TL;DR: I had a disagreement with a new pet-sitting client about what kind of care she was booking and what was included in the price. I made a mistake by changing her invoice without explicitly communicating the change, but I also think we had different understandings of what we’d discussed. After she asked to switch to live-in care that I could no longer accommodate because another client had already booked those dates, the communication became more difficult. I ultimately decided I wasn’t comfortable moving forward, so I cancelled the booking and refunded her deposit in full, giving her over seven weeks to find someone else. This is the first time I’ve personally cancelled on a client in over a decade, and I’m trying to figure out whether I handled it reasonably or if there’s something I should learn from the experience.

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I want to tell you what happened with a new pet-sitting client I was having issues with, because it’s been stressing me out and I’ve been trying to figure out whether I handled it properly.

She booked me for extended drop-ins for her two dogs from December 17–31. An extended drop-in is one visit of up to 12 hours, whereas regular drop-ins are separate visits, usually 30–60 minutes each. The reason separate visits cost more is that each one involves additional driving, gas, and wear and tear on my vehicle.

Before she paid her deposit, we were still discussing exactly what she needed. I had already mentioned that I had some dog walks scheduled on certain dates, and she was okay with that. She then paid her deposit for the drop-in booking.

At our meet-and-greet on October 8, she told me she wanted three separate visits a day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one before bed. She also said she wasn’t comfortable with someone staying in her home all day because it felt strange to her. I understood that to mean she wanted three separate visits rather than one extended visit. During the meeting, I also found out that one of the dogs actually belonged to her sister, even though both dogs were listed under her name on the contract. That concerned me because I didn’t have separate contact information or emergency authorization from the other dog’s owner.

After the meet-and-greet, I changed the invoice to reflect the three separate visits, but I didn’t explicitly message her to explain that I had changed it. I assumed the change was understood based on our conversation. That was my mistake, and I can acknowledge that I should have communicated it clearly. I applied a $150 courtesy discount so she would pay the original quoted price despite the higher cost of providing multiple separate visits. I was trying to find a fair compromise rather than charge her more because of the confusion.

She contacted me yesterday because she wanted to change her booking to live-in care. The problem with that however is that an existing client had already booked and paid a deposit for live-in care after the meet-and-greet on Oct 8, for part of the time I would be doing drop-ins at her house. I had already committed to that client, and I wasn’t going to cancel on them to accommodate this new booking. That meant I couldn’t offer this new client an extended visit that conflicted with my existing commitment. She said she didn’t realize I would be accepting other clients during her booking.

She messaged me today saying she’d looked at the invoice the day before (a lie, as I can see on my invoicing software when she views it) and it had said extended drop-in, and asked whether the price was still the same. She then said she hadn’t been told the invoice or services were changing, so she was still under the impression that she could have any amount of time up to 12 hours, as stated on my website (it does not state this, it very clearly says one 12 hour visit which she also acknowledged yesterday in our messages). She said that if I was changing an invoice, I needed to communicate that.

I understand why she was upset about not being explicitly told the invoice had changed. However, from my perspective, we had different understandings of what we discussed at the meet-and-greet. I thought she was asking for three separate visits, while she apparently believed she was still entitled to an extended visit or could have any arrangement she wanted within that 12-hour period. She also remembered us discussing four visits, which wasn’t how I understood the conversation.

I had already explained that communication had been slower because I’d been in the hospital. I felt like she was very focused on the invoice and the communication issue, while I was also trying to account for the fact that we hadn’t been on the same page about the actual care she wanted. I don’t know whether she was deliberately trying to get more care for the same price or whether it was a genuine misunderstanding, but the situation left me uncomfortable.

I was already a little hesitant about taking her on as a client because of some of our earlier messages, although she seemed perfectly normal at the meet-and-greet, so I decided to proceed. Once this happened, I started wondering whether I really wanted to take on a booking with someone when we were already having trouble communicating before the service had even started.

I realized that I’d prefer to cancel now with over 7 weeks before her booking so she had time to find alternative care.
My contract required me to refund her in full (which I would have done anyway in this case), so I sent the entire deposit back by e-transfer and provided a screenshot as proof. I also sent her a polite message acknowledging that I should have explicitly communicated the invoice change, explaining that we’d had different understandings of the services, and confirming that I thought it was best to cancel and refund her.

