Cat Sitting by Susan LLC, 117 Rowell Court, Falls Church, VA 22046

(703) 867-7140 | info@catsittingbysusan.com

A proudly woman-owned business!

We want to take care of your kitty!

Over 4,000 cats cared for!

650+ 5-star reviews and awards!

Best Cat Sitters in Northern Virginia!

Locally owned and run in Falls Church, bonded and insured, members of Pet Sitters International, and the fastest growing cat sitting service in Northern Virginia! At this time, we do not service DC or MD. We've cared for over 4,000 kitties since we opened in November 2017, and with over 650 five-star reviews on Yelp, Google, Nextdoor, Petsitter.com, and Care.com, you can be assured that your fur baby is in the best of hands! We do not board kitties. They need to be in their familiar space.

Cat Sitting by Susan Office Team

Susan!

Susan Tate is the owner and CCW (Chief Cat Whisperer)! She loves cats and has had many in her 65+ years! Cat Sitting by Susan will take great care of your cat and is even able to provide insulin shots or other medication, if necessary. You will receive photos, videos, and texts while you’re away so that you can rest easy knowing your furry family member is happy and being well taken care of. Susan and her husband Gregg live in Falls Church, VA. They have 3 daughters, two granddaughters, and two grandsons. They had a big, happy cat named Patrick (photo below) who passed away after a bout with cancer. In 2018, they adopted Snickers (see below), a 10-year old diabetic cat at the time. Sadly, he passed away recently at age 17. They currently have Fred, a sweet, large 6-year old! Shout out to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington where we found our sweet boys! So you can rest assured that we will love and treat your fur baby as if they were one of our own!

Marielle!

Marielle is a longtime sitter and a favorite of many of our human and furry clients! She is also closely assisting Susan in running and growing this vibrant, exciting business! She was born in the Philippines and grew up in Hyattsville, MD. She has a sweet orange tabby named Killua (Kiwi for short). In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, watching movies, and visiting cat cafés and shelters. She says she has a profound love for cats because hers saved her life in so many ways. "They are so intelligent, full of life and they are also loyal companions," she adds. Marielle explains, "I actually never thought that cat sitting for work existed! I was so surprised to find the ad online and with no second thoughts, I applied right away. This truly feels like a dream job. Caring for other kitties as I would my own is the best way I can make a difference for other cat parents. I truly believe that as a cat sitter, I can provide assurance that the cats will be loved and cared for immensely."

Dagmar!

Dagmar is one of our newest sitters and office workers, but has quickly become an integral part of the team! She was born in Maryland and raised in Fairfax. She says that growing up she had no pets, but always dreamed of having a cat. At age 21, she finally got a sweet, special needs kitty named Serana. She currently has three cats, two of which have neurological disabilities. In her spare time, she loves drawing, writing, and learning about the Age of Sail. Dagmar says she loves kitties because "they all have distinct personalities and aren’t afraid to share their opinions. Cats also demonstrate that it’s possible to be both regal and silly!" She is currently working as an illustrator and decided to join the Cat Sitting by Susan team because "I want to meet more cats and I was impressed by Cat Sitting by Susan’s commitment to providing quality care."

Ashley!

Ashley is our veteran cat sitter and has been helping in the office on and off for years, and is another important part of the team. She was born and raised in Arlington, VA. She has 3 kitties, Precious, Suki, and Sterling. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and hanging out with her friends and her sweet kitties. She says she loves cats, "because they don't just love immediately and/or unconditionally; it might take time for a cat to warm up to you, but as soon as they do, they're yours forever. I think that more often than not, the cat chooses the human and not vice versa. Cats also have so many different personalities that go unappreciated when compared with dogs." She is currently working as an Instructional Assistant for elementary students with autism, but decided to join the Cat Sitting by Susan team. "I have always had a passion for cats, and I want to spend all my free time with kitties!"

We'll Take Great Care of Your Fur Babies!

We know that your babies need attention and playtime, not just feeding. Petting, cuddling, and talking to your furry friend are just as important as food and water! We'll take the best care of your furry little ones at a very reasonable price including feeding, litter box cleaning, and the loving and cuddling your fur baby needs! Please see additions/surcharges below. We accept cash, check, PayPal, Venmo, and all major credit cards (using the Payment drop down menu below).

