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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dog sitting, is she a CF?

204 replies

Fucketbucket13 · 13/08/2018 18:46

My cousin asked me to dog sit months ago. I said I guess I would but I'm fairly busy. She said her mum would help out walking the dog so I agreed.
I live with my mum while I save for a deposit on a house so I thought it'd be a chance to have a break from each other even though we get on well. I'll still pay her rent as it is cheap and she still has all the bills to pay.

I've just turned up at my cousin's and she's left me a loaf of bread, a pint of milk and a bloody box of chocolates to eat. Nothing else no cheese, ham, salad stuff, potatoes nothing. The fridge is empty as is the freezer. I'm bloody annoyed I'm going to have to go out and buy a weeks worth of food so while saving my cousin over a £100 it's going to cost me at least £50!

Àibu to expect if you're dog sitting for free they should at least leave you food? She's even told me where the vac is so I'll clean for her!

OP posts:
TillyTadpole · 13/08/2018 21:51

Dogs shed OP.....Some shed A LOT! By the end of the week you will be glad of the Hoover.

What breed of dog are you looking after that needs walking 3 or 4 times a day?

katielouise3 · 13/08/2018 21:56

I also find it hard to fathom how the cousin had no food in her house at all, and agree with a pp that she must have worked hard to finish it all off before she went on holiday.

I think YABU OP. I don't think she needed to leave you loads of food.

runbeerrunbeer · 13/08/2018 21:57

What happened to her mum helping out walking the dog? What breed is it?
I have a dog. I walk it. Personally I wouldn't see this as much of an inconvenience and a nice way to get out in the summer to see some green space. Honestly OP you're coming across as a bit of a mard arse and not really sure if you were expecting from this favour.

runbeerrunbeer · 13/08/2018 22:05

'When I've done it in the past, there's always been some basic food in.....'

I thought I'd read a post before from an angry dog owner returning from holiday late, looking forward to some cheese and crackers or a pizza from the freezer, only to find the house stripped of all food by the pet sitter Grin

Sorry OP. I'm mardy too when I have food disappointment. Hope the lovely dog makes up for it

Original poster
Fucketbucket13 · 13/08/2018 22:07

She's a border collie. Yes I'm such an entitled bitch for expecting some food in the house where I'm doing someone a favour and saving them lots of money Confused
Katielouise3, there was a fish finger in the freezer, a pack of butter, a tin of tuna (I don't like tuna) entitled I know, a few other tins of lentils.

Ok, I did ask and there has been a big difference of opinion, but I will always always leave food for anyone who dog sits, cat sits, fish sits or just waters my plants, well a bottle of wine for the last one.

As for the hoover, fair enough. I do intend giving the house a full clean before I leave.

OP posts:
TheMonkeyMummy · 13/08/2018 22:16

'Entitled bitch'? Wow. You are not doing yourself any favours...

KittyHawke80 · 13/08/2018 22:20

She’s referring to herself as an entitled bitch, ffs, albeit sardonically. How on earth do you contrive an objection to that?

TillyTadpole · 13/08/2018 22:20

Border Collies shed like a bitch! They need a good walk twice a day. Plus some brain games.....That's already halved your workload OP.

So it seems like there was stuff in the cupboards....shame you dont like tuna. Was there anything else left that you don't like?

There's no need to leave money for bills. I'm sure your cousin wouldn't expect you to. Collies are not a breed to be left on the own but I think your cousin thought you were up for doing her a favour by staying with the dog, in exchange for you having some independence in her house. Maybe she will have a rethink next time if she reads this thread.

If she had to have a shopping spree to fill the kitchen up with food for you she may as well have hired a pet sitter to have the dog at theirs. That seems to be a lot less hassle tbh

TheMonkeyMummy · 13/08/2018 22:21

Yes, I understood that... HmmConfused and I said she isn't doing herself any favours, because she is continuing to come across as an...

Well, you can fill the gap, surely.

Gushpanka · 13/08/2018 22:23

We often have pet sitters who stay for free and don't get paid.
I get bread, milk and small bits but would expect them to buy their own food (but use our stuff for things you dont buy for a short stay like spices, oil etc)

longwayoff · 13/08/2018 22:24

Are you deranged? Buy your own food like you would if you werent already ligging a free stay. You havent even got to walk the damned dog!

londonrach · 13/08/2018 22:24

Yabu. You get to stay at her house free. I would expect anythung else apart from chocs despite you doing her a favour. You have to eat anyone dont you

llangennith · 13/08/2018 22:26

I'm dog sitting for a friend and staying at hers with my dog for a week. She's left a fridge full of food and made everything as easy as possible for me. That's what's friends do.
Clearly CF's do otherwise.

IceCreamFace · 13/08/2018 22:27

@Fucketbucket13
What kind of thing were you expecting? In my house there would always be a bit of pasta/rice/bean/tinned tomatoes s etc in the cupboard but I wouldn't buy in a whole load of fresh food (beyond milk, bread, butter) for a cat sitter because how on earth would I know what they may want. If you were expecting food it would make much more sense for them to just give you money (which is what I would have done) than leave a load of food you may not like or want.

KittyHawke80 · 13/08/2018 22:27

If these things weren’t in any way inconvenient, you wouldn’t have to pay anyone to do them. I’m sure dog sitters love their jobs - they still don’t do them free of charge. Of course you like walking your dog - and you have an owner’s obligation. So there’s that. The OP probably likes walking the dog. But she isn’t being paid, so some other form of sweetener would’ve been nice, obviously.

KittyHawke80 · 13/08/2018 22:28

There’s some serious non R’ing of TFT, here . . .

KittyHawke80 · 13/08/2018 22:31

So now staying in this woman’s house because it’s expedient in terms of performing the favour she’s asked for, is ‘ligging a free stay’? She hasn’t asked a member of her local homeless community! She’s asked her cousin. Who has a perfecly serviceable home of her own.

KittyHawke80 · 13/08/2018 22:35

Clearly, there’s a lot of CFs on here, who manage to parlay their need for help into some sort of treat for the person they’re asking: ‘It’ll be a nice change of scene for you, won’t it?’

katielouise3 · 13/08/2018 22:36

You are coming across very badly OP.

KittyHawke80 · 13/08/2018 22:37

Not to me, she doesn’t. She comes across as someone who has been fucking hard done-by.

Brigante9 · 13/08/2018 22:38

My DH’s mate is staying one night this week to look after the dogs. The fridge is always stocked, there are many bottles of bourbon, he’ll be told to help himself and to use the hot tub. I’ll make up the dog meals.

I think your cousin was cheeky, she should have left you some food, at least enough for sandwiches or a meal.

Could you not have had the dog round at yours?

Original poster
Fucketbucket13 · 13/08/2018 22:47

How am I coming across bad? I'm really not.
We have cats so the dog couldn't come to ours, the dog wouldn't stand a chance!

OP posts:
Shadowboy · 13/08/2018 22:48

Professional dog sitters are expensive- as are kennels. So I don’t think you are being unreasonable at all. You are out of pocket. She is in placket.

TheMonkeyMummy · 13/08/2018 22:48

@KittyHawke80 yes, I think we have all grasped that.

SenecaFalls · 13/08/2018 22:53

She's a border collie.

So relatively high maintenance, in the sense of needing quite a bit of exercise and mental stimulation.

Again, OP, YANBU.

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