The HouseHolders
Below are a few testimonials from our most recent happy home owners. For serious inquiries, we are able to provide more references and contact information.
Private Residence, New York City, NY
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When you leave a "member of your family" with someone the most important thing is the trust you have in that person. That is why I felt so comfortable leaving Cleo with Kat. She (Kat) did all the required tasks well, but caring about Cleo was the most important thing and Kat aced it.
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upper east side, New York City cat owner
Private Residence, Oakland, CA
The House holders are great cat/house sitters. They recently stayed with my two 5-month old kittens while I was out of town and took excellent care of them both. Since this was the first time I had left the cats since adopting them, I was initially worried about how they would respond to new people. All my concerns went away when Kat came to meet them. My kittens took to them immediately. I think they might have been happy that I was gone because each kitten had a person to themselves!The checklist Kat provided helped me organize all my information about the kittens so we could both referred to it. Kat sent regular updates and lots of kitten pictures. Everything is the house was clean when I returned, and my kittens acted as if I hadn't been gone more than a day.I highly recommend The House Holders and will use them again!
- Rockridge Kittens owner
Private Residence, San Francisco, CA
I haven't done many formal reviews but I had such a great experience with The House Holders that I feel compelled to share. They stayed in my home and cared for my 8 year old lab Cocoa for three weeks while I was on vacation in Central America. I was a little worried about being so far away and potentially out of reach in case anything went wrong but was put at ease with from the very beginning. A few weeks prior to the trip (before the madness of packing and scrambling w/ last minute details) Kat came over to meet Cocoa and for us to get to know each other. I could tell right away that they would be a great fit. They were warm, friendly and laid back. As we discussed the few behavioral quirks/issues I'd noticed with Cocoa over the years I could tell from their past experiences that they could expertly handle any incident that might arise.As departure day approached they gathered all the key contact and health/behavioral info they needed which further put my mind at ease that they were the right choice to care for Cocoa (and my home).Right before the trip I discovered Cocoa had an ear infection that required daily ear drops for a week. Based on my impressions of them I knew they'd have no problem keeping Cocoa on her meds and on a speedy road to recovery in my absence ... and I was right. They were fabulous! They didn't bat an eye when I asked them to keep Cocoa's ears clean and the meds flowing ... and when I got back the infection was gone!!During the trip I couldn't have asked any more from the House holders. After our grueling days of laying on the beach and exploring the jungles of Costa Rica :-) I would check my email to find wonderful updates from Kat It was amazing. I got the feeling Cocoa was having just as much fun as we were. Maybe more?When we got back from the trip the house was in great shape ... complete with clean sheets, mail sorted and a wonderful note from Kat welcoming us back. It was an amazing vacation made even better by the knowledge Cocoa was being so well cared for at home. I would absolutely have them care for Cocoa again and highly recommend them to family, friends and anyone else who loves their pets.Thanks again!
- San Francisco Chocolate Lab owner
Private Residence, Oakland, CA
The house holders did a wonderful job watching over our apartment and taking good care of our cat while we we're on vacation. We felt completely comfortable leaving our cat and our home in their care. Kat was great at communicating updates by email. They even left the apartment in better condition that they found it. On top of it all, they both seem like really great people!
- Downtown Oakland Cat owner
Private Residence, Oakland, CA
The House holders house-sat our dog Buddy when we went on vacation for 10 days. Before we left they came to meet Buddy and us, so everyone was comfortable with the arrangement. Prior to the trip, they sent us a very thorough checklist of information we need to provide them, and offered to take care of anything that needed to be attended to besides Buddy.
While we were gone they emailed us pictures of Buddy having fun, so we could tell he was doing great. When we came home, I think he kind of missed them and he wished we could all live in the house together. Throughout, The House holders were totally reliable and awesome to work with it. I hope they are available next time we go somewhere. 6 stars!
- Rockridge Dog owners
Private Residence, San Francisco, CA
Kat took care of my two cats, Samson and Miranda, at my flat in San Francisco, for 3 months this summer. They were wonderful. I found them to be trustworthy, competent, responsible, and reliable caretakers of the cats and my home. Over a period of 3 months a lot can happen in a household, and they handled everything with skill and clear communications with me throughout that period of time.
They were so loving with the cats. The two cats are older and can be quite demanding. With past pet sitters, they have remained aloof for up to two weeks after my departures. With The Householders they quickly responded and behaved much in the same manner that they behave with me on a regular basis. Their comfort level and familiarity with pets is so obvious and apparently is communicated to the animals when they move in.
As other reviewers have noted, Kat takes over with the communication links. They helped me with all sorts of tasks like starting and driving my car every two weeks, sorting my mail and sending me the pieces that needed attention, taking up to date photos of the cats and sending them electronically along with notes about the household and the cats on a weekly basis. Kat would email me more often if anything came up that needed attention and some joint decision making. The flat was super clean and tidy when I got home.
The householders are warm, personable, talented, and interesting people. I felt so safe with them caring for my precious cats and my home during my absence. I definitely hope to work with them again in the future. I highly recommend that anyone who is considering leaving their home and their pets with good people, go with The House Holders.
- San Francisco Cat owner
Private Residence, Alameda, CA
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​I met The House holders through my daughter and they were available to housesit for me during a recent three-week trip. I have a small East Bay bungalow with a large front garden, raised veggie beds, numerous potted plants, and a neurotic cat that all required attention. They saw to everything carefully and professionally. I will ask them back whenever I have extended absences, and hope that they will be able to come again.Their services were valuable to me in these areas: 1. My extremely noisy, very high strung, little princess cat got her meals AND lots of genuine TLC and tummy rubs (which she adores). Kat sent me pictures, so I wouldn't worry and could see how content she was. 3. My garden flourished under their care. 3. Thanks to their thorough sorting of my mail, it was the easiest return I've had from a trip. I was able to work through the business that had piled up very speedily. It was also great to come home to fresh sheets and a clean house. 4. Having the house occupied increased its security and gave me great peace of mind while I was away. I could, and did, literally forget about it and concentrate on the trip. Thank you House Holders!
- Alameda Cat owner
April 2013 - May 2013
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Private Residence, Oakland, CA
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The house holders took care of our house, dog and bird for somewhat over two weeks. They did a great job; we received unsolicited reports on our dog (Willow) and a few problems came up (fleas on Willow mostly) and they took care of it really well and quickly. The house (plants, etc) were well cared for, and when they came over for a glass of wine and beer some weeks later, Willow was greeted them as long lost (or not so long lost) dear friends. They will take care of Willow and our house again in a few months. I doubt Willow knows that going to happen, but I'm sure he will be excited to be with them again. They did a great job.
- Rockridge Dog & Bird owners
Private Residence, Rockridge, CA
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​The househoolders were the most attentive house-sitters we've ever had. They were very respectful of our things in our house and took very good care of my two needy cats. This is likely in part to Kat's attentive manner. She is very communicative and will not hesitate to clarify about instructions. In addition, she will gracefully ask about other possibly situations that might arise. For example, she suggested I sign a medical release for my cats just in case the vet was unable to reach me. They both show great initiative and I would not hesitate to utilize their services again.​​
- Oakland Cat owners