Joan’s Ark Pet Sitting & Services

Joan’s Ark Pet Sitting & Services is a 5 star business. Joan has been watching our cats for four years: she is a true animal lover and it shows in her work. While we are away, she not only feeds and tends to our cats, she plays with them to make sure they feel loved in our absence. She also leaves a detailed note about the animals during our absence i. e, Nacho was very cuddly and wanted to play. Peekaboo was more interested in sleeping. Like most pet owners, I am very protective of my animals and want to know they are well cared for in my absence. It is truly a comfort to know that Joan is with them – not only does she provide top notch service; she provides me with a peace of mind when I am gone. Can’t say enough good things about her. She is the best!

A friend of ours recommended that Joan look after our cat while we were on vacation and I couldn’t be more pleased with Joans’ service. We coordinated a time to meet so that we could go over all the details, provide Joan with keys and have her meet Callie. Callie is an older gal and although she would likely be perfectly fine while we were gone, we needed someone we could trust to come in, feed her and give her some attention. All communication was done via text and email and we set something up fairly quickly. We planned on being out of town for only 5 days but due to winter storm Jonas, our flights were cancelled and we were not able to get home until the 8^th day. We immediately reached out to see if Joan could come through one extra day and she said it wouldn’t be a problem at all. We were able to Paypal Joan her fee so she wouldn’t have to wait for our return. While we were away Joan sent us pictures of Callie and gave us an update. Joan also waters your plants and takes in the mail! I will absolutely be using her services again when we go out of town. When we arrived at home Callie looked great and didn’t seem too mad we were gone so long :)
We are so glad we found Joan’s Pet Sitting.

Joan has been taking care of my two cats for several years now. She is by far the best catsitter I have ever worked with. The first time she came to meet my cats, she made careful notes on them and I have never had to remind her of anything since. She is responsive to emails arranging for care, and is flexible when arrangements change. My cats are always relaxed and happy when I return from a trip, and I can tell that they have been getting attention in addition to feeding. I’m very happy with her and can wholeheartedly recommend her services.

We’ve worked with a number of petsitters over the years, Joan is by far the best, and she’s the only petsitter I’ve used for my cat since moving to Astoria a few years ago. Just a few things to note.
1) The most important qualities I expect in a pet-​sitter are reliability and communication. Joan is exceptional at both of these: Whenever we contact her to arrange petsitting, she gets back to me immediately to reconfirm dates and times. If anything comes up while we’re away, she’s always just a phone call or text or email away. (Like that time we were delayed coming home from a trip because of a snowstorm – Joan was right there on the phone to reassure me she would continue caring for my kitty for an extra couple of days until I could return. This was at Christmastime, certainly her busiest time of year.)
2) She’s extremely caring and sweet with her client pets. I’ve had her come over to help me give liquid medication to my cat when my husband was out of town and I wasn’t sure I could do it on my own. She’s was wonderfully gentle and kind, helping keep my kitty calm and distracted while I fumbled with the dropper. I could not have done it without her!
3) She’s flexible and compassionate with pet owners too! Last summer I had her come in and take care of my cat when we went out of town for a few days. Of course, without any advance warning and with us out of town, that was the week my landlord chose to change the front door lock! Joan didn’t skip a beat — she tracked down the super, got a new key for herself and for us, and continued taking great care of our cat.
4) Joan gives our cat all of the care and attention he could want. Our kitty is a friendly boy and likes a lot of cuddles and playtime. Joan makes sure he gets plenty of attention, and when we come home from a trip he’s always as relaxed and happy as if we had taken care of him ourselves.
Joan is the best as far as I’m concerned. A+ I’m so grateful we found her!

Based on her excellent reviews and thoroughness during our consultation, I felt comfortable hiring Joan to take care of my cat for a few days over Thanksgiving weekend. When I got back I expected my cat to greet me at the door as usual, but she was crouched on the floor and her vocalizations were strained. I found her water bowl almost empty (with no damp rug to indicate a spill), the food dish picked totally clean, all the cans of food I’d left stacked as I’d left them (no empties added to the recycling bin), the trash empty except for what I’d put there the day I left, and the litter box had clearly not been scooped in days.
When I spoke to her Joan maintained that she had made daily visits. During this same conversation she appeared to have me confused with a different client — she thought I would be returning a day later and alluded to difficulty giving my cat medication (my cat isn’t on any medications). Right away, my normally finicky cat devoured the food I put down for her — odd, considering that going by her incorrect return date, Joan should have made a visit earlier that day.
My cat is fine. Please look elsewhere for pet sitting services, though, I don’t want anyone else to come home to a scare like I did.

I lived in Queens for three years and had my first cat and many fosters. My job requires me to travel frequently, sometimes a weekend every month. During those times Joan has always been professional and went above and beyond what she needed to do as a pet sitter. Sometimes I had to foster troubled cats who were so shy they hid all day, or others that became aggressive if you came too close. Throughout all of them Joan never once complained, and kept me updated on their well-​being and sent me photos. She has also gifted me with books, and once when I forgot to pay for a day she graciously said it was «on the house». She also brings in the mail and refills my ice tray. Once my cat got sick off his dry food and would throw up frequently, and another time I had a foster with chronic diarrhea who would leave unpleasant watery surprises on near every surface of the house, and through it all Joan cleaned it all up without complaint. I highly recommend her services, and am so glad I chose Joan to take care of my cat and myriad of fosters.

