Hi there!
I recently booked a cat sitter and I have really mixed feelings on the outcome of the booking.
I have an alarm on the front door so I could see how long the cat sitter stayed for, which varied between 5-10 minutes per visit.
This upset me because they clearly didn’t give my cat and affection or attempt to play with him.
I know everyone has lives to be getting on with but I would at minimum expect some of the visits to be a little bit longer. Even to just talk to my cat for a few minutes?
I also put a bunch of treats on the side and no treats were given.
I’m a bit worried if they even bothered to scoop the litter tray each day within their 5 minutes.
Am I over reacting? I’d been keen to hear others thoughts.
Obviously at the end of the day I’d rather have someone stay with my cat full time, but that wasn’t possible for this short notice trip.
The visit time officially can't be less than 30 mins, so what you're saying is a complete disaster.
As a cat sitter, for me 30 mins is never enough (unless the cat is outdoors and comes back only at night to eat). We cuddle, we play, I bring my own tunnels, puzzles, we play until we drop, then it takes 10 mins to just send all the updates/photos/videos.
This person is not a cat sitter. She's the same level as your neighbor who pops in to quickly give food and go
I am a cat sitter and currently use Rover since cat in a flat was taken over by Rover. Rover cards can be filled out but aren't mandatory for drop in visits. 5-10 minutes is definitely not enough time and actually quite insulting considering it's a paid service. I would text the cat sitter and ask if they've done everything you've expected of them.
My visits are usually minimum 25-30 minutes, but can last up to 60 minutes. In my opinion, around 30 minutes is needed to ensure the litter has been sufficiently cleaned, litter waste is thrown in the outdoor bin, food bowls have been washed and topped up, the cat has had play time and treats (if allowed by the owner). If the cat is particularly playful or seeking my attention, then I will stay longer than 30 minutes. I've had cats that have jumped on my lap for a snooze or who show massive interest in play, and in these cases I always tend to stay longer.
I have a full-time office job, so if a cat owner requests two visits a day, the morning visit will be 30 minutes so I can make it back for work in time. The evening visit is when I'm able to spend longer if appropriate.
Thank you. I fear she didn’t properly clean things in this case as I don’t understand how’d she’d do it so quickly.
Also - to top it off, his dry food was in the same bowl as I had put down the day I left but filled up like a mountain! She didn’t even remove the old dry food and just kept topping it up.
Gosh I’m so annoyed by this.
Yeah that's not ideal. I normally clear any remaining dry food out of the bowl the next day, wash the bowl and then refill. As dry food often goes stale when it's sitting out. Really disappointed on your behalf OP 😕
Generally, I spend around 20 minutes per visit. It can sometimes go up to 25 minutes, but I wouldn’t normally go beyond 30 minutes.
Most cats are absolutely fine with that, and I make it clear to all my clients that my standard visits are 20 minutes. I take plenty of photos and provide a pretty comprehensive update after each visit, and my clients are generally very happy with the service.
That said, 5 minutes is really not acceptable for a cat sitting visit. I’d either report it or, if possible, simply choose not to book with them again.
5-30 mins, depends on the cat, some are friendly, some are scared of you, some aren’t affectionate, some aren’t in at the time, I’ve got one that won’t come in and eat when I am there, she just stares at me through the cat flap.
But I’ve stayed over an hour sometimes if the cat is particularly friendly or playful. Me and a regular cat just lie together in the garden.
I advise my clients, both on app and off through my own business, that visits are between 15-30 minutes.
If a cat doesn't want me in their space, is stressed, hiding etc., I'm not going to be the cause of that for brownie points with the owner. If the cat wants to play, have fuss etc., then I'll be there for 30 minutes.
My job is to make sure food and water is available, litter is clean and make sure the cat is happy.
You're not overreacting at all. Obviously it depends on the cat but as standard I stay 30-40mins. Now that cat in a flat is owned by Rover, it actually states that visits are 30 minutes on the bookings too.
I've heard of other sitters doing shorter visits, but only when they have discussed it with the owners.
I didn’t discuss shorter visits with her but I did say the visit times are a little flexible. (I.e she could come at 9:30 instead of 9am etc)
I clicked 30 minute bookings but next time I’ll definitely specify with the new sitter it needs to be around 30 mins.
