Cost of cat sitting?

JoeyEmma

We are going away for a fortnight and need our 3 cats looking after. We don't want to put them in the cattery, as 2 of them are really timid and flighty.

We have had a couple of quotes and the cheapest is £9 for a weekday and £11 for Saturday and Sunday. We are away for 15 days, so you can see how its going to add up.

I don't want to just reply to an ad in a shop window as I'm scared of being ripped off by somebody who takes the house keys and steals all our stuff while we are away. Other cat loving friends live miles away and their cat sitters don't cover our area.

I'm in central/ south Manchester, if thats any help.

JennyW_2

JoeyEmma wrote: »

We are going away for a fortnight and need our 3 cats looking after. We don't want to put them in the cattery, as 2 of them are really timid and flighty.

We have had a couple of quotes and the cheapest is £9 for a weekday and £11 for Saturday and Sunday. We are away for 15 days, so you can see how its going to add up.

I don't want to just reply to an ad in a shop window as I'm scared of being ripped off by somebody who takes the house keys and steals all our stuff while we are away. Other cat loving friends live miles away and their cat sitters don't cover our area.

I'm in central/ south Manchester, if thats any help.

that's about the going rate. Think about what we have to pay for dogs :eek: but as you've said yourself, you don't want to just reply to a window add so you do get what you pay for. These people are vetted and if you go through an agency who will source someone, they will have insurance. Alternatively have you got a neighbour who will pop round and feed them (cat's don't need the company as dogs do) or do you want someone to stay in your house?

Your local vet is always a good starting point for recommendations.

SallyUK

Hi Joeyemma

I do pet sitting and I charge £7 per day for one cat. If there is more than one in the same household, then I'd charge £8 per day, but it's the same price whether it's duing the week or weekend.

This is probably what you might pay for a cattery but the difference is, I'd spend a good while there with them (playing and feeding etc) and they wouldn't have to be taken out of their own home while you're away. Plus of course that price covers my travel costs, insurance etc.

Hope you find someone trustworthy.

Sally

zzzLazyDaisy

Last time I enquired about a cattery for my cat, it was £7 per day. That was just for one cat, so presumably it would have been more for three?

But my cat would have been miserable in a cattery as he is very much a 'people person' and needs loads of cuddles :rolleyes:

So I paid a friend to come and house sit for me. I paid her what I would have paid the cattery, plus I stocked the fridge up for her. She was happy cos she had the run of the house (she's a student so it was a bit of a holiday for her) and I was happy cos the house was occupied while I was away. Bonus all round.

greenmoneysaver_2

I endorse checking with your vets.

The nurses often do cat sitting as a sideline, and so are traceable and have good pet experience. Too mnay pet sitters think that as they have had a pet cat they are fine to charge for a professional service!

I agree, you get what you pay for - it makes my heart sink to see offers of pet sitting or dog walking for £5, and thats in London! Either they do 50 cat sits a day and aren't doing ti carefully enough, or it starts to look dodgy - I wouldn't give my keys and cats to someone who only values themselves (and caring for my pets) at £5!

Lillibet_2

Ask in your local vets, they will have a good idea of local rates & might be able to make recommendations based on personal experience. Also quite often veterinary nurses offer pet sitting services to supplement their salarys & it has the bonus that at least you know their place of work & that they are fairly responsable around animals!

The nurses I work with charge £7 per day for one cat, £9 per day for 2-4 cats, £16 per day for small dogs including at least 1 hour of walks per day (they won't pet sit large dogs!) over 3 visits per day. They charge the same for weekends if it is part of a long holiday but they do charge a £5 premium if it is just a long weekend or similar. We live in an expenisve part of Surrey, I'd expect further afield to be cheaper.

HTH;)

asea

I use the nurses at my cat's vet. They know my cat well (as she's spent a silly amount of time at the vets).

I know that if anything happened they would be in the most capable hands and that I can trust them to take her to the vets for treatment should the need arise.

I know that they don't get paid all that much so I would rather if I did pay someone it was somebody who has a clear love for animals & is more deserving of the money than the average catsitter who (in my sceptical mind) is not doing it for the love of the creatures but to make a fast buck!

When they come they groom, play with & cuddle the cats and the cats really do love them very much.

They charge me £10 for a visit if it is one visit in a day, or £15 for two visits (for both of my cats)

Can I ask in the daily prices above - is that for one visit? Cats should be fed twice a day, so is that price for 2 visits or for one?

LittleMissAspie

Just wanted to say that this thread is really useful, thanks for posting it. I was worried about what to do with our recently acquired cat when we go away (no hols planned yet though). I couldn't put her in a cattery, she would hate it and think she was back in the shelter again. Good to know that our vet surgery might be able to do it.

BTW if they eat crunchies you could just fill up the bowl once a day.

Lillibet_2

asea wrote: »

Can I ask in the daily prices above - is that for one visit? Cats should be fed twice a day, so is that price for 2 visits or for one?

If you mean the prices I have said then this includes 3 visits a day, basically around 7am, sometime between 12-3pm then 7pm, anything between 5 minutes (if the cat isn't home & just needs food & water putting down) to upto 30 mins for fuss & playing, but there is always room for change if required. Dogs are a bit different as they get walked largely according to normal routine etc & are looked after on a case by case basis.

JoeyEmma

I can't ask at my vets- they have a cattery attached and will tell me that them in there. They have a notice board that lists people who do dog walking. I wonder if its worth calling one of them and seeing if they actually do cat sitting.

I don't want to ask a neighbor as I think its a bit cheeky to expect them to do it for 15 days, especially in the height of school holidays and when it will involve changing things like cat litter.

I only thought the quotes were pricey as a friend pays £6 a day for hers, but they won't cover where I live. The quote I have is for one visit a day, they said they can leave food on a timer for a second meal.

greenmoneysaver_2

I would still ask at the vets. Even with a cattery attached there are still people who will not use it and a good vets will provide a service for that.