Page 3 | to ask friend if she is going to pay my teen for cat sitting

Honeysucklelane · 03/05/2025 10:57

ColdWaterDipper · 02/05/2025 18:51

I feel your pain - our (only) neighbour up the lane, asked my boys (12 & 10) if they wanted to earn a bit of pocket money popping in on her dog twice a day before & after school while she was on holiday for 10 days. Her adult son was there overnight but works long hours so the agreement was for my boys to pop in and take the dog for a walk before and after school or play with it in the garden plus feed it in the mornings (her son did the evenings). In reality this meant I also had to go along, unlock and lock up their house and I watered the garden while the boys walked the little dog. They loved doing it, and were eagerly
looking forward to their pocket money (they were only hoping for about £20-30 each). However when she came back, she popped over to say thank you very much and that was it, no money, nothing. The boys were very disappointed, but they had enjoyed looking after the dog (we have our own dog but this one is a little toy breed that can be picked up etc, whereas ours is large and not very playful). I was too awkward to bring up the money, and I expect she just forgot about it. In the end I paid my boys £25 each for a good job done so they didn’t lose out.

That’s such a piss take unless the neighbour has reciprocated by looking after your pets etc. Even so, she should have given the boys something. Some people are so blinkered to how much of your time it takes to go round and take care of their pets. If your boys hadn’t been available she’d have had to pay a sitter at least £20
a day. Don’t do it next time.

Christmasbear1 · 03/05/2025 10:53

£100 seems reasonable. I think the issue is that it wasn't close and had to driver her there twice a day. The point of getting a teenager is so that it's cheaper!

Honeysucklelane · 03/05/2025 10:51

This is a super awkward situation. I don’t think your friend should expect your teen to do it for free - especially not when you’ve had to also spend time taking them there to facilitate it. We’re all happy to drive our kids to their ‘jobs’ to encourage them - but it takes the pee if a friend then doesn’t pay.

I watered a neighbours plants and garden for 3 weeks having to go through the house and I never really got a thanks. My other neighbour and I always gift each other something from our holiday like fudge or biscuits when we take care of each others pets / plants.

I’d never ask a teen to do a job without paying them or giving them a gift to say thanks. It’s not fair and it’ll just teach them not to agree to do it in future.

TukTukTraveller · 03/05/2025 10:45

I didn't respond to the poll as it's not a case of you being reasonable or unreasonable.
However, I would let it go this time as this should have been clarified right at the start. If she asks your teen to pet sit again then at that point you can negotiate payment.
Perhaps she's thinking of returning the favour by petsitting for you next?

Everyone is different and she may see her friendship to you differently to the others she has.

MoominMai · 03/05/2025 10:45

ToadRage · 03/05/2025 10:35

£10 a day is amazing. Our next door neighbour's daughter fed twice a day, cleaned litter and played with our cat for two weeks and we gave her £20. She didn't need to drive and we take care if their menagerie when they go away so it was just a token, a previous time we got her a Toblerone with her name on.

£10 a day really is not amazing. The teenager had to make 2x visits per day and also some stuff around the home as well as cleaning litter and playing with the cats and feeding/changing water bowls etc. It was also not close by!

Zezet · 03/05/2025 10:43

Sorry, I also think she got good money that's a totally appropriate amount and you are grabby now.

ToadRage · 03/05/2025 10:35

£10 a day is amazing. Our next door neighbour's daughter fed twice a day, cleaned litter and played with our cat for two weeks and we gave her £20. She didn't need to drive and we take care if their menagerie when they go away so it was just a token, a previous time we got her a Toblerone with her name on.

ilovesushi · 03/05/2025 10:27

You need to ask those things clearly when making the arrangement. Personally I would pay a teenager and if I was asking an adult neighbour as a favour, I'd buy them a gift. It is a bit awkward to ask after the fact.

FenellaFeldman · 03/05/2025 10:24

DraigCymraeg · 03/05/2025 10:24

Great suggestion. OP needs to do this sooner rather than later though.

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Why would she send that text? The girl has been paid.

DraigCymraeg · 03/05/2025 10:24

T1Dmama · 01/05/2025 01:11

Send a text and say
‘I hope you had a lovely holiday. Teen DD was happy to earn some extra cash & liked your cat’

Great suggestion. OP needs to do this sooner rather than later though.