*Please note - we do not board kitties. The minimum visit frequency is once a day, i.e., we will not care for kitties only every other day.

Base rate (one or two cats, per visit) - $25.00
Additional kitties (per cat, per visit) - +$5.00 each for a 3rd and/or 4th kitty, +$4.50 each for any additional kitties
Administer medication (per medication, per cat, per visit) - +$5.00
Distance surcharge (over 5 miles from our location, each 5 miles, per visit) - +$5.00
Congested area surcharge (see below) - +$5.00
Last minute weekend surcharge (see below) - +$10.00
Paid street parking, if necessary (see below) - +$1.50
Gas surcharge (see below) - +$1.00 per visit
Emergency vet visit, including transportation - +$50/hour

There is a $5.00 per visit surcharge for families in high-rise apartment/condo buildings in congested, non-parking friendly areas of Arlington, including Ballston, Rosslyn, Crystal City, and Pentagon City. As well, if the only parking available is paid or metered street parking, there is a $1.50 charge per visit, except Sundays and holidays. There will be a $10 last minute weekend surcharge for jobs requested after 5:00pm Friday that start anytime Saturday through Monday morning.

Due to gas prices, we are adding a gas surcharge of $1 per visit to help our sitters defray transportation costs. 100% of this will go to the sitters.

Due to the high demand for cat sitting services around holidays and during school breaks, visits on any of the following dates will have a holiday surcharge added ($5.00/visit), so the base rate will be $25 per visit. As well, for new customers, there is a minimum of four booked visits during holiday periods.

July 3-6 (Independence Day)
August 29-September 1 (Labor Day)
October 10-13 (Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day)
November 8-11 (Veteran's Day)
November 22-30 (Thanksgiving)
December 15-January 4, 2026 (Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day)
January 16-19, 2026 (MLK Day)
February 13-16, 2026 (President's Day)
March 28-April 6, 2026 (Spring Break)
May 8-10, 2026 (Mother's Day)
May 22-25, 2026 (Memorial Day)
June 18-22, 2026 (Juneteenth, Father’s Day)

If cancelling visits before the job begins, with less than 72 hours notice, there will be a cancellation charge equal to the greater of 25% of the total booking amount or the cost of one visit. No refund or credit will be given for early return which shortens the total number of visits.

*Please note that our minimum visit frequency is once a day visits, i.e., we do not accommodate every other day requests. We feel that kitties need to be seen at least once a day.

Check out Cat Sitting by Susan on social media below! Follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram!

Reviews on Yelp, Google, Nextdoor, and Others!

Madi M (5 star review on Google)

May 2025

We went out of town without our sweet kitties for the first time this weekend. Initially I was a bit nervous to leave them, but Cat Sitting by Susan did an outstanding job and put my mind at ease!!

Our sitter, Annie, was absolutely amazing. She sent us videos, photos, and a written report/check-in each day to keep us updated on how the cats were doing. She is so sweet and clearly cares about the cats she’s sitting - after just a couple visits, even our shy kitty was greeting her at the door and wanting pets! She brought toys and played with the cats each day to keep them active - and also gifted us their favorite wand toy as a present! She even swept up the area around their ltiter box so that we had a clean place to come home to, which was much appreciated.

Overall, I cannot recommend Cat Sitting by Susan enough! The sitters are very friendly, communicative, and don’t just take care of your kitties - they treat them as their own!

Megan B (5 star review on Google)

April 2025

Jean has been watching my diabetic fur baby for about a year now and we couldnt be happier with her help. It is hard to leave your pet, but I feel less guilty when Jean comes to watch Roscoe! I get really great detailed reports and she cares for him like one of her own pets. Highly recommend!

Caleb S (5 star review on Google)

March 2025

Outstanding pet service! Going on trips is so much easier knowing our cat is being well cared for.

