Location:   Cromwell, Connecticut

Age:   26

Experience:   2 mo

Rank:   rate this sitter

About Maria V:

Hi there! My name is Maria, and I am an artist and content creator with a passion for nature, knowledge, human behavior, and exploring. I graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and have been exploring the relationships humans have with themselves, each other, as well as their natural and constructed environments. I create content (written and visual) about lifestyle and mindset, and I empower individuals to step into their dreams. I am a multi-disciplinary artist and my mediums are acrylic, gouache, oils, watercolor paints, fibers, music, and digital media. I am also an active (remote) board member of a historical society near the town I grew up in.

Being able to house, pet, and plant sit is allowing me to fulfill my dreams and I could not be more grateful for this experience :) I do not have any pets as the current nomadic nature of my life would cause undue stress to them, but when I settle again I intend to rescue a cat.....or two >^.^<

I have over 15 years of experience caring for animals and over 2 years of full-time, professional house, plant, garden, and cat sitting in New England. I grew up at a family Inn with two long-haired ragdoll cats and a wheaten terrier dog. I learned maintenance, cleaning, and general care for buildings and properties very young at our family inn, and the necessity to stay on top of daily and incidental care and maintenance. I have 6 months of professional experience with plants, as well as years of hobbyist experience  I have also created and kept a successful flower and vegetable garden. I love animals and consider them incredible teachers and companions for us humans. While you traverse the planet your home, plants, and/or pets will be cherished :)

My current house, plant, and cat-sitting service area is New England with a focus on Connecticut, Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, southern Vermont, and eastern New York.

At this time, I only offer overnight, in-home sitting services.

I am currently accepting bookings through September of 2025.

Thank you for viewing my profile! Hope to chat soon  >^.^<

Patricia D

Homeowner in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Maria is all anyone could ask for while they are away... we have an older cat and she was very attentive to his quirky ways.... she also sent updates every day along with photos. I would highly recommend retaining her for your pet sit :)

Date of Service Aug 31, 2024

Elizabeth M

Homeowner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I think Maria was the best cat sitter I have ever had--so great that I already rebooked her!!! When I read her reviews, I knew she would be an awesome sitter, but she completely exceeded even my highest expectations. I have a cat who is very scared of new people, and she can hiss and even scratch catsitters. And from day one, Maria made such a concerted effort to make my kitty feel comfortable... and it totally paid off, and within days my cat was purring, letting Maria pet her, and hanging with Maria on the couch!! I can't even say how relieved I felt to see the videos of a purring, happy kitty. It was amazing. Maria was also phenomenal about sending great updates, with photos and videos, so I could really see how kitty was doing, and I could see them bonding and my cat becoming comfortable with her. I can't even say what a relief it was to know that my cat was being so well cared for, and well loved! Also I met Maria in person and she is such a kind, thoughtful, and warm person. Best sitter ever!!! Thank you Maria!!! My kitty is so excited to see you again in a few months!!

Date of Service Aug 14, 2024

Patricia D

Homeowner in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Maria is a cat-whisperer... very thoughtful and attentive pet sitter, makes leaving our cat worry free! I know he is in good hands and very loved while we are away.

Date of Service Jul 29, 2024

Alexandra P

Homeowner in Boston, Massachusetts

If I could give 7 stars I would. This was the second time Maria stayed at our house and took care of our 2 cats. They were spoiled and loved and our house was well taken care of. Maria sends updates everyday and we can’t wait to hopefully have her stay with us again in the future

Date of Service Jul 5, 2024

Rhonda P

Homeowner in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Once again, we were lucky to have the World’s best pet and housesitter! Maria knows our cat and home well, and always takes wonderful care of both. When one of our appliances had a problem, she was there to let the repair person in and see that things were taken care of. She is the best!

Date of Service Jun 4, 2024

Diane K

Homeowner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I could write paragraphs about how excellent Maria is! This sparkling, lovely young lady has done 2 sits for us, and she is fantastic. She is easy to work with, her communications are clear and accurate. Her car of our kitty was purrrfect! (sorry had to do it!) And we return each time to a home left neat and tidy. We would welcome Maria sit for our little buddy anytime, and highly recommend her!

