I'm Ilana

Enthusiastic Cat Lover

  • Enthusiastic Cat Lover
5.00
51 Reviews
< 15 mins Response Time
19 Repeat clients
Background-checked
Background-checked
50+ Meowtel reservations completed
50+ Meowtel reservations completed
Purrfect Planner
Purrfect Planner
Neighborhood Explorer
Neighborhood Explorer
Speedy Sitter/Quick Response Time
Speedy Sitter/Quick Response Time
Background Checked

Book With Confidence

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:

Litter box cleaning
Feeding
Water refresh
A text update with at least 1 photo
Playtime and belly rubs

Ilana is experienced with 1 type of medications

Oral Medication / Pills

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Enthusiastic Cat Lover

I'm Ilana

Cat Sitting in Fairfax, VA

Hi! I’m Ilana and I cannot wait to meet you and your feline companion. Throughout the years, I have done cat sitting for neighbors, family, and friends. I have grown up and taken care of cats all my life! Currently have an anxious cat and have learned how to navigate all of her fear based aggressive behaviors. I have a lot of experience working with anxious and fear based aggressiv... Hi! I’m Ilana and I cannot wait to meet you and your feline companion. Throughout the years, I have done cat sitting for neighbors, family, and friends. I have grown up and taken care of cats all my life! Currently have an anxious cat and have learned how to navigate all of her fear based aggressive behaviors. I have a lot of experience working with anxious and fear based aggressive cats. I have taken care of my own senior cats for years- so taking care of your senior feline friends comes naturally to me.

I can give oral medication (liquid and pills) as well (even the most anxious and skiddish cats) 🐱

Services I provide during a visit:
-scooping litter
-refilling water and food
-administering oral meds
-happy to check the mail and bring in any packages!

Learn More About Ilana

Do you have kitties yourself? What are their names?

I have a Siamese named Ember who is 13. She’s very anxious but warms up to many (on her terms).

What is your typical process for working with a new cat parent?

I will do a meet and greet as it is important for me to get to know how to take care of your cats. It also gives me an opportunity to meet them as well! I use the meet and greet as a way to get a better understanding of your cats and what their baseline is. I also make sure I know any of their feeding, medication routines as well as any other important information.

How do you handle cats that are particularly timid or anxious?

Having an anxious cat myself, I know trust and rapport goes a long way! Sometimes, anxious or timid cat may not come out of their hiding spot when I’m there (I’ll make sure i find them in the home). I’ll let the cat sniff my hand, be around me, and I will not pet unless they allow me to. I find that food can be helpful with anxious cats as well as just leaving them be. Cats set great boundaries- I make sure that I respect them!

Medication Experience:

Oral Medication / Pills
5.00
51 reviews
5.0
Attention to Detail
5.0
Communication
5.0
Tidiness
Stacey

Stacey

This month

During our meet and greet, Ilana alerted us to the heat wave that was going to occur while we were away, which enabled us to develop a much better care plan for our cat. She easily adapted to the new arrangements for Kitty and kindly brought in a bunch of packages that happened to arrive while we were gone. We loved the updates and photos that Ilana sent us daily and Kitty, who is a formerly feral cat who is not terribly affectionate seemed absolutely charmed by her. : )

Read more
Meowtel-verified reservation 1+ week long
Bethany

Bethany

This week

Appreciated the meet and great ahead of time. M cat is a scared little diva to new people; but Ilana still made sure to get me daily photos so I could see my kitty while away and provided daily updates of what she did while visiting. Peace of mind indeed!

Read more
Meowtel-verified reservation with drop-in visits
Caroline

Caroline

This month

Ilana is an amazing cat sitter! She’s incredibly attentive and clearly wonderful with cats—she even got our VERY shy cat to come out of hiding and warm up to her after just a few visits. We’ve never seen him warm up to someone he didn’t know so quickly! Her detailed updates and adorable photos gave us so much peace of mind while we were away, and we came home to two very happy, well-cared-for kitties. We’ll definitely be booking Ilana again!

Read more
Meowtel-verified reservation 1+ week long
Chris

Chris

December 15, 2025

We had an amazing experience with Ilana! She took such great care of our two cats and was incredibly attentive and reliable. One of them needs meds twice a day and she was excellent at making sure he got what he needed. We received frequent photo updates, which gave us so much peace of mind while we were away. It was clear our cats were comfortable, happy, and well cared for. Communication was excellent, and everything was exactly as we hoped for!. We would 100% trust her again and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a caring and dependable pet sitter.

Read more
Meowtel-verified reservation with drop-in visits
Garrett

Garrett

September 7, 2025

Ilana was the best! She sent 4-5 photos every day and a report on not only what she did but also the emotional and physical state of my cat. It made being away from my fur baby much easier. And for once, I didn’t get feline berated when I got home from a long trip!

Read more
Meowtel-verified reservation 1+ week long
Robyn

Robyn

This month

Ilana was great with our 3 cats. She was polite at the meet and greet and put her mind at ease. And for her visit, she was punctual and communicative. We appreciated her sharing pics of the kitties.

Read more
Meowtel-verified reservation with drop-in visits

Service Area & Availability

Drop in visits rates

$24.75 / 20min
$37.00 / 45min
$51.25 / 60min
Calendar updated 3 days ago

Ilana's is 10%

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Overnight Availability
Ilana's Holiday Surcharge Applies
Service Area Map

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Rating on
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4.9
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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.

Curious cat peeking over the banner

Labor Day is coming up soon (September 7th, 2026)

Cat sitters on Meowtel are usually pretty busy, don't forget to book your sitter!

Book ahead, cat sitters on Meowtel fill up fast for the holidays!

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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.

Fairfax cat sitting rates will vary based on the sitter's experience and services, but the average price is $31.00. 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 free 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 free Meet & Greet!

5.00
51 reviews
5.00
From $24.75

Free Cancellation (48+ hrs)