To think this cat sitting is a bit much to ask

[Italiawithflair]

Ndn is going on holiday in June. We have previously cat sat for her which only involved going over 1x per day to check that the food machine had dispensed of the cat's dry food. This was no bother and I happily did this for the two weeks she was away.

So ndn came over a couple of days ago and asked if I could cat sit again as she was going away on holiday this week. I thought this was rather short notice (4 days before she goes away) but said yes immediately as I like to help out.

Yesterday she came to tell me that the cat now only eats wet food and that I will have to go over twice a day, morning and evening to actually give the cat food rather than just checking that there is food I the bowl. This involved washing the cat bowl and opening the can with yucky content and Will take much longer than what I thought I signed up for. I am a bit miffed that this is more committed net than what I had in mind.

Is she bu to expect this sort of service without flagging it before and without telling me what's involved?

I will do it this time but please tell me how to decline politely in the future.

So 10 minutes instead of 5?

I thought you were going to say you were expected to stay at the house or spend hours playing with the cat or somehing.

That's what I would expect from cat sitting tbh.

It was rude of her not to explain the arrangements has changed but perhaps she'd forgotten. Also fairly rude to give you such little notice. Did she have a plan b if you said no?

To be fair, though, I always buy a packet of the cheapest possible paper plates so my neighbour doesn't have to wash cat food bowls.....

Yes 2 x 10 minutes. Without checking if this is ok. She'd didn't explain this before asking though so I think she farmed it in a slightly misleading way. Also when I said that the last weekend when she is away I am probably going to visitit family she looked a bit out out. Wtf? Why didn't she come over to ask about cat sitting well in advance when she booked her holiday?I think she is demanding, that's how she comes across anyway.

Surely actually feeding the cat is what cat sitting is mainly about? Can't really see it'd make much difference if it's dry or wet food

Why do you neet notice to feed a cat?

YABU to say yes without checking what it would involve.
Easy to get annoyed at the person asking for being cheeky, but actually you can just be assertive and say no!
Just say no next time.

It does not take 10 mins to walk next door and feed cat, even with a tin!

I always get single serve portions of food when neighbours are feeding our cat for us, I like the paper plate idea too.

I think you need to say no this time, if you want to get out of doing it all the time. Just say 'look, wet cat food - no, dry cat food is just about doable. Sorry. If you'd said what it entailed when you asked I wouldn't have said yes in the first place.'

I'm sorry if you want someone to do something for you that involves a commitment to look after an animal twice a day for two weeks you should give your neighbour enough time, else how can you even be sure they will be available and be annoyed when you are not at their service the whole two weeks?

The food dispenser cat sitting was no issue but she didn't explain before asking and me agreeing that this time I am expected to engage much more. Come on, if you own a pet you plan ahead no?

I wouldn't even call that cat-sitting...it's just feeding the cat! I thought pet-sitting was when you live with the animal, or at least spend time with it.

I don't think it's a big deal, TBH.

It's definitely a tad cheeky of her to ask last minute, but you said yes! It's only cat food and twice a day, it's still pretty easy in terms of cat sitting. You don't have to chuck medicine down its throat or pull worms out its bum just make sure to check what a favour entails before agreeing to it in future!

Just cross-posted with you.

You're not being asked to engage with the cat at all! Good grief. You just dump food in a bowl. I know it's twice a day, but she literally lives next door, right?

'I like to help out' but not too much eh op?

If you don't want to do it you should have said no. Personally I always sit with the cat for a bit so they can have some fuss or play too, but don't put yourself out that might take up to half an hour of your precious time.

Hahaha it's not a big deal you just don't wanna do it. You should have said no if you can't be arsed.
It's not like you've got to drive 2 miles over to her house 3 times a day to feed it and change the litter once a day like I am happy to do for my husbands mate from work who I've met once 3 years ago (my husband would do it but he's obviously working and I said I would do it) Or my mum who actually has to move into mine to look after my 6 cats, 2 dogs, rabbit, guinea pig, 200L tropical fish tank, 2 turtles & 2 hamsters.
Get a grip.

It doesn't sound as if you have a cat OP?

Tbh I think I would only ask a neighbour to cat-sit if they had a cat too and I could return the favour. Otherwise it's too one-sided. And I wouldn't trust them to look after my precious cats properly.

Maybe give her a heads up you won't be able to do it next time so she knows to make alternative arrangements - in advance! You could say something faux-concerned like "I'd hate for you to have to find another option at short notice" with a sickly smile?!

A question to cat owners. How do you plan who looks after you pet when you go away?

Ask her for a pack of paper plates and sachets so you don't have to faff about with tin openers and stinky tins.

omg. You'd spend longer on the toilet than it would take. seriously it's hardly any effort at all.

You live next door ffs.

commitment? its a few mins your being dramatic

Oh come on - it's opening a tin and scooping out the contents into a dish.

You could just go once and out out two lots. That's what I'd do. I wouldn't go twice a day.

It was daft of her not to give herself more notice unless she had someone else available if you had turned out to be away too- but why does it matter to you how much notice you had?

Good grief, is this really an issue? 20 mins a day, for a couple of weeks, to be helpful, kind and neighbourly?!

The suggestion of paper plates is great, your neighbour won't have thought of that, suggest it to them, maybe even just buy them yourself.

It's good to help each other out, one day you might need an occasional favour, think of it as advance payment.

Ehhh. Gobblers are you for real? I haven't got half an hour to go round lol. I have a pretty hectic life with loads of family commitments so yrs asking half an hour x 14 is a commitment.

yanbu

but it's probably too late to pull out now. next time i'd tell her the truth - it was too much for you. the dispenser was fine, but the wet food took too long.