Am I Overreacting? My Cat Sitter Didn’t Check Water

B4G2011

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 24, 2018
Messages
7
Purraise
8
Hey friends-

I’m new here- it looks like a great community.

I need to know if I’m overreacting or not: I came back from a week of vacation and my cat, who’s on a special diet and needs ample water because he’s had bladder crystals in the past, didn’t have his water checked or refilled while I was gone. The sitter, who appeared to be a reasonable, smart adult, told me she didn’t because it “wasn’t in the directions.” Making sure he stayed hydrated was- I honestly thought making sure he had water was self-explanatory, I guess.

Thankfully, he seems to be ok. His water was almost completely empty, and his spare was too.

Should I be concerned? I poked his belly and he doesn’t have discomfort, which is good.

Oh, cleaning the litter box daily was definitely in the directions, twice. That didn’t happen either.

Would it be rude not to give this lady a small present I was planning on?
 

Caspers Human

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
2,693
Purraise
4,703
Location
Pennsylvania
I don't think you are overreacting, per se, but I don't recommend hiring this sitter again.

It is reasonable to assume that any responsible adult would intuitively understand that they should make sure water is available at all times even if it's not explicitly stated.

If there was still a little water in the bowls, your kitty technically didn't run out of water so I wouldn't worry about that.

If you didn't promise to pay the sitter or anything like that, a minimal "Thank you," is sufficient for a case like this.

In the future, I would simply find somebody else who is more responsible.
 

silkenpaw

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
1,117
Purraise
1,127
Location
Hollywood, FL, USA
I agree with Furballsmom Furballsmom . Giving fresh water is a no-brainer, I don’t care whether it’s in the directions or not. That she didn’t give it shows either a complete lack of good will or common sense. Either way, you don’t want her watching your baby again.

And it’s never rude not to give presents; it’s rude to expect them. Hope your next sitter is better.
 

catlover73

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Messages
2,627
Purraise
1,541
Location
Chicago area
I would not give this pet sitter a present. Checking the food, cleaning the litter box and making sure the water bowl is filled should be common sense for a pet sitter. One my friend's cat sits for us when I travel. I do not leave her written directions for things like that. My cat's have 3 fountains and they are checked/filled every day. My cat sitter noticed that one of our fountains did not seem to be filtering correctly. She knew we cleaned all the fountains right before we left. She decided we must have ended up with a malfunctioning filter. We had extra filters and she knew where they were. She was concerned we had a bad batch. She drove back to her house to get a new filter because she has the same fountain. She took the fountain apart and cleaned it up before replacing the filter/refilling it. She let us know about the issue. We were able to exchange the filters we had for a new set when we got home. The only time I have left my cat sitter directions was when one of my cats had two days of antibiotics left. She asked me to write down what time to give the meds. My friend has experience medicating her own cats. I also leave a written release form for her to take my cats to her vet if anyone gets sick. We call her vet and let them know about the release form. They have my signature on file there to compare it. My cat sitter has also come over to check on my cats extra times if they seem off at all. One of my cats got into human food he should not have eaten the night before we left and got the squirts while we were out of town. She called and told me what was happening and asked if she could call her vet to see if he needed treatment. Her vet told her that as long as he was eating and drinking normally the issue should resolve itself in 24 hours. She stayed at my house and got no sleep to make sure my cat was eating and drinking properly until the squirts stopped. My friend will not take payment for taking care of our cats. We take her out to eat instead. I got home and there were no spots on any of my carpet from the accidents. She cleaned them up and used our spot steam cleaner to make sure there were no stains left.
 

babiesmom5

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 24, 2017
Messages
820
Purraise
1,001
No, you are not over-reacting at all. Keeping a cat's water bowl full and the litter box clean is basic. This woman lacks common sense. I would not re-hire her.

You might want to ask your Vet for recommendations for a good cat sitter. Vet's often know who is good and who is not. Some vet techs pet sit on the side.

Also look into getting someone who is a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. These people have high standards of ethics and members are insured and bonded. Check www.petsitters.org.
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
catlover73 catlover73 , if i may comment --wow, and the release form and signature at/for the other vet is a fantastic idea!
sweetblackpaws sweetblackpaws and the OP, a review is such a good idea, because in another household, what if the water bowls run dry, et al?
 

duckpond

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
3,905
Purraise
4,346
I also do not think you are overacting. One would think she would have known that, but as Azazel says leave very detailed instructions. :doh:

One more thing, if you are afraid he is having a bladder problem, don't poke him. If he is and you poke or squeeze there is always a chance of causing a rupture. Or serious pain. watch him instead, or if your pretty sure there is a blockage take him on in. :heartshape:
 

Caspers Human

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
2,693
Purraise
4,703
Location
Pennsylvania
One more thing, if you are afraid he is having a bladder problem, don't poke him. If he is and you poke or squeeze there is always a chance of causing a rupture. Or serious pain. watch him instead, or if your pretty sure there is a blockage take him on in. :heartshape:
I don't think she meant to actually POKE. ;)

Casper has urinary crystals but we keep them under control with the right food and plenty of water. We also have pills for him if he needs them.

