Is it just me or are reliable cat sitters really hard to find?

[wali_the_cat]

I've had to travel a lot over the last two years (for work and for family matters), and as such have had to rely on sitters to care for my cat. I have used Rover as well as local sitters, and apart from two, they have all been awful!

Am I expecting too much? The sitters charge around $25 per visit (and I'm willing to pay more and have tipped generously!!), but the majority have been the following:

- Uncommunicative. They don't send me status updates or let me know they have completed a visit.
- Inconsistent in timing. They don't arrive at a consistent time.
- Untidy. I don't expect sitters to clean, but light tidying around the food and litter area just seems like common sense, and is what I do whenever I catsit for friends.

I have found two excellent reliable sitters, but they are not always available, and neither can do twice a day drop-ins, so I have to supplement their visits with other sitters, and it's these other sitters who are not great.

I'm currently away from my cat and one sitter is doing an amazing job, and the other sitter is weirdly uncommunicative.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - have you communicated your expectations to them?

 

[KittyFriday]

I think I got really lucky, honestly. After a terrible experience boarding Friday, I started having our local pet sitting company do daily drop in visits. I worked for them for a little bit so I know they are professional (even though the business has changed hands). I think some of the sitters who come in are possibly better than others, but I have no major complaints about any and they send me daily journal entry updates with photos, which is really great.

Would it help to have a checklist available for the sitters to look at, so they know exactly what needs to get done with each visit? I know when I pet sit for others that always helps me, since even though I have my own pets and know how to care for them, there is usually a little different routine in every house and it helps establish my rhythm.

 

[arr]

We had a sitter that I wasn’t too happy with either. She didn’t work for a company, it was her own business. I looked into companies like Rover and Care, but the cost was insane to come out to our rural area. We decided to take a chance and ask our neighbors. We are not close to any of them, just the occasional hello in passing, the occasional helping each other with snow in the winter, but we live in a decent area where one can assume people are honest enough that they wouldn’t want to do something bad to their neighbors and create problem relationships. So we basically just rang their doorbell and asked how they would feel about pet sitting. They were kindly willing to help and did an excellent job for two trips so far. We offered to pay and they absolutely refused, so we brought them a homemade baked good and thank you card. Then they weren’t available for the next trip so we rang another doorbell. They also did an excellent job and we learned in talking that the boyfriend volunteers at the local cat rescue, and they have dogs and cats, so they are conscientious in taking care of our pets. So now we have two neighbors we can count on and it was nice to get to know them better. Yes, it’s a little scary to hand your house key over to someone you don’t know, but for us it worked out.

We also felt it was very necessary for us to take this step because we live out of town in an area where winter can get very bad, the highway to our home can be closed, and there are no official pet sitters in our rural area. So a pet sitter or family member from the nearest town might not be able to make it here if we were on a winter trip.

 

[neely]

I have used Rover as well as local sitters, and apart from two, they have all been awful!

I've also heard disappointing reviews about Rover's pet sitting service. I'm very picky when it comes to our animals and absolutely do not want to board them especially since cats do better in their own home environment. I talked to neighbors and co-workers to get word of mouth referrals Fortunately it worked out wonderful and I've also made a few longtime friends. Whatever you choose to do please make sure you leave the contact number for your vet in case of an emergency. Best of luck!

 

[sivyaleah]

This is why we haven't been away in 3 years. We used to have a close friend live in the house when we traveled. She's quite a bit younger than we are, and was still living at home so having her own space for a week or so was a bonus for her. Plus she adored our cats and vice versa. We knew she was reliable and trusted her completely.

She wound up getting married and her wife is stationed in Italy for a few years. So that was that. Since then we've interviewed a couple of people, and I've asked around but there's nobody we felt "clicked" for us. Or would get random people saying they pet sit but I don't know them or anything about them, so wasn't about to give keys to my home out.

