Page 11 | to ask friend if she is going to pay my teen for cat sitting

Delphiniumandlupins · 02/05/2025 20:11

viques · 02/05/2025 17:23

Gosh yes, read the update, OP challenged her and asked for the money , cat woman threw a hissy, screamed and ranted, tipped over the table, rushed out into the street and was flattened by a trainee bus driver . Best update to a thread ever. Shame you missed it.

Show quote history

Worst bit is that cat woman is now in hospital so OP (and teen DD) are obliged to carry on with the twice daily visits until she gets home. Definitely unpaid.

BakelikeBertha · 02/05/2025 20:14

I think I'd be inclined to send her a text saying 'DD asked me to text you with her bank details as you haven't paid her for the cat sitting yet'. Short and to the point.

lapuf · 02/05/2025 20:20

I had similar in my early 20s in a low paid starter job and living at home, a very well paid colleague asked me to house and pet sit (think it was for a week). It involved cat feeding and caring for her two horses and it was a 50 mile round trip from there to our office instead of less than 20 from my parents. She got back from hols and she’d bought me a nice eyeshadow about £20. My mum sent me to work with strict instructions to tell my colleague that it had cost me considerable money to house and horse sit for her and ask her for it.

croydon15 · 02/05/2025 22:06

Bbq1 · 02/05/2025 15:49

For £20 a day we get a professional pet care company coming in to see to our cat when we're away. They don't just feed her but spend time with her, play with her, groom her and feed our fish too. I wouldn't be paying a teenager the same price as a professional carer especially considering the child is just feeding the cat. £100 is a decent amount considering you were also partly doing it as a favour for a friend. Op, tbh you sound very money orientated and a bit grabby. You don't charge friends the going rate.

Show quote history

This

Manthide · 02/05/2025 22:19

I'm not particularly fond of cats and when a friend told me she'd been let down by a cat sitter I reluctantly agreed to look after her 5 house cats. I took dd3 aged 16 with me to help. I looked after them on another long weekend with dd's help. The next time she asked I said I didn't want to do it but dd3 would for £5 a day (we went 3 times daily). She decided to get someone else for free!

BobbySox71 · 02/05/2025 22:36

Perimama · 02/05/2025 15:50

It's just about ok for a teen but where we live professional cat sitters do it for £20 a visit. My dd is almost 16 and is did it for £5 a visit is a bargain in comparison! Anyway she was happy to be paid but I think £10 visit is a fairer rate.

Show quote history

When our neighbours dd was a teen at home we paid her £10/day for 2 visits, either cat while we were away a couple of days or letting dog out for wee when we were out for long evening.
she was very happy with this and she loved our animals

Bestfadeplans · 02/05/2025 23:07

Bbq1 · 02/05/2025 19:12

Haha, it's not fictional but as I'm using them in a couple of months, I don't want to give the name. I don't care if you think it's fictional. It's not and I don't have enough time on my hands to spend it inventing fictional pet care companies!

They:

Pick up the post and place it the living room.
Water my indoor plants.
Put the bins out on the correct day.
Draw the curtains on the evening visit, reopen them in the morning.
Feed the fish.
Do all cat care and play.

£10.75 a visit. 2 per day = £21.50 per day

Show quote history

I'm sure small businesses hate being advertised and recommended.

Trovindia · 02/05/2025 23:30

Perimama · 02/05/2025 15:41

She gave her £10 a day (£100 in total). I don't think that is a lot for 2 visits a day with travel but teen was happy enough with it. I will make sure she sets her terms next time. I think £10 a visit is more appropriate if the house is not in our neighbourhood.

Show quote history

I pay a professional cat feeder £10/day for two visits. She charges £6 for one visit. So I think your teen did well!

Skinthin · 03/05/2025 00:42

£100 is perfectly reasonable!! Op you are now def being grabby

DisabledDemon · 03/05/2025 01:56

I've fed the neighbours' cat on several occasions, sometimes for two weeks if they've gone on holiday and wouldn't dream of asking for money. It's quid pro quo - if we need a favour, we can ask them (and we always get a couple of bottles of wine as a thank you).

However, as your daughter is probably unlikely to need any favours in return, perhaps you should be dropping heavy hints about payment. If they don't take them, well, they can pay for a catsitter next time!

Skinthin · 03/05/2025 02:30

DisabledDemon · 03/05/2025 01:56

I've fed the neighbours' cat on several occasions, sometimes for two weeks if they've gone on holiday and wouldn't dream of asking for money. It's quid pro quo - if we need a favour, we can ask them (and we always get a couple of bottles of wine as a thank you).