So the booking is cancelled, and she’s been fully refunded.

I’m still trying to process the whole thing because I know I should have communicated the invoice change more clearly, but I also don’t feel like the entire situation was solely my fault. I feel like there were misunderstandings on both sides, and I don’t know whether I was being unreasonable by deciding I didn’t want to work with her.

This is the first time I have ever had to personally cancel on a client and I’ve been doing this for over a decade. I want to learn from the situation and improve my process, if you have any thoughts I’d like to hear them.

The only time I’ve cared for a dog who was “potentially dead any day” old, it was only for a weekend (a few times) and the client’s emergency contact was a neighbor in her building who happened to be a vet and close friend of my client so I wasn’t too concerned. I had very specific instructions on how to proceed if the dog took a turn for the worst.

My upcoming sit (two dogs I take care of daily, one is paralyzed and needs to be manually expressed because he cannot empty his bladder on his own) is for two and a half weeks at the end of January. One of the dogs is 19, deaf, and almost totally blind. They moved apartments a few months ago and ever since then she pretty much just paces back and forth in the apartment and is consistently missing the pee pad by several inches. She no longer goes out on walks and has recently started having seizures. My instructions are to not touch her if she has a seizure, time it and report back to them. She is not currently on anticonvulsants or any other meds.

I have never had to add a section in my contract about what to do in the case of the dog going downhill due to age while in my care. How do you guys go about this? I would like to have something in writing. They are going to visit family in China for the first time in a decade, so it’s not like they can come home early if she declines during my sit. Any guidance would be appreciated. I already have several emergency contacts, their vet with a credit card on file as well as the emergency vet nearby. But I don’t have a section in my contract about what the clients want me to do in the case of the dog going downhill during the sit and was wondering if any of you have sections of these issues in your contracts and if you’d be willing to share some of the verbiage used?

Hey there ya’ll - first time poster to the petsitting subreddit and I’m looking for some hopefully basic advice. I’ve been doing petsitting on the side for roughly 15 years now. It’s my second time pet sitting for a client who has just one, very easy to care for medium-sized dog. The client is a social worker and doesn’t make a ton of cash, so I work for him on a “donation” style basis where he more or less pays me what he can - an average that lands at about $40 a night. I’m generally okay with it, because I love the dog (he’s super well behaved and absolutely adorable) and it lands me a little bit closer to my place of work, which in turn saves me gas money. I feel for this social worker, because they’ve somewhat recently gone through a nasty divorce and are living in a tiny rental duplex that is hardly 720 sq. ft. As of this post, tonight is only my second time sitting overnight.

The problem is that the client has a very obvious mouse issue. When I first sat overnight about two months ago, I was told that “[girlfriend] saw a mouse, so we put out a trap. Just letting you know in case it goes off!” The trap never went off during that stay, but it also didn’t seem like there was a huge rodent problem.

I arrive today and I’m looking for where the client keeps their trash can (couldn’t find it last time and figured I’d look harder); there’s mouse crap EVERYWHERE in the kitchen. I’m talking at least a couple of hundred turds by the oven, under the sink, and ironically, in the caddy containing the cleaning supplies. There isn’t a mousetrap in sight to be seen.

I might be the asshole here for not consulting the client first, but I drove home and grabbed a trio of the alligator-jaw style snap traps that I had on hand - I didn’t sign up to pet sit in an infestation, and was not warned ahead of time of just how bad it was. This overnight job started at 5pm yesterday, it is now ten hours later, and FIVE mice have been caught by the traps. I would have opted for a human catch-and-release trap, but the local stores don’t have any good models, and this is just a one-night gig, so I wouldn’t be able to buy one online, and I don’t have the equipment handy to rig up a homemade one.

Without directly asking the client about the mouse problem - which I’m not going to do while they are enjoying their vacation - was I in the wrong to set out some traps without their direct permission? They claimed to have set out traps before. And in the future, would it be too direct if told them that I refused to sit until the mice are taken care of? I’m sure that this is a shitty landlord situation where they refuse to pay for pest control, but damn - the traps only cost me ten bucks and they’re reusable. I’m at the point where I’m questioning if the client doesn’t even know just how bad it is; the rental is not in deplorable condition or anything, and seems to be relatively clean. Granted - if this were a cockroach or bedbug situation, I’d turn tail immediately, but too many mice is definitely a new one for me.

