I am a long time client of Pawlosophy and have always been happy with their pet care services. Recently I had occasion to ask pawlosophy for an extraordinary service. I was hospitalized with an unexpected injury. On short notice pawlosophy was able to come to my home and get my dog to a boarding kennel and then take care of my cats. They really demonstrate the highest degree of caring and responsibity. Thanks to Alex, Lela and Harrison! read more

Let me start by saying that Pawlosophy is BEYOND amazing! They go WAY above and beyond making sure my kitteh companion is very well taken care of and therefore, putting my mind at ease when I have to travel. I met with Alexis for my first trip! She came to my home and her and I went over all of the basics when it comes to taking care of my 'lil Cleo. Alexis listened to my concerns (re: medication administering) as well as my "crazy cat lady" ways of making sure sweet Cleo does not get too stressed during her visit. She took careful notes and did not even roll her eyes when I even provided instructions on food and water refills. haha! I mean, c'mon, that sort of patience in itself deserves an extra star! :) While I was away, Alexis came in for her scheduled visit and, upon conclusion, provided me with an EXTENSIVE email report about my pet (food eaten, bathrooms taken, and general mood). I even got a picture of Cleo, proving that she was alive and well...and also very happy to have had the visit! :) It should also be noted that due to my kitty being sick the night before (as mentioned in the report above), Alexis offered to stop by my place to check on her AGAIN in the a.m., just hours before I was due to arrive home. This way, my mind would totally be at ease during my travels back home. ABOVE AND BEYOND!!!! :) Upon arriving home, I noticed that EVERYTHING was in order. I noticed that Cleo's used food dish had even been replaced with a clean one and, the used one was thoroughly cleaned and put into the dish rack! :) This was AWESOME! ZERO clean-up had to be done on my part! I arrived home and had nothing to do except love on my kitty that I had missed while I was away! I would HIGHLY recommend Pawlosophy and I am so happy to have found them for my pet-sitting needs! read more

Let me be the first to give these guys a not so stellar review. A couple things have happened that have made me decide not to use their services again. We used Pawlosophy twice for overnight care for our elderly pug and other pets. They are supposed to have a safeguard in place that they won't stop caring for your pets until they hear from you that you've arrived safely home from your trip. It's a great policy, except the one time I needed it, they didn't follow it. Out of stress or forgetfulness or who knows what I accidentally told them when I booked our sitter that we would be returning on Sunday when it was really Monday. As a result, my poor old puggy was alone and scared an entire night by himself. So really dumb mistake on my part, total lack of follow through on theirs. Since then, I've decided to give them another chance because I figured it couldn't happen again and both the sitters we had were quite nice and seemed to have done a good job, despite the day mix up fiasco. I called the office to get a sitter for an upcoming trip and supposedly the ones we had used before were already booked, so they would find us another. After a few weeks and multiple attempts at contact, Pawlosophy seem to have made no attempt to get us a replacement sitter. And honestly, whoever answers the phone at the main office is really unpleasant, presumptuous and condescending. Having to deal with her totally uncalled for attitude when I called last time was the icing on the cake. Needless to say we're finding a new pet sitting service. read more

I'll be the first to admit that I'm very picky about the care that my dog Elly receives. Having been home with her for several months following an injury, I sought out referrals from pet-loving friends for walking services when it came time for me to return to work. There are so many people advertising their services, it's hard to determine who really gives quality care...& I was not willing to go with the "trial & error" method. Pawlosophy was referred to me by a man who absolutely adores his dogs. And true to his word, the team at Pawlosophy goes above & beyond what I expect from a dog walking service. Ruth & Alexis are flexible & accommodating with my changing schedule & their rates are very competitive. I feel confident in their experience & comfortable allowing them access to my home. Molly has been walking Elly since October 2011. She is caring, reliable & competent--we couldn't be happier! read more

