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?

Some people don't seem to realise that their cats won't behave the same way with a stranger as with them. Would they be happy if you just left the cat outside. Our cat pretty much lives in the garden at this time of year.

Don't let the kitty out and play with her for the hour. If she's got a litter tray then no problem. Yes she'll complain but its only for 2 weeks.

Tell them they have two choices and you would like confirmation in writing which they would prefer:

• You keep her indoors and play with her for the hour.
• You let her out and if she is not back when the hour is up, she will have to stay out until you can return later - this will be charged at your standard hourly rate for whatever length of time it takes for the cat to return.

I bet they'll live with the former.

On the days when you don’t have other bookings you should say that you will stay until she returns but you will charge for all the hours you’re there. Don’t do it for free!!

You're payed to come in and stay with the cat for an hour, not to walk the cat as long as it takes her majesty to come home. Don't let the cat out, use earplugs.

@Gtathatchers Please charge them for all the extra hours you have been standing in the rain chasing THEIR cat on THEIR instructions.

Can you split the hour so you do 20 mins in the morning or whenever suits then 20 mins a few hours later to let her back in? Or if she litter trained just don’t let her out.

I would not be building a bamboo cage for the cat - why would you do that? It's like those threads of yore when somone was told to offer an upset woman in the toilets a creme egg and a chat, or to gift the small cottage/outhouse in the garden to a homeless person.

Why would you stay you'll stay in your own time? You dafty.
I think you're going to have to be firm. If they leave a bad review then you've got right of reply?

As a Veterinary Nurse and a cat sitter myself, a deaf cat should not be allowed outside. The risk of accident or injury is much greater.

Keep the cat indoors only from now on, ensure it has access to a litter tray and spend the hour providing TLC, grooming, playtime, etc.

Also, as others have mentioned - do you have any paperwork/ written documentation for each customer which covers emergency contacts, veterinary contact details, health and medication information, diet, etc?

The paperwork I use, which the customer signs, clearly states whether the cats are 100% indoor or are allowed outside whilst they’re away.

This really helps clarify things for both the customer and the cat sitter.

I can't believe their audacity OP - you've told them it's not working and they still want you to let the cat out.

While my dog would be absolutely ecstatic if you put a harness on her and took her to the park my cats would be distinctly unimpressed and as for the idea of them actually following you it's utterly ludicrous.

These are the people your client requires ... a classic advert this one Herding cats

Tell the owners the cat needs an AirTag if it’s going to be let out. Go and find it fifteen minutes before your hour is up and chuck it back in the house. No AirTag, no going out!

So when I go away my friend comes to mine in the morning feeds cat and let's her out takes 10 minutes then off an evening she pops back lets cat in feeds her cat is then kept in till morning can you not try this instead.

Don't let her out. My cats are kept in when I'm away.

I hope you said they'd need to pay for that extra time? They sound very unreasonable and unrealistic, but I wonder if its more CF, they want her let out but they don't want to pay for more than an hour so they're trying to make you feel guilty and do it anyway. Dont stay longer if they won't pay otherwise they'll just do this same thing to some other cat sitter next time.

It's unreasonable for them to expect you to let the cat out and sit for hours, waiting for her to return. How ridiculous they are. I'd never ask someone to do this.

Have they at least offered to pay/extend the booking time? Given they have a camera they can see that you aren’t lying about the extra time all this is taking. Maybe they had a cat whisperer cat sit for them previously so weren’t expecting this outcome, but it sounds highly unlikely!!!
good on you for standing up for yourself, I think what you wrote them is fair ( and I have a dog which we leave with boarders too) and they are being CF

I used to look after a friend's cats when she was on holiday. Luckily she lived next door as "two short visits each day to feed them" turned into at least 5 or 6! They didn't have a cat flap, both spent most of their time outdoors (no litter tray) and rarely both appeared when I went to feed them. I was constantly letting one in to eat as I chased the other out. My friend had no idea they would need so many visits and I think your owners have equally unrealistic expectations.

If they want the cat to go out they should get a bloody car flap. They can't be expecting people minding a cat to wait around indefinitely.

Don't let her out. They shouldn't be doing so - as PP said, it's even more dangerous for a deaf cat.

I also wouldn't put it past them to try suing you if she doesn't return.

A cat isn’t like a dog where you let them out and they are guaranteed to come back in shortly after. I’d refuse to do this.

Don’t tell them you will spend your own time waiting for her if you have no other bookings. You need to charge for this.

Obviously tell them the cat stays inside or they pay you for 2 hours a day

simples