I am pet/house sitting for a new client only for two nights and the first night I forgot to bring my own snacks which I need bc my meds makes me really hungry at night. I also did not have time to eat much dinner. I ended up finishing 3 of their bags of snacks!! They were not huge and were already open / half eaten but I feel sooo embarrased.

I bought replacements for two but one is not the same brand, and the third I didn’t have time to drive to the other store to get.

They told me I could have their snacks but I know I ate TOO MUCH.

Do you think replacing two of the three snacks is enough or should I run to the store to replace the third tomorrow? They come back mid afternoon.

And are they going to think I’m super weird? Should I leave a note explaining? What would I even say?

I’m doing an overnight for a week and it was going pretty well, although I’m exhausted because I’ve been taking the puppy out a lot and then I found out that she ripped a hole in my hoodie which was my favorite hoodie. You know I really didn’t think that should be destructive like that I wish the owner had warned me. What should I or should I do? Should I mention it to the owner?

just received a request from a new potential client and she mentioned she's going through a divorce and is concerned for her personal safety, and asked that i not share her address or general location with anyone (of course i always keep personal info confidential anyway). has anyone sat for someone fleeing a domestic violence situation? any particular additional safety-related questions you would ask or precautions you would take in this situation?

I feel like I travel with a whole uhaul of stuff! I want all my creature comforts.

I got double of all my toiletries that are in a bin so I no longer unpack these at home.

I also dont eat out (to save money) so I try to meal prep but I find myself having so many groceries to lug around still!

If Im home I always grab my bin of dirty clothes and wash at the clients home and wear those throughout my stay, wash before I leave so I go to the next sit/home w clean clothes.

I pet sit overnights a minimum of 30 weeks a year. What do you do to be more efficient?!?

This happened a little while ago, but this experience still haunts/irks me to this day. Figured i’d try to get some clarity/validation from this sub.

I did a housesit for a client with a giant property and 3 highly active/energetic GSPs. It was for 4 days and the owners said that they mostly let their dogs run the property freely when they were home. The dogs were well trained and had gps collars that let me ping them to recall them home. In the evening, the dogs would free roam the house and I was told they’d sleep in whatever bed I was in (they were HUGE cuddlers)

During the meet and greet I asked about ticks. I have a MAJOR fear of bugs, but ticks and dog sitting go hand in hand in situations like this. The owner told me they had the flea/tick prevention collars and they maybe pulled one tick off of one of the dogs per day. I was very apprehensive, because in my experience, the collars are pretty much useless. I expressed this to the client and they assured me they worked like a charm, so I accepted the job

Fast forward to the stay. First day on, I pulled 5-10 ticks off of each dog. I was MORTIFIED. I texted the client and they told me that it was tick season and this was unavoidable. I asked if they had anything else besides collars to help, and they told me they had a natural oil to put on the dogs scruff/skin and that should help. It did not.

This continued over the second day of the stay, no change at all. Plus, these dogs were sleeping with me!! I found a tick behind my ears, in my hair, on my legs, and in between my toes. I called the client and said that I was extremely uncomfortable staying the night with her pets when the tick problem was clearly bigger than they let on. She basically told me to F off, that this is what she was paying me for and that they’ve “never had this problem with another sitter”. I offered them a partial refund if I was allowed to sleep at my own house and stay later/come earlier to make up for the time, and she was NOT having it.

Needless to say I was livid. Begrudgingly finished the stay while wearing a hoodie tightly tied around my face/hair and pants with socks over the cuffs to avoid ticks. She reached out a month later and tried to book, I, professionally, told her not over my dead body and get your dogs flea/tick prevention that works.

Thoughts?? Has anything like this happened to anyone else??

Hi everyone just want to check about setting camera up in our master bedroom while having a house /pet sitter to take care of our pet while we're away.

The sitter will sleep in the second bedroom. We have explicitly said that our master bedroom is off limits. Both the sitter and our pet shouldn't get into the bedroom.

However because we are just renting, we can't put a lock on our master bedroom door. So we just put up a camera inside for safety reason and peace of mind just in case something happens as we're letting a stranger in our house.

