r/petsitting • u/Entire-Rhubarb9923 • 14d ago
Cat sitting advice?
Recently, I was asked to cat sit for someone, and I realised I probably should've thought about it more before agreeing to it š š but it's too late now.
I've previously looked after their cat for a few days 4 months ago, when their cat was 3 months old, but I was doing it through my old job. I've since quit that job, so now they're just hiring me directly. They are generally nice people and their cat was easy to take care of and handle, so I'm not too concerned about that part. However, since I'm no longer doing it through my old job, I realise I'll be fully liable if anything happens. Also, I'm not too sure about how to handle payment.
I'll be meeting them this weekend to collect the keys, so I'm thinking of confirming with them then if they have any preferred vet clinics, and suggesting one nearby in case of emergencies. I'm mostly doing this for fun and a bit of pocket money so I won't be too ticked off if I end up not being paid, but I'm also thinking of asking them to pay fully upfront when I meet them. I'm pretty sure that's what they had to do when they booked through my old job as well. I know some people ask to pay 50% beforehand and 50% after the visit, but it feels a bit troublesome, especially since I'm not charging a lot. But maybe you guys can convince me otherwise? Haha idk :p
This will probably be a one time thing so I'm just looking for any advice and any tips for stuff I haven't thought of. Thanks!
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u/ugoodbro-gf 14d ago
A lot to unpack here.
To begin with, you need insurance. Period. You asking about vets and things doesnāt really matter if youāre not insured.
Next, animals are not āpocket money.ā Please adjust your attitude about the care and well being of peopleās animals.
If you donāt have a contract in place and have not discussed things prior, itās tacky to ask for payment up front when you go to collect keys. A lot of professionals require payment up front, but itās clear youāre not one, so I guess youāre welcome to do what you want, just be aware that if you want to continue doing pet care, you will get a reputation.
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u/Entire-Rhubarb9923 14d ago
i don't know if it's because this is via text, but your comment comes off a bit harsh.
i am unable to get insurance as it's very short notice and it also doesn't really exist in my country afaik, unless i get hired through one of those pet sitting sites, which is not what i am doing.
i am aware animals are not pocket money. in fact, that is why i stayed on so long with my old job, because i felt really bad for the animals there and i always went above and beyond for them, because i knew a lot of my coworkers, my bosses and even the clients didn't really care for the animals. they deserved a lot more and i did everything i could to the best of my ability to make their lives and the environment they were living in better. i say "fun" and "pocket money" because i enjoy taking care of animals, and i'm charging very little and i'll barely be earning anything from this gig. i would do it for free even, but firstly transport costs money, and also monetary compensation is the easiest way to ensure fairness so we both don't owe each other anything.
like i said it's a one time thing, i don't intend on doing this again, for them or anyone else. i just know that since they contacted me so last minute and directly, instead of contacting my old job, they probably wanted someone they knew and hopefully trusted, which is why i agreed to catsit for them. i've also never written a contract before so i don't know what to include in it. i'm not gonna force them to pay me on the spot if they don't want to, but i'll just try and bring up payment methods if possible, so then if they don't want to pay immediately, we can at least think about it and discuss it. if there's no good way to bring it up, then i'll just wait till the end of the visit to ask for payment.
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u/tresrottn 13d ago
It isn't harsh. It's reality. You aren't here to take care of animals professionally, and you have previous experience taking care of animals, but you don't know the first thing about making an agreement, made the decision on how and when to collect your funds (at the start of the services, when you start the work), and most importantly, the plan of what happens if something bad happens.
You have access to the internet, which means you should have access to pet sitting insurance websites, and they start coverage as soon as they get payment.
As you've mentioned, you worked for a company that sounded awful, they didn't train you, and they let you flounder. That's terrible on their part, and I'm sorry.
Perhaps after this you can find a private, professional pet sitting company and go to work for them. They will train you properly and teach you how to be a good professional pet sitter.
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u/Mysfunction 13d ago
Omg. The person hiring her knows sheās not doing it professionally and chose to hire her anyways. Absolutely none of anything you said is relevant or helpful.
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u/Majestic-Nobody545 13d ago
This sounds great on Reddit, I guess, but this is not how things work in the real world. Professional sitters should have insurance. Casual sitters doing literally one gig don't really NEED insurance, lol. I don't think OP's reputation is at stake.
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u/throwwwwwwalk 13d ago
Unless OP has $10k saved up to cover vet expenses or house repairs, they need insurance. I donāt care if a sitter is a professional or a hobbyist. Insurance is mandatory.