I consider Joan an extended member of my family (only one I hardly get to see, since she always comes when I’m gone). Joan has taken great care of my furry babies for the past 10 years in all sorts of different scenarios. She earned the trust and love of my cat Diva, who was incredibly shy and liked very few people. She has provided care in moments of normalcy, as in just giving her fresh food and water and love when I traveled, to more serious care, including insulin shots when she became diabetic later in life. I was always hold Joan in highest regard because she was also there (by choice, not even by assignment) in my kitty’s last hours when my friend was watching her and she became ill (I couldn’t get home because a hurricane that closed the roads).
Joan is a sweetheart and a true animal lover. She has been with us through three different homes and two different cats spanning more than a decade. She’s always respectful of our home, including going above and beyond and bringing our mail in and leaving notes about our kitty’s progress.
I highly recommend her for entrusted care with your pets.

I would like to start by saying that I have never written a negative review on Unilocal,but after the lack of professionalism I have experienced with Joan, I feel compelled to speak up.
I am not a frequent user of pet sitting services– I have one cat, and every so often go out of town for a few days. Today I returned from a weekend away to a note, written illegibly on the BACK OF AN ENVELOPE stating that Joan was no longer willing to pet sit for my cat because she has been «aggressive lately.» I believe this to be very unprofessional; I would expect at least an email or a phone call, but she failed to do either. I do understand that it is well within her right to terminate services whenever she feels it is appropriate, but to do so on the back of an envelope is disrespectful and inappropriate.
Beyond this, I would expect that if my cat’s behavior has changed, or is acting aggressively when that is not her known baseline, that I would be properly informed in order to handle this appropriately with her vet. I have never known my cat to be aggressive toward anyone (stranger or otherwise). Furthermore, for her to say that she has been acting aggressively «lately» implies that she noted a change in behavior during prior visits and had knowingly not informed me of this.
Furthermore, she left my apartment UNLOCKED, which is unsafe and unsettling. Despite returning my keys, there is a way to lock the door without a key so that you do not leave an apartment open to theft. Furthermore, in the time that she had been pet sitting for my cat, I have had two fish die while under her care. While the lives of fish are more fragile than other animals, after the noted unprofessionalism of her recent behavior, this cannot go unnoticed.
I’m a reasonable person and am hoping (due to the positive reviews on this site) that for more frequent users of her services, she is more appropriate. In my case, I was extremely unimpressed with her services and WOULD NOT RECOMMEND her. There are plenty of other options; use those. In my experience, her quality of service is average at best, so you might as well try someone else first. Even if their prices are more expensive, I would pay a dollar or two more to know that my pet and apartment are well taken care of. Some other options to look into:

Joan is a treasure. We have trusted our pets with Joan for years and I don’t know what we would do without her. You could not ask for a better friend to your pet. Unquestionably reliable, capable, compassionate… we cannot recommend her highly enough. Even for special needs – she has had to administer subcutaneous fluids to one of our cats – Joan can be depended on for her competence, professionalism, and integrity.
Thank you Joan!

I lived in Astoria for 7 years and it was a true godsend when I found Joan. At the time, my Brenden and Tiny needed care and while I had the option of boarding facilities, I can tell you that pet-​sitters are the much better choice and Joan, she is the best pet-​sitter around. She took wonderful care of my dogs when I worked late, had engagements or went away for vacation. She is reliable, responsible, and communicative with emails, notes, and pictures. I was never concerned about the safety and care of my Brenden and Tiny when Joan was caring for them. She is excellent. My furkids just loved her! She was my pet sitter for six years. When I left New York, I missed having someone like Joan. When I returned to New York four yrs after I had left, the first thing I did was contact her to arrange sitting again. Bottom line is this. I love my dogs tremendously. And if Joan had been anything less than reasonable, caring, and reliable, I wouldn’t have enlisted her service for as long as I did. The fact that I contacted her when I returned to New York speaks volumes. I have since moved back to Chicagoland to be near family, and I’ll tell ya, great pet sitters are few and far btwn. Joan is one of the few.
I couldn’t help but notice the review by Michelle R. It’s unfortunate that she had a bad experience but I encourage folks to be their own judge. If you’re looking for reliable and caring service, contact Joan. You’ll see for yourself whether those of us leaving five-​star reviews are on the mark or not. Many thanks.

Joan is great, I have used her ever since I moved to Astoria 6 years ago. I have two large very active dogs, one of which is diabetic and Joan has always done great. She’s caring, can give injections, and is loyal to her customers. She always responds to inquiries, and tries to work with you even if you give short notice. Your pets will be in good hands.

