As the holiday season is fast approaching, many cat owners might wonder how to find a reliable cat sitter. It is expected that you might feel scared about leaving your beloved cat with a new person, but this comprehensive guide to finding a reliable cat sitter will help you navigate the process. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about finding the best cat sitter your cat will love.
Where to Find Cat Sitters?
You would typically have a couple of options when looking for a cat sitter:
- Independent companies – might hire their own cat sitters or function as a one-person business run by the actual cat sitter.
- Online portals like Rover or cat-focused platforms like Cat in a Flat.
- Friends and family – consider only those who really like cats.
- Some local vet clinics and behaviourists – might provide additional cat-sitting services.
Because I have the most experience using online platforms, I will focus here on utilising that perspective. However, most of the tips and info below can be applied to either of these options.
One of the biggest reasons I like online platforms is their simplicity. You can set up your location and search through many profiles. The cat sitters’ bios, fees, and reviews are only a click away. Most importantly, communication and booking happen via the platform, which is perfect for people who are not big fans of phone calls.
Know your Cat’s Specific Needs
As we all know, each cat has its own particular personality. For that reason, different cats require different care. Spend a moment trying to identify your cat’s needs and quirks.
- Does your cat have any medical conditions?
- Is your cat shy and skittish?
- Has your cat ever shown any aggressive tendencies?
- Do you have more than one cat? If so, what is their relationship like?
- Is your cat particularly fond of any specific activity or play? If so, what is it?
- How does your cat usually react when you go away?
- Does your cat follow any particular food schedule? Do they ever go on a food strike when you’re away?
- Are there any behaviours your cat doesn’t like (e.g. being handled, being petted in a particular way)?
Write down your answers and organise them into a short list. Try to think if any of those points are particularly important for you and your cat.
Knowing what you and your cat need will make finding a sitter who can accommodate those needs easier. If your cat is skittish, it might be better not to hire a cat sitter who is very loud and overly energetic. On the other hand, if your cat has medical conditions, it might be good to look for someone with a background as a vet technician or someone who owns a cat with a similar condition. And so on.
Check Cat Sitters’ Profiles
Once you have the list guiding your requirements, it’s time to search for the right person. On the portals, you can typically see straight away cat sitters’ fees, the number of completed bookings, overall scoring, the number of reviews, and the number of repeated bookings. You can also apply additional filters. One of the handy ones is a DBS check or police check, proving that the person has a clear record.
If you can, I believe it’s better to use cat-dedicated platforms like Cat in a Flat. It makes things more transparent. I also like the platform as it uses icons to indicate right away whether the person owns cats, how many years of cat care experience they have, and whether they can administer meds.
Then, you can select 5-10 potential cat sitters with good “stats” and go for a deeper search, opening their profile. Each sitter should have a short bio describing them and their experience with cats. I recommend searching for info such as:
- Any details on cat care experience
- Any details on specific experience applying to medical conditions or behavioural problems
- What language do they use when writing about cats (e.g. do they describe them as “it”, do they write anything about the personality or specific needs of cats they dealt with)
- Any work / daily schedule info
Once you search through all the selected profiles, pick up about two or three top candidates.
Engage Online with Your Prefered Cat Sitters
Once you have your top candidates, it’s time to contact them. When approaching a new cat sitter, it is good to give them some info about your cat and their needs. For this, you can use the list you already created. Try to be very specific when it comes to any needs that are important for you and your cat (e.g. “I need two visits a day” vs “My cat typically eats around 7 am and 6 pm”). Using open communication is a key. Your cat sitter can only meet your cat care standards if you tell them what’s important for you and your cat.
It is a good idea to contact more than one person. First, you might not get responses from some candidates, and others might not be available. Second, this will allow you to compare the responsiveness and communicativeness of each potential cat sitter.
Arrange for a Meet-and-Greet with the Cat Sitters
After some brief communication, it is time to invite your favourite candidate for a meet-and-greet. These are typically free of charge, and you are not obliged to hire the person.
A meet and greet is an excellent opportunity to meet your potential cat sitter in person and have an informal chat. Most importantly, you will see how the person interacts with your cat and how your cat reacts to them.
While during many meet-and-greets I attended, the owners would go straight to giving me details about their cat care routine, it’s good to treat it a bit like a job interview. Don’t be afraid to ask your potential cat sitter some questions to assess if they are a good fit for your cat.
Questions to Ask a Potential Cat Sitter
- What’s your cat care experience?
- Tell me a bit about your cats.
- Could you describe what your usual cat-sitting visits look like?
- How do you deal with cats that are stressed and anxious?
- What form of communication do you usually use for your daily updates?
Key Considerations When Hiring a Cat Sitter
Observe your potential cat sitter throughout your meet-and-greet, and pay special attention to the following things:
- Do they allow your cat to smell them first before attempting to pet them?
- Do they respect your cat’s space?
- Do they try to engage with your cat in any way?
- Do they act genuinely concerned and interested in your cat’s routine?
- Do they act overly confident, as if they already knew everything about all cats?
- Do they ask about emergency contact and your cat’s vet clinic details?
- Are they loud or overly expressive in your cat’s presence?
- Does your cat seem to like them?
Remember, you are always your cat’s best interest advocate. Most potential cat sitters you meet will be great. However, if ANYTHING feels wrong during your meet-and-greet, remember you can back off and hire someone else. You don’t have to book someone if you think they are not a good fit for your cat. Meet-and-greet does not oblige you to do so!
Providing Your Cat Sitter with Guidance and Instructions
Once you feel you have the right person, explain your cat’s routine. Be as specific as possible. Make sure you include the following info:
- Detailed feeding routine, including schedule and amount of food
- Litter box cleaning instructions
- General health and behaviour
- Meds, if any
- Favourite toys and ways in which your cat likes to play
- Your contact details + ideally, emergency contact to a trusted neighbour or friend who stays in town
- Vet information, including address, contact details and nearest out-of-hours care provider
Ideally, you should also write these down as a short bullet point list and leave it for your cat sitter before going.
Test The Arrangements During a Trial Booking
Once you have chosen your favourite cat sitter, leaving your cat in their care for a short trial visit would be best, especially if you are eventually planning an extended holiday. Instead of leaving your cat right away for two weeks, check your new cat sitter out over a shorter period. Perhaps you’ve been planning a relaxing weekend or even wanted to have a Friday night outing without popping back home to feed your cat… Book your cat sitter for a day or two and see how things go.
Scheduling one or two short bookings before embarking on your main journey will allow you to check how your cat reacts to their new sitter. Knowing that the person has already stayed with your cat will give you much more peace of mind once you go on your actual holiday. It will also give your cat a chance to get used to their new sitter a little bit.
If you’re happy with your new cat sitter, it’s best to keep your relationship going. It will save you much hassle, and your cat will be satisfied staying with someone they already know. Simultaneously, from my own experience, cat-sitters tend to value their regular clients a lot, and they will likely go the extra mile for you and your cat.
How Much Do Cat Sitters Charge in the UK?
Short daily visits usually cost between 10 and 20 pounds. Typical visits last between 20-40 minutes. If you want your cat sitter to stay longer, you might need to pay a little extra.
Final Thoughts on Finding a Reliable Cat Sitter
We hope you found this guide on finding the right cat sitter for your precious kitty helpful. Let us know if you have found your favourite cat sitter yet. If so, what are their experience, personality traits and characteristics that made you hire them to look after your kitty? We’d love to know!
If you’re still not convinced that leaving your cat with a cat sitter is the best option for you and your kitty, check out our article on different types of cat care you can use while on holiday. Alternatively, you can start working on car training your cat and plan your next holiday together!