Date of Service May 13, 2024

Donna P

Homeowner in Woodstock, Connecticut

Maria was an amazing sitter! We didn't have to worry at all about our home or kitties. She kept us updated daily with pictures, videos and a lengthy report about the activities of the day. Most importantly one of our kitties became ill and needed to see a vet and Maria walked with us through the whole process with the vet which was a relief being thousands of miles away. She was incredibly patient and caring with all that she had to deal with with our kitty. We would highly recommend Maria!

Date of Service Mar 31, 2024

Patricia D

Homeowner in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Maria is simply an angel and the best pet sitter, she truly does an excellent job and allows a worry free time away from home for us.

Date of Service Mar 20, 2024

Pamela R

Homeowner in Rockport, Massachusetts

Maria is delight. She has a very calm demeanor and was perfectly suited to take care of our boys (who can be anxious around other people). She also communicated frequently and thoroughly. Our home was just as we left it when we returned. We definitely would invite Maria to sit for us again, if dates align!

Date of Service Mar 11, 2024

Rhonda P

Homeowner in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Yay! Our FAVORITE pet sitter was available and as always, Maria took great care of our cat, and our home. Maria excels at great communication. We eagerly await our daily text which routinely comes at the same time, with a recap of the day and loaded with pictures and videos! We are so assured of the care our cat and home are receiving. We book Maria months in advance, as she frequently does long term sits and it is hard to get on her calendar. We trust her implicitly! 10 stars are not enough

Date of Service Feb 23, 2024

Susan D

Homeowner in Boston, Massachusetts

Maria is the best!! The only problem is that she is so good she is very busy. She is not only a terrific sitter for our cat, and a great caretaker of the house, but she is also a lovely person.

Date of Service Jan 2, 2024

Diane K

Homeowner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Maria was just fantastic! She was so proactive about communicating with us to arrange her arrival and her arrival and orientation to our house and for the needs of our cat.
While we were away Maria texted us and update each evening letting us know that everything was super hunky dory! She included photos and short videos of Kitty which I thought were fabulous.
When we returned our house was a spotless as it was when we left it.
I have to say again how fantastic Maria was! Our cat is older and has loneliness issues when we are away and Maria took such good care of him. It made it awesome for me to be relaxed and really enjoy our vacation! I would highly recommend Maria and would absolutely use her again!

Date of Service Dec 17, 2023

Michael R

Homeowner in Providence, Rhode Island

Maria is a find! She not only has knowledge and experience with cats, but she is a lovely individual. The night before I departed, we had a wonderfully engaging conversation. I returned to a home as I left it and she was kind enough to bring in my mail and newspaper daily without me requesting it. It was as if she were never here! I eagerly awaited her substantial daily reports about my cat and a generous number of pics and videos of him. Without a doubt, I would give her first right of refusal the next time I plan to be away. If you are lucky enough to welcome her as a sitter, you will be more than satisfied and reassured that your pet is in good hands and receiving lots of love and attention.

Date of Service Dec 4, 2023

Rochelle L

Homeowner in Salem, Massachusetts

Maria was a FABULOUS kitty sitter! If I could give her 10 stars, I would. She was meticulous in every way - in her attention to Kat, in her care of the house, and in her communications. In fact, she is the best and most detailed communicator I've experienced. I really cant say enough about Maria (except that I've already invited her to another sit and hope she continues to be available in the future). She really is extraordinary - she just intuitively knew how to befriend Kat quickly, and make him feel safe. When I got home from a 2 week trip, Kat was chill and happy and that is the best accolade I can provide. I would definitely recommend Maria to any cat or home-owner - she is an absolute find!

Date of Service Sep 19, 2023

Patricia D

Homeowner in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Maria is a perfect house guest and pet sitter. She is bright and articulate and comes with much experience. Maria was super attentive to our kitty and sent along updates every day. I had a great feeling of trust when I met her in person and our vacation was without worry knowing that everything was just fine on the home front.

