Going on vacation? Here are 7 pet sitters who will have a sleepover with your pet

Last year I met a girl who was going to keep my dog at her house. During the interview, the girl’s Chihuahua kept mounting poor Esther and wouldn’t stop.

The girl laughed and told me that her dog was going to get a great “workout” while Esther stayed with them. Let’s just say I didn’t end up hiring her or her horny Chihuahua.

Like a lot of pets, Esther is most comfortable at home. So instead of bringing her to a sitter, I began the search for someone who would come to her.

Sure, it costs more. But considering that one night of dog boarding in Charlotte can be up to $45, paying for the convenience of an in-home overnight service doesn’t seem so bad.

Here are the Charlotte services that will have a sleepover with your pet.

Note: I was happy to find that only one of these services has dog breed restrictions. (But most said they will not pet sit any aggressive animal.)

Barnyard Buddies

Cynthia won’t just watch your dogs and cats, she’ll also watch your farm animals (hence the name Barnyard Buddies).

Horses do cost more than dogs and cats, but this is to be expected since they’re huge animals. She’s also happy to work on training techniques with your pet while you’re away. Breed restrictions: Pit bulls.

Cost: $60/night but rate can increase if your pet is special needs
More than one pet? No set price, total cost is based on each individual family
Consultation: Free, but depends on distance traveled

Carolina Critter Sitters

Carolina Critter Sitters spends the most time with your pet by coming over to your house at 7pm and staying until 7 a.m.

Be aware that they do charge for fuel costs which needs to be factored into their nightly rate.

Cost: $75/night (7pm to 7am), includes a midday break
More than one pet? $1 for each additional dog
Consultation: Free

Happy Hounds Pet Care

Happy Hounds will watch your dog, cat or hamster and they’re diligent about sending photos of your pet while you’re away. They also offer pet-friendly house cleaning which I have used and highly recommend.

Cost: $60/night (9pm to 7am), $13-$17 for extra visits throughout the day
More than one pet? Price includes two pets, after that it’s $2 extra per pet
Consultation: $15 for a meet and greet

Little Friends Pet Sitting

Little Friends has over 70 pet sitters and a 24-hour hotline for pet parents. They also happen to be one of the most expensive rates on this list. However, this price includes free message updates and they even send a GPS report of your dog’s walk. (But, honestly, if you have a chill cat or a dog that doesn’t need walks this price seems pretty high.)

Cost: $100/night (10pm to 6:30am), $110 for 12 hours
More than one pet? They don’t say on their website and they ignored my email
Consultation: Free and unlimited

Midwood Pet Sitting

Midwood Pet Sitting mostly offers their services in the Plaza Midwood area but you can call to see if they’ll travel to you. They offer 24-hour supervision which seems a little over-the-top. (I mean, I want them to live their lives and at least go hangout at Sunflour for an hour or two.)

Midwood specializes in senior dog care, keeps a daily log of your pet’s activities and will text you after each visit with photos. Their website doesn’t talk about overnight cat sitting but they do offer this as well.

Cost: $60/night (8pm to 7am)
More than one pet? Price includes 2 dogs, after that it’s $2 extra per dog and is usually only charged if a walk is required for all three dogs
Consultation: Free

Nana’s Pet Sitting

Nana’s got some bad reviews on Google but none of them related to the actual pet sitting. (Just some rudeness when a customer accidentally called the owner’s personal cellphone.) Nana’s is the only company to list that their pet sitters allow pets to sleep in bed with the sitter. They also offer their services outside of Charlotte in Waxhaw, Huntersville and Weddington.

Cost: $100/night (8pm to 7am)
More than one pet? $2 for each additional dog and $1 for each additional cat
Consultation: Free

Queen City Pet Sitting

Queen City’s overnight fees include a late evening and morning walk. They also have a cool service where they will watch your pet if you are staying at a hotel in Charlotte for the same price as in-home sitting.

Cost: $60/night (9:30pm to 7am)
More than one pet? $5 for each additional dog, $2 for each additional cat
Consultation: Free

Too weirded out about having a stranger sleep in your bed?

Here are two more options for daytime pet care.

Creature Comforts Charlotte

Creature Comforts will visit your dog multiple times a day and offers 10% off any trip over a week long. Also, they specifically list hairball clean-up on their website which I had no idea was a thing.

Cost: 30 minutes for $20, two visits/day for $35, three visits/day for $50
More than one pet? 45 minutes for $25, two visits/day for $45, three visits/day for $65
Consultation: Free, if scheduled 48 hours in advance, $10 charge after that

Fluffs of luv

Even though they have the worst name on this list, Fluffs of Luv offers extras such as bringing in your mail, watering your plants and even taking your trashcans to the curb. They will also pet sit your turtle, gecko, bird, ferret, rabbit, fish or Bangle Cat.

Cost: $18 for 20 minutes (cats only), $20 for 30 minutes, $28 for 45 minutes
More than one pet? Price includes two pets, after that it’s $5 extra per pet
Consultation: Free