3 stars for their awesome website. I loved the detailed questionnaire and ability to book and pay online. All of which I thought would make for a perfect pet sitting set up. Unfortunately, things didn't play out that way in real life. The pet sitter showed up when she wasn't scheduled. She woke me up early in the morning only to realize, after I reminded her, that she was scheduled for the evening. Also, part of my instructions on their online form AND on a printout I left in my apartment explicitly stated not to put my cat's wet food in the fridge because she won't eat it that way. When I returned home from my trip, the wet food was in the fridge. Lastly, the sitter would email me a brief write up after each visit and after a couple days my cat wasn't even coming out of her hiding spot. Clearly, she didn't feel safe or comfortable with the sitter. I really didn't want to leave a less than stellar review, but as a pet owner who was once searching for a sitter, I would have appreciated this type of review to help me make the best choice for my cat. Fortunately I have since found another service that both my cat and I love. read more

Ruth and the people at Pawlosophy are amazing. Our dog sitter of ten years canceled a week before our trip. We almost canceled our trip. I didn't even know where to start looking for a sitter. Our dogs are our kids. But when I met Ruth and Molly, I knew everything would be alright. They were wonderful with our dogs. In fact, my shy 15 month old puppy warmed up to Molly right away. While we were away, Molly sent us email updates on how things were going and asked questions. She was even able to handle a bout of sickness with our older dog with ease. I wouldn't hesitate using them again. When my dogs are happy, I'm happy. Thank you, Pawlosophy. You are now the official dog sitters of our house!! read more

Pawlosophy is a fantastic service! We have used them twice now and will plan to use them again as we plan our next trip out of town. I love their hands on service to come by to meet our "boys" (cats) before we left. We would also get periodic updates from our sitter (which we would look forward to!). The boys seemed much more relaxed when we would return. In the past, we would have friends come by to check in on them...but this is a much better way to care for them. Great service! read more

I completely loved the way they cared for our cats, particularly our cat Dante. Best service received was when one of the co-owners watched our cats, when another sitter did the litter box sweeping was only ok. What sucked was that they redefined their service borders, without any advance notification - such as an email. I pretty much found out when booking care. Of the three late summer/fall dates I needed they covered the first stating that the borders were redefined leaving me to try and find a sitter for our wedding weekend, which didn't happen so I spent the night before my wedding at home so I could care for our cats at night and in the morning bc we only found a caretaker for the night of the reception. The company never attempted to close our relationship, such as sending keys and such. I had to call and ask for the keys to be returned, which was annoying since they mandated original keys (no copies) on our first meet & greet and they mandated TWO sets. After requesting my keys they asked that I pick them up... It was a crazy week for us with family coming in, wedding plans, graduation and more going on. I was bothered that they had not left all the copies at our home during their last pet sitting gig. I mean, they new the relationship was over, they were the ones that stated that they were not sitting in this area/zip code; so why not leave the keys on that day. When I told them I couldn't pick them up, they offered to mail them. So I accepted since they refused to drop them off. They never arrived and even though I asked for the tracking number, never got one. I then asked if they were carless enough to place them in an envelope to mail them and didn't get a response. I ship stuff to my sister all the time in Seattle and the tiny box that you shove in the automated machine costs $10, provides you with a tracking number and insures your package for up to $50. So, I am out both sets of original keys for my home - left only with copies. What got to me most is that even our last service from them was a cluster----. They misquoted our rate, so we had to pay them more than the initial quote. Had I known the whole key thing would unravel the way it did, I would have held the money until receiving my property back. Although, now in retrospect I realize that event then I should have said that it wasn't my problem that they gave the quote incorrectly. All in all it was a relationship that started strong, but once they were not servicing our area and didn't need us as customers, their true colors showed. So, if you are happy now - just be prepared to run to them when the relationship ends to get back your property. read more

We came across Pawlosophy (what a cool name btw) by reading amazing views online from their clients. I was very nervous to leave our two kitties alone while we took a vacation but from the get-go, Ruth (co-owner) & Lela (the cat sitter) made us feel very comfortable that the cats will be well taken care of, including our home. We trusted them right away! Not only did Lela handwrite updates on a form for us to read when we return, she also communicated to us via text/email while we were away. We felt connected to our pets with all her helpful (and humorous) updates even though we were on the other side of the country. I didn't have the greatest email service while on vacation so she kindly notified my mom (per our request) of all the kitty updates - daily! Lela Rocks! Also, we cleaned our home before we left for vacation, and I think we came back with an even cleaner home, it seemed. Most importantly, our two cats were so very content! They truly care for their client's pets as if they are their own. It's their true passion and is why they have a great business. Pawlosophy has a very easy to use pet profile and customizable instruction/appointment page on their website, which I find very helpful! The Pawlosophy team is extremely prompt at getting back to you and is equally professional as they are friendly. They have very reasonable pricing too in which you can customize to you and your pet's needs. I would recommend this superb pet sitting company to anyone, and we are so happy we found the best! Thanks for the amazing service! read more