Date of Service Sep 3, 2023

Bridge D

Homeowner in Providence, Rhode Island

Maria was great. Lots of adorable updates, and Maria spent lots of time playing with my kitties. The house was in perfect shape when I returned, and she even left us fresh flowers!

Date of Service Aug 19, 2023

Jane B

Homeowner in Hingham, Massachusetts

This is the third time Maria has taken care of my diabetic older cat, and I have to say, she is amazing! Her care of my cat was exemplary in every way. She is totally reliable, neat, communicative, and focused on caring for your pet, and leaving your house in perfect shape (even with a bouquet of flowers). So I strongly recommend booking Maria if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity.

Date of Service Aug 12, 2023

Rhonda P

Homeowner in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Maria is a pet owners dream! She showers our cats with love and affection, play time, brushing and snuggles. We trust her fully, and our cats adore her. She is superb with daily communication, including pictures and videos. She is a joy to have at our home and take care for our for babies. Maria has pet sat for us for a total of 10 weeks now this year, and we feel so lucky to have found her.❤️

Date of Service Aug 8, 2023

Alexandra P

Homeowner in Boston, Massachusetts

I can’t imagine a more caring, trustworthy, reliable and just overall amazing pet sitter than Maria. Her daily updated gave us so much peace of mind. When something needed to be repaired at the house, she helped organize it. Our cats adopted her right away and we truly hope to have her stay with us again in the future

Date of Service Jul 16, 2023

Jane B

Homeowner in Hingham, Massachusetts

Maria has taken exceptional care of my diabetic 15 year old cat, twice now, and I couldn't be happier. Her communication skills are outstanding, with detailed daily reports, pictures, and videos. I feel like she goes to extra lengths to understand and meet my cats physical and emotional needs, to the point where kitty gets an extraordinary caring vacation of his own where all his needs are understood and catered to. She also leaves the house absolutely ship shape and took care of watering my numerous plants. I wholeheartedly recommend Maria for your sit, and definitely plan to have her return the next time I travel. It was a great comfort to me to know I was leaving my cat with such a caring, responsible sitter.

Date of Service Jun 12, 2023

Rhonda P

Homeowner in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Maria and her kind, loving care of our cats brought us so much peace of mind on our journey!

Finding the perfect fit was critical for us, as we travel frequently. This stay was for more than 5 weeks! We received daily updates and videos of the kitties each evening. Such a fun report on their adventures. Maria took care of our plants, got the mail and our many packages including pet food deliveries. We returned home to a tidy house and well loved and groomed cats. We have booked Maria for 4 other sits! She is fantastic!

Date of Service May 31, 2023

Susan D

Homeowner in Boston, Massachusetts

Maria was a terrific sitter, recommended without reservation. She was easy to communicate with, and wonderful about keeping in touch with videos while we were away. She made friends easily with our cat, which not everyone does, and our kitty was in great shape when we returned. The house looked great and she even washed the sheets, though I had said she could leave them.
We hope to have Maria back again. She's the best!

Date of Service Apr 11, 2023

Christine H

Homeowner in Woodbury, Connecticut

Maria was amazing! It was so evident that my cat was well cared for and had lot's of attention! Maria left the home perfectly tidy and I would gladly have her back any time to sit again. :)

Date of Service Mar 16, 2023

Kimberly T

Homeowner in Manchester, Connecticut

Maria was a wonderful house and cat sitter while I was away. Not only did I come back to happy healthy cats, but the house was more tidy than when I left. And she got me flowers! What a thoughtful gesture.
Maria is kind, intelligent and responsible. I would recommend her services in the future.
Kim

Date of Service Mar 8, 2023

Jane B

Homeowner in Hingham, Massachusetts

Maria was an EXCELLENT Housesitter. I am just so pleased with the care she gave my medically and emotionally needy 15 year old cat. She has excellent communication skills, paid careful attention to my guidelines and followed them exactly, is warm, sensitive, and intelligent. She left the house in perfect shape, and even left me flowers. What more can you ask for?? I can't wait to have her return. It's a great gift when you're traveling to have trust in your person and peace of mind. I highly recommend Maria, just don't keep her too busy so I can use her again:)

Date of Service Mar 4, 2023

Andrew G

Homeowner in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Maria pet (dog) and house sat for us for almost an entire month during February 2023, and she was the most wonderful and competent sitter imaginable. While we were halfway around the world she kept us fully updated via texts and videos as we requested, and took complete care of our rambunctious terrier during the dead of winter.

