About Richard Barber — Professional Cat Sitter in Sarasota
An Australian, a Rescue Cat, and an Unexpected Change of Direction
I was born and raised in Australia, where I grew up surrounded by animals, including cats, dogs, and budgerigars (parakeets). I've always felt a strong affinity with animals, although it took me quite a few years—and one rather special rescue cat—to discover that caring for cats would become my profession.
My original career was in education.
After earning a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and English and a Master's degree in Professional Education and Training (TESOL), I spent years teaching English as a Second Language in Australia, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Hawaii.
Along the way, I married my wife in Japan, published research in an internationally peer-reviewed academic journal, and pursued various other interests, including music.
But the most unexpected change in my life was still to come.
The Cat Who Changed Everything
About 18 years ago, my wife and I moved to Hawaii, where I found myself going through a particularly difficult period. Despite my education and experience, I struggled to find meaningful employment, and eventually decided that I needed something positive to focus on. So I visited the local Humane Society and adopted Magic, an unwanted senior cat who was overweight and rather unhappy. I wanted to make her life better. What began with a few simple improvements to our apartment quickly became something of an obsession. Armed with rudimentary carpentry skills, a little imagination, and considerable enthusiasm, I began building shelves, creating elevated perches, and finding ways to make Magic's environment more stimulating and enjoyable. I didn't know it at the time, but I was discovering the importance of feline environmental enrichment—providing opportunities for cats to climb, explore, play, observe, and engage in the natural behaviors that make them cats. And I was hooked.
Discovering a Better Way to Care for Cats
Around the same time, I was working part-time as a cleaner in a veterinary practice.
One thing that troubled me was seeing healthy cats boarded in an environment filled with unfamiliar animals, barking dogs, strange smells, and the sounds of veterinary procedures.
I kept thinking there had to be a better option for cats whose owners were simply going away on vacation.
Then one day, a neighbor asked me to visit her cat each day while she was traveling.
And the penny dropped.
Why take a cat out of its familiar, comfortable home when someone could come to the cat instead?
That simple realization changed the direction of my life.
I became certified through Pet Sitters International and began building my own cat-sitting business, one client at a time.
From the beginning, I made a commitment to myself:
I wanted to be a better cat sitter on every visit than I had been on the visit before.
Why Enrichment Is at the Heart of My Cat Sitting
Over the years, I've come to believe that excellent cat sitting involves much more than making sure food bowls are full and litter boxes are clean.
Those things are essential, of course. But they're only the beginning.
Cats are intelligent, curious, sensitive animals with individual personalities, preferences, and needs.
Some love chasing toys. Others enjoy climbing, exploring, watching the world from a window, or simply having someone sit quietly beside them.
My job is to get to know each cat as an individual and make our time together as rewarding as possible.
That's why enrichment has become the backbone of my approach to cat sitting.
Whether I'm encouraging play, introducing a simple homemade toy, finding ways to stimulate a cat's natural curiosity, or respecting a shy cat's need for patience and space, I want every visit to contribute something positive to that cat's day.
A Few Detours Along the Way
My fascination with cats and enrichment has led me down some interesting paths.
I've experimented with building cat furniture and creating products for cat owners, tried offering catification services, and even sold cat grass and catnip at local farmers markets while introducing people to my cat-sitting business.
Not every experiment became a successful business venture, but every one taught me something.
And because life isn't entirely about cats (although they might disagree), here are a couple of other bits of trivia.
My research on language placement testing was published as a featured article in The Language Teacher, an internationally peer-reviewed journal.
I also released two rock albums that went absolutely nowhere.
You can't win them all.
From Magic to Catify My Home
Today, Catify My Home is an exclusively feline, professional in-home cat-sitting service based in Sarasota, Florida.
My philosophy is simple: cats should be able to remain in the familiar surroundings of their own homes while receiving thoughtful, individualized care that goes beyond the basics.
I want the cats in my care to feel safe, comfortable, stimulated, and genuinely engaged while their people are away.
Looking back, it's remarkable how much of this began with one unhappy rescue cat named Magic.
I set out to make her life better.
As it turned out, she changed mine.
Richard and Magic - Hawaii 2016