I'm Dorcena
Nena's Exceptional Cat Care
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Meowtel provides customer support 365 days a year to help cat parents feel informed and supported at every step - including before a reservation is made.
In-home cat sitting visits typically include:
Dorcena is experienced with 5 types of medications
Check if Dorcena services your area
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I'm Dorcena
Cat Sitting in Philadelphia, PA
I have been caring for cats over the last 15+ years. I have experience with cats along the full spectrum from kittens to seniors, friendly to spicy, healthy to special needs. I am active in animal rescue, specifically fostering kittens and local TNR efforts.
I'm well-versed in animal behavior and know when to respect their boundaries. If their eyes, ears, or tail tell me they need space, I will always listen! I always offer playtime and as much stimulation as I can during our reservation... Hello fellow cat parents! My name is Dorcena, but my friends call me Nena. Growing up, I always had a special connection to cats, and now I get to be obsessed with yours!
I have been caring for cats over the last 15+ years. I have experience with cats along the full spectrum from kittens to seniors, friendly to spicy, healthy to special needs. I am active in animal rescue, specifically fostering kittens and local TNR efforts.
I'm well-versed in animal behavior and know when to respect their boundaries. If their eyes, ears, or tail tell me they need space, I will always listen! I always offer playtime and as much stimulation as I can during our reservation. I can administer injections, topical and oral medications, and am very willing to learn other techniques needed to care for them.
Their safety and comfort are my top priorities. I take the utmost care when entering and exiting your home, and ensure everything is exactly how you left it. If I see anything that seems amiss or that you forgot to mention I will communicate everything with you and care for your home and your cats as if they were mine.
I have my own transportation so, in case of an emergency, I'm able to transport them to their normal vet or nearest emergency room. I always worry about my animals when I am away, so I am very communicative and always send photos and updates.
I am a current cat mom to Meowington, Duke, and our very shy but oh so sweet tripod Daisy.
I look forward to meeting you and your crew!
Learn More About Dorcena
What is your experience with cat sitting, and how long have you been doing it?
I have been caring for cats since I was a child, but have been doing it professionally for over 15 years.
Do you have kitties yourself? What are their names?
I have 3 kitties! Meowington who comes with his own soundtrack of yowls, chirps, trills, and SO many meows. Then we have our bonded pair Duke and Daisy. We originally were looking for a third kitty after our senior cat passed away who was Meowington's good buddy. Duke was the perfect guy, and he came with a bonus kitty Daisy. She is a tripod missing her front left leg after a human-inflicted injury. She was pretty afraid when she came to us, but after a lot of patience and TLC, she's right at home.
Are you usually available during holidays?
Generally, yes! My family usually stays in Philly during the holidays, so I'm usually able to pop in for kitty care without any issues. Schedule availability around a bigger holiday like Christmas may be more limited (so make sure you book those visits ahead of time!) but I'm happy to spend Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years cuddling with your kitty crew!
Medication Experience:
Skills:
In-home cat sitting visits typically include:
Dorcena is experienced with 5 types of medications
Check if Dorcena services your area
Unfortunately, Dorcena does not cover your area right meow.
Jess
September 26, 2025
Nena was such an amazing sitter — She shared lots of updates while we were away, dedicated time to play with our younger cat and made sure no one felt too lonely since we need to separate them while away.
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Julia
April 12, 2025
Dorcena is a fantastic communicator and very dependable. She clearly knows a lot about caring for cats and I appreciated that she made sure to get eyes on my car each day if he didn't come greet her. I will be booking her in the future.
Read more
Marissa
July 10, 2025
Nena was very professional and clearly knows cats! Our boys were excited to see her and she was great trying to make them comfortable despite the fireworks going off nearby.
Read more
Allison
June 3, 2025
She was amazing with our kitties, she left very detailed notes on how they’re doing and gave us a peace of mind while we were away. She went above and beyond meeting our shy cats.
Read more
Kristine
July 14, 2025
As always, Dorcena was amazing! She took great care of two cats who couldn’t be more different. Her photos and reports were always reassuring, and she took special care to give Phoebe lots of love and attention, while giving Pete his space.
