AIBU pet sitting

I pay £60 a day for dog sitter to stay with my dog, plus extras like a food hamper, wine etc.

You are being used op! Say no and stick to it, you will soon find out if she is a real friend or not.

I would tell her I'm reporting her to the RSPCA if she doesn't let the cats in the house. Too much stress for the cats and for you! She is an appalling pet owner and 'friend'. She's not showing you or the pets any care or consideration.

I occasionally feed my friends' cats and put the mice and voles in the garden - dead or alive. Cats can roam in the house and garden freely or stay in the house. But I am never asked to do all the visits even for a weekend, and never if I'm not well enough, she makes sure she has a number of adults she can ask.

From google "Locking cats out for over two weeks—relying only on garden food drops—raises serious welfare and legal concerns:

• Legal Responsibilities: Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, pet owners have a legal duty to provide a safe and suitable environment for their animals. Failing to meet these needs—including abandoning them outside without shelter—can be investigated as animal neglect, which carries severe penalties."
• Exposure and Shelter: Cats require adequate shelter, especially during unpredictable UK weather. If they are locked out, they are left vulnerable to extreme temperatures, rain, and stress from being forced to defend their territory from other neighbourhood cats.
• Welfare Standards: Animal welfare charities, including the RSPCA. advise that cats should not be left unattended for extended periods. A 16-day period without supervision inside the house or regular human interaction does not meet basic care requirements.
• Safety and Accidents: Unsupervised outdoor cats face significant hazards, including the risk of getting lost, being hit by cars, or encountering wildlife."

Rabbits need space to run and jump as a basic care requirement and safe shelter from predators.

I never book a holiday until I have pet care arranged first. I pay £50 per day (more for weekends and bank holidays) for a local house sitter to look after my dog or for him to go to the dog trainer's house.

This. And tbh, I can't believe no one else said it till now!

Tell her to never ask your children directly again. And frankly don’t help her again. What a bitch.

She is able to change the day she goes on holiday at extremely short notice? Ok so that's fine then. Why should it be your responsibility and why is she trying to guilt trip you? She's chaotic, and she needs to pay someone willing and able to do the job!

You need to be firm and say you can't do it at all and she needs a professional pet sitter. You can't have loads of animals of all different species and just expect random kids to care for them for weeks?!

If your 16 year old has agreed to it then let him do it & don't step in to help if he's flaky. Once she realises it's too big a responsibility for him & he can't manage it she'll stop asking hoprefully.

i have a dog and live close to dog friendly family but I still pay a sitter. Normally costs me £600 or so for a week so it’s not cheap but it was my choice to get a dog. Your neighbours are CFers. Just say no, their pets aren’t your issue to solve!

When I’ve used a pet sitter it cos me £15 a visit so £30 a day. Now he goes into a cattery or as they like to call it luxury cat hotel 😂 which is £20 a day includes food if your cat eats the standard types. Taking the piss with £30 and a bar of chocolate. But also they shouldn’t book a holiday without lining up pet sitting first and if you can’t do it you can’t do it.

Have you changed the details of this thread as I think if she read it she would know it was about her straight away?

It's definitely not your fault that the cat wandered off. Your friend isn't a very caring person to boot her animals out whilst she is away, poor things

Just looked on my local Cat in a Flat site. They are charging £13-35 a visit !!

She is a CF
show her this
https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/lp/join-now/home?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleAds_Direct_Search_Brand_UK_Acquisitions&utm_content=Brand_FullBrand&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21851632443&gbraid=0AAAAADBK-M4THHwAcJHrdSD3ZSSdk3wYN&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjvfSBhDpARIsAEiOpStViX-tVCDJHaaDgZCaNF_Vy-OIZW0WWQQf2hxiuEYd6zJTh7m3c4YaAn0CEALw_wcB

This is an outrageous imposition and I’m mad on your behalf. The cheek of the woman to ask your children first and then present it to you as a done deal. Please tell her you’ve had a change of heart because of all the things you have going on right now and can no longer help with pet care. She needs to use a proper pet sitting service or not go holiday. She is not your friend.

I recently booked a cat sitter on "cat in a flat", I chose the cheapest sitter who was new profile with no reviews yet, near to me, she was £11 per visit for 1 cat.

We needed mornings and evenings so was £22 per day.

Other sitters with lots of reviews and experience were charging up to £25 per visit for 1 cat, so up to £50 per morning and evening visit per day.

Your "friend" has been taking the piss out of you and your kids.

YANBU! If anything, I'd say you're doing too much. She shouldn't assume you'll do it, and asking your kids directly instead of going through you (if she even did) is not the right way to do these things. She has to know that when kids agree to jobs like pet-sitting, the parent still ends up inconvenienced.

She knows you're having health problems and feeling worn out. She shouldn't be adding more stress to your life. I'd refuse to do it again.

One of the reasons I don't go away from home is my dogs. I have family very nearby who have offered to check in on them and feed them, but my dogs would still be unhappy with such a drastic change to their routine. I've accustomed them to a certain way of living, and changing that wouldn't be fair. Pets require sacrifices, be it the freedom to come and go exactly as you please or the cost of hiring an actual pet-sitter instead of imposing on a friend or neighbour who clearly doesn't want the responsibility of caring for your pets.

£30 for a week of pet sitting multiple pets is peanuts. She should be paying at least £10.day IMO, if not more.

Five cats continually on the prowl will be killing lots of birds and other wildlife. Seems very irresponsible and for that reason alone I would refuse.

This “ friend” is taking the absolute piss OP. She needs to pay a professional pet sitter, not ask your children; that’s out of order.

Out of curiosity, how are the rabbits housed? ( please don’t say they are locked in cages?)

I book the cat cover before I book the holiday - it’s easier to find another holiday if it gets booked up in the time between getting the cat sorted and booking the holiday than the other way round.

I pay between 10 and 20 per animal per day. So for 5 cats I would expect a minimum of 50 quid, rabbits and lizard a bit less. For a couple of weeks I pay a grand (one dog, two cats).

I couldn't have someone as a friend who chucks their cats outside for 2 weeks, that is cruel. And then that friend asks your children for favours without speaking to you first. This is not a good person.

I think considering what you are going through she’s taking the piss. The kids being asked is irrespective as you are actually the one doing the feeding. Your friends assumed you’d do it without asking. That’s a them problem. I wouldn’t consider someone that just made an assumption without consideration like this, to be my friend tbh.

No on the basis she's asked your children instead of you. Say no, you'll find out how much of a friend you really are.. Shame on her for keeping the cats out and for not being realistic about how long it all takes.

Its not asking for a favour if you hold a refusal over someones head.

Id say to her, I dont mind helping out sometimes but im having a hard time atm and im not happy that you're asking my children to commit to such a level of responsibility. (Shes doing that to force your hand)

And tbh her response will show you who she is