Waltham Forest runs north from Leyton and Leytonstone through Walthamstow to Highams Park and Chingford, with the Lea Valley on one side and Epping Forest on the other. Much of it is streets of late-Victorian and Edwardian terraces, many split into upstairs and downstairs flats, and a lot of the houses in Leyton date from 1870 to 1910. Further north, Highams Park and Chingford have more semis with long gardens. So a good share of cats here have outdoor access, often through a cat flap into gardens that back onto each other, and they share them with foxes. Those in the upstairs flats, the newer blocks around Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road, and the estates near the A12 and Lea Bridge Road are more likely to be kept in. Most visits start at a front door or a keysafe rather than a concierge, so it helps to describe exactly where the key is kept on your Care Card and send any codes to your sitter in the booking chat. The Victoria and Central lines and the Overground make it easy for a local sitter to fit visits around their day.
Neighbourhoods
Leyton, Leytonstone, Walthamstow, Walthamstow Village, Blackhorse Road, Higham Hill, Highams Park, Chingford, Wood Street
Homes and access
Terraces and conversions across much of the borough; semis with longer gardens in the north; newer blocks and estates near the main roads. Front doors and keysafes are the norm.
Nearby vets
Goddard Veterinary Group Walthamstow, Walthamstow Village (24-hour care at Wanstead Veterinary Hospital nearby)
Palmerston Veterinary Group, 7 Wyatts Lane, E17 3JD
The Pet Vet, Walthamstow and Highams Park
Local cat welfare
RSPCA and Cats Protection branches covering east London
Celia Hammond Animal Trust, Canning Town (nearby)
Vet details are provided as local information and may change. Please confirm with the practice before an emergency.
How a visit will work
Food, medication, litter, hiding places. It becomes the Care Card your sitter works from.
Chat with a sitter near you before you book, so you both know what the visits involve.
Sitters are expected to send a message and photo after each visit.
Each sitter sets their own rate. You pay it plus a 10% booking fee, and you see the full amount before you book.
How are CatSitz sitters checked?
Every CatSitz sitter will have their identity verified, and a person will review every profile before it goes live. It is not a background or criminal record check.