Lydia

After 3 years of living and working in London, Lydia decided to leave the fast-paced city life behind and return to her hometown of Stamford — a move that ultimately led to the creation of The Stamford Catsitter. What was meant to be a part-time passion project has since grown into something truly extraordinary.

Today, The Stamford & Cambridge Catsitter spans 3 cities, 12 towns and countless villages, with a dedicated team of over 40 sitters and more than 1,600 clients (and growing!). What started as one girl and her love for cats has become one of the most trusted, professional and well-loved pet care teams in the region — something Lydia still finds hard to believe!

Lydia grew up surrounded by rescue cats and has always had a deep-rooted connection to animals. Her gentle, intuitive approach — especially when working with shy or anxious cats — has earned her the affectionate nickname “The Cat Whisperer” from many grateful clients. Her in-depth understanding of feline behaviour helped shape the calm, compassionate ethos at the core of the business.

Although cats were Lydia’s first love, she also shares her heart with dogs — especially her beloved Tobie, a rescue pup adopted from Animal Helpline back in 2015. Tobie completely stole her heart and gave her a new appreciation for just how hard it can be to find personalised, trustworthy care when going away.

Several years later, recognising a gap in the market for modern, flexible, pet-first care, Lydia launched The Stamford Catsitter — building a service that lets owners stay connected with their pets while away, through interactive updates, a user-friendly system, and a team that genuinely treats every animal like family.

At home, Lydia lives with her two rescue cats — Lucie and Lenny, who is blind and keeps her on her toes — and her fiancé Jerry, better known to many of our clients as The Stamford Handyman. With so many lovely crossovers between the two businesses, chances are you’ve already met him — whether fixing a wobbly fence panel or popping by with tools in tow during a pet visit!

Jerry is very much part of the extended Stamford Catsitter team — always on hand (usually quite literally) for late-night dashes to the vet, rescuing sitters locked out by sticky doors, or turning up with a drill and a bag of snacks in an emergency. Whether he’s fixing, fetching, or ferrying, he’s part of the glue that keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes — and Lydia wouldn’t manage without him (though don’t tell him that).

Animals are Lydia’s life — not just her work. Whether she’s caring for pets, volunteering, or travelling abroad (where she’s known to make a beeline for the nearest supermarket to buy food for stray animals), everything she does is fuelled by her deep commitment to animal welfare. She often says that animals are her hobby, her reason, and her whole heart — and it’s that passion that continues to drive the business forward every single day.