Pawlosophy is a great pet service. Most important, they worked with us when the sitters were having difficultly medicating one of our two cats (she's VERY shy). Through some trial and error, we quickly found a sitter who has a magic touch with our shy cat, and Pawlosophy always makes sure we get that sitter, with the exception of when he is on vacation. (That sitter's name is Ryan, by the way. He is fantastic, and always keeps an eye on things.) We have one dog and two cats. All are in good hands with Pawlosophy. Alexis runs the business. She is friendly and efficient and accommodating. I strongly recommend the service. read more

Pawlosophy - That's the shy cat in question! - Pet Sitting Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

HOLY SMOKES!!!! Talk about fantastic people. Had a rough situation today with a sick family wife, and Pawlosophy stepped right in and took care of the "kids" i.e. our dogs, so we had one less thing to worry about. PLUS they even called to let me know when they were there, that they checked in on my wife and called to give me an update...not on the dogs, but my wife!!!! Big hearts! Professional approach..and just flat out AMAZING!!!!!!!! Thank you Pawlosophy!!! read more

After using Pawlosophy twice now, I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for qualified cat sitters. I am very particular about who I leave my cats with and if my family is unavailable than I contact Pawlosophy. For each animal they require an extensive profile, which allows them to get to know your pet, plus it includes emergency contacts if needed. They are great about sending daily updates, which is such a relief, when I am far away. Plus, they truly care about your pets, which I really appreciate. On my latest trip there was a mix-up with keys, which was completely my fault. Despite the enormous inconvenience, they made sure to get inside my place to feed and take care of my cats. I was beyond grateful for their effort and my cats were happy and healthy upon my return. Next time I need a sitter I will definitely use Pawlosophy. read more

Lela, Alexis, and the whole Pawlosophy team are wonderful. I was a client for close to ten years, but recently moved out of state. I'm worried I won't find a local service that lives up to them. My husband and I travel for work frequently, and often without a lot of advance notice. They were always able to accommodate us and make sure our cat was taken care of while we were away. They're great about sharing updates and photos, and I always felt comfortable that my cat and my home were in good hands. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a dog or cat sitter. We'll miss them terribly! read more

I scheduled an impromptu trip out of town and went back and forth about whether to get a sitter for my kitten. After talking with seasoned cat owners, I decided to book a sitter. Filling out all the paperwork was easy. I got (what I thought) a working set of keys and a date was scheduled for the sitter, Jeff, to meet my baby girl. The meeting went VERY well and I felt like I was leaving my baby in great hands. I got to my destination and got a voicemail from my sitter letting me know that my keys would only work for my deadbolt. Uh oh. Luckily my landlord got in touch with the sitter (albeit two hours later =/ ) and my baby girl got her visits without a hitch. I loved all the updates. I even got a picture once. Next time I go out out of town I'm definitely going to use Pawlosophy. I hope to get Jeff again. He was so great! He even closed the windows to my apartment so my baby girl wouldn't get cold. I used a Yelp deal to save but even without it I feel like the services are a a good deal. I liked being able to schedule one or two visits for each day. read more

I cannot say enough amazing things about the people at Pawlosophy! As most "pet parents" are, we're really picky about who watches our cats when we're out of town. We have four kitties - three 6 year olds and one that's a cranky but lovable 12. The 12 year old has specific eating regulations, and all of our pet children are on a strict routine. I really appreciated the extensive intake form that went into detail about each pet. Additionally, Alexis and Melissa were phenomenal with the cats! We worked out a schedule that took into account the unique needs of each pet, and both Alexis and Melissa really cared about making sure our kitties had a stress-free and comfortable experience during our vacation. The email updates I received after every visit were fantastic - I always knew if there was a problem (which there didn't seem to be) and when we returned just last night - our cats were happy to see us, but very calm and content. I loved that we were able to have the cats stay in their home, and that the amazing caring people at Pawlosophy took care of them as if they were their own. I will recommend Pawlosophy to anyone needing pet-sitting services in this area. Kudos, folks - you are fantastic! read more

