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May 2020 by Sarah D.
Ann is fantastic! She is very caring of the animals and very thorough. She was very responsive for all of our uses. She didn't just get in and get out. She thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with the cats and gave them the love and attention we couldn't when out of town. Highly recommend!
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October 2019 by R E A.
Although Ann was prompt and took care to remember my cat's needs, she dropped the ball a few times when 1- she didn't tell me my cat had not taken any medications while I was away, even though I had told her to use an alternate med if my cat balked at the first one (which I was proficient at giving him) . I had to cancel the rest of my trip to bring my cat to the vet. And 2 - when she took it upon herself twice, to rid my place of personal items I had stored on a special shelf - why why why? I boarded my cat at a reputable but expensive place from then on. It gave me much more peace of mind.
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October 2019 by A A.
Generally reliable. Reasonable fees. Leaves notes about the cat(s) for my return
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August 2017 by Matt S.
My wife and I recently booked Ann to care for our cat, Luna, while we were on vacation. Ann was absolutely wonderful and our Luna was extremely well cared for. Ann visited twice a day to play with Luna, give her food and water, and clean up the liter box. Ann also picked up our mail while we were away, checked in via text message so we knew all was well, and left us a full update of the week when we got home. Can't wait to book her again!
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July 2017 by Angel W.
Ann Mehrten provided excellent cat care during my time away and made the process of leaving my cat for the first time more than bearable! Communication - Ann provided a contract up front which we both signed that allowed her to collect pertinent information about vet contact information, neighbor contact information, any special needs, and also outlined an agreed to price ($20 per 30 minute visit) which included a free initial consult at my home. Ann was easy to communicate with via text or email. She updated me daily regarding my cat's behavior and demeanor. Ann does not have a smart phone, which at first I thought was a detriment, but in reality most people are totally distracted by their phone, so in the end I considered this a plus. Professionalism - I asked Ann to spend the majority of the time entertaining my cat rather than cleaning, so I expected to come home and have to clean up a bit. However, up on my return my home was cleaner than when I left. The carpet was clean, the dishes were clean, the floor was clean, the litter box was clean, and my cat looked well groomed. Ann also has a policy of taking dirty cat litter with her on her way out to dispose of it at her own home, which certainly makes a difference with keeping a home smelling fresh. During Ann's last day of cat care at my home, I told her she could just leave the key to make it easier on her rather than have to return it later. She insisted on keeping the key "just in case" and returned it to me the next day. Speaking of keys, Ann has a baggie full of her clients' keys, which proves she is obviously a sought after caregiver. Attention - Ann provided more than ample attention to my cat. She took her time with him and didn't force a connection. She spent extra time with him each day at no additional charge. Upon my return, I received a detailed outline of the time spent with my cat each day which ranged between 30 minutes - 60 minutes even though I only paid for a 30-minute visit. When I inquired about this, Ann mentioned that if she has extra time and the cat is enjoying the attention, she will stay longer "just because", and said she does not charge by the minute. I really appreciate that she considered my cat's individual needs and went above and beyond to make him happy. Flexibility - Ann was willing to come to my home as late as 11:00 pm. No other pet sitter was willing to venture out that late. Most people wanted me to work within their schedule, but Ann was willing to work with my cat's schedule. Knowledgeable/Experienced - My cat coughed up a hairball on the first night I was away. It was nice that Ann knew what to do. She cleaned the dirty area with Nature's Miracle (which I didn't think to leave out), but she obviously was able to find it. She replaced the blanket and put the dirty one in the washing machine. Also upon her initial visit, prior to my departure, she came prepared with many pertinent questions and took copious notes. When I returned home, my cat seemed happy, secure, and well-cared for. I don't think he missed me at all because he received such loving care and all of his needs were fulfilled. I am so grateful to Ann because I feel like I can have a life again and leave town every once and a while without my cat feeling abandoned, which was a huge concern of mine. In fact, he's probably counting down the days until I leave again:) I highly recommend Ann's services to anyone who requires the best for their cat!
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April 2017 by Kerry Connelly
After years of searching for a pet sitter who cares about my cats as much as I do, I'm so glad to have finally found Ann!
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July 2016 by Gardening F.
Ann is wonderful--Extremely reliable, caring, and conscientious. She even will call, text or email you with updates while you are out of town if requested. She is a treasure!
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April 2016 by Sarah E.
