Paw Pals Pet Sitting

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Benefits Of Leaving Your Cat With A Sitter When You Travel

October 11, 2021 by Mary Telesz

young woman and gray domestic cat at bed-sitterWhether you travel for work or leisure, it can be stressful to determine what to do with your pets while you are gone. Not every animal is cut out for joining you on your trip, and you may not have a close friend or family member available to stop by and check on them from time to time.

Benefits Of A Cat Sitter

Boarding, then? For cats, boarding can be particularly stressful; instead, consider hiring a professional pet sitter. When you leave your cat with a sitter while you travel, you can expect a variety of benefits for your cat (and yourself!).

Receives Mental Stimulation and Exercise

One of the biggest challenges for your cat while you are gone is that there is simply nothing to do. Televisions and electronics are turned off, lights are usually off and there are no people to look at. All of these things normally stimulate your cat’s brain and keep them engaged and thinking, even if it looks like they are just lying around.

And if you frequently play with your cat or they follow you back and forth throughout the house, they will not be getting too much exercise while you are gone. A professional sitter can spend dedicated play time with your cat to keep them feeling engaged and curb loneliness and boredom.

Is Sure To Have Important Needs Met

Of course, one of the biggest issues with leaving your cat when you go anywhere is that they will need access to food and water, as well as any medication that they may take. Automated food bowls can get jammed, and your cat may accidentally spill or contaminate their water, making it a challenge to leave them unsupervised.

A pet sitter for your cat will always ensure that food and water are readily available and can administer important medicines like insulin or tablets as needed even while you are gone.

Leaves You With Less Hassle Upon Return

If you choose to rely on automated feeders to sustain your cat for a few days, it can be a hassle to return home, tired after your trip, only to find that the food needs to be replaced, the water needs to be changed, the litter box is dirty and so on.

One of the benefits of leaving your cat with a sitter while you travel is that the sitter will take care of all of these minor issues such as tidying up the litter box so that you can get home, rest and spend time with your furry friend instead of launching into a whole-home cleaning project.

Is Less Stressful Than Boarding

cat is nibbling on a latte macchiatoMoving a cat can be stressful for both parties—we all know of those humans who come into work with scratched up arms after wrangling their cat into a carrier. But in addition to this hassle, boarding a cat also exposes them to an unfamiliar environment that can leave them stressed for days and even after they return home.

Many boarding locations will have them in cramped quarters on hard floors with little enrichment, and with other cats and dogs in the area, a boarder can be a hotspot for pet illness and nuisances like fleas. Even if your cat has received vaccinations, they may still pick up germs that could make them sick due to their extended exposure to other cats who are ill.

While feline upper respiratory disease is one of the most common sicknesses your cat may come home with, do not forget that feline leukemia is a virus they may be exposed to as well, alongside feline immunodeficiency virus and the highly transmittable panleukopenia (often called distemper). If you leave your cat with a sitter while you travel, you can be sure that they are not exposed to other sick animals and will remain safe and secure in your own home, where things are familiar.

Be Sure to Choose a Pet Sitter You Can Trust

If you have decided that a cat sitter may be a better choice than boarding your cat while you travel, be sure to choose sitters who are reliable and trustworthy. Showing up on time every time and completing your entire checklist of tasks are vital for a good pet sitter.

Paw Pals Pet Sitting strives to provide the very best in care for your furry friend when you are not at home. We are certified in first aid and CPR for your pets and are licensed, bonded and fully insured, so you can trust us to care for your pets as if they were our own. Reach out to discuss your schedule so that we can make a plan for your furry family member!

Filed Under: Pet Sitting

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
5.0
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
5.0
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
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