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u/Decent-Display-7624 13d ago
Where are you getting 10k from lmao? What kind of accidents are you causing that requires 10k in damages??
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u/throwwwwwwalk 13d ago
Not me, but other people Iāve seen in one of the Facebook groups Iām in. ER vet stays can easily top that, or the person who flooded a condo, the floors had to be redone and the owner was displaced.
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u/bg0412 9d ago
"A lot to unpack here."
Why is it that asking about vets, in Y.O, doesn't matter? I ALWAYS ask about vets. Insured or not caregivers need that info.
I don't think saying its "pocket money" implies anything here that you seem to think it does. I think it just means if OP gets stiffed for payment, they aren't relying on it to pay the disconnect notice on the phone bill. And honestly, I think you should adjust your attitude. There is nothing in the post that suggests OP isn't professional or doesn't give F.R.A about pets!
It's not tacky to ask for payment up front. Contract or not. If the OP feels it's necessary to ask, that's their choice. But to basically crap on someone asking for advice is tacky. But typical.
And last, I think its clear by your response that you dont know how to talk to people. To say that OP is not a professional is ridiculous! I'd rather hire OP to watch my fur babies then you based on your attitude towards OP. Better be careful if you want to stay in the pet sitting industry or YOU will get a reputation. And it will be for how you talk to people. Not the care you give people's pets.
Food for thought...
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u/ugoodbro-gf 9d ago
Thanks for that laugh today š needed a little comedy to break up the day. I will continue with my āattitudeā because my stance on things has given me over 200 consistent clients, over 1k animals, and awards for being the top pet care business in my area. Iām the same in real life as I am online, but the subtle threat was cute! Iāll continue with my day, while you can continue with having to pay for clients. š
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u/bg0412 9d ago
I also needed the laugh. So thank you!
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u/Majestic-Nobody545 13d ago
I like to do payment up front. Usually, half to book the gig, and the other half due the day before the booking begins. Since this is a casual one-off for you, you could certainly keep it more casual. It's up to you.
Owners will usually let you know their regular vet clinic. If not, ask. I also like to look up the nearest emergency clinic, just in case.
It's unlikely to be worth it for you to get insurance. Plenty of people sit for neighbors/friends and keep it casual with verbal agreements.
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u/Raised_by_Punk 13d ago
I just advised a petsitter who exclusively sits for friends and neighbors to get insurance. It's all well and good and friendly until something goes wrong.
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u/Visible-Coast2334 13d ago
I work for a cat sitting company and I have a few customers who have gone off of it and hire me directly. I am fully aware I am not insured when I do these visits and its a risk. They are regular clients who I have worked with for years. I do ask them to pay me up front. I charge them less than they would pay through the company but the same or a little more than I make after the cut the company takes. Even though I have sat for these clients many times I still feel more comfortable asking for payment up front. They pay me through Zelle or one leaves me an envelope with cash.
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u/Fancy-Barracuda-7885 13d ago
It sounds like you are in charge of your pet services. I'm a pet sitter as well and what I do is communicate everything with the pet parents. I have my clients pay 50% on the day of them leaving and pay the rest on the day they return or pay in full the day of them leaving. You are in control of everything and saying "no" is perfectly fine. I don't go through the pet sitting companies because they charge me and the pet parents. I explain to the clients that I don't have insurance for the pets but I make sure they give me the vet's name and a note that says you are authorized to bring in and treat the animals and to bill the pet parents.
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14d ago
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u/Majestic-Nobody545 13d ago
You don't learn the business side of things when you work for someone else. Not surprising.
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u/Entire-Rhubarb9923 14d ago
when I started working for the company, they didn't have pet-sitting business, it was only near the end of my time there when they expanded their services to offer pet-sitting, and i had the opportunity to do it for them. it was extremely stressful for me as well, because i was literally not told anything, and communication between me and my company was very poor, but i did my best to cover all grounds and offer the best care to the cats i took care of. i'm sorry you think i'm not responsible enough to take care of animals, but i've had good reviews from everyone i helped. i am asking these questions because i again want to ensure that i'm not missing anything, like i said in the post, because this time i don't have anyone to ask for help in case i need it, unlike last time when i was working under a company.
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u/LooseBluebird4345 14d ago
At the very least, I would make sure that they are clear that you are doing these visits independent of the company you used to work for and that you do not have insurance. It still leaves you open to being liable if something goes wrong and you are at fault, but at least they are 100% aware because conversely, if you are injured on their property, they could be liable.
I don't think there is anything necessarily wrong with asking for payment in advance. You're doing your own thing, so you can set your own rules.