Besides the excellent pet care, she took great care of the house and left things spotless for us, and this straddled an extreme cold weather event when she needed to take some extra measures to keep things from freezing up. I can't say enough good things about our experience with Maria and we hope we have the opportunity to use her again!

Date of Service Feb 22, 2023

Elizabeth W

Homeowner in Rochester, New York

Wow - Maria has us seriously considering the idea of a pet nanny (is that a thing?!). She was WONDERFUL.

Organized: Maria was incredibly organized and thorough. She was communicative about a tech issue confirming a date change on the site (long story). Let's just say that I am a bit of a worry-wart, and in my mind this technical issue needed to be resolved, and she matched my level of concern. She also was communicative about arrival/departure times, and coordinated with us.

Reliable: So very reliable! I was so assured by Maria that I would go many hours without thinking about our cat or house. And, when I did think of the cat, I thought "he must be having a blast." When I thought of the house, I thought "I love that someone is enjoying our home." It was a dream to be able to fully relax on our trip.

Self-sufficient: Maria manages the PERFECT balance between communicative and independent. She asked ahead of time how much we'd like to be updated. We are very open to (excited about) lots of updates/photos/videos etc., which we told her, and she delivered! Every time she sent us an update we dropped everything to look because she is so descriptive. Made us laugh/smile a lot.

Tidy: After our trip, all we had to do was unpack our own belongings. The house was spotless, including fresh linens and empty garbage bins (bonus: drawing of our cat's eyes, a couple of handwritten notes, homemade cupcakes...).

Pet care: Most importantly! Maria was on top of our cat's food/litter/routines/quirks, etc. But this is most helpful to know: Our cat had a somewhat urgent medical issue while we were away. Maria spotted it immediately (which I know because it was her first 24 hours there), told us, and collaborated with us to figure out his care. She gave me the info I needed to communicate with our veterinarian, and was willing to take him to an appointment first thing the next day (as a blizzard was headed to town!). The visit went well, and our cat needed eyedrops 4x a day. Bless her heart, because we took over doing the drops after she left and it's HARD! She left awesome care instructions and kitty is doing great. We're so thankful.

We'd be happy to host her again and again.

Date of Service Dec 26, 2022

Daniel L

Homeowner in Danbury, Connecticut

Maria was an amazing sitter for our two cats! She gave us lots of information and photos throughout the sit, and left our house spotless. The cats warmed to her immediately, which is pretty impressive because one in particular takes a while to like people. She also handled very well a slightly annoying situation of hiding the cats from each other. Would love to have her sit again, anytime.

Date of Service Dec 20, 2022

Lucas F

Homeowner in Wareham, Massachusetts

Maria was an excellent cat and housesitter and we would have her stay with our kitties any time. We appreciated that she gave us daily updates that the kitties were in before dark, that they were playful and affectionate and eating well. She left our house better than she found it and took care of a minor problem that cropped up due to bad weather

Date of Service Dec 7, 2022

Bailey C

Homeowner in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Big thank you to Maria for being the best house and cat sitter while I traveled over the holidays. From the moment we were connected, she went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure I was comfortable and happy with the arrangement. She made herself available for a zoom chat right away so we could meet and secure the dates/timing and details. Once she arrived at my house, she consistently shared updates about the cats and house. Every night she let me know when the cats were inside, fed, and happy. Having that peace of mind while you are away is the absolutely best. I came back to a perfectly clean house with all sheets/towels washed and to an amazing hand written (and drawn!) card and jar of roses as a thank you. I would highly recommend Maria and would definitely ask her to stay again. The Kitties would too :)

Date of Service Nov 28, 2022