I just never felt any of them would be good enough. We require a bit more care than the norm since one of ours gets medication 2x a day and she can't eat until at least 10 minutes afterward. Plus she's not fond of strangers so who even knows if she'd come out to eat let alone for medicine. The other, gets 3 meals a day because she's a picker and won't eat leftovers. So IDK having someone have to be there 3x a day is a bit much. Add in spending some time with them for social reasons and yea - we need another live in

 

[wali_the_cat]

We had a sitter that I wasn’t too happy with either. She didn’t work for a company, it was her own business. I looked into companies like Rover and Care, but the cost was insane to come out to our rural area. We decided to take a chance and ask our neighbors. We are not close to any of them, just the occasional hello in passing, the occasional helping each other with snow in the winter, but we live in a decent area where one can assume people are honest enough that they wouldn’t want to do something bad to their neighbors and create problem relationships. So we basically just rang their doorbell and asked how they would feel about pet sitting. They were kindly willing to help and did an excellent job for two trips so far. We offered to pay and they absolutely refused, so we brought them a homemade baked good and thank you card. Then they weren’t available for the next trip so we rang another doorbell. They also did an excellent job and we learned in talking that the boyfriend volunteers at the local cat rescue, and they have dogs and cats, so they are conscientious in taking care of our pets. So now we have two neighbors we can count on and it was nice to get to know them better. Yes, it’s a little scary to hand your house key over to someone you don’t know, but for us it worked out.

We also felt it was very necessary for us to take this step because we live out of town in an area where winter can get very bad, the highway to our home can be closed, and there are no official pet sitters in our rural area. So a pet sitter or family member from the nearest town might not be able to make it here if we were on a winter trip.

I have a lovely neighbor who has cat-sat before, but I didn't want to bother her. I probably should have just asked her.

 

[wali_the_cat]

Hi - have you communicated your expectations to them?

I didn't. Although I left out detailed instructions, I didn't specify some things that I thought would be obvious (send me a text when you visit; after feeding, check that food isn't lying out of the bowl). I was afraid of coming off as neurotic.

Honestly, though, after this trip, I'm pretty much done with travel for another year.

 

[neely]

I was afraid of coming off as neurotic.

Don't worry, there's no such thing as being neurotic when it comes to our pets. You should see how many handwritten notebook pages I leave for our pet sitter and I've known her for a long time. Everything from neighbor's phone numbers in case of emergency to instructions for garbage pick-up to where we keep the cat carrier to the vet's information to how long to play with our cat and the list goes on and on for feeding him.

 

[fionasmom]

I was afraid of coming off as neurotic.

I work in a field in which I would become part of civil defense for 72 hours in case of an emergency or disaster, meaning I would not be allowed to come home. My house is permanently plastered with notes, directions, instructions, and advice for anyone who might need to care for my cats. I don't even take anything down if guests come over.

Pet sitting for me has been between myself and friends, so I have never hired an outside person or used an agency. Members here have recommended care.com, but I understand that may be pricey.

I do see random posts on nextdoor.com in which people are offering themselves as pet sitter or dog walkers, but seemingly have no credentials. This bothers me as I came across a woman a while back who was frantically searching for two lost dogs. Silly me, I assumed that she had as least only lost her dog, but it was the pet sitter who was searching for the dogs.

 

[Alldara]

I didn't. Although I left out detailed instructions, I didn't specify some things that I thought would be obvious (send me a text when you visit; after feeding, check that food isn't lying out of the bowl). I was afraid of coming off as neurotic.

Honestly, though, after this trip, I'm pretty much done with travel for another year.

Never assume it to be obvious.

When you're working with a variety of customers, you're going to have ones that want updates and ones who don't want to be bothered.

When using a place like Rover it's okay to stay hey I'm looking for someone who will send updates, etc.

I also usually ask neighbours. And I've pet-sat in return.

 

[iPappy]

I didn't. Although I left out detailed instructions, I didn't specify some things that I thought would be obvious (send me a text when you visit; after feeding, check that food isn't lying out of the bowl). I was afraid of coming off as neurotic.

