Shu Ming

Shu is the best cat sitter! She spent a good amount of time with our cats each day, giving them some much needed attention & pets while we were away. She also sent so many great pics & videos, and responses to messages quickly. We’ll definitely be rebooking her services in the future!

I recently had Shu take care of my cat while I was away, and I want to share both the positives and some areas where I think she could improve, as constructive feedback.

1. Communication and Flexibility: Shu was very communicative and flexible. My cat got sick right before I left, and she quickly took on additional responsibilities, like giving him medicine and increasing the number of visits. This level of responsiveness was much appreciated during a stressful time.

2. Partner Assistance: To handle these additional tasks, Shu informed me (without really asking if it was okay) that her husband would accompany her. I found this a bit unexpected, but I agreed, thinking she might need help with administering the medicine. I suggest ensuring that clients are comfortable with this arrangement, as some people may not be okay with an extra person they haven’t met being in their home.

3. Daily Updates: Shu spent 30-45 minutes at my home during each visit and made sure to send updates after every visit, which was reassuring. However, while I appreciated the updates, I would have preferred videos of my cat being petted or pouring rather than selfies with her. This would have made me feel more connected to what was happening at home.

4. Plant Care: Shu offered to water my plants, which I appreciated. I asked her to water them no more than twice in 10 days, but she ended up watering them much more often (almost every day). Unfortunately, this led to four of my plants dying from overwatering. I know she was trying to help, but it’s important to follow the instructions given to avoid these kinds of issues.

5. Following Instructions: While Shu clearly cares about doing a good job, there were times when she didn’t follow my instructions as closely as I would have liked. For example, she gave my cat his medicine with wet food, even though I had shown her how to do it without. She brought her own can of food without asking, which was concerning since she didn’t know if my cat could eat it safely (instead of using the wet food I left). Also, she kept giving him treats despite my request to stop after the medication period ended, which led to him gaining considerable weight in just 10 days—a health risk I wanted to avoid.

Overall, Shu is caring and eager to help, but a bit more attention to detail and following instructions would make her service even better.