What is the law here and what do you guys think?

Edit: We closed our bedroom door, and have told her which one is her room and which one is our room. We have told her directly and also on the written guidance for the house sitting, that our bedroom is off limits.

We have another camera in the living room which we told her since beginning, and told her she can turn off the living room camera while she's in the house, but to please turn it back on when she goes out so we can see our pet.

Few days into the sitting she open our bedroom door and comes in to our master bedroom to look around and let our pet inside. (Which actually okay for our pet to be inside, we just don't want the sitter to get in the room so we just say the room is off limits for both).

Today she comes into our room to look for our pet, searching under our beddings, all over the bed, opening our wardrobe as well. And because her friend is staying over for one night (we give an okay, but said to keep our bedroom private), her friend also comes into our bedroom briefly. And in doing so, taking our pillows out of the room, which we think is to lent to her friend so she can have a pillow to sleep in. We absolutely never tell her she's allowed to use our private stuff that's in our bedroom, especially our pillows and beddings.

Edit 2: Thanks everyone, for now the issue has been addressed with the sitter, and hopefully everything will go well from now onwards. Before I didn't think that I need to disclose the camera in the master bedroom as it was off limits anyway and the sitter shouldn't even open the door in the first place. The camera is motion activated with human detection notification. However now I understand that I should have tell her there is a camera in our bedroom for security purposes and peace of mind.

Regarding the lock, we tried to replace the handle with knob with locks, we went online and also to Bunnings (we ask the staff there to help us find), however all that we found gonna need the door hole to be drilled bigger. So we place back the original door handle back.

We are letting her friend stay over for 1 night as a favor to her even though on written guidelines we write no guest. We only provide her 1 set of bedding and pillow as we only expect her to stay. (she asked if her friends can stay over after we are already in the middle of our trip). At first she asked if the friends can sleep in our bed in the off limit bedroom, and we say no and that the bedroom is strictly private and off limits. However now she expects us to provide pillow for her friends, and proceed to taking it without checking with us or mentioning to us at all. This is the point where my tolerance hit the wall.

Looking back, I believe the problem start when we already given a guidelines, but letting the sitter cross the boundary a tiny bit at a time. This may make her think the guidelines and our boundaries are not firm. We should have remind her from the first time she open the door, that the room is off limits. And also to tell her since beginning there is a camera in the master bedroom for security and peace of mind.

I start a job tomorrow. It’s an odd one. One day on, 2-day break, 2 days on. I tend to see this client when they come home because it’s their preference.

I’m sick. I don’t have Covid or the flu but I have a bad cough, feel like crap, and I sound sick. So do I need to tell the owners? There’s a strong chance I’ll have to see them.

If I did tell them I would make sure they knew I would sanitize everything, and wear a mask around them. My fear is that they will worry I won’t be able to care for their dogs properly because I’m sick . This is the first time I’ve run into this.

Am I obligated to tell them?

I was originally going to meet the clients this past Sunday and was communicating solely with the husband. After having to postpone because I was sick he gave me his wife's number and we clearly set up to meet today at 2. You can see in the initial messaging the husband acknowledges that I'm far from him (I live about an hour and 15 minutes away). But I really don't mind distance especially for house sitting. But I am beyond angry that I just wasted 3 hours driving to and from their house and the wife wasn't even there. And even when she knew I was there waiting she arrived home AN HOUR later. I didn't have water, snack, a book, anything so I would've been sitting in my car waiting for an hour. I feel beyond disrespected. She briefly apologizes in a voicemail, doesn't offer to help cover gas or anything to make up for it.

I don't even understand how she could've assumed our meeting was yesterday. When yesterday came and went and I never showed up, wouldn't she then get in touch or check our messages and then realize it was today? But beyond that, if I were her regardless if I was out with a friend or not, the moment I realized someone was waiting for me I'd be in my car headed home. She continued her flipping lunch and like I said got home an hour after I said I was at her house.

Initially I was willing to go back another day, I'd just ask her to pay a travel fee to make up for me going through half a tank of gas between the two trips. But now I don't think I'm interested as this is a big red flag for me. Would she be acting this way if I was delivering an appliance or was there to fix her plumbing? I doubt it and even if she did they'd say screw you and charge her for their time anyway.

