Pet-sitting, lurker with a question

[belichick]

We are going on a 5 day cruise at the end of February and will need someone to feed our 2 cats and clean the litter box. make sure they're doing okay while we're gone.  This is our first time travelling since adopting the cats last year and I have no idea what to pay.  We live an hour outside Orlando, somewhere between medium and low COL.  Any input is appreciated, thanks!

[Deleted]

We have 2 cats. Our petsitter (who is a vet tech at our vet) charges $20 per visit on weekdays (when he's coming to our apartment from the vet office 2 blocks away) and $30 per visit on weekends (when he comes from his apartment in Brooklyn).

[Lilac]

Do you have any neighbors who would be willing to do it? We're very lucky in that we have two different neighbors who always offer to feed the cats while we are away. We usually get them a small gift and offer to watch their pets in exchange.

[Deleted]

I found someone on the web and since she was the only one who specifically listed cat sitting I went with her. She charges $12 a day but gives out discounts that generally make it $10 a day. We have her come every day, do the litter, make sure the food is sufficient (we leave it out) and entertain the boys for a few minutes. She has been my only paid cat sitter and the boys love her. They aren't even mad at us when we come back from a long trip.

[Deleted]

I pay $30/day for 2 indoor cats, one outdoor cat, a dog, and chickens. I'm LCOL.

[Velvetshady]

We pay $17 a visit for four cats, 3 litter boxes scooped daily, and usually 10-15 minutes of play/pet time (depending on who will play or be petted when she's here). Our cats get so used to having a set play time when she visits that they bug me for several days after we come back for a midday play session if I'm working from home.

[Deleted]

We pay $25/day for someone to stay overnight with our 2 dogs.. LCOL (other FL coast) (FTR: It's the teenage daughter of a friend of ours)

[Deleted]

I think it depends on who you have pet sitting. If you have the neighbor kid coming over to take care of them I would say $5-$10/day. If you have a professional pet sitter or service it would probably be closer to $20/day.

[winnied]

Could you have a friend do it? My friends are usually more than happy to help. I usually give them a GC somewhere, wine/booze, or a gift from our vacation.

[belichick]

Thanks for all the input!

We have friends that we could ask if we were in a pinch, but they are all really busy during the week. I'd be more inclined to ask a friend if it were a weekend getaway.

We plan on asking our neighbor's daughter, she's in her early 20s and just moved back in with her parents until she finds a job. I think we'll offer her $75 for the week.

[ebeth]

I live in DC and pay $20/visit for two cats. Pet sitter also gives meds (including an inhaler).

[goaskalice]

Jan 28, 2013 12:27:41 GMT -5 belichick said:

Thanks for all the input!

We have friends that we could ask if we were in a pinch, but they are all really busy during the week. I'd be more inclined to ask a friend if it were a weekend getaway.

We plan on asking our neighbor's daughter, she's in her early 20s and just moved back in with her parents until she finds a job. I think we'll offer her $75 for the week.

Pet/house sitting was my favorite job in my 20s. This seems like a perfect opportunity for both of you. The fact that she's close is great too. 

[niemand88f]

I pay $15 per visit for 2 cats and a mouse. I usually have her come twice a day because one of my cats basically lives for human interaction. She's a professional trainer and licensed/bonded/insured.

[pacificrules]

Check out rover.com. They have sitters (if you don't have one lined up yet) and prices (to help you gauge what's normal) in your area.