TruthJoin · 03/05/2025 10:23

Always ,always set financial boundaries first. After the fact you'll just sound like a Cf

Holeypyjamas · 03/05/2025 10:01

Bestfadeplans · 02/05/2025 18:57

You must live someone fictional. I've done a thorough Google search and I can't find one pet sitting company that advertise feeding and playing with cats, emptying bins, watering plants and turning lights on and off for £10.75 what's the name of the pet sitting company you say offer this, so we can check it out? factoring petrol and travel that wouldn't even be a viable business for that rate. FYI the average cost for pet sitting is £12-18 per visit.

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Why do people on mumsnet think they know everything. So rude of you to say the poster lives somewhere fictional!!!!

My cat sitter is amazing and charges £10 a visit twice a day so jog on.

Holeypyjamas · 03/05/2025 09:59

Bbq1 · 02/05/2025 19:12

Haha, it's not fictional but as I'm using them in a couple of months, I don't want to give the name. I don't care if you think it's fictional. It's not and I don't have enough time on my hands to spend it inventing fictional pet care companies!

They:

Pick up the post and place it the living room.
Water my indoor plants.
Put the bins out on the correct day.
Draw the curtains on the evening visit, reopen them in the morning.
Feed the fish.
Do all cat care and play.

£10.75 a visit. 2 per day = £21.50 per day

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My cat sitter is £10 a visit twice a day up North.

Others in the local area also charge this amount.

ItsOoooon · 03/05/2025 09:55

Clients 😂 is she running a full business complete with tax and insurance then?

FenellaFeldman · 03/05/2025 09:51

People seem to have missed this:
She paid her £100.

Riaanna · 03/05/2025 09:49

Don’t leave it.

send a quick message “hey x was wondering about payment for the cat sitting, do you want my bank details to send over or would you prefer cash?”

She knows exactly what she’s up to. No one thinks a teenager would want to do that. It’s ridiculous.

Lilactimes · 03/05/2025 09:38

Glad she was paid!!

i pay my local teenager £7.50 a visit or £15 a day. I feel it’s fair, she’s young and lives really near by. I also always try and work it out in advance and have a group WhatsApp if it’s a full holiday with a reserve person on it and me just in case there are issues or she can’t make it. Always discuss in advance x

WendyA22 · 03/05/2025 09:30

Perimama · 01/05/2025 01:04

Hi, a good friend of mine asked me if my teen wanted to cat sit for her while she was abroad for 10 days over Easter. My teen said yes and we assumed that it would be paid as I know she has paid other teens in the past. She lives a 5-10 min drive away so I drove my teen twice a day for 10 days to feed her cats and take care of some other house sitting stuff. She is now back from the trip and has sent a text message thanking me and my teen but no mention of pay. I wish I had asked before she went! My teen is 15 and keen to earn extra money which is why she accepted this job. Would you bring it up to the friend? I feel very awkward about it! Her teen pet sit for us a year or so ago and I left her some money in an envelope.

If she's such a good friend can't you just ask her how much she's paying your daughter?

FenellaFeldman · 03/05/2025 09:18

ZanyMember · 03/05/2025 09:16

Ask her if it slipped her mind to give your teen some money for pet sitting.

It didn't slip her mind. She gave her £100.

ZanyMember · 03/05/2025 09:16

Ask her if it slipped her mind to give your teen some money for pet sitting.

JP313 · 03/05/2025 09:10

NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy · 01/05/2025 06:05

Send this message!

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I agree. This is perfect!

Flamethrowers · 03/05/2025 07:28

The lesson your daughter can take away is work out her price and negotiate up front

Skinthin · 03/05/2025 02:30

DisabledDemon · 03/05/2025 01:56

I've fed the neighbours' cat on several occasions, sometimes for two weeks if they've gone on holiday and wouldn't dream of asking for money. It's quid pro quo - if we need a favour, we can ask them (and we always get a couple of bottles of wine as a thank you).

However, as your daughter is probably unlikely to need any favours in return, perhaps you should be dropping heavy hints about payment. If they don't take them, well, they can pay for a catsitter next time!

She already paid her- without needing to be asked. £100. Teen was happy but now OP is moaning that it wasn’t enough

DisabledDemon · 03/05/2025 01:56

I've fed the neighbours' cat on several occasions, sometimes for two weeks if they've gone on holiday and wouldn't dream of asking for money. It's quid pro quo - if we need a favour, we can ask them (and we always get a couple of bottles of wine as a thank you).

However, as your daughter is probably unlikely to need any favours in return, perhaps you should be dropping heavy hints about payment. If they don't take them, well, they can pay for a catsitter next time!

Skinthin · 03/05/2025 00:42

£100 is perfectly reasonable!! Op you are now def being grabby