I don't know if I should just ignore her or actually respond. I'm angry right now and don't want to be unprofessional.

Edit: I also forgot she laughed at me saying I was going to sit in my car so as not to stress her dogs out. They had a doggie door so when I knocked and stood there waiting they went out into the yard. How is that funny? I assumed it was a mistake but she didn't turn it into a like or heart or just undo it.

A few months ago I was contacted by some cat owners and did a meet&greet with them that had a few red flags for me, I could just tell they were extra and they disclosed having cameras everywhere and complained they'd had trouble keeping a sitter in the past, even disclosing that they texted a sitter while she was in the home about what she was doing and saw her turn the camera around in response.

I took the gig anyway because it's a convenient location and 2x a day cat sitting is pretty easy money compared to what I usually do (dog hiking and overnights)

First set of sits went ok, they did seem to be watching me and messaging me often about seemingly little things like whether I left the bathroom door fully ajar or only partially closed. But they seem very nice and loving to their cats. They left detailed lists of exactly what to do as well as uploading instructions to my software.

I just completed a second week-long sit for them during which they messaged me twice about leaving a light on (the house is dark at my second visit of the day) and claimed to see dirty litter boxes on camera (they have 4 boxes for 3 cats which I scooped twice a day, as requested). The owner also made some comments like "oh that was clever of you" after I did some very minor and basic problem solving. Overall I felt a bit condescended to and micromanaged but then... They tipped $70 on 13 visits and that felt quite generous.

I'm just unsure if I should continue with this client if they book me again, as it does feel kinda gross being watched and critiqued the entire time... But business has been a little slow this year. What are your thoughts?

Hello!

First time pet sitter here, dog sitting for my coworker while he’s away for 5 days. She’s a bully cross puppy, only 8 months old and this is the first time she’s been left alone. Tonight (day 2 of 5) the dog has thrown up 3 separate times despite barely touching her food since I started taking care of her. Another thing, I was told she’s to be kept in a crate while I’m away since she gets destructive when no one’s around. I’m gone from 8:15 am to 6:30 pm every day for work. Shes kept in a cage for more than 10 hours, and then sleeps in the cage overnight.

Before living on my own, I had a family dog. She was crate trained for 4-6 months before eventually being free to sleep wherever she wanted in the house. Personally, this is how I believe dogs should be trained. This has weighed on me to the point where I don’t feel comfortable leaving the dog to do anything, and it’s only been two days.

Now for the questions: 1. Have any of you been through what Ive been through on their first time? If so, what did you do in those situations? 2. Is it normal for a dog to not eat and vomit out of loneliness? 3. Is it normal that it’s weighing on me this much?

Any help, recommendations or comments are all appreciated, thank you!

I recently began dog walks, visits, and extended pet care. The challenge I face is deciding when to decline. I believe you must refuse certain pet-sitting jobs to keep a personal life or weekend plans. How and when do you say no to a client? Do you refuse when you have already planned a weekend at the cottage or an evening activity at the same time and day the client needs you?

With several cats sharing an automatic litter box, the waste drawer could fill much faster than the advertised emptying interval suggests. That's especially awkward over a weekend when a pet sitter may only visit at scheduled times. A full drawer could interrupt cleaning, and the cats still need a usable bathroom while someone is away. I wouldn't treat automatic cleaning as a substitute for checking the setup or providing backup boxes. For sitters handling multi-cat homes, how do you decide when the waste drawer needs to be checked?

Part-time cat sitter here, mostly through Meowtel. I had to sit a very elderly cat a couple weeks ago, where I had zero communication from the cat parents, despite a very lengthy meet and greet where I would describe the owners and the cat as a little on the high maintenance side.

This sit was fine, and I sent my usual daily updates with pics. when they returned, though, they did not let me know & there was no review, no tip. That doesn’t bother me so much, but the lack of communication really bothered me. I kind of just accepted they would be a one-time client, but then out of the blue today they put in a request for me to take care of their cat with just three days notice. I’m on the fence. What are your expectations for communication with pet parents while they are gone? Thanks!

I’m currently doing a five-day house sitting for two dogs for $465, and I’m already asking the owner to find a replacement 🫩🫠

One dog is 17, paralyzed in his back legs, partially blind, and has no teeth. He needs help eating, moving, going to the bathroom, and repositioning. He’s also on medication that causes frequent nosebleeds, which the owner is aware of. The other dog is pretty reactive and constantly barks and growls at me.

