Meet Our Team of Professional In-Home Cat Sitters

Meet Our Team of Cat Professionals

Martin Burt, founder/owner since 1994

Martin and Leah are lifelong cat family members. They started Companion Keepers Cat Sitting in 1994. Right now they live with 5 feline family members. Our team of cat sitters depends on their wealth of experience being actively involved in the cat sitting business for 25+ years.

Martin finds his best fit as the household trouble-shooter and cat sitter within Companion Keepers. Sticky locks, a/c issues, and other household issues that can happen while you’re gone are assessed. Working with you, Martin oversees home issues and contacts your local contacts to assist or outside contractors to keep things safe and comfortable for your cats. In the event we can’t reach you right away, Martin makes the proper adjustments (i.e. turning off water or electric, securing broken locks) until professional help can be contacted. When everything is going smooth, which it normally does, Martin loves hanging out with your cats!

Emily, lead professional cat care specialist since
2017

“My favorite part of this job tends to be the diversity of cats, ranging from affectionate to cranky. I enjoy figuring out what makes each cat tick and what they enjoy the most. I think I'm pretty successful at reaching cats and making friends with them. But no matter what, I always try to exceed their expectations and that of their owners.”

Emily started her venture into cat ownership as a child. A big beautiful black cat wandered into her yard and Emily lovingly tried sharing her burrito with her new special friend. While Fang (as he was later named), didn’t think much of the burrito he did appreciate Emily’s love and companionship. Emily is owned by three full time indoor cats including household tyrant Angus who rules the domain. Emily has experience caring for her own senior kitties and volunteering with cats in various animal shelters. Emily also works in the library science field. Emily states, “Books and cats have always been my perfect mix.”

Takayo, professional cat care specialist since 2019

“I love meeting all kitties and developing friendships with them. It is such a joy to play with them and watch them go nuts! Also, when a shy kitty starts to warm up to me, it makes me so happy.”

Takayo met her best friend Mimi, a tortoiseshell, when she was attending fashion design school. Since then Takayo and Mimi were inseparable. It would have been a deal breaker if Mimi did not accept her husband, Brian. Fortunately, Brian is a huge animal lover and Mimi was OK with him.

Takayo has experience caring for young active cats as well as elderly kitties with renal decline. She’s a part-time floral designer and mommy to two black kitties, Nino and Evie, as well as a Rottweiler named Kuma who are all best buds.

Jenn, professional cat care specialist since 2020

Jenn had her first cat before she even started kindergarten and hasn't been without a furry companion ever since. She is a sucker for a kitty in need, from taking in a whole litter of kittens to random strays found in parking lots and bus stops. A bus stop is where she found the handsome Paco Pollo that you see in the picture here. He was a fearless kitten that she still needed to bottle feed and after 10 years he was the best friend she had to syringe feed and give subcutaneous fluids. After Paco passed, it was hard to think of getting another cat, but even harder to live without that cat bond, which is how she came about cat sitting for a friend who had to go out of state for work for a year. She has become the go-to in her circles for anything cat related. She and her husband now share their home with the very refined Madame Adalaide, silly goose Wilma, and their newest rescue, Dennis, the trouble maker. And of course, any cat that passes by looking for a little snack and some TLC.

Kari, professional cat care specialist since March 2022

“Cat happiness is my goal! I strive to, keep them feeling safe and content by following their routine, and caring about their Individual needs. I love to bond with different feline friends and provide top notch care just like I would for my own fur baby.”
As a kid Kari was allergic to cats but always loved to visit her grandmas “cranky” kitty Bella. Her grandma use to say “This girl needs a cat!”. And this was definitely true! Fortunately for Kari, she outgrew her allergy and found her beloved feline family member Meow Meow. Meow was found in the carport of her old home, and It was love at first sight! Kari worked with Meow to become more comfortable indoors and finally adopted her when she moved out of her moms house. Since then Meow has become the center of attention! Kari has learned so much about feline dental care and nutrition since meeting Meow Meow and has a passion for learning about feline health.

Martina, professional cat care specialist since 2022

"My favorite breed is rescue! I love discovering every cat's personality and then catering to their individual needs. It's important to communicate with cat parents while their away for peace of mind and then be welcomed home by happy, contented cats."

Martina started her love of cats as a child in Germany trying to bring her kitty inside a small apartment that did not allow indoor cats. As an adult, Martina relocated to the Florida Keys and owned the first and only motorcycle riding school in the Fl. Keys for 11 years. During that time, Martina fondly recalls rescuing Mäuschen (little Maus) a very petit Tabby and Dicker, a black & white Loverboy who had both been abandoned. Later, Mitzi-Katzi a feral kitten took almost 2 years to trust Martina enough to become an indoor cat and is a survivor of hurricanes Irma and Wilma.

Most recently, Emil, an 8-week-old black & white abandoned ball of fur adopted Martina and Mitz-Katzi here in San Antonio. Emil loves jumping very high, opening doors, and pushing things off counters. He is described as a charismatic, rouge cuddler, and life saver, for Mitzi-Katzi as well as Martina. And yes, both cats are bilingual!

Each member of our cat-savvy team is:

An experienced and current cat parent
Pet CPR and Pet Sitter certified through Pet Care Team Training ©
Supported by 25-years of professional cat sitting experience and knowledge
Fully vetted
Insured, bonded, and covered by Workers Compensation for your protection

Each Team member has completed:

Multi-phased interview process
Third-party professional screening service to evaluate for theft, drug use, safety, commitment,
Expanded 7 year background check including national criminal database search
Training and quality of service evaluations

Each team member receives:

Ongoing team support
Monthly educational material from Cornell University on feline health and behavioral topics

Each visit you’ll receive:

A GPS location + time-stamp mobile notification announcing your sitter’s arrival and departure.
A detailed account from your sitter about their visit, how your cats are, and how they interacted with us.
Photos and video clips of you cats in action during our visit

Safe Sitter Practices

New Clients we will:
Conduct most of our meet-and-greet procedures remotely utilizing online sign-up and video conferencing, finishing with a brief in-person meet-and-greet with you and your kitties. If you’re new to video conferencing don’t worry! We will help you with it. It’s kind of fun.
Keep key pick-up and in-person instruction to a minimum with you in your home
Wear a mask while in your home with you

During our care visit:
Wash or sanitize hands between each client visit
If you are ever home while we visit, wear a face mask
If a team member you are due to meet with has any flu-like symptoms, another team member is assigned