Honestly, though, after this trip, I'm pretty much done with travel for another year.

Please don't feel like you're coming off as neurotic. If someone makes you feel that way or acts eye-rollish if you ask, don't use them again IMO.
We don't send daily text updates unless asked, and if asked we do it, and it's no problem at all. Some people really want this, others assume all is well and only expect a text or call if something seems wrong with one of the pets. Some people travel far enough that they don't have cell service. So I don't see any reason why you can't leave in your notes that you'd like a text for visits just to check in. Most sitters would be happy to do this
We have a wonderful client who calls to check on her pet sometimes twice a day. She ALWAYS apologizes. I wish she wouldn't. She's a wonderful person, and we're lucky to have her as a client.

 

[daftcat75]

I have used Care.com and had a strange sitter who indirectly helped me clarify how to find a better one. She wasn't bad as much as she did enough weird little things that told me not to hire her again.

The first thing I did after the strange one was that I downloaded a pet sitter checklist off Google. It had food and medicine instructions as well as contact, vet, and emergency numbers. Because Krista was taking meds and supplements at the time, I color coded the meds and spoons with the instructions. For example, there would be pink sticker next to the instructions about s. boulardii, the measuring spoon for s. boulardii had a pink sticker, and the s. boulardii bottle itself had a pink sticker. In other words, I tried to make Krista's requirements idiot-proof. But for good measure, I also hired her next sitter for several practice feeds before I ever left town. The first feed she got to meet Krista and we went over the instructions and a feed together. The next two practice feeds, I left before she arrived, and she went through the instructions and let me know how it went or texted me if she had any questions. I even watched her on the camera (I told her I would) on the first time, and she was great with Krista. Whatever notes she had for me, or me for her, I incorporated into revisions of the instructions, and we went with another practice feed. Yes, I hired her three times before I ever left town. But it was well worth it.

She is a great sitter. Not only was she great with Krista (and Krista with her) and she asked questions on any instructions that were unclear instead of faking it, but she would send me a photo of Krista when she arrived, and another text when she left. I like her so much that I cancelled my Thanksgiving trip this year when she told she wouldn't be available for Betty. Instead, I'm going to try and coordinate a different weekend with her. I am more invested in Betty getting proper care than I am traveling on a hectic holiday with an untested sitter. I put a job on Care.com but the results I got back this time just gave me anxiety whether it was the lack of experience or the distance a sitter was willing to travel for the job. I'd prefer someone who didn't have to travel so far. I don't know about them. But the further I have to travel, the more I think about the travel logistics and timing itself than the destination and the job to do there.

 

[Meowmee]

I would tell them what you want, texts etc. I was going to do some pet sitting but due to injury can’t do that now. Last year I was asked to take care of someone’s dog for a few hours and I had planned to go and meet them in advance and print it out a contract so, I would’ve asked them whatever they wanted me to do but really you should be telling people what you want, within reason of course. I ended up not doing it because she was worried her dog was hard to handle.

I’m not sure what area you’re in, in my area I think $28 is the average price and that’s at the low end.

I have not used a pet sitter for years. Last time I called or she called once a day and I just asked her how everything was going. Most of the time when I traveled in the past there were family home to take care of the cats and none of them had health issues then. Of course, I still worried about them, but they were fine.

It could be things got messy again after cleaning up.


I hope you find a good one next time

 

[Alldara]

I have used Care.com and had a strange sitter who indirectly helped me clarify how to find a better one. She wasn't bad as much as she did enough weird little things that told me not to hire her again.