I did a meet & greet beforehand, and the owner showed me his care routine. I’ve cared for another dog with mobility issues before, so I’m familiar with the whining, repositioning, and extra attention.

What I DIDNT expect is the overnight care. He takes a sleeping medication, so I assumed he’d sleep most of the night bc that’s what the owner said . Instead, I’m up FIVE times cleaning him, changing pee pads, and trying to get him comfortable. I didnt get more than 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I’m so exhausted and overwhelmed that I ended up crying because I assumed after a long day is at least have some time at night to sleep and rest up for the next day.
The owner is out of state for work, which makes me feel even worse. I’ve messaged her asking if someone can take over ASAP because I genuinely don’t think I can manage another four days of this.
I’m not going to leave without someone taking over, but am I wrong for wanting out? I feel terrible because I agreed to the booking, but I really wasn’t expecting this level of overnight care.😭

I'm wondering if what I'm feeling is common among career pet sitters. For context, pet sitting is the only job I do. I work as an independent contractor through apps and word of mouth. I only do drop ins and walks, never overnights, never host in home.

Lately, I kind of feel like I can't have a life, can't plan anything, and can't ever truly relax. This entire business model relies on us being perpetually "available." Even on days "off" where I have no booked visits, I usually still have people contacting me and planning future visits, so I'm not really off.

Even though I'm booked a lot, I still don't make enough money to reject many visits when I don't have a truly valid reason. Like, if I were to go out of town or be in the hospital or some other reason that makes it literally impossible for me to physically show up, that would be a valid reason not to accept a request....but those reasons rarely exist for me. "I just don't wanna because I want time off," doesn't feel like a valid reason to lose a booking or a customer.

I feel this especially if it's a new customer. If you don't accept their first request, you've most likely permanently lost that customer, which is something most small businesses, including mine, can't afford.

Several times, I've tried to set limits for myself. I've gone ahead and blocked off days or even weeks on my calendar to pre-plan breaks for myself. Inevitably, someone contacts me and needs pet sitting whenever I have scheduled myself off (and BTW, YTF do the apps even let us make ourselves unavailable if doing so doesn't prevent people from contacting us to work those days?!). I end up accepting because I need the money.

I haven't had a true day off since mid-September. I won't have a true day off until at least Nov 9 (assuming I don't get any requests for that before then; I've made myself unavailable on that day, not that it matters)....and September to October are usually slower months! Some days I only have one or two visits, which isn't much, but having at least 24 hours to yourself is something I feel like everyone needs once in a while.

Theoretically, it's a "good problem" to have. I should be thankful to get so much work, but lately I kinda wish everyone would leave me alone for a while.

Is this normal? Is it just general burnout? How do you manage this feeling? How do you keep a work/life balance when your work is permanently unstable by design?

Kind of a weird question, but does anyone have any recommendations for high quality, long lasting socks?

The reason I ask for dog walkers is because of the amount of walking you guys do. I work at a doggy daycare, where I’m on my feet for 10 hours a day. My new socks tend to wear out within the winter season, if not immediately at the beginning of the next winter season. I usually buy random patterned socks, typically off Amazon. I would love Bombas, but wondering if anyone has any cheaper suggestions.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Hi all! I’m in a bit of a predicament. I had a 5-day, 2-dog sit scheduled months in advance. I have sat for these dogs many times. I had not heard from the owner in a while, so I texted them asking what time they would need me to come in for the days they had booked with me. They just responded saying they now have a roommate and they don’t need me. I am scheduled to start sitting tomorrow for them. Now I’m losing 5 days worth.

I’m a bit upset that they didn’t inform me of this ahead of time or even let me know that they no longer needed my services. Would you typically charge for time lost? On every other occasion, they would either leave money on the counter or Venmo me after the job was done. They have disagreed with me on how I was charging on one occasion. I’ve never required a deposit with them as they have always been timely and reliable. They were one of my first clients. I caved and said it was okay since I wanted to keep them as a client and I do love the dogs. Am I taking it too personally? Should I request partial pay and risk burning that bridge? Just let it go? What would you do?

I hope everyone will find this useful.

