Frequent travelers have discovered a unique service in the Columbia area that can take a lot of worry out of any trip. Denise Cagle, a licensed, bonded and insured house sitter runs a company that will do everything from water your plants and get your mail to walking Rover and cleaning Fluffy’s litter box.

Cagle’s company, Housesitting by Denise, has been in business for 12 years and is distinctive to the Columbia area. She said her crews are all homeowners themselves, and they understand the worries that go with traveling, especially for people with pets.

“If you can imagine what an animal goes through while being boarded, you would probably cancel your trip,” she said. “The dog or cat is used to having the run of the whole house, but when you go out of town they are carted to a kennel and kept in a little cage and let out once or twice a day. They must feel like they are being punished.”

Cagle said her clients like knowing their pets are well tended, but her service goes beyond simply feeding the animals.

“We take care of the pets and clean up after them by washing their bowls and taking care of any accidents, but we also get your mail, bring in your paper, water your plants, turn televisions or radios on and off, and rotate your lights so would–be robbers always think someone is home.”

She said the sitters come at different times of the day, which also throws off potential intruders.

“They would never know when we’re coming so if they are targeting your home, they move on,” Cagle said.

Cagle’s customers are loyal, she said.

“We have mostly empty nesters and young professionals who travel for work or pleasure,” she said. “They can go away knowing their homes are secure, and their pets are not stressed out and feeling abandoned.”

Cagle said the true beauty of her service is that nothing changes for the pets. They stay in their normal environment and get to live their normal lives doing what they are used to doing.

Housesitting by Denise also will deal with any emergency that may come up during the homeowner’s vacation.

“One time the air in a house went out at the height of summer, and a cat was in the home,” she said. “It was so hot in that house that I was worried for the cat,” Cagle said. “There was an upstairs room over the garage with a window unit so I opened that door so the cat could get up there. When I called the owner, she gave me the okay to call the air conditioning service, and I met him to let him in and wait while he fixed the problem.”

Cagle said that extra effort was all “just part of the service.”

Cagle interviews her clients before taking the job. There are forms to fill out that include the names, breeds and ages of pets, as well the vet’s number. She also gets a list of emergency contact numbers and repair people.

“I want to be able to deal with anything that might come up so the person’s vacation isn’t interrupted or ruined,” she said.

Cagle said that she has cared for many types of pets over the years.

“We’ve taken care of dogs and cats of course, but there have been rabbits and turtles and iguanas and snakes too. We will do hamsters and gerbils and birds of all breeds,” she said.

She said that when a snake is in the deal, she always arranges for the owner to pre–feed it prior to the trip.

She said that livestock usually isn’t in the mix, but she wouldn’t rule it out.

“It’s hard to put a cow in a back yard in the city,” she said with a laugh.

With the holidays rapidly approaching, Cagle said that her service can guarantee a worry free trip or family visit.

“We get a lot of calls during the holidays as many people travel then,” she said. “But we still give the individual attention to each home and each animal. We don’t just run in and feed pets. We stay and play with them or take them on walks. Whatever their owners want is what we do. We can even arrange to spend the night with the pets.”

To use the service or get additional information, you can go to www.housesittingbydenise or call (803) 865-5058.