I can't say enough good things about this company. Alexis and Ruth are amazing caretakers and I trust them 100% with my pets and my home. They have cared for our 2 dogs and 2 cats. They are so attentive and caring. I highly recommend them! read more

Have never used a service, have always asked friends to come in and feed/check on our cat when we have traveled. Can't believe I didn't do this instead. While our friends always said it would not be a problem, I always felt guilty. No guilt now, this service is fantastic. Relatively inexpensive and we got a daily text letting us know the visit was done and updating us on how our cat was doing, The only drawback is our cat looked mildly disappointed when we returned home and now stares longingly at the front door..... read more

These guys are great! I used them over the Christmas break, and when I came home, my cat was happy and relaxed, not stressed out and skittish like she she usually is when I go out of town. They're rates are extremely reasonable, and they text you each day to let you know how your cat is doing. They also take photos and send them to you or post them on Facebook, which is really nice as well! I would highly recommend Pawlosophy to look after your animals. read more

I started looking for a cat sitter after my male kitty had a medical emergency that opened my eyes to the danger of leaving my cats without a sitter while I'm away. When I called Pawlosophy, Alex was very knowledgeable about cats and made me feel confident that I was making the right choice. Right before my first scheduled trip away, my male kitty had another health scare and I chose not to leave. Pawlosophy emailed to check in and see how he was doing which showed me that they really care about their clients. Mr. Kitty rebounded and although he requires medication twice a day, is doing much better now. I have had Pawlosophy cat sit a number of times and always feel confident that my cats are getting the best care possible. I love the email updates! Once they had my cats paint me a picture on their iPad and emailed it to me. Since my cats are my kids, I posted it on Facebook like any proud momma would! Thanks Pawlosophy, keep up the great work! read more

I have been using them for a few months to take care of my cat while I travel. My cat, who is typically a little shy, warmed up to Amy and Alexis very quickly. They send email updates while I'm away and fill out written notes describing each of their visits in detail. I always come home to a happy and very mellow cat. They have my undying gratitude for conducting in-house nail trims as well. My cat runs from me every time she sees me holding the nail trimmer, but we've now had 2 successful nail trims with Pawlosophy. My cat and I are both eternally grateful to be spared the drama of getting her into a carrier and over to a groomer. Awesome people! read more

I was recently injured, for the second time. Both times Pawlosophy's skilled, caring canine care-givers came to my rescue! While I recovered, Kim visited 3 times a day to feed and walk my beloved Standard Schnauzer. Hobbes was clearly happy to see Kim, each time, and she was really in tune with how stubborn a Schnauzer can be, sometimes... I was completely confident that Hobbes received excellent care -- it gave me tremendous peace of mind, as I was healing. read more

Amazing service. Friendliest and the most responsible pet sitters one can imagine. Our cat started a new medicine a week before our trip and, thanks to Jeff and Andraya, he was rushed into ER just in time to take care of unexpected adverse effect the medication caused while we were away. Alexis and hear team are very accommodating and flexible. read more

I have really enjoyed working with Pawlosophy. They are excellent with my dog, they are reliable and extremely easy to work with. They are very flexible, which I appreciate because my schedule is a bit unreliable. I would recommend them to anyone who's looking for a reliable pet sitter or dog walker. read more

If you love your animals, you should trust in Pawlosophy to be their sitting/walking service! Pawlosophy is a business that runs like a machine in that they make sure there are primary and secondary sitters/walkers set up to handle what you need, but they also care and have a heart when it comes to making sure your animals are cared for - a hard combination to find. I travel a lot and there are delays and other issues that come up. Pawlosophy is flexible and caring and work with you no matter the circumstance. I am SO thankful I found this FABULOUS service!! read more