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Julia
February 13, 2024
Dorcena is the best Meowtel sitter I have had!! She gave me updates everyday, made sure my cats didn't destroy my apartment, and also spent ample time meeting my kitties before and playing with them during the visit. Dorcena went above and beyond caring for my kitties. She it's truly the kindest most caring sitter 😊 I would 100% recommend her!!
Read moreResponse from Dorcena
Thank you for the kind words, Julia! Miso and Frankie are the sweetest and I hope to visit them again ❤️
Read moreService Area & Availability
Drop in visits rates
Dorcena's is 20%
Holiday Surcharge
Due to high demand during holidays, sitters on Meowtel have the option to set their own holiday price increase, which can be found in the rates section of their profiles. If your reservation falls within three (3) days before and/or after a federal holiday, or on the holiday itself, a holiday surcharge, determined by your sitter, will be added to your reservation.
These are the date ranges in 2026 to which the holiday surcharge applies:
- January 1-4: New Year's 2026
- January 16-22: MLK Day
- February 13-19: Presidents Day
- May 22-28: Memorial Day
- June 16-22: Juneteenth
- July 1-7: July 4th
- September 4-10: Labor Day
- October 9-15: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day
- November 8-14: Veterans Day
- November 23-29: Thanksgiving
- December 22-28: Christmas
- December 29-31: New Year's 2027
Dorcena's holiday surcharge is 20%.
Communicate & Pay Through Meowtel
Using Meowtel's messaging and payment tools helps keep booking details in one place and gives you access to platform support if you need help.
325,000+
Reservations Completed
Trust & Safety
Every reservation is backed by the Meowtel Promise, giving you and your cat world-class customer support every step of the way.
If it doesn't feel like the right fit at the Meet & Greet, or if you have any concerns during the reservation, please call 1-844-MEOWTEL (1-844-636-9835) so we can help you re-book with another sitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reservations officially begin at 12:00 AM in the sitter's time zone on the start date. Cat Parents may cancel within 24 hours of booking and receive a full refund, as long as the reservation has not yet started. After the first 24 hours, the following cancellation rules apply:
- More than 48 hours before the reservation start date: Full refund. The sitter will not receive any earnings.
- 24–48 hours before the reservation start date: 50% refund. The sitter will earn 50% of their planned earnings.
- Within 24 hours of the reservation start date (or after it has begun): No refund. The sitter will earn 100% of their planned earnings.
All refunds are initially applied to the Cat Parent's Meowtel Account Balance for use toward a future reservation or tip. Funds may be returned to the original payment method at any time.
Meowtel is a marketplace that connects cat parents with independent sitters. For eligible reservations booked and paid for through Meowtel, the Meowtel Promise explains how we support cat parents if something unexpected comes up.
If it doesn't feel like a purrfect fit after a Meet & Greet or during a reservation, our support team is here to help at 1-844-Meowtel (1-844-636-9835). We'll take time to understand what happened and help you consider next steps, which could include help with a new reservation.
Philadelphia cat sitting rates will vary based on the sitter's experience and services, but the average price is $26.00. Prices depend on visit duration (20, 45, or 60 minutes) and whether you need drop-in visits or overnight stays.
Every cat sitter on Meowtel completes a background check. Ask your sitter about a Meet & Greet so you (and your kitties!) can feel comfortable with your sitter before you leave.
Cats are territorial animals and don't do well in new environments. The presence of other cats, dogs, and even birds in kennels or animal hotels cause an immense amount of stress. This is why Meowtel was created, so tailored in-home care is brought to you.
We recommend booking daily visits to keep your cats in their routine and help minimize feline anxiety while you're away.
Each visit typically includes: feeding, refreshing water bowls, litter box scooping, tidying up, medications, updates with photos, lots of playtime, and any special requests. Ask your sitter about a Meet & Greet!
Rating breakdown
Jess
September 26, 2025
Nena was such an amazing sitter — She shared lots of updates while we were away, dedicated time to play with our younger cat and made sure no one felt too lonely since we need to separate them while away.
