£20 a night?

I don’t think it’s that unusual for a 15 year old not to be having parties and doing drugs when left alone.

Your experience is so unusual though that it's not relevant. The amount of 16 year olds working full time and living independently as a percentage of the UK population must be miniscule. You must realise that most 15 year olds do not have that experience or level of maturity!

I don't know anyone that has a dog flap in the wall .
I am not saying it doesn't happen but I think it's unusual
The homes that I pet sat in certainly didn't have them

This thread is batshit. 15 too young to be left for 10 days? Shortly after my 16th birthday I was living in a flat on my own. I wasn’t having parties, doing drugs or warding off burglars, I was going to work and then coming home and watching DVD boxsets.

At 15 I seemed like an extremely sensible and wholesome teenager to my parents friends and our neighbours. I was quiet and shy, I was a Sunday school teacher, a keen girl guider. I'm sure everyone would have trusted me to house sit. However, that was only half the picture - I was also a binge drinker, a party animal and was starting to get off with boys. The quiet ones are the worst, as they say. If I was house sitting at that age I would absolutely have invited friends over and got drunk. Certainly did when my parents went away and the party caused a lot of damage.
Join Trusted Housesitters and get a free house sitter who is responsible, has references, is a grown adult and genuinely loves animals.

My mum left me and my sister alone 3 nights when we were 16 and 17 because of how “sensible” we were.l and how she “absolutely trusted us” 😂

The very first night we invited about 20 people over for a party and my sister ended up in hospital because in a drunken state someone had dared her to drink fence paint and she’d done it.

Whilst she was in hospital I buggered off to my boyfriend’s house (secret
boyfriend as my mum had banned me from seeing him as he was older).

So when my mum returned she found one daughter was in hospital and the other was a 3 hour drive away and shacked up with a banned boyfriend.

I would never allow a teenager to have 24/7 access to my empty house no matter how sensible they seemed. And even if this boy isn’t one for “drinking and sex” (unlikely) I imagine it will be a very different story when he backs down under the social pressures of his mates who keep suggesting they “have a few friends over” ……

You’re mad OP 😂

@LJBones when you were 15 life was before Internet. Very easy for word to get out that a school mate has an empty, via social media, online gaming, its not like back in the day sitting in the hall trying to call friends.

I also think it's a long time for a 15 yo to be alone.

Nor would I want to explain any sort of accident to an insurance company.

God what is it with everyone on MN assuming all teens have raging parties and sex? At 15 I was entirely responsible (as much as you can be at 15) and capable of cooking full meals without burning the house down and would never dream of having a party and inviting a bunch of mates over if I was house sitting. And I know most of my mates were the same. Assuming the worst or what 🙄

I don’t think it’s obvious at all!

Pay them £10 a day to come in and feed the cat twice and spend a bit of time with the cat. A 15 year old staying over doesn't make sense. So what if the parents asked.

When I was 15 I house sat and looked after my mums friends 3 & 8 year old Dcs for 4 days. It was quite a learning curve but I enjoyed the experience and my mum was on hand nearby to help if needed. I think a 15 yo is more then capable go looking after a cat for a few days.

I am not seriously batshit! Well, I might be, but not because I assume people want house sitters for security purposes!

NO ONE I know has overnight company for their cats when they go on holiday, they get friends (me!) to go in twice a day and feed and check on them.

There are some seriously batshit people out here today! Obviously it's company for your cat 😂 I did the same when I only had a cat. Now I have a dog, the need for company is even less negotiable!

I'm wondering what planet some of these respondants are living on, I have to agree with a poster up thread about some being like sheep scattering everywhere and haven't got a clue.

We pay an adult male family friend £30 a night to live in and feed and check on our cats. He enjoys staying as our home has more comforts than his. So I think £20 for a teen is enough.

😂Or did you not factor in holiday care when you decided to get a cat?

I'd happily pay a sensible 15 yr old to come to the house once a day, let themselves in, feed cat /water plants etc. £100 for ten days ; and if all is well tip them another 20.

But I would not let them to stay there alone overnight.

Cats are relatively independent animals.

They don't need a cat sitter. It's a cat, not a baby.

Utter madness.

Either you send it to a cattery, or you pay someone to come in and feed it once/ twice a day, or you pay the proper rate for a housesitter which will cover insurance.

I don't think it's fair to ask a 15 year to stay in your house. Too much responsibility. Too young.

Get a good burglar alarm fitted / CCTV and leave it at that.

If you want a proper house sitter there are companies/agencies who do exactly that.

Madness. Most 15 year olds don't even wake up to the sound of a smoke alarm. They certainly shouldn't be left to sleep in a house alone.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/smoke-alarms-fail-to-wake-children_uk_58aee409e4b057efdce9682d

I think the money sounds fine. I use house sitters a lot and do always make clear what my (minimum) expectation are. For example, it's okay to be away from the house, but I'd like you to spend at least a couple of (waking) hours a day at home otherwise the cat gets lonely.

Not RTFT but have you considered this?

About us – House sitting, dog sitting & pet sitting - House Sitters UK

My friend used this twice last year and said it was fantastic.

I think £20 a day is spot on.

cats can let themselves out dogs can not

What? Our dogs let themselves out. The same way a cat does - through a flap in the wall. They are big dogs too.