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 3,900 cats cared for!

600+ 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 3,900 kitties since we opened in November 2017, and with over 600 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, then a year later, adopted a kitty, Fred, to be Snicks' sidekick! 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!

Lourdes!

Lourdes is our Director, helping Susan to run and grow this vibrant, exciting business, and occasionally cares for some of our kitty clients! She was born and raised in Washington, DC and had several different furry family members, including dogs and bunnies. In her spare time, she enjoys anything outdoors, including hiking and photography. Lourdes loves cats because, "they are not only beautiful creatures, they are also intriguing and challenge you to get to know them for the individual being that they are." As to why she joined Cat Sitting by Susan, Lourdes' answer is, "Susan! To start, I love that Cat Sitting by Susan is a small, local, woman-owned business, operated by people who genuinely love cats and enjoy caring for them. Changed career paths to follow my passion for animals and helping people, so it's the best of both worlds!"

Gregg!

Gregg Tate is Susan's husband and co-owner. He loves kitties and has had plenty of them over the years. He even brought a cat born in Atlanta (his hometown) with him to France for seven years, then they both moved back to the US! Gregg functions as the IT guy, accounting guy, and all-around fix-it guy. He grew up with a cat and a dog, and realized that he was drawn to the cat mystique. Gregg says, "I just believe that cats are very discerning pets and decide on their own if you're acceptable. If a kitty could, they'd give a thumbs up or thumbs down to let you know their decision!" Over his years, he has served as midwife to at least five kitty litter births! Susan and Gregg raised a whole bunch of kitties and love that they have a team that can care for yours as if they were our very own!

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.

February 14-17 (President's Day)
April 12-21 (Spring Break)
May 9-11 (Mother's Day)
May 23-26 (Memorial Day)
June 14-19 (Father’s Day, Juneteenth)
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 (President'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!

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.

Emily B (5 star review on Yelp)

January 2024

I cannot understate what incredible service Cat Sitting by Susan provided. We spent 2 weeks out of the country and it was so stress-free knowing how well Anna cared for our cats. We received updates every single day, including pictures and videos. It was so evident from these updates that our cats were doing well - Anna really got to know them and described their personalities and actions so well. We stayed up late every day (six hour time difference) just to receive our email update. They are so professional and thorough - litter boxes perfectly cleaned, food dishes cleaned, in-depth understanding of food/water needs. I was so impressed from our first kick-off call until the last message we received before coming home. If you're hesitating using this service, DON'T! I am normally so anxious when we travel with concerns about our cats. They loved Anna, they were not at all weird or anxious when we got home, and I can't wait for the next trip where we work with Cat Sitting by Susan again.

Clare O (5 star review on Yelp)

December 2023

This is my second time using Susan's Cat Sitting service and I could not be happier! Annie took care of my boys and she did such a fantastic job. She left the place better than she found it (she cleaned around the cats' food area) and made sure to play with them a lot. I really liked that she took the time to play and spend with the boys, because that was huge for me. Annie made it so that I could actually relax and enjoy my vacation, knowing that my two babies were taken care of! She also had fantastic communication with me via text and email. I'm not sure what else I can say other than that I would be hesitant to use any other cat sitter beside her! As cat people, its fantastic when other cat people watch your kitties because we know they are in good hands. Annie is an angel, and 1,000/10 would recommend! Thank you so much Annie, you are amazing!!

RK (5 star review on Google)

November 2023

Cat Sitting by Susan is a fantastic, well organized business and Allie took great care of our skittish elderly kitty on two separate occasions in the past few months. We loved all the updates and great communication and felt we could enjoy our time away more knowing our cat was in great hands--when we returned he was happy and calm and we knew he was not stressed while we were out. Thank you so much, we'll definitely be using you again in the future!

Ariana K (5 star review on Google)

October 2023

Caitlynn is a wonderful communicator and takes such great care of my boys. The peace of mind I get when leaving them in her care is unmatched. Cannot recommend this service enough.

Vivian Z (5 star review on Google)

October 2023

The sitters at Cat Sitting by Susan are the best! We were nervous about hiring outside sitters for our cats but we very quickly realized the team at Cat Sitting by Susan is top notch and trustworthy. The team is super responsive and have a meticulous intake process. Our sitter, Gracie, did an awesome job taking care of our kitties while we were away on vacation. She sent detailed updates and photos/videos every day recapping everything that happened during each visit. She was great about meeting the kitties’ needs and giving them affection and play time at every visit. We would highly recommend this company and their services!

Stephanie T (5 star review on Google)

October 2023

Great cat watching services and very responsive via the portal and text. Easy to pay and fast to confirm services. Highly recommend!