When we took him to the vet, she showed us how to palpate Casper's tummy to see if there is any discomfort or distension.

I think, by "poke" she meant "palpate."
(Which means "to examine by touching")

And... Yes... If your cat is showing signs of blockage due to crystals in his urine, it is appropriate to gently palpate your cat's abdomen to determine whether there is any discomfort or bloating due to blocked urinary passages.

If you don't know how to do that it is worthwhile to ask your vet to show you what to do the next time you visit. :)
 
Last edited:

laura mae

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
494
Purraise
267
The sitter failed at two things that are important to any cat but especially to a cat with potential urinary issues: having clean, fresh water and a clean litter box. Those are basics of every day care for a cat.
 

Tagrendy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
184
Purraise
163
Hey friends-

I’m new here- it looks like a great community.

I need to know if I’m overreacting or not: I came back from a week of vacation and my cat, who’s on a special diet and needs ample water because he’s had bladder crystals in the past, didn’t have his water checked or refilled while I was gone. The sitter, who appeared to be a reasonable, smart adult, told me she didn’t because it “wasn’t in the directions.” Making sure he stayed hydrated was- I honestly thought making sure he had water was self-explanatory, I guess.

Thankfully, he seems to be ok. His water was almost completely empty, and his spare was too.

Should I be concerned? I poked his belly and he doesn’t have discomfort, which is good.

Oh, cleaning the litter box daily was definitely in the directions, twice. That didn’t happen either.

Would it be rude not to give this lady a small present I was planning on?
So the sitter didn't give the cat water and didn't change litter - what else is left? Feeding and playing? I would wonder if even those were done properly. And no - please don't further praise her with a gift for a bad job - that's not good incentive structure, she will sit for other cats and do the same. I would pay her 65% if it was possible to do.
 

ailish

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
481
Purraise
474
I'd give that sitter the boot just for the inexcusable, "You didn't tell me to." Animal sitting at its most basic is food, water, poop. I could maybe overlook the litterbox unless it was a real steaming pit, but an animal needs water for survival. I'm kind of thinking that sitter wasn't even minimally experienced in animal care? Anybody knows you check the water. Buh-bye to that sitter!
 

maggiedemi

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 26, 2017
Messages
17,104
Purraise
44,385
Wow, I would not be giving that sitter any gift, I'd show her the door. Everybody knows that pets need water! If I was taking care of your cat for you, I would wash his water bowl for him once a day and refresh his water at night with his dinner to make sure it was clean. And I would scoop his litter at least twice a day too. Common sense. Did she give him any canned food?
 

donutte

Professional cat sitter extraordinaire!
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Messages
5,775
Purraise
2,554
Location
Northern suburbs of Chicago
I'm a professional cat sitter and it is my livelihood. The sitter should absolutely be not only checking the water, but actually providing fresh water on a daily basis. It is one of the most basic things you do as a pet sitter, along with feeding and scooping litter.

If you hired a service where there are multiple sitters, I would definitely let the owner know this. If I was the owner, and I had an employee who was not doing her job right, I'd want to know.

As far as presents/gifts, while some clients provide them it by no means is expected. It is not at all rude to not give one (even if the service was exemplary). But I certainly wouldn't in this case.
 

lutece

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 8, 2018
Messages
4,499
Purraise
5,739
A professional cat sitter should change water and scoop litter daily.

However, regardless of whether you have a professional or a friend do your cat sitting, I would suggest always leaving detailed instructions with exactly what you expect to have the sitter do every day, including washing the water bowl and refilling it with water, scooping the litter box etc. It's always good to get expectations set in writing at the start.
 

donutte

Professional cat sitter extraordinaire!
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Messages
5,775
Purraise
2,554
Location
Northern suburbs of Chicago
Leaving detailed instructions doesn't hurt. Not necessarily required but doesn't hurt to have it. I personally prefer to have them. And especially since you have a cat on a special diet (assuming medical issues?) you probably would want to draft down what is needed.

How did you find this sitter btw? I would definitely look for someone who is insured and (if employees are involved) bonded. God forbid something had happened to your cat, would this other sitter have been able to cover it?
 
Top