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If you are new to the experience of owning a pet cat, you probably have a lot of questions about how traveling with a pet at home can and should work. Will your pet miss you? Is it better to have an in-house sitter or drop your cat off in a boarding house? How much should you pay for quality cat sitting? In this article, we will be answering all those questions and more.
How much does a cat sitter cost?
A quality cat sitter will cost anywhere between $12 and $30 per drop-in visit. Luckily for our wallets, cats don’t usually need to be babysat for hours in end. Rather an appropriate drop-in during mealtimes and to clean the litterbox is good for most people.
But if your cat has special needs, it may be worth considering extra. Pet sitters are a dime a dozen but most cat sitters are not likely to have experience administering medicine or properly handling pets.
Is it okay to leave your cat with a sitter?
Leaving your adorable cat with a pet sitter over a vacation might feel hard, but most cats will handle temporary and short-term absences fairly well.
Some cats can develop a dependence on their owners so it can actually be healthy to make sure your pets occasionally get exposure to periods of time for developing their own sense of independence.
The last thing you want your pet to develop is an anxious attachment style of love to you. Although it may seem cute and lovable, cats with anxious attachment love styles can get depressed or anxious when you are gone.
That’s why it can actually be good for your cat to get exposure to others.
How do I find someone to watch my cat?
Many places across the USA have different options for cat boarding, cat sitting, and pet watching. Unless your cat has a very ultra specific need for medicine or nurturing, a trusted friend who is a familiar face will be a great option for pet sitters.
If you need to find a pet sitter pronto, you may want to consider apps like Meowtel or Rover.
What is Meowtel?
Meowtel is appropriately named as motel for your cat! You can hire a pet sitter to come and drop in your home for 20 minutes at a time with rates starting $20 per drop-in.
Meowtel is a lot like an Uber but for Pet sitting. Sitters drop their credentials in the app and you can see independent reviews for them from other cat owners.
What is Rover?
Rover is a pet-sitting app that allows well-reviewed pet sitters to drop by your home while you are gone or even open up their home as a potential pet-AirbNb.
Our experience with Pet sitters has been wonderful and even with different pet sitters every time, our cute little Michelin has found new friends from all over the local area.
How many times a day should a cat sitter visit?
It’s recommended a morning and evening drop-in visit for every day you are gone. This helps to create a regular sense of mealtimes and can allow your sitter to keep up with sthroom duties. Depending on what your cat’s needs are, you may opt for more visits in a day.
How much should I pay my friend to catsit?
Regular cat-sitting rates start at $12 per visit and go all the way up to $30 per drop-in. If your friend is only dropping in once per day, you may consider a $15 per day rate.
This does depend on your relationship. Some friends will offer to pop in on your pets for free while others may not be comfortable. It’s important when asking friends to offer to pay everytime, even if they have done it for free in the past – and mean it too! It’s not a small thing to drop by and check in on a pet if you have other things going on. This will help you and your friends stay on good terms.
Do cat sitters stay overnight?
Some cat sitters or home sitters will stay overnight on request, but usually, a drop in visit is all that’s required.
Instead of booking a cat sitter to drop in and stay overnight, you could also consider booking a boarding room with a trusted sitter at their home. This will mitigate the extra work required of the pet sitters of dropping by and will also let them keep a closer eye on your pets.
Is it better to board a cat or leave at home?
Since cats are very particular about their environment and their territory, it’s always important to prioritize leaving your cat in a safe space. This is why most cat owners will prefer to have a cat sitter drop in at home instead of dropping their cat off with a pet sitter before vacation.
But every cat is a little bit unique. Some cats enjoy the experience of going out and meeting new friends, while other cats prefer to stay at home and control their environments a little bit more. Knowing what your cat likes and enjoys when you go on vacation is very important so make sure to pay attention to how they treat new people in the house, and if they enjoy the company of other pets.
Cats have a tendency to hide when they are unfamiliar with their surroundings so if you are going to board with your pet instead of an in-house sitter, make sure it’s a place that your cat can visit thoroughly and become familiar with the sense in the house before going on your next vacation.
Will my cat be sad if I leave for a week?
In our experience, the longer you leave your pet home alone, the more likely your cat is to feel lonely.
Yes! Recent studies have shown that cats do recognize and respond positively to their owners so leaving for extended periods of time can be a big deal for your cute little furball.
That’s why it’s very important to make sure that every time you go on vacation, you are also making time to book either a cat sitter or a boarding appointment with a trusted cat boarding center. This will help your cat know that you love and appreciate them regardless of when you leave on vacation.
How many days can you leave a cat alone?
Despite popular cultural sentiment, cats are very social animals that require a lot of social affection. Indeed most cats shouldn’t be left alone for more than a day or two.
If you do need to leave your cat, there are plenty of budget options for getting a pet sitter to drop by to feed and interact with your pet so they don’t get too lonely. Our personal favorite has been rover.com which we use every time we go on vacation for any extended period of time.
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Disclaimer: None of the information presented on this site constitutes legal, business, tax, or medical advice. In each scenario, it’s recommended to first chat with a medical, legal, business, or tax professional before making any decisions.
