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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

111 replies

Gtathatchers · 09/07/2024 18:02

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?

OP posts:
Ksqordssvimy · 13/07/2024 08:54

Lie.

Sennelier1 · 13/07/2024 09:11

Maybe they reason you let the cat out and back in again, can spend inbetween time for yourself? Very CF. Just feed the cat, stay a bit with the cat maybe clean the litterbox, then go home.

littleapplecottage · 13/07/2024 10:27

They obviously don't care enough about their cat to put their hand in their pockets to pay for it to be looked after while they are away. But that not your problem, this isn't a volunteer role!

Catsmere · 13/07/2024 11:36

littleapplecottage · 13/07/2024 10:27

They obviously don't care enough about their cat to put their hand in their pockets to pay for it to be looked after while they are away. But that not your problem, this isn't a volunteer role!

I'd say they don't care much about their cat at all if they let her, a deaf cat, roam, and worse, roam when they're not even at home - and whine about her behaviour if she hasn't been out.

Sennelier1 · 13/07/2024 15:31

I know plenty of people who are catowners. They all use a catflap (if in a house) or simply have an indoor cat. It's not because you leave your cat alone in the house while you're out working that you are a bad person. Not everybody can pay for someone to come over and entertain a pet!

Crazycrazylady · 13/07/2024 19:29

Honestly op. I'd message them saying that this is working for you as you are fully booked and can't commit to staying on over the time you both agreed on. Point out that you wouldn't have agreed if you knew that the cat would require outside visits and wouldn't wear a harness. Tell them you're happy to step aside if they want to organise someone else with more free time to sit and wait for the cat to do it. I doubt they'll complain again

Gtathatchers · 13/07/2024 20:13

So I’ve just left theirs. Tomorrow is my last day with them which I’ll be doing early morning before I go to another house sit, so I decided, I have no other plans tonight, to let her out, partly to make a point. She arrived 40 minutes later than the hours time slot, so I sent them a message saying ‘Hi, * enjoyed her time outside today! I hope you understand why this hasn’t been possible everyday as you can see that today’s booking ran over by 40 minutes’. Im hoping that this will cover me if they try to say I wasn’t doing what they asked, as I can now show that for the third time in a row she came back late.

OP posts:
HaveAWordWithYerselfWouldYa · 13/07/2024 20:32

The will know you had to stay an extra 40 mins though wont they, as they have cameras inside the house.

I hope they realise they have to pay!

Emmanuelll · 13/07/2024 20:37

littleapplecottage · 13/07/2024 10:27

They obviously don't care enough about their cat to put their hand in their pockets to pay for it to be looked after while they are away. But that not your problem, this isn't a volunteer role!

Quite.

travelmadmum23 · 13/07/2024 20:43

Split the hour into 2 visits. 1 in the morning to let out and 1 in the evening to let in....

This is crazy and a learning curve. Manage the clients expectations from the outset.

For a start - 1 hour visit with a cat? 30 mins is ample - if the cat is particularly needed or has medication then another visit to suit the client but a 1 hour visit?

Secondly - why are you waiting? You a paid for a set time - leave the cat out if it isn't back.

Thirdly - manage what you tell them.

Gtathatchers · 14/07/2024 10:53

Thanks everyone for your help. Today was my last day with her, I didn’t let her out today regardless of her meowing at the door etc as I had another booking to get to straight after which I’m at now. The owners finally replied and just said thanks again I appreciate it so hopefully all is well and they won’t leave a bad review!

OP posts:
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