Cat sitter recommendations

Submitted by dx2113 t3_zxj66y in washingtondc

Hi all! I’m going on a ski trip in a few weekends and am looking for a cat sitter to watch my two cats. I’ve been looking into Rover, but I’m admittedly a bit nervous as it’s my first time hiring a sitter that I do not personally know (my friends normally watch my cats but none of which are available the weekend I’ll be gone).

If anyone has used a petsitting/catsitting service they'd recommend, please let me know. I’d also be interested in hearing about any services I should avoid! Thanks so much.

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run85 t1_j20nv2s wrote

To put an ad in for Rover, I both cat sit and have had people sit my cats on that app. Anyone in your neighborhood with a certain number of reviews has proven that they have fed/checked in on however many animals and that the owners were satisfied. So if you’re nervous, hire someone who has a lot of reviews. You can also ask someone to do a phone call or to come and meet your cat if you want to talk to them in person before you go. While you’re gone, the sitter has to send a certain number of photos of the animals and you get notified when they’re there and when they have left.

Despite being a sitter myself, I was also a little worried the first time I hired someone random to visit my cats. The truth is that most people who do gig work like this are trying to make a few bucks on the side, and they’re probably quite interested in keeping an income stream alive. If you don’t show up to someone’s house, I think you would get booted off of the platform.

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loonlaugh t1_j20s7du wrote

Replying to run85 (#1,125,597)

Definitely ask for a meet-and-greet with any potential sitter. Some Rovers charge for it, some don't. We met with a handful and considered any charges worth it to narrow down one(s) we felt would work for us. And then we also had another one or two for backups that we could schedule if our main one wasn't available. Luck!

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run85 t1_j20upmi wrote

Replying to loonlaugh (#1,126,400)

I think meet and greets are good! I’d say about half of the people who’ve hired me have done them. Of those folks, maybe half just wanted to talk to me and half wanted me to meet the animal. It is kind of intimate to have someone in your house; it’s definitely ok to ask for their full name, too.

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sb2677 t1_j211gq3 wrote

If you’re in a pinch, I highly recommend getting dry food automatic dispensers (found some on Amazon for $80 each) and a furbo or some other interior camera that you can monitor them from. This recently saved us when we couldn’t find anyone to watch the cats for a weekend (obviously wouldn’t recommend any longer than 3-4 days max). We left out bowls of water all over the house in case any spilled and were able to feed them on their regular schedule directly from our phones. And we monitored the food to make sure it was working etc using the camera.

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HauntingHarmonie t1_j211x24 wrote

I've had luck finding recommendations in my local buy nothing group!

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pelicanscoop t1_j212ccu wrote

Check out Fetch! I work for them and use them myself

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LessDramaLlama t1_j21iiil wrote

Replying to MartinTheMartian1 (#1,129,880)

Seconded! Pet sitting services are often asked about on this forum, and for some reason the first recommendation for Sit-a-Pet gets downvoted every time. However, I had a great experience using them for seven years. The central office assigns you a sitter who will be the person to visit your home. You’ll stick with that person unless they are taking time off. The central office keeps your key in between pet sitting gigs, so there’s a layer of safety. They also keep a record of back-up contacts who can access your home in an emergency. The company is also diligent about recording your emergency vet, how to reach you, and what to do in household emergencies, like plumbing leaks.

Most important, my cats were always perfectly happy when I came home. Their food bowls and litter boxes were immaculate. Also, our front door camera showed that the sitter spent at least 30 minutes per visit interacting with the cats.

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also_anon_dc t1_j21mh5c wrote

Honestly the Rover sitter we hire is better than the friends we’ve paid. She has to check in/out in the app so you always know how long the visit is and she always uploads pics and a description of how the visit went. I think Rover sitters are much more reliable than other people we’ve had in the past.

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40toosoon t1_j21tl5m wrote

Replying to also_anon_dc (#1,131,529)

Agree with this. We use rover for our kitty and I also started cat sitting as a side gig. Definitely do a meet and greet. Ask for pics. Reach out to a few to see how responsive they are to any questions. Good luck!

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lemoncurd_98 t1_j227xyw wrote

I love Sherelle from http://catladycatcare.com/. She sends emails daily when we are gone with pictures of my cats and the clean litter box and the water refills. She also sends updates and is open to texts.

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AdditionalAttorney t1_j22liov wrote

I’m confused how recommendations from Reddit are any more trustworthy than the reviews on rover.

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london_toby t1_j22qh4y wrote

Replying to MartinTheMartian1 (#1,129,880)

We reached out several times this summer and they never get back to us. I don’t know if they are short staffed and not taking in new clients? But the complete lack of response is quite discouraging. Ended up using Rover and had good experience.

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london_toby t1_j22qwc1 wrote

In addition to recommendation about Rover, I highly recommend getting a pet monitor (those with treat dispenser). In that case you can monitor your cat even when you are away! You can speak to the cat through the microphone as well. Definitely get one with treat dispenser - because some cats will come when you call their name, and other will only come when you throw the treats. I love my pet monitor and it’s one of my best investment. I am also paranoid about my cat got stuck somewhere and no one notice, so I don’t just leave her home alone with auto feeder, but rather hire a pet sitter to come by daily.

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Lopsided-Agency t1_j23kic8 wrote

Been using Rover for our dogs for 8 years with very good experience. Read reviews, meet the person and talk to them. Highly recommend Rover over brick and mortar as you pet typically gets more individual attention rather than being in general population or locked in solitary confinement.

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lailsthewhale t1_j23llfz wrote

Check out paws on the hill or saving grace pets

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dozyhorse t1_j24dc7u wrote

Replying to MartinTheMartian1 (#1,129,880)

I’ve used Sit-a-Pet for almost a decade - maybe more actually? - even with cats with special medical needs or precise routines and always been very, very happy with them, and have always come home to happy, unstressed cats.

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WanderWorld3 t1_j25ox8j wrote

Tails of the City Pet Care are amazing. They also stop by to meet you beforehand.

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loonlaugh t1_j28ppza wrote

Replying to AdditionalAttorney (#1,137,609)

If someone is an experienced Reddit user, then the Reddit community is their known, their trusted resource. They may also have established relationships with the people in this subreddit. If they don’t use Rover, it is their unknown and therefore not a trusted resource. Generally recommendations from a known, trusted community carry more weight with people than ones from virtual strangers or unknowns.

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loonlaugh t1_j28q78i wrote

Another plus for Rover or other established corporations over a private person is that they carry business insurance. A good idea to ask about/research just in case. A sitter leaves the door unlocked and you’re robbed, a sitter is hurt in your home, a sitter breaks something in your home, etc. are all things that make them having insurance important for you.

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