How much do you pay your pet sitter?
- Thread starter Phroig
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We pay $25 per day for our pet sitter to visit our two cats once per day and give them fresh water, scoop the litter box and spend some time with them. We have two automatic feeders that release food 4 times per day for the cats and hold enough food for 2 weeks.
Retired Expat
Full time employment: Posting here.
We try and use Mind My House or Trusted Home sitters where people stay in your home for free in exchange for pet care and maintain the property. Lots of retired folks doing this as a way to travel and see the world experience living in new places. Helps if you live somewhere people want to visit. Better for longer periods. For short trips we pay about $30 a day for our housekeeper to do it.
Accidental Retiree
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For 3 dogs, my most recent quote was $145/day for overnight house sits and being at the house on and off during the day. They’d be out servicing other pets’ needs throughout the day.
Wow! I must be a real cheapskate. I pay my next door neighbor $10 per day to feed/scoop for one very shy cat. My neighbor is a graduate student with 2 cats of her own. My cat is extremely shy and hides when anyone comes to the house. My neighbor reports that she only sees the cat when it is out and flees when the door is opened.
Another neighbor is willing to do this for free, but I don’t feel right about that even though I have performed a similar service for her cats.
Another neighbor is willing to do this for free, but I don’t feel right about that even though I have performed a similar service for her cats.
pacergal
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Before our pup went to doggie heaven, our pet/house-sitter was paid $75/day. She worked in the vets office and has been our go to person for years. She recently raised her rate from $50 to $75.
It was nice to have someone in the house, too, and we knew the pup was well taken care of.
It was nice to have someone in the house, too, and we knew the pup was well taken care of.
isisdave
Recycles dryer sheets
We are pet- and house-sitters through trustedhousesitters.com --
If you live in an interesting place or have a nice house, someone will sit in your house with your pets for free.
If you live in the midwest, and it's spring or fall, it might be us.
If you live in Florida or Texas and it's winter, it might be us.
If you live in northern Ontario or Alaska and it's summer, it might be us.
If you live in an interesting place or have a nice house, someone will sit in your house with your pets for free.
If you live in the midwest, and it's spring or fall, it might be us.
If you live in Florida or Texas and it's winter, it might be us.
If you live in northern Ontario or Alaska and it's summer, it might be us.
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We try and keep it in house. Currently our pack is being watched by our veterinarian roommate, and we are waiving this month's rent. One of our dogs gets medication daily and a shot every 23 days.
When he leaves town I watch his cat and dog and his cat gets medication twice a day. There's going to come a time when there's a conflict of interest and we'll have to sort that out then.
When he leaves town I watch his cat and dog and his cat gets medication twice a day. There's going to come a time when there's a conflict of interest and we'll have to sort that out then.
Accidental Retiree
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I just got another quote, same 3 dogs, same house, 24-hour house/pet sit service. This new sitter’s charge is $85 instead of the $145 from the other day.
sroby2020
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I pay $27/day on 4 indoor cats. This includes scooping the litter box, refilling food bowls and water. Also 15 minutes of play.
I dog and cat sit for fun, animal cuddles and exercise (dog walking). I charge $20/30 minute walk and $55 a day for pet sitting. I recently house sat with 2 golden retrievers, one of which had surgery a few days before and needed supervision and meds. I treated them like my own dogs and basically had a relaxing spa like weekend in a beautiful house with the dogs. I turn down most requests, but when I do accept one the pet owners get a lot more than they pay for.
Old Microbiologist
Recycles dryer sheets
I am a cat person and always had at least 2 cats and sometimes more. We don't have any pets now as we are getting old enough that the pet might outsurvive us plus we travel a lot usually 1 month at a time.
In the past, we just left them home alone with plenty of water and food. Cats, unlike dogs, will only eat what they need (unless mentally disturbed). Dry food if left out remains safe to eat for weeks. Later we purchased an automatic watering and automatic food dispenser plus an automatic litter box cleaner. The cats are going to be pissed off at you regardless of what you do. I always closed off the bedrooms so they don't do their business on my pillow out of revenge. I also leave a couple of toilets open as they will use those if something goes wrong with the water dispenser. I could never understand why people pay to do something unnecessary. Worst case, I get a friend to drop by once a week and check on them and replenish stuff. In general, cats being solitary animals do well alone and probably could care less if we are there or not. We never had any issues whatsoever and some trips were 3 weeks long. Of course, there is punishment upon return which is expected but it ends soon enough. That will happen if boarded as well. Anything that disrupts their routines gets punished.
The garden and houseplants are a much larger problem than cats left alone when traveling.
I can add here in Hungary where we live it is very unusual for people to have pets as friends. Here they are tools and very little love ever shown, especially to cats. So, I end up with quite a few local cats coming around for some buddy time with me. They obviously have never been inside a house at all. Hungarians always leave them outside and usually don't feed them either as it is their job to kill vermin. Dogs are for protection only and are usually not kept as pets. I sat a dog (a Hungarian breed called Puli which are sheepherding dogs with long dreadlock type of fur but are excellent guard dogs despite being small) for our next-door neighbor who was deployed as commander of the EU Bosnian Peacekeeping force for a year. When he returned he was horrified that we ruined his dog by bathing him and letting him sleep indoors when the weather was bad. He never forgave us for ruining his dog. That was my first experience with this attitude about "pets" in Hungary. Of course, there are people who love their animals but they are exceptions.