However, as your daughter is probably unlikely to need any favours in return, perhaps you should be dropping heavy hints about payment. If they don't take them, well, they can pay for a catsitter next time!

She already paid her- without needing to be asked. £100. Teen was happy but now OP is moaning that it wasn’t enough

Flamethrowers · 03/05/2025 07:28

The lesson your daughter can take away is work out her price and negotiate up front

JP313 · 03/05/2025 09:10

NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy · 01/05/2025 06:05

Send this message!

Show quote history

I agree. This is perfect!

ZanyMember · 03/05/2025 09:16

Ask her if it slipped her mind to give your teen some money for pet sitting.

FenellaFeldman · 03/05/2025 09:18

ZanyMember · 03/05/2025 09:16

Ask her if it slipped her mind to give your teen some money for pet sitting.

It didn't slip her mind. She gave her £100.

WendyA22 · 03/05/2025 09:30

Perimama · 01/05/2025 01:04

Hi, a good friend of mine asked me if my teen wanted to cat sit for her while she was abroad for 10 days over Easter. My teen said yes and we assumed that it would be paid as I know she has paid other teens in the past. She lives a 5-10 min drive away so I drove my teen twice a day for 10 days to feed her cats and take care of some other house sitting stuff. She is now back from the trip and has sent a text message thanking me and my teen but no mention of pay. I wish I had asked before she went! My teen is 15 and keen to earn extra money which is why she accepted this job. Would you bring it up to the friend? I feel very awkward about it! Her teen pet sit for us a year or so ago and I left her some money in an envelope.

If she's such a good friend can't you just ask her how much she's paying your daughter?

Lilactimes · 03/05/2025 09:38

Glad she was paid!!

i pay my local teenager £7.50 a visit or £15 a day. I feel it’s fair, she’s young and lives really near by. I also always try and work it out in advance and have a group WhatsApp if it’s a full holiday with a reserve person on it and me just in case there are issues or she can’t make it. Always discuss in advance x

Riaanna · 03/05/2025 09:49

Don’t leave it.

send a quick message “hey x was wondering about payment for the cat sitting, do you want my bank details to send over or would you prefer cash?”

She knows exactly what she’s up to. No one thinks a teenager would want to do that. It’s ridiculous.

FenellaFeldman · 03/05/2025 09:51

People seem to have missed this:
She paid her £100.

ItsOoooon · 03/05/2025 09:55

Clients 😂 is she running a full business complete with tax and insurance then?

Holeypyjamas · 03/05/2025 09:59

Bbq1 · 02/05/2025 19:12

Haha, it's not fictional but as I'm using them in a couple of months, I don't want to give the name. I don't care if you think it's fictional. It's not and I don't have enough time on my hands to spend it inventing fictional pet care companies!

They:

Pick up the post and place it the living room.
Water my indoor plants.
Put the bins out on the correct day.
Draw the curtains on the evening visit, reopen them in the morning.
Feed the fish.
Do all cat care and play.

£10.75 a visit. 2 per day = £21.50 per day

Show quote history

My cat sitter is £10 a visit twice a day up North.

Others in the local area also charge this amount.

Holeypyjamas · 03/05/2025 10:01

Bestfadeplans · 02/05/2025 18:57

You must live someone fictional. I've done a thorough Google search and I can't find one pet sitting company that advertise feeding and playing with cats, emptying bins, watering plants and turning lights on and off for £10.75 what's the name of the pet sitting company you say offer this, so we can check it out? factoring petrol and travel that wouldn't even be a viable business for that rate. FYI the average cost for pet sitting is £12-18 per visit.

Show quote history

Why do people on mumsnet think they know everything. So rude of you to say the poster lives somewhere fictional!!!!

My cat sitter is amazing and charges £10 a visit twice a day so jog on.

TruthJoin · 03/05/2025 10:23

Always ,always set financial boundaries first. After the fact you'll just sound like a Cf

DraigCymraeg · 03/05/2025 10:24

T1Dmama · 01/05/2025 01:11

Send a text and say
‘I hope you had a lovely holiday. Teen DD was happy to earn some extra cash & liked your cat’

Great suggestion. OP needs to do this sooner rather than later though.

FenellaFeldman · 03/05/2025 10:24

DraigCymraeg · 03/05/2025 10:24

Great suggestion. OP needs to do this sooner rather than later though.

Show quote history

Why would she send that text? The girl has been paid.