I have really messed up

[mortifiedneighbour]

And I've just spent the last half hour curled up in a ball from the mortification.
I often feed next door's cats (or the odd one who evades a trip to the cattery) when she goes away overnight. She trusts me with her house keys.
I popped round last Sunday to feed then clean up as usual.
SHE'S ONLY JUST GOT HOME. Somehow I missed that this time she was away for the week. She's returned home to a messy house because the cats have been into the food and got it everywhere.
It gets much worse: she said the door was unlocked. I was sure I locked it behind me. Why wouldn't I have done?
So this past week, I've let her down with the cats and left her house vulnerable. I feel hideous about it.
What can I do?!

so she wasnt clear that it was for a week? Does she pay you?

No, she mentioned leaving me some money for cat food but I wouldn't have accepted it anyway and would bring some of my own round if she was running low. It didn't click with me that it was because she was going away for so long. I'm going over the last conversations I had with her now trying to think how I could've not realised. I feel sick about the fact she came home to an unlocked door aswell. It's just awful!

Oh no!

Are the cats OK?

Yes the cats are fine, most were staying in the car hotel, there was one who she couldn't get hold of before the taxi arrived so it was just him. To make matters worse, she was greeted by my own two cats on her return, who are in and out of her house probably more than mine thanks to the cat flap.
She came straight round because she assumed something must've happened to the kids or there'd been an emergency because it isn't like me to get something so drastically wrong.

Cat* hotel

My friend did this to me once. It was only for a day so not as long as yours but the point is...
I felt sick, then cross, then I realised my cat was fine, my friend didn’t do it on purpose and was apologetic so I got over it and moved on. We’re still great friends.

because it isn't like me to get something so drastically wrong
People mess up all the time. If she knows you’re normally fab she’ll realise it was just a blip.

It’s shit. But don’t be too hard on yourself

Oh dear, you poor thing. It was a genuine mistake and she'll realise that. You've helped her out before, so she knows that you can be relied on. All you can do is apologise and tell her you misunderstood. She'll be fine. Buy her a bunch of flowers to let her know you're feeling so bad?

Nothing you can do now to change what has happened...
In the future it would be a good idea to ask her to message you when she has left for her holiday and again when she has returned home. When I catsit for people I also tend to send updates daily or a couple of times a week at least, that way everyone is clear on what is happening.