Evelyn Shields (owner) - The Cat Whisperer
Evelyn (she/her) grew up on a farm in Vermont with independent kitties outside in the barn and cozy kitties inside her home. Her first inside kitten was an orange flea-bitten little guy left that she brought home on the bus on her elementary after he was abandoned on the school front steps (without asking permission!). Courtalee claimed Evelyn in 2001 and (un)happily moved across the country with her twice and held an important role in the home and business. Evelyn has a knack for calming anxious kitties and even the most timid have been wooed by her charm. She enjoys meeting the new kitties needing sitting services and their owners as well! Evelyn is co-owner of Austin Cat Sitters and has been part of every facet of the business. Evelyn is fluent in ASL and also works as an interpreter.
Henry The Cat was rescued from a kill shelter by Vox’s cousin who had seen the personality of a kitty that was unlike any other. As a young kitten Henry had digestive trouble and it was clear he would need specific care to help him adjust to eating normally.
While in the shelter Henry would drag around any object he deemed important. As Henry got older, the objects became stranger but Henry still would bring “gifts” to us. Henry was known for gifting pencils, socks, anything with string, and his most prized possessions, screwdrivers. Henry even caught a mouse, once… but that is a story for another time. As Henry aged he became known as Old Man Hank. He enjoyed eating, sleeping, and… well that is about it. Around 2013 we started to notice that something was wrong with our buddy. He was overeating and seeking out water constantly. He became lethargic and we brought him to the emergency animal hospital in Boston. Hank was diagnosed with kidney failure. Hank was very lucky to have exceptional care. His team at the hospital even featured him in one of their stories about kidney disease. We tried not let it get to his head though. The animal hospital trained us to administer Hank’s meds which became an important skillset in extending the quality of his life.
We traveled out of town often and because of Hank’s need for twice daily subcutaneous fluids, we needed a sitter who was skilled in cat care. We were thrilled when we found a veterinary technician who was willing to come to our home. This allowed us to travel knowing that Hank was in good care.
In 2014, prior to moving to Texas, we had to say goodbye to Hank. The logo is a nod to him and to all the other kitties who need medical care.
Vox VanDyke (owner) - Cat Counselor
Vox (he/him) has been a lover of animals his entire life. His first cat Hank is the inspiration for the business and logo. Vox moved to Austin in 2014 and has loved how animal crazy this city has been. He loves taking care of all kitties from the energetic crazy kittens to the cantankerous old cats and everyone in between. Vox is mostly in charge of the back end business operations and management but will jump in for visits when needed. Vox modeled the basics of this business after his years of experience as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Cat counseling costs extra.
Hank the logo
The Inception of Austin Cat Sitters
We often get asked how we decided to start Austin Cat Sitters and the answer is quite simple, we needed someone to sit our cats. After having such a wonderful cat sitter in Boston, we saw that there was a need for cat specific professional sitters in our new home in Austin, TX.