Hira M (5 star review on Google)

February 2025

We had an amazing experience with cat sitting by Susan! As first time cat owners to two young kitties (5 and 8 months), we were a bit anxious about leaving them in someone else’s care, but from the very beginning their professionalism and care put us at ease! Eva, our sitter, did an amazing job giving careful care and love to both cats, especially our younger one with a cold who needed several mix-ins in his food. Her detailed updates and videos after each visit helped assure us they were in good hands. Would 100% recommend Susan, Eva, and the team.

Evan N (5 star review on Google)

February 2025

We used Catsitting By Susan to watch our kitties while we were on vacation for 9 days. They were amazing! Lana was our sitter and she was so great, and sent us daily videos and a little write-up of how our kitties were doing. Highly recommend and will be using them going forward!!

Elyse A (5 star review on Google)

January 2025

We had a wonderful experience with pet sitter Ranock. This business is very thorough and thoughtful in all of their practices and policies. We felt like our sweet girl was in great hands while we were away. Their services are not cheap but it's extremely reasonable for the amount of care and consideration your cat will get during visits. You will get videos and photographs of your cat daily which is very reassuring.

Jessica S (5 star review on Google)

December 2024

Cat Sitting by Susan is a highly organized, professional, and loving cat sitting service. I moved to Virginia and had to travel within 4 days of my move. Cat Sitting by Susan took care of my fur babies in the long-stay hotel without any issues. They have many pet sitters with good availability and they try to keep you with the same sitter each time. I LOVE that they specialize in cat care. Now that I'm settled into a residence, Haley continues to care for my girls- and even got the shy one to come out!! Highly recommend!

Nina S (5 star review on Google)

November 2024

As a fussy, helicopter cat mom who gets very anxious about leaving my senior cat at home, Cat Sitting by Susan has been a the perfect solution to put my fretful heart at ease!

My initial email inquiry was answered quickly, though I did have to follow-up to keep things going as it seems one of my responses didn't land in their inbox. We quickly got back on track, though, and set-up a video meet & greet with Lourdes and Ruby (our assigned cat sitter). The call was impressively thorough as we discussed my cat's care plan and Lourdes and Ruby asked follow-up questions.

Ruby has been a spectacular, dependable sitter, providing prompt and detailed visit summaries and always including plenty of photos and videos. Our cat adores her and she so thoughtfully goes the extra mile to make him happier, like bringing a new toy for him to investigate, leaving a light on for him during the night, etc. She's very thoughtful and genuinely cares for my sweet old man.

The infrastructure of Cat Sitting by Susan is impressively organized! I really like the portal they use for communication/updates and they provide several options for payment. I appreciate that Ruby is our assigned sitter as that familiarity for my cat is important to me. I also like that since they have a roster of cat sitters, my cat is covered no matter what (something I always worried about with independent, solo cat sitters I've used in the past).

The standard 25-minute visits are just a teeny bit on the short side for me (would prefer an even 30) but Ruby does get through the pet care tasks quickly to spend as much time as possible with my cat.

I highly recommend Cat Sitting by Susan (Ruby is the best!) and am so pleased to have found a local business that puts so much care and attention into providing top notch cat care. Book them for your next trip!

Christa V (5 star review on Google)

October 2024

Cat Sitting by Susan is a fantastic local cat sitting service. Annie was our sitter for two weeks, while we were overseas. She was simply extraordinary. She sent us a daily report with multiple cat pictures and videos of playtime, with lots of loud purring. She brought her own cat toys to our house, which our two young cats loved! She is a cat whisperer!! We will always request Annie for our trips. She is now a part of our family.

Kelley W (5 star review on Yelp)

September 2024

I can't say enough good things about Cat Sitting by Susan. I recently requested their services for the second time and the care they showed for my cat was fantastic. They didn't just send a sitter for my snuggly, shy cat, they sent Ellie the cat whisperer. Both times I've had sitters from Cat Sitting by Susan, I was gone for nearly 2 weeks. Each time the sitters they sent quickly coaxed my shy cat out from her hiding place and immediately began spoiling her with cuddles.

