How much per hour

[needtochangenames]

My DD (17) friends are going away for a fortnight and have asked my DD to come in every day and feed their cats. We have cats at home and she has done this for a number of friends/ neighbours in the past two years.

They have three cats and a hamster who also needs to be fed. She is to stay in the house for at least an hour and play with the cats. She is to feed them, clean out litter tray, wash out bowls, check water, put bins out, keep cats inside and away from hamster.

They live about 20 minute walk away from us and the time of the daily visit is very specific, and while we are working so DD will have to walk both ways.

The issue is about payment. How much should DD be asking for each day to do all of this??

I would charge around £10.

DS does similar and I think they tend to give him about £5 a day. Tbh, he loves cats so much he'd happily do it for free. He only goes every two days though - as they use a timer thing that he has to set for feed on the alternate day.

There's a pet shop near us will feed your pet for you for about £10 a day I think.

I’d say £5 a day too.

It's almost 2 hours work, including the walk there and back, I'd be suggesting at least £10 a day, but probably more like £15.
If they wanted the cats to stay at a cattery it'd cost £18 a day for them to share a pen at the one we use, and them staying at home is better for them anyway. Then there's the hamster too!

£100 for 1 visit a day for the fortnight.

I'm paying £10 a day. Normally I let a teenager live in the house and catsuit and even then I give them £50. Most cat sitters charge £10 per visit. Which is only about half an hour max

I wouldn't charge anything!

It's her friends cats, can't she just feed them as a favour and they can bring her back a bottle of something?

Q

Interesting range of views thanks. They have asked her as don't want to pay for a cattery or professional cat sitter. So while she does love cats it's taking a big chunk out of her revision time each day and she would not have agreed if not paid. She suggested £7.50 and seemingly the friend's parents were outraged at that so I wondered if she was being totally cheeky, although it didn't seem that way to me.

1hr40 mins of a revising students time? I wouldn’t let mine do it for less that £20.
Why aren’t they getting a neighbour to do it? It’s the sort of thing we happily do for free for neighbours along with taking in parcels, holding keys etc. The travel time and hour/ day is what costs.

I think I would tell her to say sorry she can't, as she has too much homework. Or say $5 a day but she won't stay more than 10 minutes to play with the cats. Make sure she agrees on a price before committing to it.

To be honest for a friend as a favour I would do for free, and then expect them to be there if I ever needed help too

I would expect a holiday present as a thank you I’m return as nice though!

My DD's school runs a babysitting scheme they suggest £8 per hour

As someone else says that's nearly 2 hours of revision time, depends if she's revising for the Big Ones or not. If she was anxious about grades, 2 hours a day is a big chunk - 28 hours of revision time, she might regret it if she hasn't managed to cover all she needs to cover by the end of the 2 weeks. If its not a close friend I would probably turn it down for her. Unless she would view it as a mid-revision break with a bit of fresh air/exercise.
£7.50 a day doesn't seem unreasonable but they are outraged at that? What do they think is acceptable for a daily committment?
Don't forget it also involves making sure she locks up the house afterwards
Could she cycle to cut the time down? I don't think the cats will mind if she doesn't spend a whole hour playing with them.

Your daughter will be committed for 2 hours every day, for 14 days. The cats/hamster family, apparently, are "outraged" at £7.50 per day? They'd be more "outraged" if they have to pay 14 days cattery fees. Also, the cats wouldn't get the same level of care and attention.
In addition, their house is, essentially, getting a daily, security check.
If they don't want to pay your daughter a decent rate, bearing in mind she's 17, I'd be saying they should find an alternative.