Suzanne P (5 star review on Google)

October 2023

I was extremely happy with the service provided. Communication was fast and easy. I got excellent status reports every day, and everything was in perfect shape when I returned home. I’ve already booked them for my next time away.

Patricia B (recommendation on Nextdoor)

September 2023

I used Catsitting by Susan recently, Leah was the person who actually came and took care of my cat. One half hour visit per day, feeding, box cleaning, playing, petting, etc. Leah was lovely, and I received a video every day showing how he was doing. He seemed so happy with her that I felt a bit jealous.

Daniel P (5 star review on Google)

August 2023

We love Cat Sitting by Susan! They make our little guy (Leo) feel special and are truly the best!

Katherine R (5 star review on Google)

July 2023

I would definitely recommend Cat Sitting by Susan. We went away for five days, and Alexis dependably sent us videos and pictures of our cats with a detailed description of what happened during her visit. I don't like having to leave our cats behind when we go away, so these updates were very reassuring. Cat Sitting by Susan is professionally run, and communicating with the team is very easy. I plan to use their service again the next time we go away and have to leave our kitties.

Valerie F (5 star review on Google)

June 2023

We had to go out of town 2x in a month and were pleasantly surprised to get the same cat sitter. Lilly really engaged our cats with a variety of toys that they seemed to enjoy, which was nice to see. She gave great updates including videos and pix. Lourdes, in the office, was very professional and easy to work with in setting up our portal and booking sittings. Will book them again: Great company!

Lin N (5 star review on Google)

May 2023

This was our first time using a cat sitter and we were concerned about being away from the cats. Cat sitting by Susan did a wonderful job with under the cat sitter Samantha set us many good photos, videos via phone and email to show how our cats ( Esme and Aster) were doing. We would happily use their service again and highly recommend it.

Dana L (5 star review on Google)

April 2023

If I could give more stars I would! They are so wonderfully nice and took amazing care of my cat who even has to get pills. The pricing is really amazing for how communicative that they are. I got a bunch of picture and videos each visit!

Srikanth S (5 star review on Google)

April 2023

We were traveling for a week for spring break and needed someone to take care of our two cats. We found Cat Sitting by Susan and it was a great process by which we were introduced to our cat sitter, Miracle. Miracle took amazing care of the cats and sent us videos and updates every day. She was able to befriend our super shy cat which is quite an accomplishment. It was such a relief to know our cats were in good hands. We will definitely be using this service in the future.

Danny R (5 star review on Google)

March 2023

Theresa did a wonderful job watching our 7-year-old furball! She even managed to clean out the litter box each day for a week without making the usual mess I make when cleaning it, since it's in a really tight space. I really like these folks too since it's their policy to send you pics and vids of your cat every day. It was very reassuring since we've never hired a sitter before. Will definitely hire them again!

Jennifer L (5 star review on Yelp)

March 2023

I hired Cat Sitting by Susan to watch over 4 cats (my 3 and a visitor) for a week during early March 2023. Since the 17-year old house guest cat required medicine twice day, I could not rely on a neighborhood kid. I needed reliability and experience. Their pre-sign up questions were thorough. They did not come to my house physically in advance; however, we walked around with video. It all worked out great. Olivia's text and email updates were very detailed and would put any owner at ease. My mother was very impressed too. I think my litter boxes have never been this clean! (a new aspiration). This was more than I usually pay, but very worth it for the service I required. (Also, if you drop off your key to them in person, have a meal or a beverage at the beer / wine store!)

Sean J (5 star review on Yelp)

February 2023

We had a wonderful experience with using Cat Sitting by Susan. Karen came out each day to pay a visit to our cat. Her detailed note of interaction with our cat and service provided each time warmly received. We looking forward to using them again in the near future! Thank you!

Leah P (5 star review on Google)

January 2023

If I could give 10 stars I would!! My experience with Cat sitting by Susan was absolutely fantastic, and I would recommend their services to anyone looking for a caring, professional, and highly competent group of people to take care of their kitties. I feel so relieved knowing that in the future I have access to such wonderful care for my cats when I have to be out of town.

Precious S (5 star review on Google)

December 2022

I am very please with Cat Sitting by Susan. The team there is quite professional. I love Erin as my cat sitter. My kitties look forward to her visit. My oldest runs to the door when Erin arrives and she looks forward to her feeding and play. My youngest kitty is afraid of new people but Erin's patience and persistence has paid off. The little one looks forward to Erin's petting her and hanging out to play. I highly recommend Cat Sitting by Susan!

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