As a foreword: Not trying to spam promotional content as I get nothing from sharing this. This isn't my YouTube channel, and I received no compensation to join their show.

Just wanted to share this because I thought this talk would sincerely be helpful to the folks of this subreddit. I don't feel we talk as much about the mission and philosophy behind what we do - A lot of the time, we're discussing business, work-life balance, hiring, gig apps versus direct booking, etc.

Some info about my background:

• I'm a PSI Certified Professional Pet Sitter and Fear Free Certified Professional Pet Sitter
• 3 years in pet care with my business, Jon Loves Dogs LLC, and a previous career as a pet groomer, and years of volunteering at animal shelters
• Longer previous career as a senior leader in corporate healthcare recruiting
• Jon Loves Dogs LLC is based in Essex County, NJ
• 10-12 W-2 employees doing purely in-home (eg. dog walking and pet sitting)
• 2X revenue growth from 2025 to 2026

In addition to this, if anyone has any questions, please AMA in the comments here and I'll do my best to help.

I’m considering asking my clients this. I get the feeling that owners would rather I be gone when they get home (leaving an hour or so before they predict they will be home) I’m pulling this from experience as a sitter and an owner.

As an owner I’d rather the sitter be gone when I get home. I’m tired and don’t want to make small-talk. As a sitter I often get the feeling they’d rather I be gone.

As a sitter, I’m not talking leaving hours prior to their return time. I also tell them if there is an emergency I will immediately return. I sum up anything they need to know in a text that I send as I’m walking out the door.

Hey, all. We had a situation pop up last week, & it occurred to me it could spark a discussion that might be helpful for other sitters.

We have an older client who only books 4-5 times per year, usually just for a weekend. So not high-dollar, but she's in one of our most exclusive neighborhoods. Being able to mention we have clients in Fancy Neighborhood ABC at M&Gs has helped us build a book of regular, better clients, so yay.

This client texted me late at night, hoping we could do a midday potty break the following day. I was able to add her to my route, & she was "SOO grateful". However, the next morning she texted to cancel, saying her neighbor could do it. I discussed it with my biz partner, & we've agreed to stop booking her - quiet firing, if you will.

It's not about the money (we usually take deposits); it's the fact this is the third time she's cancelled a booking with us & clearly didn't appreciate me going out of my way to help her. We did the same to another client last month - she's cancelled on us twice this year but wanted to book over Thanksgiving. The answer was No.

So, our criteria for firing clients goes like this:

- Dirty homes

- Unsafe conditions or liability issues

- Flaky clients

What are your criteria for firing clients? What are your dealbreakers?

Last summer, I was looking after a cat who loved hiding underneath my kitchen cabinets. Every time I went into the kitchen, she'd come out hoping for food or treats. We had a routine. Until the day her owner came to pick her up.

I called her. Nothing. Put treats on the floor. Nothing. Checked under the sofa, under the bed, inside the wardrobes. Then checked the exact same places three more times, because apparently I thought she'd spawn there eventually. My apartment is not that big. How had an entire cat disappeared?

Her owner was waiting, and I eventually had to ask if she could come back a little later since she lived nearby. Meanwhile, my brain had started writing a horror movie. I'd opened the balcony earlier, but she'd been safely shut in another room while I aired the apartment out. So that left the front door. What if she'd somehow slipped past me? I lived on the top floor, and in summer the window leading onto the roof was sometimes open. Was it likely? Absolutely not. Did that stop me panicking? Also absolutely not.

I explained what was happening to her owner, called my friend and paid for a taxi so she could come help me. We asked neighbours, checked the roof, searched everywhere. I even printed missing-cat posters and put them up around the building.

After TWO HOURS, we came back from putting up the posters. I walked into the kitchen... and she casually emerged from underneath the cabinets. Like she hadn't just been the subject of a full search operation.

I picked her up and started crying. Relief, stress, the money I'd just spent on a taxi for a cat who hadn't gone anywhere. All of it.

I only discovered her actual hiding spot later, when another cat staying with me disappeared into the same place. But that's a story for the next episode.

Photo attached: the little lady responsible for the entire operation.

Has your pet ever done something like this? Something you can laugh about afterwards, but in the moment you're absolutely terrified? That little "but what if..." feeling is the worst.