Cat sitting in Barking and Dagenham, London

Barking and Dagenham sits in east London between Newham and Havering, with the Thames along its southern edge. Much of it was built between the wars, when the Becontree Estate, once the largest council estate in the world, covered Dagenham with streets of terraced houses and small back gardens. Barking has older Victorian terraces around the town centre, and there are large new developments at Barking Riverside and near the stations. So many cats here have a garden to explore, often through a cat flap, and share it with foxes, while those in the flats and new blocks, or near the A13 and the A406, are more likely to be kept indoors. Parsloes Park, Mayesbrook Park and the Chase nature reserve give the borough plenty of green space. Most visits start at a front door or a keysafe, with fob entry in newer blocks, so it helps to describe the way in on your Care Card and send any codes to your sitter in the booking chat once they've accepted. With the District and Hammersmith & City lines, the Overground and c2c trains, a local sitter can get between visits easily.