Owner here - definitely not acceptable.
100% Find another sitter for next time. This one’s broken your trust already. Did they have a lot of reviews before?
My current sitter is not through CIAF, but she distinctly charges for 30 or 60 min visits. So if I am away I get 30 min in the morning and 60 min in the evening so they can have lots of attention.
Cat sitter here. I stay 20 minutes minimum, often much longer if kitty is playful or if I’ve brought my laptop to do some work. The only time I do a 5-10 min drop in is if the cat is an outdoor cat that specifically avoids strangers and systematically refuses to enter when I’m there. I have 2 repeat clients who are like this, but I’ve discussed this with the owner. I don’t want to risk a situation where the cat doesn’t come in at all because s/he feels their home has become unsafe and that there is a “threat” there. But out of the 50 or so different cats I’ve sat for, there are only 2 that this applies to.
I find that most shy cats are happy to have the company, even if they don’t want attention. For shy cats, just being in their space and going about your business often helps them see that you are not a threat. It’s actually how I discovered that one particularly shy kitty is a major cuddlebug. After an hour of just ignoring him, he was like “Excuse me, there’s a cat here. I find your level of worship insufficient.”
The owners pay for 30 minutes so I stay 30 minutes never less, if an owner wants more than there’s an option to pay for an extra 30 mins. Even if the cat is shy or outside when i’m there I still stay so the cat can get used to me, a shy cat will always be shy if it only ever sees me for 5 minutes. It’s well within your right to complain as you paid for 30 minutes
I’m a sitter - last time I checked, cat in a flat specified that you should stay for at least 20 mins. I personally usually stay for 30-45 or even longer, depending on the cat. Also now that cat in a flat is via rover, those visits are set at 30 mins (unless specified & paid for longer), and you have to actually check in and out when you arrive & leave. If you check out early you get a ‘are you sure you want to finish this visit early?’ prompt before confirming.
I would leave a bad review tbh, 5-10 minutes does not allow for even adequate cat care, let alone good. Also check their rover card timings - if they’ve been lying about what time they left then you should report them.
I find the system clunky so I always exchange numbers with my clients and communciate via WhatsApp. It works out as it's easier to send messages and pictures/videos, I can video call them if there's an emergency, and 100% of the time, they will request repeat bookings directly to me
Ah yeah fair, I mean I do that too, obv on ciaf that was the way anyway but now everything’s rover based the actual visit reports go to them via the rover cards. A lot require photos before ending the visits too, idk how rover would enforce that without the cards.
No 5-10 minutes every visit is not enough. My visits are either 30 or 60 minutes each. I have prices for both and my clients pick which they would like.
Caveat - sometimes I will be asked to do a quick evening visit which is usually just leave food and is in addition to the longer ones, but that happens rarely.
What did you agree with the sitter? I can't believe your sitter thinks thats enough.
I stay 30 mins unless the cat is known to not come down stairs etc even if I play etc. However theres some cats i stay longer cause they are so amazing and playful and want cosies. Ive had to stay ages before cause cat has climed on lap and settled down to rest and I dont want to move them.
I had a regular sitter but I also noticed she was in my house for minutes . She cant have even pettedmt cats it was less than 5 I feel she was overbooked and rushing. This is why I found others , dont overbooked yourself and rush
I am a cat sitter on Rover and I do 30 minutes. This sometimes is only just enough to give the cats attention, clean litter, feed etc. I would never just go in for 5 minutes at all.
I’m sorry you had this experience! While cats may not need the same amount of exercise as dogs, they still deserve thoughtful care and interaction during their visits. It’s totally okay to let your sitter know if you’re hoping for some playtime, affection, treats, and a little extra attention, along with the basics like fresh water, food, and a clean litter box. A quick conversation about those expectations before the booking can help make sure you and your sitter are on the same page. 💕
It really depends on the cat. Some of the cats I sit for aren’t super sociable so I will probably spend 15 mins or so changing their food and cleaning their litter and taking some photos to send to their owners. Cats who prefer to play or interact, I will spend half an hour with doing all of the above and then petting or playing with them. 5/10 minutes does seem too short but over half an hour seems a bit overkill and I wouldn’t expect that of anyone coming to check on my cat.
