Paying a teenager to feed the cats

[ThePastafarian]

Going away for a few of days, nextdoor neighbour's daughter is going to feed our cats. I'd like to pay her (if it was an adult neighbour I'd probably give them a bottle of wine and/or chocolates depending on how many days, but can't buy a seventeen year old wine and I'm not sure if chocolate gesture would be appreciated particularly?) It's only a five minute job to empty a pouch and top up their biscuits, but twice a day from Thursday to Sunday - and obviously a massive help to us. What would be reasonable to pay her do people think?

We pay our x neighbour (now 20 doors away) £30 for a week, she visits once or twice a day and we usually bring back fancy chocolate or similar. Her mum insists we don't pay her, as it's neighbourly and we've remained on good terms but I leave it tucked in with the cat food and a note not to tell mum!

When I’ve asked learners of teens, the first time I’ve asked, I’ve asked if they’d like to do it for some pocket money. It makes it clear I’m not paying rates for a proper cat sitter. It’s good to either state a figure or be clear if you’re talking a gift/pocket money/ proper payment to avoid misunderstandings, especially if it’s someone you don’t know.

Some of the teens we’ve used have been people we’ve done favours for - fed their pets when they’re away, given them lifts, etc etc. We might end up at a neighbours Christmas drinks thing together. They and their kids are not strangers to us. So it is a bit of pocket money for a favour from the kids if a friend. We’ve never had a random teen, but luckily we haven’t needed to. As I said above, it’s always been organised via their parents, and actually quite often, I think the parents actually do the feeding or share it with kids.

Id have thought most on MN know some local families and can ask them if they’re interested.

£10 a day. I know of no teen that won't stick around and play with the pet they're sitting.

I did exactly this a couple of weeks ago and paid 17 year old a tenner a day

£5 a day, rounded up generously. Do not give her a LoveToShop voucher. Cash all the way.

My daughter is being paid 35 pounds for the week doing this for friends of ours

One of my DCs gets paid £5 a day for doing this for someone a couple of streets away. Another couple pay more - although it's a completely random amount each time - because their very anxious, elderly cat who is rarely seen by other visitors, has taken a shine to DC and will come out and play. DC will take homework or a book over there, indulge the cat and send photos to the owners. Previous cat sitters have never even seen this cat and DC has worked out they get paid more when the owners receive photos of the cat being fussed over!

£5 a day is the going rate here.

Dd feeds our neighbours cat and gets £50 for a week
I give another neighbour's son the same when he feeds ours then he will be happy to do it again.

£10 a day seems fair

About £3 a day.

My dd has done this for a few people and get £5-10 a day. She will go in once or twice and usually stays for an hour or so on at least one of the visits and reads/is company/strokes the cat. She does love cats though! Rate varies depending on the cat/how short notice the need is etc.

We pay neighbour (14 years old) to feed our chickens and top up their water £10 a day (only needs doing once a day).

Wow I didn’t realise how well paid this was, I might offer my services to the pet owning neighbours 😉

Before seeing all of the answers I would have said £20 for the Thursday to Sunday stint. My 18 year old would be chuffed with that

£20

If she's literally next door and theres no travel time, no litter tray, so just feeding and maybe giving cat some attention then I'd give £30 cash. If she's further away, litter tray etc I'd give her more.
Bare in mind cattery would cost a lot more!!

DS (15) recently did cat sitting for a neighbour for five days - £30 and snacks and drinks to help himself to whilst there each day.

He was paid £30 cash.

we give ours a tenner a day to come in twice, play with cat and change litter tray. He’s done it quite a few times now so I guess he’s happy with that.

She will have to wash the bowls everyday too.

Assume you also teach them it’s kind to do good turns for others because it’s important to support community? And that what you put out into the world you receive back? This isn’t a paid arrangement. It’s someone doing someone else a favour, and the person asking for the favour wants to buy a thank you gift.

I would have said £10 a day for two visits, but that would be London rates (lots of jobs available) so it probably varies around the country?

Have you considered £5 a day plus your broadband code and the offer of allowing her to spend time in your house using your broadband - if you have broadband and depending on what the cost/ caps on data are? Teenagers love a bit of free data, and also privacy out of the family home, in my experience. One used to be super keen to come to our house and dog sit so he could get some quiet study time done away from his siblings!

My Dd catsits for £5 per day for two visits. Most people pay her double as the going rate is a minimum of 10-20 a day for people who do it for a living but she loves cats and only looks after ones very close to us.

£5 per visit minimum. I'd probably pay £50. Always better be generous than tight. Plus if you ask again they'll be keen instead of 'busy'.

DS got access all day in the house to neighbour's son's PC and also the family Netflix.

He just had to stay as long as he wanted each day. 30 second walk from front door so not far from home. He only came back home for all his meals🤣