BATTLE GROUND RESIDENT and cat sitter Patt Doyle is pictured here with her cat, Ginger, in her “birdsbesafe” collar. Doyle recently started offering cat sitting services through her business, Pampurred Pet Care, in the Battle Ground, Brush Prairie and Hockinson areas.
PATT DOYLE, owner and operator of cat sitting business Pampurred Pet Care, said one of these two cats she visited was supposed to be shy. If cats she visits are shy, Doyle will sit quietly and provide them company or will try and quietly play with them.
BATTLE GROUND – After moving to Battle Ground not long ago, 56-year-old Patt Doyle worked hard to look for a job. However, having worked in national parks and also being a pet sitter for most of her life, Doyle said it was difficult for her to find something as she doesn’t really conform to “regular” jobs.
“I did get a job in Northwest Portland, but the commute and everything was just too much,” Doyle said. “After a talk with girlfriends, I decided to re-open Pampurred Pet Care as a cat sitting business.”
Prior to moving to Battle Ground, Doyle and her husband, who is a Washington State Park Ranger, had lived in Ilwaco and Forks before that. In Forks, she was a professional pet sitter for 13 years and cared for many dogs and cats. She was house sitting for some of her former clients and came up with the idea to reopen her pet sitting business as a mostly cat sitting business, Pampurred Pet Care, in the Battle Ground area.
“I began Pampurred Pet Care as Forks’ only professional pet sitter in 1998 to care for cats, dogs, occasionally horses and even a walking stick,” Doyle said.
Doyle’s business is not cat boarding. She offers a service where she drives to people’s homes to care for their cats and give them love and attention while their human companions are away.
“It’s funny, I’ve been getting phone calls from people disappointed I don’t board cats,” she said. “I tell them their cats stay at home and I come to their home to care for them.”
The cat sitting service also extends to include the care of birds, small pets, bird feeders, pond, plants and aquariums. Other small pets might include rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, etc.
Although Doyle said most clients request one cat “sit” (visit) each day that they are gone, she said some cats need medication or extra attention and might need twice a day visits. She said she had one client in Forks who she did cat sits three times per day for.
“When I get to my client’s home I do all the chores first – feed them, change the water, scoop the box, give them their medicines,” Doyle said. “Then it’s play time, brushing, TLC. If the cat is shy, I sit quietly to keep them company. I can use a toy to try to get them to play or just sit on the floor in the bedroom or near where they are. I’ve had clients tell me their shy cats were much so much better when I visited them.”
Aside from just visiting with and caring for her clients’ cats, Doyle will also do other little chores around the home and will help provide basic security for the home. She brings in the mail, takes out the trash, rearranges the window treatments and waters the garden and indoor plants. She will also often use timers and the sleep timer on the TV to make it look like someone is home.
Doyle doesn’t just offer is cat sitting services in Battle Ground, she also visits clients in the Brush Prairie and Hockinson areas, and is willing to expand how far she will go for an extra $1 per mile for outside the zip code map (98604 and 98606). Doyle said one of the first concerns new clients might have is if she will really care for their cats well, as they are after all giving her the key to their home and trusting her to care for their “fur family.”
“I think once they realize I have many years of experience and this is my business, they relax,” she said. “Once I’m at the initial appointment, I have a seven-page contract, references and other information that let’s them know they are dealing with someone who cares and will do a good job. Mostly, they can leave home and have peace of mind their cats will be fine.”
Doyle will spend about 30-45 minutes each day visiting with and caring for her clients’ cats. She leaves custom notes on each visit to let the client know when she arrived and left, as well as anything the client needs to know about his or her cat’s behavior.
Doyle has had Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS), Pet First Aid and dog training at Dr. Dunbar’s SIRIUS Dog Training Academy and Coaching People to Train Dogs, a two-week training. She is always available via text while cat sitting and will occasionally send clients pictures of their cats. Pampurred Pet Care is insured, bonded and licensed. Licensing for pet sitters means having a business license and Pampurred Pet Care has a Washington state and Battle Ground business license.
For more information or to set up an appointment, contact Doyle at (360) 635-3816 (call or text). Doyle can also be contacted via email at patt@pampurredpetcare.com. Visit her website at www.pampurredpetcare.com.