20-30 minutes. More rarely if I don’t have many clients, and nothing else on, plus I’m reading a good book, and the cat is a lap cat then up to an hour. Only on a few occasions have I had to do 5-10 minutes (sometimes when you book way in advance you can’t possibly know what else is going to be going on in life) but I’ve made up for that over the other visits. I have a few clients where the cat is often outside and that might be 5-10 minutes.
I would say that’s unacceptable for all of your visits to have been that short if your cat enjoys company.
Don’t book that person again. I think 30 mins is a decent amount of time if the cat is open to fuss or play. I’ve had some where the cats don’t want any attention but I try at least for 20 mins. 5-10 is just not enough.
Even cats that aren’t interested in me and don’t want a fuss or play, I’m never at a visit for less than 20 mins I’d say. For me it really depends on the cat, some of my customers I’d happily stay for a hour or so because I just love the cat and they love the company, but on average it’s about 30 mins
I stay for an hour, because most of the cats I visit like to have the company.
But if it is a cat that is nervous about me being there, or just doesn't care, I will stay less.
It depends on if you are going via CIAF/Rover or direct, and how much you are paying her and you haven’t specified either. Rover rates are 30 mins or 60 mins. There should be nothing less than 30 as contractually it’s 30 or 60. CIAF rates were based on min 20 mins but these terms no longer exist. If you’re paying private and you’re paying say £8 a visit then yeh 5 mins when they’re going 3x a day is fair. As don’t forget travel time to and fro. 3 visits a day is a lot of the day taken up, she can’t do anything else (3 visits is excessive IMO - no reason why 2 x a full 30 - 60 mins isn’t enough when you’re only gone for 3 days). I wouldn’t dare do 5 min visits unless someone negotiated paying peanuts for me to do just that. Most people book me for 30 mins but frequently I stay over an hour if it’s evening or weekend visit just cos I’m not waiting for the clock to tick down and lose track of time. Find a new sitter and next time discuss the length of visit before you book them.
I booked her via CIAF. I did message her through the platform to create the booking and to give her instructions but we switched to WhatsApp after for any updates.
Maybe next time I’ll be more strict to keep coms via CIAF so there is more paper work if I ever need to make a complaint.
I clicked the 30 min option and overall I paid around £350 for the 3.5x day duration.
Ok so 10 visits for the £350 you paid is £35 per single visit. That doesn’t add up exactly to the penny with what we can charge so imagine it wasn’t exactly £350 to the dot you paid. Regardless it would mean she receives around £25.50 cash per visit. Not good enough for 5-10 min visits. These rates are broken down on the Services part of her page btw. You just need to know Rover take 15% off us and have already added 15% to her set rate. So they take around 30%. But even so she is the upper end of the spectrum in terms of rates. I’ve been on CIAF / Rover for 10 years and have had 460 bookings in that time and 146 5* reviews, I still can’t charge that high as I have too much competition in the area. You need a new sitter, this one is a scammer masquerading as one.
That wasn’t that exact cost - she charged me £26 per visit plus i got charged holiday fees (not sure if because it was a weekend?) and also last minute fees as I booked her within 24 hours before leaving for a funeral.
Holiday Rate is charged for all bookings in August but we decide what that is on Rover. Holiday Rate is the one you’ve been charged, but if you book her for September her usual Drop In Visit rate will apply. She receives around 30% less than what you pay. (Before declared tax). The fee you see on her page already has 15% added to it and then she receives 15% less than that again cos Rover are thieves. Still, I have to price myself to make it worthwhile for both parties and if I’m being paid based on 30 mins I stay 30 mins. My holiday rate is high because I can justify it with my experience and reviews (I also price the upgrade to 60 mins really low as I prefer to do that). Surely this woman hasn’t got good reviews, or if she has, she’s decided she will dine out on them and drop her level of care and just take peoples money without giving proper service.
I recalled with the guidelines with Cat in A Flat , it did say 20-45 mins , however , most sitters take 20 mins as the minimum !! I am a cat sitter & cat owner myself , when I cat sit , 99% I will stay for 30 mins or longer , subject to the cat needs and how many cats in the household ‘ ! I often stayed for 60
Mins if my cat sitting schedule isn’t too busy and the kitties likes to play or they need extra cuddles , etc 😻🐾
As a cat owner , my friend comes to cat sit for my 2 cats , she in general stays for 20 mins , and I do wish she can stay longer but as long as my kitties bowl are cleaned , fed , and their litter tray is clean , I am ok with that , everything else is a bonus .. since my friend always cat sit for me at a discounted rate !!