I recently moved to Chicago and had no idea who was going to care for my pets when I go out of town every month. So glad I found Pawlosophy! First of all, the sitters (we had Ryan and Melissa) are AMAZINGLY attentive and you can really tell they have a love for animals. They updated me on my cats every day- this was a huge plus for me, even though nothing came up it was nice knowing they were ok without me, just having moved to a new home. Additionally, I came home to VERY happy and affectionate cats, usually they can be temperamental and pouty when I return from trips, so I know they received plenty of attention and playtime while I was away. I was extremely pleased with Pawlosophy's services and will definitely be using them when I travel again! EDIT 10/10/14: After using their services a couple more times I just can't get over how well my cats are taken care of when I'm gone. Can't thank them enough for the level of care and peace of mind they provide! read more

I've used Pawlosophy's cat sitting services a few times per year for the past couple of years, and they've been great - I never worried about my cats when Pawlosphy sitters were looking after them. My cats always seemed happy when I got home, plus the litter box was cleaned, the water bowls were filled, the houseplants got watered, my mail got collected . . . it's a full-service operation. I loved the daily updates (sometimes with photos!) while I was gone. They were especially accommodating when I had to go out of town on short notice, and when one of my cats developed diabetes, they made a special visit just to learn about his new medication and feeding routines. I felt very comfortable having Pawlosophy sitters look after my pets. I moved out of state a couple of months ago, and I wish I could have brought Pawlosophy with me! I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is looking for high-quality pet sitting. You might find a cheaper service, but you definitely won't find a better one - it's worth it to feel confident that your pets will be well cared for when you're away. read more

I chose this service for a few reasons, the yelp deal, free meet and greet, and the fact that they are in the neighborhood. The meet and greet was very thorough, and they email me an update while I am away, which is really nice and reassuring. Prices are reasonable too, which is another plus. read more

WOW!! Pawlosophy is a life-saver!! I can't say enough great things about this company and their staff of dedicated, caring, compassionate walkers! I first met Pawlosophy when I urgently needed a dog-walking service for our dog. Pawlosophy walked other dogs in our building and they came highly recommended. The initial meeting was thorough and I felt confident that I was leaving my dog in knowledgeable hands. We've since been a client now for more than 2 years. My husband and I both have work schedules that vary weekly, if not day to day, so having a company that understands our needs to schedule sometimes at the last minute, is comforting. Alexis has always been flexible with our scheduling needs and that has been a huge life-saver for us. I trust this company so much that we went to out of the country for 2 weeks and left our dog at home with multiple dog walks & feeding scheduled throughout the day. We got daily email updates which was a comfort knowing our dog was so well cared for when we were not home. I've never seen our dog more happy than when one of the amazing staff comes to take her out for a walk. They genuinely seem to love our dog and that care is exceptional! Don't go anywhere else - Pawlosophy is the best!!!!! read more

I cannot rave enough about Pawlosophy! Their service and genuine interest in the dog and dog owner is unmatched. Alex knew we were first time dog owners. She was patient and gave us great information to help ease us into dog ownership. She was truly invested in our happiness. Plus they are flexible and accommodating with schedules. I can't imagine a better option! read more

I and my husband love Pawlosophy! Unfortunately, one of our dogs became ill just prior to us going away. Ruth, Alexis & Molly are awesome. They handled our babies multiple medications, at the requested times per day. We're so grateful because they were a huge part on getting our dogs health back on track. Our other dog experienced separation anxiety but they gave her extra TLC, without hesitation. Alexis & Ruth are genuinely caring people & took such great care of our dogs special needs. Ruth even called a few days later to see how our dogs were doing. They also did a great job seeing to our 3 cats picky eating schedule. They were easily accessible, which made us feel at ease while we were out of town. There goal was to make us & our pets happy which they exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend their services! Thanks again, Marcus, Elaina & pets read more

Recently used PAWLOSOPHY over the Christmas holiday. Excellent customer service and they were able to accommodate my 2 cats at the last minute. My pet sitter was Eugenia. She was great and sent pictures daily, fed, played and kept up the litter boxes while I was away. I disagree with other posters about customer service issues, I have had nothing but positive experiences. Give them a try!! read more

