I recently discovered that my house cleaner, Shannon Westcott of Shiny Bright (402-5451) is very attuned to shy cats. Not only does she transform my house into a sparkling clean place, while she is here she is careful to not startle my shy & anxious cats. I can highly recommend Shannon (and Ruby, who works with her) to anyone who wants help keeping their house clean and is concerned about how their shy or anxious cat or dog would react.
Photo by Luigi Chiesa
A few years ago I met Shannon at a party and found out that she cleans using non-toxic, environmentally friendly products. After chatting with her for a bit, I decided to give her a call and enlist her help in keeping my house clean. I’ve never had this kind of help before and it felt indulgent at first. But I got used to it pretty quick! I mean, yeah, I can do my own cleaning, but I’d rather spend my time with animals. So I don’t mind working an extra few hours a month so I can pay someone else to spend that same amount of time cleaning my house.
Shannon often leaves little notes and sometimes tells me about how the cats interact with her. One evening as we talked on the phone to arrange a time for her to come by, we started talking about the cats. Until we had that conversation, I didn’t know how their visits impacted the cats. I imagined my two shy cats cowering in a corner somewhere, hiding from the intruders.
Not so! It turns out that Shannon has a handful of her own cats, all rescued and some quite shy. She knows very well that sudden moves and loud noises startle them. So she’s been very patient with my cats. Shannon understands that each of my cat has special needs and she is careful to work around that… When she knows where they are, she first vacuums rooms far away from them… (Smart, eh?) She softly reassures them if she needs to clean near their hiding places…Â Suffice it to say that I’m really glad I met Shannon & Ruby and I know my cats don’t freak out when she’s here.
Shannon & Ruby also get a kick out of Emma, who likes to get involved in everything happening in the house. Shannon giggles when we talk about Miss Emma’s antics and I know little Em enjoys their visits.
Call Shannon if you’re looking for someone to clean your place who is sensitive to the unique needs of shy dogs and cats and/or who uses environmentally friendly products: Shannon Westcott (and Ruby) of Shiny Bright: 402-5451.
(Note: I do not accept payment for mentions or reviews of products and services that I write about on this site.)
I just found out that one of my clients also has a house cleaning business.
Annie Ring
360-427-5537
Annie & her husband currently have 2 dogs and 8 cats, all rescued. Annie has been volunteering with animal rescue organizations for many years and clearly understands how some dogs and cats are affected by living such difficult lives before they’re adopted into loving homes.
Annie lives in Shelton and works primarily in the Shelton area, but comes to Olympia from time-to-time and is open to working with people in the Oly area.