Reliable cat sitter

[Skiddaw]

Update- thankfully, our cat sitting friends were available and we were most relieved to find The Munchkin fine and dandy on our return! We brought him back some chicken for his tea and a brand new catnip mouse, which he promptly ripped open. I've sown it up twice so far but fear much of the catnip is in his tummy...

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

If you are in this situation again ... It might be worth asking your vet nurses if they are available for a bit of pet sitting.  I know the VN's at our practice do it 

[Skiddaw]

LOL!   

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

Don't worry. Just prepare yourself for the guilt trip that will be laid on you when you return. It works wonders... 

[Skiddaw]

Hi All,

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Thankfully, our cat-sitting friends will be available after all so should be OK- though it'll be the first time we've left the Munchkin for more than a night alone in the house (for longer holidays we use the cattery) so I am a little worried...

[Gillian Harvey]

One of the nicest things she does when she looks after them is filling in a little diary of every days visits, what she did, how the girls were, what they were doing when she got there etc.

Thats what I do too! - with photographs of all the cats and evidence of any misdemeanours - like the sea of pigeon feathers last week LOL! 

[Bryony84]

We found our cat sitter because she was advertising in a small local magaszine. I called her and asked if she could come round to meet me and the girls. She brought police check papers as well as proof of national petsitters organisation membership. She also took the details of the girls microchips and their vet as well as my parents details.

From the cats point of view, she just came in and sat on the sofa and the girls came over to her for a good sniff, she was really good with them, didn't pick them up or anything like that. One of the nicest things she does when she looks after them is filling in a little diary of every days visits, what she did, how the girls were, what they were doing when she got there etc. At the end of the day, we chose her because she made me feel totally at ease when she came round to meet us. she charges £7 a day, which I think is pretty good. We only use her if we are going away for just a few days, if it was a week or so I think we'd book them into the local cattery that my mum uses for Casper.

[Beanie]

Hi Skiddaw,

I am so glad that you asked this question, as it is an area overlooked and thought unimportant by many people, sometimes with disastrous results. My advice is based on tried and trusted methods by others and is as follows:

Not all pet sitters are alike; find a good one

If you’re taking a trip and leaving your pet at home, you have three basic pet care options:
1.   Ask a family member, friend or neighbor to care for your pet while you’re away.
2.   Board your pet at a cattery.
3.   Hire a professional pet sitter.

A professional pet sitter will provide services ranging from daily feeding  to extensive play time and full-time pet care and house sitting in your home. When you’re choosing a pet sitter, here are a few things to consider.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Pet Sitter:

•   What services are included in the fee?
•   Are there any extra services that require additional payments?
•   Does the sitter have a standard contract that spells out services, payments and other obligations?
•   Is the sitter bonded and insured for liability? (NB: More likely for dogs)
•   Can the sitter provide references that you can check?
•   What types of pets has the sitter cared for in the past?
•   How much time will the sitter spend with your pet?
•   What kind of activities will the sitter share with your pet?
•   How would the pet sitter handle a medical or home emergency?
•   Is the sitter affiliated with any pet care organizations?

Before Leaving Your Pet with a Sitter:

•   Assemble everything the sitter will need to care for your pet, including house keys, food and water dishes, any medications your pet may need, and enough food and treats to last for the duration of your trip.
•   Describe your pet’s personality to the sitter, and spend some time introducing the sitter to your pet. (NB: This is very important as cats hate change. Their home represents safety and you won't be there but a strange unknown person will be coming in, which can be seen as threatening hence cats hiding, running away if given the chance or in the worst cses hyperventillating through fear)

DO NOT LET THE PET SITTER LET YOUR CAT OUT If upset about a perceived intruder he/she may not return. I have looked for too many cats in these circumstances.

A starting point may be your veterinary sugery as sometimes nurses supplement their income by offering this service.  Ideally,Yyou need to know the people and ask the same questions but, at least you know, that veterinary support is there if necessary.

I hope that this helps.

[Skiddaw]

Thanks for all the tips. Am still keeping my fingers crossed that our friends will be able to do it. Will keep you posted.

[Gillian Harvey]

A pet-sitter should provide customer references too. As a cat-sitter myself I always have at least 2 meetings with customer and cats before I sit for their cats. The first is an initial meet the customers and cats, show references etc and after booking I'll arrange another meet to go through feeding routine, litter trays, medication, where everything is kept, what access cats have i.e. catflap 24/7, restricted access, or indoor only etc. and also to meet the cats again and hopefully have them a bit used to me by the time I come to sit for them.

I'm not police checked and my customers are more than happy to go on my customer references. I do have public liability insurance though and thats another thing you should ask about.

[blackcat]

Oh, and make sure they are police checked also - they should be able to provide paperwork

[Skiddaw]

Thanks for that. Hopefully, our friends will be available and I know Munchkin would prefer that but if not, as you say, I'll check out a few sitters and go with instinct.

[blackcat]

If you can't get friends to do it then you can only go on your gut reaction when you meet the pet sitter - do they interact with you or your cat? Do they actively invite your cat to come to them (a no-no) or do they let it take its time. Do they ask the right questions about food, get you to sign a release to your vet etc? You know what you expect of people who are around your pets, so if they don't measure up them they are not worth having. If they won't come around for a personal meet and greet then don't touch them with a 10 foot barge pole.

[Skiddaw]

Hi All,

We've just heard some old friends are tying the knot. It's quite short notice and as they live at the other end of the country we'll be combining going to the wedding with already planned pre-Xmas visit to OH's family in Yorkshire. Problem is, we'll therefore be away for 3 nights rather than the 1 night we'd planned, so we need a cat sitter for Munchkin. Our usual cat-sitter friends may not be available (am waiting to hear) and there isn't anyone else I could really be certain of relying on. Does anyone know of a reputable pet-sitter in the Reading area in case our friends can't help? I've checked out a few on line but a personal recommendation would be great. Thanks!