I don't write reviews often, but as a pet owner, I like to read reviews - I want to know who is caring for my 4-legged children. So, I 'm writing a review to help the other paw parents. I came across Pawlosophy on EveryBlock. Several people had recommended their services when someone in the neighborhood asked who people were using. I was about to go back to work full-time and needed a walker for my 2 young, quirky, not that well behaved dogs. I mean...they are the cutest, best dogs ever...Our walker Paul came over and we briefly met, he seems cool and has worked out great. ( he may not look forward to his visits here, but he gets the job done - on time). So, the other part of the story is that...i'm high maintenance. i HATE being high maintenance, but because of our work schedules, I never know what the hell is going to happen from week to week. I add walks late, I cancel walks late, I call when my flight gets cancelled to add walks, I have 2x a day walking...you name it, I do it. In my business we talk about "ideal clients", well, I am NOT one of them. I sooooo appreciate that they put up with my BS and try (and mostly are able) to accommodate us. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I don't really give 5 stars...but, they are awesome! read more

As good as it gets. Online scheduling, check. Accommodate last minute requests? Check. Professional commitment and dependability? Check. Overnight stays, regular scheduled walks, ad hoc walks... check, check, and check. Loves your pet? Probably two checks... Love this place, read more

I recently started using Pawlosphy's dog walking services & I couldn't be more pleased!! To start, when I inquired I was contacted by the owner within 24 hours. She was super friendly and eager to meet myself & my dog. I was hesitant to trust people coming into my home when I am not there, but my mind has been at ease from the start. Alex & Lela provide great customer service with great communication. They are flexible when our walking schedule needs to change. Nora is my dog's walker...she is newer to Pawlosophy and we couldn't be happier (especially my dog Zoey). I can tell Zoey is extra happy when I get home on the days that she has been walked. :) All in all they are great, affordable, and trustworthy! We look forward to continuing our services with Pawlosophy. read more

Pawlosophy is amazing! My husband and I's schedule changes week to week because of our careers and at times daily. Each time and with each e-mail change, Pawlosophy has been more than flexible! Not only are they flexible but they are understanding. Our 9 month old pup, Madison, looks forward each day to Melissa coming. When we come home at night Madison is so happy and content. We know that has a lot to do with the care she received when Melissa was there! We have recommended Pawlosophy to others and will continue to do so. Overall, great service, attentive to our needs and more importantly attentive to Ms. Madison! Thank you to Alexis, Ruth, Kayleigh and especially Melissa! read more

Thanks Pawlosophy! From the easy booking and sign-up, to the affordability and quality of care, the carers at Pawlosophy have been great from beginning to end. They are very professional, and have been quick to clarify their care when I've been flaky with my own instructions. They are easy to contact and have been great about things that come up (e.g., planes leaving leaving me behind in another city so I need to tack on an extra day.) Last but not least, my cat is very chill when I return, and is not stressed at all. read more

I have 3 children, 1 human and 2 canine. And i would trust pawlosophy with all of them. Anyone can walk a dog or feed a dog, but when it comes to trusting someone to stay in your home with your loved ones that isn't an easy sell. pawlosophy is my most trusted partner in care for our dogs. I use them exclusively for all our pet sitting needs. I trust them and their staff 100%. They are the utmost professionals and very well organized and are excellent with communicating with me about my dogs and the details of their stay. I have recommended then to a few other friends and they all felt the same way. If you use pawlosophy and have a different experience i would encourage you to message me so I can look out the windows to see the pigs flying. read more

We have continued to use Pawlosophy for pet-sitting our cat and added a big 70 pound mutt to the mix. They have been extremely flexible - handling last minute 3-visits-per-day pet-sittings, a missed flight home and an old landlord that had a very strict and inconvenient no-extra keys policy with great aplomb and friendliness. I get email updates everyday we're gone and our pets are completely stress-free when we come back home. Sometimes the walkers have even jogged a little with the pup - (greatly appreciated as he has tons of energy!) and waited overtime for him to eat his food (he's scared of his food). Can really tell both the owners and sitters love the animals, great service. read more

I have been using pawlosophy for about 4 months now since we got our puppy. They have been absolutely amazing! The services are easy to schedule and I know they take great care of our dog! Once when he was sick with diarrhea the walker actually cleaned out the crate - which I felt was above and beyond the service. Our puppy loves the walks and the people and I am comfortable knowing he is taken care of when I am away! read more

Pawlosophy continues to exceed my expectations. Leaving my cat while I travel always makes me sad, but the pictures and updates reassure me that he is the best of hands. read more