Jen

Hi!

I’m Jen and I absolutely love cats! I have gained a lot of experience caring for them through Pawshake over the last year, having completed more than 50 bookings ranging from 1 day to 3 weeks, many of whom have asked me back to look after their lovely kitties again. I also have two cats of my own and grew up back in the UK with cats my whole life. I have cared for kittens, very old cats, blind cats, toothless cats, ill cats, cats with behavioural issues, inside cats, outside cats…lots of cats! I am also currently completing a Feline Behaviour and Psychology Diploma.

Due to having my own business and working from home I am super flexible and am very reliable and trustworthy. Please check out my full profile below and have a look at my reviews!

I have been working with Pawshake for over 2

years now, and even though I thought I knew a lot about cats and their behaviour before, I have learnt such a lot more in that time!

For me, it has always been all about making your cat(s) as happy as they can be whilst you are away. It can be a stressful time for your kitty and I want to help remove stress for them as much as possible.

So, it is always about what makes them happy- whether that is them curling up on my lap, spending the whole time playing with toys, or simply just being in the same room as them for company.

And of course, food!

I always let the cat(s) lead the meet and greet and the visits- they are the boss and they are in charge! My own cats can be a little nervous around strangers, and so I understand how important it is to be calm, patient and loving towards them-and some treats help!

For me, each booking and can be vastly different depending on the needs and wishes of your cat(s), so I take this into account with the visits, and adapt accordingly. I will spend at least 45 minutes giving undivided attention to your cat(s), but very often I stay longer than this- my opinion is the longer I spend with your kitty, the better they get to know me, and the more content and happy they are whilst you are away.

Generally, a visit will go as follows: arriving and introducing myself to your cat and having a little chat to see how their day is going.

Depending what your cat prefers we will either have some welcome strokes/cuddles, I’ll let them have a good sniff of me, or will leave them be for now if they are being a little timid.

I tend to do all the ‘jobs’ first – washing the food bowl, filling it up (this is where the timid cats tend to appear!), refreshing the water, giving medicine if needed, cleaning out the litter tray, and then sweeping any mess up.

I also use this time to gather any post, water any plants, feed any fish, take out the trash, water the garden, tidying, etc- I am more than happy to do any extra little jobs, just let me know.

After this part, the fun really begins! The remainder of the visit is spent doing what your cat fancies- be that napping on my knee, lots of strokes, playing with toys, being brushed, or if they are still a little timid, sitting and chatting to them to help them get used to me. After the visit I will send you a very detailed and extensive update along with a lot of pictures and videos, through whichever means you would prefer- WhatsApp, Pawshake, Email, etc. I will always leave your place as I found it- and I will always treat it as I would my own.

On house sitting visits, I will do the above, and I will stay overnight with your cats.

I am very flexible and will make this work to however you and your cat(s) prefer.

As I work from home for my other job I am more than happy to spend the whole day as well as the night at yours, too, if you are happy for me to have the wi-fi code.

Over the last year I have had particular success with shy cats, and quite often owners have told me I’d probably not see their cat, to me going on to send photos and videos showing a cat sat on my lap purring away, or rolled over showing me their belly! I think this is because I let them move at their own pace- I respect their boundaries, and I take the time to let them get used to me and let them decide I can be trusted. Although I have had a lot of hands-on experience with cats I have also recently started a Feline Behaviour and Psychology Diploma to help me understand the behaviour of moggies further- I am looking forward to putting the theory into practice!

Having my own cats I also understand how stressful it can be leaving them.

So I will always do my very best to make the time as pleasant for you as well as your cat, so you can enjoy your time away.

I am of the opinion that there is no such thing as ‘too many photos of cats’! If you are happy with receiving them, I always send a very detailed and extensive update after the visit, and send many, many photos and videos.

Of course, you are away so you do not need to feel you have to message me back- I will always send the updates so you can check them in your own time- I will not be offended if I do not hear back or you put me on mute!

I have had clients travelling all around the world, from various European countries, to the US, from New Zealand to Japan so have worked with lots of time zones.

I will always discuss with you beforehand when the best time is to visit your cat(s) is and also the best time to send you the updates and pictures/videos is to avoid waking you up in the middle of the night!

I always like to do a meet and greet first- this ensures I am a good match for your cat(s) and you. It also ensures we can discuss instructions such as the food/water/litter/toys/vets/medicine/time of visits/etc.

If you are considering sending me an enquiry please can I ask you include in which area of Utrecht you live, and whether your kitty requires any special care, such as medicine, has a sickness or any behavioural traits.

It won’t put me off looking after them- I just like to know in advance to ensure there are no surprises at the meet/greet or visits!!

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please do get in touch :)