Isabella

Are you looking for a Helping Paw and the best care possible for your sweet kitty while you are away? My name is Isabella, I am FearFree certified catsitter from the USA with 9 years of professional experience working with cats in veterinary clinics and animal shelters. At HelpingPaws, I emphasize quality cat care that is sensitive to the special needs and behaviors of cats and focuses on building a trustful relationship between you, me and your cat. Why

15% discount if you book at least 1 month ahead of time!

What is FearFree Certification?

FearFree Certification means that I have taken training in science based methods for reducing fear and anxiety in cats and dogs. It is an ongoing commitment that requires continuous education and refreshing in within the fields of animal behavior and non-adversive animal training methods. My training and behavior philosophy is a combination non forceful handling practices, relationship building with you and your pet and positive reinforcement training techniques. I am one of the FearFree certified petsitters in Denmark which gives me the resources and training to provide care to cat who are more shy, anxious and fearful to make their experience a positive one. Therefore I specialize in working with pets who struggle with fear and anxiety - but these techniques are beneficial to all cats regardless!

I am an international student from the USA, studying my Master's degree in Cell Biology at Copenhagen University. I finished my 5 year undergraduate degree for Wildlife Biology in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. I came to Denmark in August 2022 to close the distance with my (Danish) boyfriend of 4 years. <3 Today we are living together in a cute little apartment near the Odense city center with our three boys Loki, Milo and Basse!

My mom always jokes about how my first baby words were "moo", "woof" and "meow" instead of "mom" or "dad". :) I have felt a strong love and connection with animals since I was a little girl and as I have grown, these feelings have only become stronger. I have both personal (as a petowner myself) and professional experiernce working with cats, dogs, rabbits, birds and reptiles. I am very savvy to different caretaking needs of animals. As a pervious veterinary assistant, I am also experienced in handling and caring for pets with special needs such as mobility issues, medication requirements, nursery care, and many other scenarios. In my volunteering work at animal shelters and wildlife clinics, I learned how to interact with animals who are especially fearful in a way that encourages stress-reduction and agency for the animal. 

Most of all, I love and connect deeply with animals. I love being a petsitter because it allows me connect with animals myself, but also to foster the deep bond between you and your pet. As your catsitter, I can assist you with overnight boarding, home visits, daycare or any other needs your precious kitty may need while you are away from home. Together, we will build the best schedule and enrichment activites for your pet during my visits which encompass their likes, dislikes and needs. 

As your petsitter, my first wish is for you and your pet to feel that you can trust and be comfortable with me. I offer a free meet-and-greet for any who want for it, where I will also ask questions about you and your pet's lifestyle so that I can personalize our petsitting sessions to be both a fun and stress-free experience for you and your pet. Simply send me a message on your preferred dates that you are looking for petsitting and we can schedule a meet-and-greet over messaging. :)

Additional information 

I offer care cats of all ages, breeds and sizes 

I offer daily medical care and am also trained in cat first-aid

I can offer overnight boarding at my apartment, but I always recommend that I come to your house as this reduces the stress on your pet and helps them keep their normal routines. :)  

I HIGHLY recommend a meet-and-greet session before the dates that you want me to petsit 

For shy, anxious and fearful cats I recommend at least two meet-and-greet sessions 

I will accept both vaccinated and unvaccinated pets, as well as sterilized and unsterilized pets HOWEVER a requirement for a pet boarding in my home is that your pet is both vaccinated and sterilized. This is to reduce any risks to my own pets. 

I am currently a student, therefore my schedule is often changing. I update my schedule on Pawshake regularily to ensure that my listed times and dates available are 100% accurate and reliable.  

Fine print details on visits

Overnight (at my home or yours): One overnight day is a full 24 hours (example:12pm January 12 to 12pm January 13). If you anticipate a later pickup date for your pet, there will be an extra charge that corresponds to either a doggy daycare visit (for pets who cannot be left alone) or a 1x/2x daily visit (if you pet just needs someone to give her dinner). You can go ahead and schedule this as a separate reservation on the day that you will be anticipating a late pick up for your pet :)

1x and 2x daily visits: 1hr sessions where I will feed your pet, take care of their chores (litterbox, bathroom, medications, etc) and give enrichment time. Enrichment time includes a walk/playtime/cuddles depending on your preferences and your pets mood and personality. 45-60 minute session.