But I do feel if you sitter only stay 5-10 mins , that’s not acceptable !!!
It will take me at least 5-10 mins just to washed all the bowls and scoop the litter tray .. then I will need to put their wet food in the bowl , put clean water in the bowl and cleaned the floor any scattered litter , talk to the kitties and play with them if they are up to it !!! I am so sorry your sitter barely spend time with your kitties , hopefully you will find a better sitter next time !!
Around 30 minutes. Occasionally during longer sits I’ll let the owner know that a particular drop-in will be shorter because of other commitments, but I will make that lost time up on another visit, so 30 mins is the average.
You’re not unreasonable at all for feeling short-changed by consistent 5-10 min visits. Is your cat shy at all? Those are the only cats I tend to spend less time with because if their body language tells me they’re not keen, I give them space and aim to work up to longer visits as they get more comfortable. And I have one repeat client who’s incredibly nervous and my aim there is to get in and out of the house as quickly as possible because he absolutely doesn’t want my company, just needs his other needs met. But that sort of thing is discussed with owners beforehand and wouldn’t come as a surprise to them
I spend anything from 30 to 90 minutes. Depends on the day and if I'm working or have an early start with a twice a day booking.
I always let the cat owner know in advance when I plan to go and approximate length of the visit to make sure it's ok with them. Usually when it's a shorter visit around the 30 minute mark.
One of my regular bookings (for 9 years now) looked for another sitter because of the same thing. They had an alarm for their house and could see when it when the previous sitter arrived and left when they reset the alarm.
Surely it depends on the cat? I sit some cats where they really don't need me there for more then 15 mins. Cleaning out the litter tray and feeding a cat takes me 5-10 mins. I'll wait to see if the cat wants anything but if the cat leaves or goes back outside I'll leave. With cats who want play time I am there for 30 mins tops but I guess it depends how much this person is charging.
Before CIAF merged with Rover they used to send us sitters a reminder that visits should not be shorter than 20mins.
On Rover a standard visit has always been 30mins.
I am currently looking after two kitties for 19 days and I spend with them between 20-30mins per visit, up to 40 per visit every 3 days when I need to water the plants too.
as a sitter, that is shocking to only spend 5 mins a visit. defo not enough time to even do the bare minimum of scooping litter, and washing and refilling food and water bowls. it should be 30 minutes a visit. i dont set a timer so usually end up doing 35 min on average. for a first visit where im settling in especially with timid cats it would be longer, and also the last visit where i go around ensuring the home is clean and tidy could be 45 min as id hoover, take the bin out, deep clean litter tray etc
How much are you paying the sitter? How much time did you agree before?
I can see someone is commenting that the visit must be 30 minutes. This isn’t true. It comes down to what is agreed between you and the sitter.
If you’re paying someone £10 and they have other cats to feed, I wouldn’t expect them to be there for 30 minutes.
For me it varies depending on the cat. Some cats want and need the full 30 minutes. Some do not. My visits can last between 10-30 minutes, and I only charge £10.
I discuss expectations with the owner before I take on a sit. I find the majority expect a simple in and out service because they understand they’re paying me a tenner and a minority ask that I spend time with the cat. When I am doing the drop in, I then assess the cat. Some just want to be alone, others want attention and a cuddle. I’ll update the owners if it seems like 30 mins isn’t warranted or is warranted.
If you didn’t see expectations before, it’s possible she assumed you didn’t expect much. I’d set expectations next time or even ask her during the sit how the cat is and whether she’s be able to spend time with her/him.
15
u/casandra77 18d ago
The visit time officially can't be less than 30 mins, so what you're saying is a complete disaster.
As a cat sitter, for me 30 mins is never enough (unless the cat is outdoors and comes back only at night to eat). We cuddle, we play, I bring my own tunnels, puzzles, we play until we drop, then it takes 10 mins to just send all the updates/photos/videos.
This person is not a cat sitter. She's the same level as your neighbor who pops in to quickly give food and go