I wanted a sitter so my cat would be at ease with someone to feed her and take care of the practical things, but also scratch her ears, cuddle and play with her. It turned out that the daily reports, photos, and videos sent by the sitters allowed ME to be at ease as well and thoroughly enjoy my vacation. It's clear they cared about my cat and her well-being as much as I do and I've came home both times to a relaxed and happy cat who hardly noticed I was gone--which is as it should be!

If you're thinking of contacting Cat Sitting by Susan to find a sitter for your cats, I can't recommend them enough.

Glenda B (5 star review on Google)

September 2024

Have had several great experiences with Cat Sitting by Susan. They take great care of my sweet kitty Calista!

Karen L (5 star review on Google)

August 2024

I have been using them for over 2 years. My cats are super-friendly and the sitters, especially Miracle, give me great peace of mind when I go away. She sends lots of videos and leaves really detailed descriptions of her visits with them. As a result, they are not stressed when I return because their routine was maintained by people who take such great care of them.

Beth J (5 star review on Yelp)

July 2024

I can't believe how incredible this business is. I waited until our second trip to review it, because I figured the outstanding service we got at the beginning must be some sort of special new client kid-glove treatment. Nope. Both times we've gone away we've gotten outstanding communication. You can tell the whole team at CbS really cares about the (furry) clients and wants to make sure they are safe and healthy. On this most recent visit, one of my cats went into sulk mode and hid the whole time the catsitter was there. She went out of her way to find him and make sure he was okay every day. It's such a relief knowing that the cats are in great hands. I could not recommend this place more highly. Very, very responsible and detail-oriented.

Alejandra A (5 star review on Google)

June 2024

Fantastic service and great communication! I was super nervous to leave my cat for 5 days since he’s so social and loves human interaction but I was able to fully enjoy my vacation knowing he was in good care with experts. When I came across Cat Sitting by Susan via a Reddit thread, believe or not, it was exactly what I was looking for. Ellie was our sitter and she did a fabulous job and sent us pictures, videos, and a detailed summary for each visit which was high appreciated. There’s nothing bad I could say about their services, highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cat sitter in the area!

Angela J (5 star review on Google)

May 2024

From the first phone call to the first visit to the communication from the sitter, 5 stars!!! I should have posted sooner! Our first trust to this business came after moving to this area with having newly adopted sibling kittens, not knowing anyone we could ask to look after them. Knowing they were still skittish around us, we conveyed that to Susan and her team and they were pros! They ask for such detail in what one needs for their pet(s) and they go above and beyond, especially in their communication to the "parents" 😉 I 100% recommend Cat Sitting by Susan and her team.

Siobhan T (5 star review on Google)

April 2024

Erin from Cat Sitting by Susan always takes such great care of our kitty while we're away. Her updates always put us at ease knowing that he is in the best care. The updates are detailed and have plenty of pictures and videos for us to enjoy! Highly recommend this awesome organization for your cat sitting needs.

Stephanie H (5 star review on Google)

March 2024

Cat Sitting by Susan has been taking care of our personable, highly energetic cat, Toonces, since we adopted her a year ago. All of the sitters, including our most recent ones -- Guiliet and Annie -- have gone above and beyond to ensure that our cat gets the attention and exercise she needs while our family is out of town. Our kids love seeing the cute pics and videos they send us, too. Knowing that our cat is being well cared for when we are out of town makes all the difference. Our whole family -- including Toonces -- highly recommends Cat Sitting by Susan to anyone looking for in-home visits for their kitties while they are away.

Stephanie E (5 star review on Google)

February 2024

I'm very thankful and impressed by Cat Sitting by Susan. I needed to go out of town for a long weekend, and everything was simple to arrange. Allie was my assigned cat sitter and she was great! She sent photos and video of my kitties everyday, along with an email going over everything she did and how the kitties were doing. I can tell that they felt safe and comfortable with her. She followed the instructions, and honestly went above my expectations by washing out their extra dishes for their wet food. (I have several so she didn't have to wash them!). She was respectful of my property, and did an excellent job. I also felt better about not having to reach out to friends who may not know how to treat/act around cats. I highly recommend Cat Sitting by Susan and will most definitely be using them again in the future.

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Best Cat Sitters in Northern Virginia!