In the past, we just left them home alone with plenty of water and food. Cats, unlike dogs, will only eat what they need (unless mentally disturbed). Dry food if left out remains safe to eat for weeks. Later we purchased an automatic watering and automatic food dispenser plus an automatic litter box cleaner. The cats are going to be pissed off at you regardless of what you do. I always closed off the bedrooms so they don't do their business on my pillow out of revenge. I also leave a couple of toilets open as they will use those if something goes wrong with the water dispenser. I could never understand why people pay to do something unnecessary. Worst case, I get a friend to drop by once a week and check on them and replenish stuff. In general, cats being solitary animals do well alone and probably could care less if we are there or not. We never had any issues whatsoever and some trips were 3 weeks long. Of course, there is punishment upon return which is expected but it ends soon enough. That will happen if boarded as well. Anything that disrupts their routines gets punished.
The garden and houseplants are a much larger problem than cats left alone when traveling.
I can add here in Hungary where we live it is very unusual for people to have pets as friends. Here they are tools and very little love ever shown, especially to cats. So, I end up with quite a few local cats coming around for some buddy time with me. They obviously have never been inside a house at all. Hungarians always leave them outside and usually don't feed them either as it is their job to kill vermin. Dogs are for protection only and are usually not kept as pets. I sat a dog (a Hungarian breed called Puli which are sheepherding dogs with long dreadlock type of fur but are excellent guard dogs despite being small) for our next-door neighbor who was deployed as commander of the EU Bosnian Peacekeeping force for a year. When he returned he was horrified that we ruined his dog by bathing him and letting him sleep indoors when the weather was bad. He never forgave us for ruining his dog. That was my first experience with this attitude about "pets" in Hungary. Of course, there are people who love their animals but they are exceptions.
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WOW... I think I may have found a part time Gig for cash....
We got our 1st dog in 1985, had at least one ever since... At one point had 7...Have never paid anyone to take care of them. My Brother would check on them and feed the chickens while we were gone, so it did cost me eggs...
We got our 1st dog in 1985, had at least one ever since... At one point had 7...Have never paid anyone to take care of them. My Brother would check on them and feed the chickens while we were gone, so it did cost me eggs...
Accidental Retiree
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The $145/night person flaked out. The $85/night person flaked out.
I just got a 3rd quote, for $180/night noon to noon, with $15/hour for each hour before and after noon. Plus a markup for holidays.
Since we were going to be gone over Halloween, the price goes up 20%!
This is her only job, not a side gig, and she’s booked at least through next April!
My best friend in Georgia, who loves to visit, said if I pay for *her* pet care, she’ll come out and housesit, flying on her own miles. I said I’d pay for her ticket.
Paying for her plane ticket, I think I’d still come out ahead of the $180/night, and get to see my friend on either end of our trip.
But dang!
bltkmt
Recycles dryer sheets
$110/day here in CT to watch two dogs...ridiculous. Trying to find one on Trustedhousesitters.com for our upcoming two weeks in Italy.
caninelover
Full time employment: Posting here.
$30 a day for one 30 min visit for two shy cats. The sitter comes in, scoops boxes, fills the food auto feeder, fills water. Then leaves a treat for the cats who eat it after she leaves.
She also feeds our fish (one freshwater tank and one saltwater tank) and brings any packages inside.
We get an email report each day with photos.
She also feeds our fish (one freshwater tank and one saltwater tank) and brings any packages inside.
We get an email report each day with photos.
PandaBear
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So timely for me….we have 2 dogs. One is ours, and we recently took in my moms dog (not really working for mom to keep her)
My daughter (who lives in the area) will typically dog sit, as we watch her dog weekdays while she’s at work and whenever she does away. However, sometimes she’s gone and we need coverage.
We lucked into my dear friends niece, who recently moved him for graduate school. She’s happy to “get away” a few days and dog sit. She makes a little money and has a little alone time.
This last trip she watched our two dogs, as well as dd’s dog and dd’s boyfriends dog (the 4 of us traveled together). I paid $100 per 24 hour time period.
The dogs were much happier being at home, with the backyard and all the house. We were happy to have someone in the house. She was happy to have some alone time and make some money.
My daughter (who lives in the area) will typically dog sit, as we watch her dog weekdays while she’s at work and whenever she does away. However, sometimes she’s gone and we need coverage.
We lucked into my dear friends niece, who recently moved him for graduate school. She’s happy to “get away” a few days and dog sit. She makes a little money and has a little alone time.
This last trip she watched our two dogs, as well as dd’s dog and dd’s boyfriends dog (the 4 of us traveled together). I paid $100 per 24 hour time period.
The dogs were much happier being at home, with the backyard and all the house. We were happy to have someone in the house. She was happy to have some alone time and make some money.
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