Julia
April 12, 2025
Dorcena is a fantastic communicator and very dependable. She clearly knows a lot about caring for cats and I appreciated that she made sure to get eyes on my car each day if he didn't come greet her. I will be booking her in the future.
Marissa
July 10, 2025
Nena was very professional and clearly knows cats! Our boys were excited to see her and she was great trying to make them comfortable despite the fireworks going off nearby.
Allison
June 3, 2025
She was amazing with our kitties, she left very detailed notes on how they’re doing and gave us a peace of mind while we were away. She went above and beyond meeting our shy cats.
Kristine
July 14, 2025
As always, Dorcena was amazing! She took great care of two cats who couldn’t be more different. Her photos and reports were always reassuring, and she took special care to give Phoebe lots of love and attention, while giving Pete his space.
Julia
February 13, 2024
Dorcena is the best Meowtel sitter I have had!! She gave me updates everyday, made sure my cats didn't destroy my apartment, and also spent ample time meeting my kitties before and playing with them during the visit. Dorcena went above and beyond caring for my kitties. She it's truly the kindest most caring sitter 😊 I would 100% recommend her!!
Response from Dorcena
Thank you for the kind words, Julia! Miso and Frankie are the sweetest and I hope to visit them again ❤️
Megan
May 13, 2024
This was my first time using Meowtel and it was super quick and easy to find a cat-sitter. Dorcena was amazing! We set up a meet n’ greet before my trip and I felt so good about leaving Tuna in her care, it was very clear that Dorcena has a lot of knowledge and experience with cats. Dorcena sent me updates that were easy to check on Meowtel and I will definitely be contacting her again for future cat-sittings! Tuna is a shy cat but he loved Dorcena and was super comfortable and playful with her!
Erin
June 25, 2024
Dorcena (a.k.a. Nena) provided the highest level of care to my cat Wren. I received daily pictures and videos of how she was doing, comments on regularity of eating, drinking, and toilet activity, and updates on her general well-being. The instructions I gave her were followed to a tee. Would definitely recommend her to any cat loving people, as she is one herself.
Kristine
July 8, 2024
Dorcena was wonderful! She charmed my cat who craves attention but can be shy and devoted a lot of time to her, as well as giving great updates. Both cats were relaxed when I got home. I’ll definitely see if she’s available when I need to travel again.
Julia
August 10, 2025
I've used Dorcena several times now and every time has been great. She is dependable and great at making sure she gets eyes on my shy-ish cat every visit. I will be using her again for my next trip.
Ben
March 17, 2025
Dorcena came to watch our two lil guys for a week with very little notice. She’s very professional, personal, and the cats love her! She has become our go to in Philly!
Caitlin
March 9, 2024
Dorcena was fantastic and took great care of Frank! She spent extra time with him and gave him lots of love and affection and provided great updates. I really recommend and will definitely have her look after Frank again!
Ellen
July 7, 2025
Dorcena (Nena) was excellent at taking care of our kitties and plants while we were gone. She sent adorable pictures, made sure all our living things thrived despite our absence, and we couldn’t be happier with her work.
Alexandria
January 2, 2025
Dorcena is an amazing cat sitter. She charmed our shy kitties, which is not an easy task!! Also, really appreciated the updates and photos. 10/10 recommend
Ellen
December 7, 2025
We all love Nena!
Lacy
December 3, 2025
Even despite hiccups with key access, Dorcena manages to stay on top of everything and takes such great care of my kitties. We love her so much!