The first thing I did after the strange one was that I downloaded a pet sitter checklist off Google. It had food and medicine instructions as well as contact, vet, and emergency numbers. Because Krista was taking meds and supplements at the time, I color coded the meds and spoons with the instructions. For example, there would be pink sticker next to the instructions about s. boulardii, the measuring spoon for s. boulardii had a pink sticker, and the s. boulardii bottle itself had a pink sticker. In other words, I tried to make Krista's requirements idiot-proof. But for good measure, I also hired her next sitter for several practice feeds before I ever left town. The first feed she got to meet Krista and we went over the instructions and a feed together. The next two practice feeds, I left before she arrived, and she went through the instructions and let me know how it went or texted me if she had any questions. I even watched her on the camera (I told her I would) on the first time, and she was great with Krista. Whatever notes she had for me, or me for her, I incorporated into revisions of the instructions, and we went with another practice feed. Yes, I hired her three times before I ever left town. But it was well worth it.

She is a great sitter. Not only was she great with Krista (and Krista with her) and she asked questions on any instructions that were unclear instead of faking it, but she would send me a photo of Krista when she arrived, and another text when she left. I like her so much that I cancelled my Thanksgiving trip this year when she told she wouldn't be available for Betty. Instead, I'm going to try and coordinate a different weekend with her. I am more invested in Betty getting proper care than I am traveling on a hectic holiday with an untested sitter. I put a job on Care.com but the results I got back this time just gave me anxiety whether it was the lack of experience or the distance a sitter was willing to travel for the job. I'd prefer someone who didn't have to travel so far. I don't know about them. But the further I have to travel, the more I think about the travel logistics and timing itself than the destination and the job to do there.

A very important thing (to me) is actually something you subtly said but I wanted to say it directly.

If you're the type to have a camera, let them know about said camera and if they are uncomfortable with it, don't hire them. (Unless there's something culturally relevant there of course, or some other serious random outlier)

I would never put up constant video in my home as I'm not tech-savvy enough to keep hackers out. I'm not comfortable being recorded BUT at daycares I worked at we were, and I assume I was as a nanny too. I never do anything I consider wrong to children or pets and am very patient so I have no issues being recorded in that sense. I don't bring my uncomfortableness with technology up with clients (that I babysit for). If something went wrong while I was sitting (a hacker talking through the camera...I have nightmares about it!), I would just call.

 

[rawlins02]

If you're the type to have a camera, let them know about said camera and if they are uncomfortable with it, don't hire them. (Unless there's something culturally relevant there of course, or some other serious random outlier)

I recently changed sitter. I require 2x/day for peace of mind. I have a motion detected webcam on laptop computer set up to monitor kitty and sitter interactions. Video goes to the cloud and I view in near realtime. Has worked very well for several years. Now I need to be away each Tue-Thu for the next 8 weeks. Prior sitter would avoid the area near webcam. May have left before 30 minutes were up, and I saw no play as asked. So I changed. After a week the new sitter said she can't do 2x/day as she'd promised. Just told me to find someone else. Now back to the original who will encounter TWO web cams covering the entire first floor. My nephew who lives 100 miles away, and is not presently employed, has offered to stay and help out. Plus he has landscaping experience, and we have a need. Once December comes I will rarely travel because I'm too neurotic to trust kitty to unreliable people.

 

[savannahjansson]

I totally understand your frustration; finding a reliable and caring pet sitter can be quite a challenge. You're not expecting too much; after all, you want the best care for your beloved cat, and that's completely reasonable.

It's disappointing when sitters don't meet your expectations, especially when they're charging for their services. Communication is essential, and you should be kept informed about your cat's well-being during your absence.

Inconsistency and tidiness might vary from one sitter to another, but it's not unreasonable to expect some level of basic care and responsibility. After all, it's all about ensuring your cat is comfortable and safe.

Since you've found two excellent sitters, maybe you can work with them to see if they can recommend any trustworthy backup sitters for times when they're unavailable. Word-of-mouth recommendations can often lead to better experiences.

Hopefully, you can find a solution that ensures your cat receives the consistent and loving care they deserve, even when your top sitters are unavailable. Good luck, and I hope your kitty gets the care they need while you're away!

