Listed below are comments that have been submitted by a few of the previous homeowners for whom we've provided our house or pet sitting services. A contact list for our references can be provided to homeowners interested in our services as a final step in the vetting process.
"Sheila and Kai house sat for us 3 months at the beginning of this year in Patzcuaro, Michoacan. They are dependable, responsible, honest, handy, friendly, and will stay in touch while you are away. Our house and garden were well cared for - you want this couple to sit for you!"
Judy & Lee (pet-free house sit w/garden care)
Patzcuaro, Michoacán, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): January-March 2017; Dec-March 2018 |
“We were fortunate enough to have Sheila and Kai housesit for us for 6 weeks. They did a fantastic job; exceeding our expectations at every turn! They honestly took better care of our place than we do. They are honest, professional, organized, efficient and very personable.
They took great care of our home, dog, lawn and garden. My dog fell in love with them both. Knowing he was with such caring, loving people made my time away so much more enjoyable. Setbacks like the long-term electrical outages did not faze them. They had our generator up and running in no time. When the watering system failed, they found the spare parts and fixed it without a thought. They stayed in communication with us with regard to phone calls we missed, weather-related events, etc. They even sent photos/movies of my dog--which I was delighted to get. These are two intelligent, responsible, reliable, self-sufficient, caring people with a very interesting personal story (they are bicycling around the world!). You could not find anyone better to watch your place or to take care of your pets.” Toni & Chad (1 dog)
Ajijic, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): July-Aug 2013; Nov 2013; Feb 2014; Feb 2016; June 2016; June-Aug 2017; Oct. 2019; Jan 2020 |
"Sheila and Kai are truly exceptional! You will be very lucky and very happy if they house sit for you. They exceeded my exceptions in many ways. They were reliable to a T and were more than capable with unexpected events. Communication was superior.
I know I will never find someone as capable, once I have experienced the best! My maid thought they were great because they did their own laundry. My cat loved them too. Plus, they are really nice and interesting people! I sure hope they can house-sit for me in the future." Rebecca (1 cat)
Ajijic, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): May-July 2015; Feb 2016; Sept-Oct 2016; Oct-Nov 2017 |
"Thank you for another of your lovely and reassuring updates. And this one has pictures of one very relaxed cat. I do believe that Tabitha has found her soul mates."
"I have to say that the house is better than when we left. You not only left a lovely note, coffee and treats but Eva told me that you were always cleaning! Talk about above and beyond. If I bring Tabitha, will you adopt me? It has meant so much knowing that Tabitha has been so happy and everything has run smoothly at the house. Seriously, you cannot imagine how nice it was to come home when everyone, Eva, Cesar, Sergio and Tabitha, were all so happy and calm. A wonderful change. We consider you and Kai part of our family. Of course, Tabitha considers you her favorite family members! We, obviously, need to formally adopt you both." John & Barbara (1 cat)
Ajijic, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): Oct-Dec 2015; March-June 2016; July 2016; Nov-Dec 2016; Nov-Dec 2017; April-June 2018; Oct. 2018 |
“We have had Kai & Sheila stay at our house twice in the past year. The first time last fall for 2 ½ months and just recently from late March to May 17th. We also had them stay at a rental property we own in December and January. I can tell you without a doubt that they are fantastic people, very responsible, and took better care of our pets (one cat and two dogs) than we do. In fact since they are very health conscience and into lots of exercise, the dogs get walked twice a day when Kai & Sheila are here!
We gave them access to both of our cars and they rarely used them. We left them with one of our ATM cards in case the cash we left for them was not sufficient. We have never had any damage to our home while they have been here. In fact, they took it upon themselves to fix two ceiling fans that weren’t working correctly. They also worked with our plumber/electrician to fix a broken water pipe while we were away and worked through a problem with the hot tub sending us frequent updates and photos along the way. They are very capable and willing to manage a household, not just sit in it. They will give you frequent updates on any issues and engage you to resolve any problems that may arise while you are gone.” Tom & Sallie (2 dogs, 1 cat)
Ajijic, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): Sept-Dec 2013; March-June 2014; May-June 2016; Sept 2016; April-June 2017 |
"I don't know where to begin to describe my appreciation and respect we have for Kai and Sheila. They took care of our dogs who needed extra care. Kai fixed things in the house for us. Our animals were very happy and content when we came back. Our house was spotless. They are both wonderful people and a true asset to our community. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing a house/pet sitter."
Cheryl & Jon (2 dogs w/special needs, 1 cat)
Riberas del Pilar, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment: January 2016 |
"I cannot express how wonderful it was to have two of the greatest people come into my life and Chica's life. Usually when I have to leave Chapala for visits to Canada it is very stressful, worrying if everything will be okay at my house and now that stress became twofold as I adopted a small dog and did not know how I could possibly leave her here but did not want to stress her with travel and along came the two best pet/house sitters anyone could ask for.