Kenneth
December 2, 2025
Unfortunately, this cat-sitting experience didn't go too well. I made a reservation for 45 minutes for 4 days. Water, dry food, and litter are automated so there's not a lot to do; just make sure nothing broke and put out the daily wet food. I select 45 minutes because my cat gets lonely. I specifically ask the sitters to play with the cat and keep her company for a bit. This sitter only stayed about 45 minutes on one day. They spent 30 minutes on one and 15-20 on the other two. On two of the days they brought a toddler and another adult (different one each day). I didnt authorize these extra people in advance and my house is not toddler-proof. When I returned from my trip, I found a number of things taken apart or misplaced. I found accent pillows tossed behind the couch, tools under the chair, a cat toy that had been disassembled and left on the floor in a way not possible for the cat to do. I reviewed, the limited security footage I have, and picked up some of the toddler getting into things seemingly unsupervised, and one of the unidentified adults tossing the pillows around, etc. On the one day the sitter was there for 45 minutes, I observed that they just watched TV instead of interacting with the cat. I'm not even sure where the cat was. I'm not sure how well my cat will do with small children. There were a few other things, but this was the gist of my experience. Nothing appears to have been stolen, but I'm definitely not comfortable with groups of unidentified people coming into my house. This was really unfortunate as I have used two other sitters from Meowtel (unavailable for this reservation) who have done an excellent job.
Julia
November 23, 2025
Ellen
November 11, 2025
Our kitties love Nena! She does a great job with them and the house.
Nick
October 31, 2025
Allison
October 20, 2025
George
October 19, 2025
Lauren
October 17, 2025
Sarah
October 13, 2025
Laura
September 28, 2025
Honestly she is an amazing catsitter! My cat loved her!
Allison
September 13, 2025
William
September 8, 2025
Lacy
September 3, 2025
Emily
September 3, 2025
Kathryn
September 2, 2025
Alexandria
September 2, 2025
As always, Dorcena was amazing! The kitties love her!
Julia
August 27, 2025
Great as usual!
Lacy
August 22, 2025
Ellen
August 8, 2025
Dorcena (Nena) is an excellent kitty-sitter. She is totally reliable, friendly, and our cats love her.
Anamika
August 6, 2025
Elsbeth
August 6, 2025
John
August 3, 2025
Ellen
July 22, 2025
Christina
July 22, 2025
Loved having Dorcena take care of our two cats! Great updates and pics!
Melissa
July 15, 2025
Nick
July 10, 2025
Alexandria
July 6, 2025
As always, Dorcena is the best! the kitties were beyond well cared for!!
Jeremy
June 16, 2025
Elsbeth
June 16, 2025
Dorcena was AMAZING and took such great care of our cats while we were away. Will definitely retain her again for the next time we go away.
Lacy
June 16, 2025
Ellen
June 16, 2025
John
June 11, 2025
Dorcena sent amazing pictures and videos and my cat was very comfortable with her😊I would absolutely book her again!
Julia
May 19, 2025
George
May 10, 2025
Christine
April 12, 2025
Dorcena provided the best possible care for Stevie and Neko who are each on special diets and are getting older. Thanks to Dorcena’s special care, love, and playtime, they thrived while we were away! We are so grateful!
Melissa
March 18, 2025
Marie
March 18, 2025
Kristine
January 17, 2025
John
January 2, 2025
Caitlin
October 14, 2024
Dorcena is an amazing cat sitter, quick to respond and great with Frank!
Christine
August 30, 2024
Saron
August 29, 2024
Dorcena took great care of my shy kitty! I appreciated the updates as well as knowing when to give Oreo her space.
Christine
July 20, 2024
We can leave our girls with peace of mind that they are in Docena’s competent and loving care. She follows all instructions to the letter and is so informative and responsive. We adore her!
Jane
July 3, 2024
Christine
June 21, 2024
Dorcena is such a caring pet professional - she kept us informed, bonded with Neko and Stevie, and was always available.
Christine
April 28, 2024
Dorcena (Nena) was the ultimate pet professional (responsive, knowledgeable, kind and competent) and formed an attachment with our "golden girls" (Neko and Stevie) from the very start. Thanks tons, Nena!
Julia
April 12, 2024
Lauren
April 10, 2024
Emily
April 9, 2024
Nena went above and beyond taking care of my senior cat. She will be my first choice next time I need a sitter.
Response from Dorcena
Thank you so much ❤️ Mr. Boo was truly a delight! I know you're going to give him such a wonderful life.
Meowtel
January 5, 2024
Dorcena is a background-checked cat sitter in the Philadelphia area. Their profile has been verified and their references have been checked by Meowtel.