 

[iPappy]

I recently changed sitter. I require 2x/day for peace of mind. I have a motion detected webcam on laptop computer set up to monitor kitty and sitter interactions. Video goes to the cloud and I view in near realtime. Has worked very well for several years. Now I need to be away each Tue-Thu for the next 8 weeks. Prior sitter would avoid the area near webcam. May have left before 30 minutes were up, and I saw no play as asked. So I changed. After a week the new sitter said she can't do 2x/day as she'd promised. Just told me to find someone else. Now back to the original who will encounter TWO web cams covering the entire first floor. My nephew who lives 100 miles away, and is not presently employed, has offered to stay and help out. Plus he has landscaping experience, and we have a need. Once December comes I will rarely travel because I'm too neurotic to trust kitty to unreliable people.

The only reason my Mom and I own a pet boarding place is we couldn't find anywhere in our area, let alone within driving distance, that we thought our dogs and cats would do well in, so we built one tailored to what WE wanted for OUR pets. So no, you're not neurotic. I would have a huge problem leaving my pets with someone I didn't already know, and then the other potential problems pop up: What if the pet sitter gets sick, what if they get into a car accident and are taken to the ER (do they have back up plans for their charges?), what if their car breaks down and they don't make a visit and I don't know why, etc. Of course, I would be very worried for the health and/or safety of the sitter, but at the same time if I have an animal that needs feedings or medications, that's a huge concern.
If you're open to taking day trips, that would be a good way of establishing a rapport with a sitter you feel comfortable with if you're able to find one. If they fudge it completely, you're only a few hours away and will be home that evening anyway, vs. getting on a plane and being unable to return for an extended period of time.
We have a lot of people who do their half day mandatory stay (for dogs only, not necessary with cats unless the owner wishes to do so) as an evaluation, and then opt to do it a few more times before they go on vacation. Occasionally, they'll even do an overnight or two just as a way to make sure. It's about making sure their pet does well, but it's also about establishing some rapport and trust between us and the owner. I've flat out told customers who express remorse for being anxious, if I had to board my dog or cats, I would be that boarding place owners nightmare unless I knew them, and trusted them.

 

[iPappy]

I totally understand your frustration; finding a reliable and caring pet sitter can be quite a challenge. You're not expecting too much; after all, you want the best care for your beloved cat, and that's completely reasonable.

It's disappointing when sitters don't meet your expectations, especially when they're charging for their services. Communication is essential, and you should be kept informed about your cat's well-being during your absence.

Inconsistency and tidiness might vary from one sitter to another, but it's not unreasonable to expect some level of basic care and responsibility. After all, it's all about ensuring your cat is comfortable and safe.

Since you've found two excellent sitters, maybe you can work with them to see if they can recommend any trustworthy backup sitters for times when they're unavailable. Word-of-mouth recommendations can often lead to better experiences.

Hopefully, you can find a solution that ensures your cat receives the consistent and loving care they deserve, even when your top sitters are unavailable. Good luck, and I hope your kitty gets the care they need while you're away!

I can't agree more with word of mouth recommendations. Social media is a great tool as are online reviews, but pay attention. If most sitters in your area have a similar number of ratings, and average 4-4.5 stars, be cautious of the ones who have a perfect 5 star rating with quadruple (or more) the number of reviews, as many times those sitters give customers discounts for 5 star ratings. I have my feelings on that, but, keep that in mind when reading online reviews.

 

[savannahjansson]

I can't agree more with word of mouth recommendations. Social media is a great tool as are online reviews, but pay attention. If most sitters in your area have a similar number of ratings, and average 4-4.5 stars, be cautious of the ones who have a perfect 5 star rating with quadruple (or more) the number of reviews, as many times those sitters give customers discounts for 5 star ratings. I have my feelings on that, but, keep that in mind when reading online reviews.

You make an excellent point about online reviews and star ratings, and it's important for pet parents to be discerning when evaluating potential sitters. While positive reviews are reassuring, it's also essential to consider the overall context and not rely solely on perfect ratings. Thanks for sharing your insight to help fellow cat owners make informed decisions!