Truly an excellent catsitter. Joan is quick to respond to requests and never needs to be reminded of a visit. She probably cleans the litterbox better than we do. We trust Joan 100% and always look forward to her notes when we get home.

Joan took care of our cat for a week while we are away in Italy. She came in for a consultation, took notes about what our cat needed and collected our keys. Since this was our first time getting a pet sitter, we were a bit wary about having a stranger in our apartment. Joan was professional and even took care of our hermit crabs. When we got back we could tell our cat was well taken care of. We would use her services again.
Thanks Joan.

It’s just absolutely pathetic that Joan is still is lying about my payment and how horrible she spoke to me and her insane actions. You are absurd. I did not take 9 months to pay you. I paid you in full for your horrible services and tipped you an additional amount to get rid of you from my apartment immediately. You are a liar and you still do not own up to your horrific and uprofessional behavior. You also never returned the keys to my apartment and I had to change my locks.
The truth is that all of the reveiws on this site are posted after my review and you have probably begged half of them to post a positive review for you. I would not waste my time if none of this was true. I don’t have time for people like you but I stand by my review and that is the only reason why I even bother. Stop being a liar and trying to insult me because you and I know exactly how horrific you were. Yelling and screaming and cursing and threatining to assault me in front of my 8 year old niece with absolutely no reason at all. You are the one that is delusional and insane.

I have used Joan of Ark Pet Sitting for years!!! Joan is a wonderful woman, she comes to your house and gets to know your pets, their needs, and yours. She is extremely thorough and reliable, and I always come home to a happy kitty!!! I highly recommend her service, you will not be disappointed. She sat for me when I had a bunny 7 years ago, and when I reached out to her a few years later to watch my cat, she totally remembered me and all the details of my former pets! I also recently needed her to watch our cat last min and she made sure it was all taken care of without hesitation-​she is truly awesome and your pets couldn’t be in better hands!

My partner and I have been using Joan’s Arc to walk our pup for a year now. It has been great. Joan’s son Edgar walks her and, having seen them together, its obvious my girl feels comfortable with him and is eager to go for her walks with Edgar.
Just recently, while on one her walks, a neighbor dog got loose from it yard and attacked my girl. Edgar’s quick actions and cool head kept her safe and well. If it weren’t for his decisive and quick response I know my pup would have been hurt physically and emotionally. I cannot express how thankful I am to have such a professional and caring dog walker.
We highly recommend Joan’s Arc for you pet walking and care needs!

I write this review as a customer of five years’ standing. When my wife and I began using Joan’s Ark, we had two cats. Now we have eight.
I honestly cannot recommend Joan highly enough. She is professional, organized, accessible, and bursting with love for animals. We travel quite a bit, and it is only our absolute confidence in Joan’s care for our beloved animals that allows us to do so. We have availed ourselves of her services dozens of times, including a number of overnight stays (during which Joan is the perfect houseguest, incidentally). She is absolutely the best.
Our cats can be a handful; there are eight of them, after all! They are all rescues, and some of them have demanding regimens with regard to medication and diet. Joan always follows our instructions to the letter, and she is so good with animals that we never worry that a sick cat will miss a dose or that a fussy eater won’t get the right type of food.
I almost never write Unilocal reviews, but I am breaking silence here because the quality of Joan’s Ark Pet Sitting deserves special mention. If you are Astoria-​local and looking for someone to look after your babies – be they feline, canine, avian, reptilian, or whatever – Joan will treat them with the same attention to their needs that you would yourself. Higher praise than that I can’t give.

Joan has been caring for my cats when I’m away for over 7 years, and she is amazing on ever possible level. I never have to worry when she’s taking care of my little buddies, because she’s 100% reliable, accommodating, and absolutely wonderful with them. Over the course of 7 years, I have been impressed over and over again with her services and her genuine love of animals. She is one of the best pet care professionals out there. I am so grateful to have her, and I wish I could give her a million stars on Unilocal

Joan is fantastic. My seven-​year old Australian Shepherd, Lily, is slightly anxious so instead of boarding her or hiring someone to walk her I typically don’t go out of town. Joan answered my email request for information immediately and came over two days later to meet Lily and I.
I was extremely nervous to leave Lily all day this past Saturday so I sent Joan a text message around the time we agreed she would come over. She told me all about her walk with Lily and eased all my worries. When I returned home, I realized that Joan had left me a note detailing how the walk went — she noted that she used the words we discussed that Lily knew and I felt so happy to have found someone reliable to work with my anxious pup.
Joan is so professional and I couldn’t be happier with her services. Thanks Joan!

I’m surprised to see only a negative review here, with all the good ones filtered, because my experiences with Joan have been nothing but positive. I’ve used her catsitting services on and off for the 4 years I’ve lived in Astoria and I would recommend her without hesitation (in fact, I have — several times).
Joan is so reliable and accommodating, and I know my cats are well cared for whenever I’m away. Even last-​minute requests over the holidays or when I get stranded somewhere half a world away are responded to quickly and cheerfully! Even if a friend offers, I still stick with Joan because I know I can depend on her and don’t need to worry.