My house was clean and tidy and my Chica settled right in with Sheila and Kai. They advised me of situations that occurred and easily solved the problems themselves. They e-mailed me videos and pictures of Chica and I could see she was having a great time. Sheila and Kai will be sitting for me again shortly and I have never felt so calm about leaving things in their capable hands. As far as a recommendation - they get a gold star with 100% achievement score from myself and Chica." Angie (1 dog)
Riberas del Pilar, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): June-Aug 2014; Nov 2014-Jan 2015; Feb 2015 |
“I was traveling to Calgary for a week and needed a cat and house sitter. I was fortunate enough to learn of Sheila and Kai. At the time of meeting them, they were moving to another house to house and pet sit, which was extended to the time when I needed them. As they didn’t want to disappoint me, Kai stayed at the other house while Sheila moved into mine.
Sheila took great care of my cat, Molly, and my home and emailed notes and pictures regularly to me. While I was away, I knew everything was fine back home. Molly just loved Sheila and in fact when I did get home, she was moping around the house for two days. Sheila and Kai left my house tidier than when I am home. Sheila and Kai are honest, reliable and responsible and I would highly recommend them for taking care of your home and pets.” Kathie (1 cat)
Ajijic, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): Nov 2013; Nov 2014; Jan 2015; Oct-Nov 2015 |
"If you are lucky enough to get on Sheila and Kai's sitting schedule, you hit the jackpot! These people aren't just normal pet sitters...they are the dream team. They are, quite simply, foster parents for animals. Yes, they do the normal pet care: feed, walk, groom, etc. but in addition, they have trained themselves in animal psychology so it is quite likely that you come home to not only happy pets but often their bad habits have been eliminated or they have learned new tricks.
A unique qualification of this couple is that they are landlords themselves and know how to fix small problems and call the right repair person if the problem is not small. They handled a wonky refrigerator and a mold problem for us. Their beliefs in sustainability means they live lightly in your home. They are smart, honest and communicate regularly while you are away. It is almost like you can talk to your pet. As I said...dream team. And Kai knows how to return stainless steel sinks to like new condition. Ask him. I will be happy to hear from any potential users. My only hope is that you don't need them at the same time I do!!!!!!!" Donna & Chuck (2 cats)
Chapala, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment: Feb-March 2015 |
"I wanted to the thank you both so much for taking care of my little Leo and Natasha. They had such a great time with you and they miss their wonderful walks. Usually when I am away I worry about them, but getting your e-mails updating me on how they were and getting those wonderful pixs, I knew they were having a fabulous time.
I also want to thank you for taking care of my home and especially my potted plants. Both looked better than when I had left! You did such a great job and on top of that, you are both really terrific people. Leo and Natasha can’t wait to see you again and told me to say hi." Robin (2 dogs)
San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): April-May 2015, Sept 2015 |
“We had already left town when our house sitter could no longer stay. She suggested Shelia & Kai whom she knew from Ajijic. We had an email from Shelia saying they could house sit until we got back and we were grateful they could sit on such short notice.
Everything went smoothly; the house was just as we left it, the few emails back & forth were handled immediately. We would certainly love to have Shelia & Kai stay in our home again, and have no hesitation in recommending them to our friends. Nothing beats not having to worry about your home while you are gone.” Rusty & Nancy (pet-free house sit)
La Foresta, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): December 2013 |
“My husband and I can vouch for Sheila and Kai. We would rate them a 12 out of 10! They are super neat and clean and really nice people to have housesit. We do not have pets but I am sure they would take great care of them. When we were away, Sheila or Kai would contact us if anyone called or any mail needed attention. Based on personal experience, I'd highly recommend Sheila and Kai. Very responsible people and it was a pleasure to have them housesit.”
Sheila & Ken (pet-free house sit)
Ajijic, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): June-July 2013 |
“We met Kai and Sheila when we adopted a stray cat (Karli) that had adopted them. One dilemma that we faced when we decided to adopt him was that very shortly thereafter we were traveling to the US for several weeks. Once we met Kai and Sheila we very quickly hit it off and then asked them if they would be interested in house sitting while we were away. A win/win for both of us. They would take care of our house and two cats and Karli wouldn't be freaked out by yet another sudden change in his life. It worked out spectacularly. They took immaculate care of our house, kept our cats fat and happy and stayed in communication about any issues that came up. If you are looking for someone to look after your house/pets we highly recommend Kai and Sheila. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions.”
Peter & Dawn (2 cats originally, 6 cats since 2014)
Ajijic, Jalisco, MX Date of Sit Assignment(s): April 2013; Jan-Feb 2014; Sept-Oct 2014; Jan-Feb 2015; June 2015; Oct 2015; March 2016 |