Cat Sitting by Susan LLC, 117 Rowell Court, Falls Church, VA 22046
A proudly woman-owned business!
We want to take care of your kitty!
Over 4,000 cats cared for since 2017!
650+ 5-star reviews!
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, a 10-year old diabetic cat at the time. Sadly, he passed away recently at age 17. They have Fred, a sweet, large black and white 6-year old. They were fostering a sweet 3-year old boy, Scar, but became "foster fails" and just had to adopt the sweet boy! Shout out to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington where we found all of our sweet fur baby boys! You can rest assured that we will love and treat your kitty, or kitties, as if they were 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!"
Ben!
Ben, who is one of our sitters, has also joined the office team. He was born in Lansing, Michigan and raised in Bristow, VA. Growing up, he had three cats, a white Himalayan named Kobe, a Calico named CeeCee, and a Gray tabby named Blink. Blink is still around, living with his parents. Nowadays, he has a sweet and lovable tortie named Ella. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, reading, and listening to music. Ben says he loves kitties because, "I love how independent they can be while still being affectionate and fun members of the family!" He is currently a choir section leader and cantor at a church in McLean, as well as an opera singer. He decided to join the Cat Sitting by Susan team because, as he puts it, "I love earning the trust of cats and discovering their personalities! Each cat is different, so it's always interesting to learn about them. I can tell everyone at Cat Sitting by Susan knows what they are doing and truly loves cats as well. And as someone with a varied schedule that doesn't mesh with a normal 9-5, the flexibility is a great plus."
Our official mascot/spokeskitty, Snickers!
We adopted Snickers from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, VA, and immediately fell in love with him! He was a 17-year old diabetic kitty, and sadly, he crossed the rainbow bridge recently. We were lucky enough to have him for seven wonderful years and we miss him very much. He was very affectionate, and a true family member! BTW, we documented Snickers' journey on our Cat Talk blog, and he is the face in the Cat Sitting by Susan logo.
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
- Overnight visits starting at $100/night (approximately 10 hours)
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.
- 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!