Ann has cared for our cat for about six months now, and I can't say enough good things about her. When we first adopted our cat, I thought we would ask friends to stop by once a day to take care of our cat, but she ended up having some health issues that would have made the work more than I would ask of a friend the first time we planned to be out of town. We contacted Ann, and she has been extremely professional, dependable, flexible at the last minute, and amazing with our cat, such that we have just continued with Ann and are happy to pay her very reasonable rates! Before taking on any jobs, she came and did a home visit to meet our cat as well as to learn the routine. She took detailed notes and didn't charge at all for the visit. As we approached our first trip, Ann was the one to contact me to make sure that all was in order. I know that is ultimately my responsibility as the cat owner, but Ann cares so much for the animals that she did this. She also asks that we text her when we arrive back home so that she knows she is now officially off-duty. I find this incredibly responsible. It has turned out that we have had a lot of last-minute travel this spring, and Ann has been able to come with very little advance notice, which is amazing because she is very busy with her work because she is so good. I also appreciate that she does not over commit because she takes her responsibility so seriously. Over the Christmas vacation, she made great effort to fit us in but also was very upfront and honest with what she could do (only one visit per day--usually we ask for two) because she had so much work. I feel that our cat gets as much (and sometimes more!) attention when Ann comes than when we are in town because she does not just come and feed our cat but rather spends time playing with her and visiting with her. She leaves detailed notes about the time she spent and how our cat is doing. She is also very observant such that one time she called us to report a health issue that she didn't think was serious but wanted us to know about (it was something that we were aware of when we left and it was indeed not serious but we appreciated the update). Though I could go on, I will lastly note that I used to worry a bit about leaving the house when we were out of town. In addition to taking care of our cat, I know that Ann will take care of our mail, water plants (if we ask), and generally check up on the house. She doesn't charge extra for this wonderful service, which itself is very valuable to us!
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February 2016 by Alex F.
Ann is amazing! She frequently watches our two cats. The cats love her and are always very excited to see her. She sends updates and leaves detailed notes on how the cats are doing and what they did during her visit. She even noticed that their favorite toy was missing once and went to the pet store to pick up another one! Ann is very professional, responsible, and trustworthy.
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December 2015 by Kerry C.
After years of searching for a pet sitter who cares about my cats as much as I do, I'm so glad to have finally found Ann! I first heard of At Home Cat Care through my boss, a longtime customer who assured me that Ann was the best pet sitter in town...and he was right! She's extremely reliable, caring, and dedicated to providing a great experience for her customers. In addition to not charging for her initial home visit (which is extremely rare around here), Ann offered to come over again before I left to review the routine, free of charge. Her dedication and willingness to go above and beyond before I even left town made me feel so comfortable leaving my cats in her care. After I left, Ann called every day to check in and left detailed notes about each visit. When my kitties ran out of litter while I was away, she even went out of her way to bring them a fresh box! I've never had a better experience with a pet sitter and couldn't imagine having anyone else look after my kitties. Ann really is a treasure!
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October 2015 by Jess T.
Ann is amazing. She watched my two guinea pigs and provided several updates on how they were doing. Her rates were average for a pet sitter in this area but she did not charge an initial consultation fee like many of the other pet sitting services, which is what ultimately led me to choose her. She came prepared, and despite not having previous guinea pig sitting experience, was willing to take on the task. When I returned from my trip, my pigs were happy and healthy!
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June 2015 by Lee P.
Ann has been my cat sitter for about 10 years and I am so grateful I found her! Ann doesn't just feed and play with your cats, she will do small things around the house like taking out the trash and leaving lights on to make it look like you're home. She will leave entertaining notes to let you how long she stayed for each visit and what your cats did while you were away - I always look forward to reading them! Ann is very responsible and she frequently goes above and beyond. She has been a life saver to me in many situations where I've had to go out of town unexpectedly. I have often asked Ann for advice about cats, she's very knowledgeable. She will also let you know if she notices any potential health issues with your cats. Ann is utterly dependable and trustworthy. You never have to worry about leaving your belongings with her and she will care for your cats as if they were her own. Best of all, my cats love her! Needless to say I would HIGHLY recommend Ann for cat sitting.
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November 2011 by Chris B.
Ann has watched my cat numerous times over the past few months. She very conscientious. She leaves detailed notes of her visits and I completely trust that she will take great care of my cat. She keeps a key and I just email her when I need her to stop by. It's so convenient and I know my cat will be in good hands. I also liked that she didn't charge for the initial home visit like so many other places do. I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off with 'extra' fees.
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December 2010 by Maura B.
I occasionally travel on business, and usually on short notice. When my roommate moved back to Boston this summer, I was left without any friends close enough to my new apartment to take care of my cat. I realized I was going to have to hire a pro, and after some careful web searching, I picked Ann at At Home Cat Care. I am so glad I did. After an initial home visit to get to know the cat's routines, I have hired Ann to take care of her on numerous occasions ranging from one to four days. Ann leaves detailed notes of her visits, including the time she arrived and left and a paragraph or two about her visit; what she did, how my cat behaved, and anything else that might be noteworthy. She's gone out of her way for my cat- once I mentioned that I was a little concerned about some behaviors before I went away, and Ann made an extra visit just to make sure she was okay- and didn't charge me for it. Bottom line: I feel completely comfortable leaving my cat in Ann's care. She serves Arlington and parts of Alexandria and Falls Church.
