Owner wants me to let her cat outside, only getting paid for an hour

[Gtathatchers]

I’m doing hour long drop ins for a cat everyday for 2 weeks, I’m only a few days into it. Prior to starting we had a meet and greet and they did not mention about her having to go outside. They don’t have a cat flap or anything, so I have to be here to let her out and to let her back in. The problem is that I’m only being paid for an hours drop in, but when I let her outside, she is never back within the hour. Yesterday, I was here for 2 hours, waiting for her to return, and she only did so because it started to rain. The owners said to walk to the park with her, and that she’ll follow me, so I attempted this and she did not. She’s deaf, and isn’t very food or toy motivated. At first they said to use her harness so I assumed she would be comfortable with it, she wasn’t at all. I tried the gentle approach of trying to put it on her back while she was distracted with some wet food but she’d freak out every time I put it on her, and start hissing, so the owners said please take her out without it, walk to the park and she’ll follow you so I braced myself and did it. She did NOT follow me and instead roamed around on top of the garages in the car park next to their house where I couldn’t get her down from. I stayed outside and watched her until she escaped through a hole in someone’s fence. I did laps around the estate trying to find her until I decided to go and wait in the garden for her to come home. This time she came in half an hour after the agreed hour long drop in period. The second time was much the same except she came in an hour after the drop in should’ve ended, only when it started raining. If it hadn’t started raining she would’ve come back in much later. I’m not sure what to do, she meows to go out all the time but I can’t dedicate hours of my day to waiting for her to return as I’ve scheduled my days based on the fact I’m here for an hour plus commute time. Wwyd?

I'm a cat sitter and non of my clients expect the cats to go out unless there's a cat flap. My longest visits are only 30 minutes long. These owners sound nuts to be honest. I've never had a client ask anything like this. Get them told.

Tell them you won’t be letting her out unless you are paid for the two hours or whatever it takes to get her back.

That’s interesting @lawnseed. We can’t have a cat flap for various reasons. We have a fairly outdoorish young cat who is used to her butlers opening the door. How long would you recommend is the longest a cat stays indoors for if it is normally used to a bit of freedom? We are going away for a fortnight this summer and am now relieved I’ve got someone coming to live in!

Thank you everyone. I sent them a message explaining I can no longer let her outside and they haven’t replied for the whole day. I hope they don’t leave a negative review for this but I feel it is justified and you have helped me feel confident enough to do this x

They should leave a negative review, you should've established exactly what was required of you as a paid professional.

You didn't know the cat needed to be let out? So when was it decided you should let the cat out? When they said it, why didn't you advise the additional charge.

Why does she have to go out? Do these people not have litter for her? Black mark against them in my book, if so.

U taking the puss🤣🐱 haha cat can look after it self tbh

OP has gone above and beyond for the client, they're the one being unreasonable, they're the ones that deserves a negative review.

Have you tried letting her out first and then after half an hour preparing her food.
If she’s not fed immediately then she may return sooner.

You need to be clearer in your Ts &Cs as to what you will/won't do, what each particular package covers etc.

It sounds as though you agreed 1 hour drop ins to feed, clean litter trays, amuse... but NOT to let out and then supervise/walk/wait for the cat to return.

Hopefully you have that agreement in writing?

People will often try to book the cheapest package then get you to amend it without extra charge, so you must be clear as to exactly what you will and won't be doing.

Learn from this - and just do the hourly visits as arranged and do NOT let them stiff you on the bill at the end either!

@EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness she really hasn't, why would she assume that a cat wouldn't need to go out?

As a pet sitter isn't that a question to ask?

It's like a dog sitter assuming the dog wouldn't need a walk.

Ridiculous not to ask what services are needed and just say "they never said".

I'd assume also that OP can't leave them a bad review, so moot point.

Even if they do leave a negative review, prospective clients will still like to see how you rrespond and I'm sure they will completely understand the circumstances (unlike these batshit owners).

"It's like a dog sitter assuming a dog wouldn't need a walk" - no it's not.

Ignore this poster op, it's a lesson learned for next time.

@YouJustDoYou I am allowed an opinion

And it can differ to yours!

Maybe OP will be new careful in future and not risk bad reviews.

This is perfect.

My catsitter lets my cat out in the morning and lets him in again in the evening. She does give him a cuddle but I don’t expect her to wait around for him. If he doesn’t turn up to be let in, he stays out. Would this work for you?

When I have sitters in to feed my cats, I specifically ask that they are not let out, no matter how much they plead. If they are cross because no one is home they just wander off and find somewhere else to go! Cats are very fickle and you would be waiting for hours for them.

I don't think I woukd say anything. Just play with the cat for the hour you are paid for and leave it at that.

I don't understand people who have outdoor cats and no cat flaps.

Oh my god! She wants you to herd a cat?
YANBU OP, that's nuts.

I just ask my cat sitter to keep them in. They only go out when I'm home anyway so for example on a working from the office day they have to stay in the house.

I do have a cat flap but I don't like them being outside when I'm not around.

This

I'd either not let it out every day (assuming it's house trained and able to use a litter box), or split the hour - go in the morning to let it out and later on to bring it back in.

And if I was doing it as a paid for service id have actually asked these questions before taking on the job..

Don’t let it out. Will they know? Ring doorbells etc.

What’s going to be worse? Them coming back to no cat or off chance them finding out its not been let out?

It’s a daft arrangement. Either it’s an inside cat or an outside one with a cat flap.

She has the run of the house, uses the litter tray, but will sometimes do a spite poo next to the tray or on the upstairs landing

A "spite poo" 🤣🤣