wouldn't expect this kind of vindictiveness and avoidance from a junior high cheerleader, much less from a professional who is in the business of customer service. I am completely appalled that someone whose business is completely built on trust could have what I would consider such a violently unstable and unprofessional reaction to a confirmation email. When you hire a petsitter, you are completely vulnerable to them - they have a key to your house, come in while you are out of town, and are the primary caretakers to animals you care a lot about. I think what bothers me most is that I had put such a level of faith in Catherine, even when ample evidence was accruing to suggest something was amiss. It appears this trust was severely misplaced. It really sucks, because she seemed like a cool person and a really reliable petsitter, but after this I have to unequivocally revoke my recommendations to her. read more

I've been using Catherine's service for over two years now and have had a great experience with her. She is always prompt to respond and is available whenever (except when she get married and went on her honeymoon - I guess I can excuse that :) ). I highly recommend her if you have any pet sitting needs. read more

We found Catherine here soon after our dog had gone into Congestive Heart Failure and survived. He needed medicine 3 times a day every day and we couldn't ask anyone to take that responsibility. We had Catherine come over so that we could meet her and think it over... there was no need to think it over, we handed her the keys to our home that night and never looked back. Catherine has been a blessing to us for the past 2+ years, our dog (who loves her immensely) requires lots of care, medicines, and he now also needs to be given subcutaneous fluids, Catherine has done all of this for him and so much more. She truly cares for him as if he was one of her own dogs. She is an amazing human being; she is kind, honest, loving and extremely professional. We could never thank her enough for all the wonderful things she has done for us. read more

We've hired Catherine's Pet Sitting for several years. Catherine does a great job caring for our huge dogs (I'm convinced they are twice as big as she is but somehow she still takes them for walks and tires them out!). The dogs are always looking good and well cared for after trips away from them. Some items of note about Catherine: - She leaves notes about anything we should know about - She takes care of our mail and plants while we are gone - She has ninja skills that allow her to slip into the house without the dogs bolting out the front door - She has endless energy and love for pets Once our dogs got into a bit of a quarrel while we were out of town. Catherine checked them out to ensure they were both uninjured, gave me a call to tell me about the situation and recommended a few ideas based on what she's seen. Another time, Catherine took it upon herself to trim up one of our dogs who had some pretty big mats of fur on his haunches. He looked years younger and I swear had more energy than ever since he was carrying around a lot less fur. Catherine's service is great because she comes to your own home where your pets are most comfortable. Even after moving to the edge of her service area, Catherine is still ready and willing to make the trip and ensure our dogs are looked after when we aren't around. If you're looking for someone who will take care of your pets as one of their own, look no further than Catherine's service. read more

Catherine checked on my three cats over Thanksgiving weekend. Two of them are cranky and difficult to love, but she handled them beautifully. She was unfazed when one of them swatted her and understood that the cat just wanted her to keep up the petting. Catherine has a natural rapport with animals and made me feel well at ease about leaving them in her care. She was well organized and offered to do non-pet related things, like bring in the mail and take out the trash so that it would appear we were home. I really appreciated her service and would recommend her to anyone. read more

Catherine is our hero! She went beyond the call of duty to save our missing female feral kitty who had been let out of the house by a son who had stopped in to spend the night. He didn't know that our little kitty would not come to the call of a "strange" voice. Our little girl had been missing 5 days. She had not faired well in the wild, was hungry and thirsty. Catherine returned to our home after her contracted time had expired when she heard from the other sitter that "Miss Belle" had been seen near our home. Catherine was hoping to entice our hungry, thristy kitty back to the safety of her home. Catherine sat in our courtyard with the front door of the house open, rattling the food bag and opening cans of cat food hoping that Miss Belle would be near by and respond. She did. She was hungry enough to hesitatingly approach the source of the food. In a timely manner, Catherine "grabbed" the meowing, frightened kitty and tossed her into the house...(Miss Catherine) experiencing a few "wounds" from the battle. Miss Belle and I shall forever be grateful to our caring, loving petsitter! read more

5 Stars***** Catherine is such a special person and has a true gift with animals. My 3 dogs just love her and she takes such good care of them when we are away. Also she is always available to help out if something comes up. She has been a part of our family this past year. If you want to feel relaxed and confident that your precious animals are being well cared for, call Catherine We love you Catherine! Gerald, Alana and the girls read more

catherine's wonderful. she adores animals, is super organized and precise, and is nothing but reliable. she leaves a note every day and gives quality time. i had no problem with any of her contract/business management. actually, i find her to be really up front about everything, and if anything over-communicative. i've used her for vacation cat-sitting, vacation dog-sitting and day dog-walking. always very happy with her service. read more

I have used Catherine's services about four times now and would never consider taking my cat elsewhere. I have a special needs cat who not only requires medication additions to his food, but also has "litterbox problems" which often results in bowel incontinence. While I'm fine with dealing with it, I would never expect anyone else to clean up after him or be so understanding; Catherine does all of the above. After I called her to inquire about her services, Catherine quickly set up an appointment to meet Brisket, my kitty, and asked a slew of questions about his health and needs. It turns out Catherine specializes in "special needs" animals and is an incredible wealth of knowledge! On one occasion, Brisket had injured his paw (scratching our furniture, ugh) after her last visit earlier in the day; we called her with no idea what to do and she calmly walked us through the steps of helping his claw. She texts us to make sure we returned safely, just to make sure Brisket is cared for! I really could not say enough positive things about Catherine. My cat loves her and we feel safe leaving him with her. If you ask her, she'll even text you little updates about your furry friends :) It's obvious she deeply cares about animals and is wonderful at her job. read more

Catherine and her team were phenomenal! Our three (cantankerous) cats were so well-treated and looked after all month long during our vacation. Catherine sent updates, pics, and in addition to cat sitting, was kind enough to water our plants and take out our trash! This was the first time we've used Catherine, but it certainly won't be the last. Attentive, respectful, and professional, Catherine has a great demeanor and inspires confidence right off the bat. We'll definitely be using her again next time we're out of town. read more

I have been using Catherine's Pet Sitting for almost two years now. I could not ask for better care for my kids (2 pugs)! Catherine goes above and beyond what anyone could ever ask for. read more