What will a cat sitter do for an hour?

[EachandEveryone]

Once again Im biting the bullet and booking a sitter for a week in June. I must be mad as Ive never had a decent one yet. One didnt know how to work the litter locker and i came home to find a pile of poo in bags in my kitchen, another stayed for ten minutes when she was booked for 30 and another never washed any of their bowls nor emptied them and just didnt feed them if they hadnt finished the last lot of food. My neigbour will do one visit per day and she loves them. She also drinks so it could be any time day or night. The last time I was away for three nights one of them peed on my bed 😭

I love the cattery for £18 a night they are well looked after however, its traumatic getting them there and its £20 each way in a taxi.

Ive been recommended an ex vet nurse who has three people working for her. Its £15 for 30 minutes and £17 for an hour. Should i book the hour? How do you even know how long they stay for? What can i ask her to do for an hour? Should it be morning or night?

Do they play with the cats for the extra time?

Surely they'd be spending the whole hour providing cuddles and affection?! I would
I'd go with the whole hour since it's only £2 extra. Ideally I'd want twice a day but then my two are demanding and expect plenty of small meals!

I can get someone to feed them in the evening at some point. I would hope they will get played with for the hour but its hard to know isnt it?

Twice a day is £25 its too much of a jump.

Your cat sitter is pricey. Mine is £13 for 2 visits a day.

Mine plays with the cats or provides cuddles/fuss as required by Their Majesties. Sometimes brushes them. They just enjoy having a bit of company when they’ve been left alone all day, they might want to curl up on a lap or be talked to or whatever.

Bloody hell those prices! I have a wonderful woman who runs a cat sitting/dog walking business. she charges £6 for a 15 minute visit and in that time she changes food, water, litter if needed and takes a pic to send me.

Thats roughly the same though if shes chaging £17 for a full hour

For an hour I'd want the bowls washing, feeding, litter cleaning (& sweeping up round the tray) and the cats grooming haha! Plus little video clips sending to reassure me!

I used to cat sit. I'd prob have spent the hour watching your tv as the cats invariably did a vanishing act as soon as a stranger (me) came in.

Mine plays with mine abs takes pictures and sends them too me. She brushes the long haired one.

My first cat sitter is £13.50 for one visit. But only stays a short time. The other stays ages and is £15 for two visits.

Thes are London prices Im afraid.

That's expensive even for London prices. I pay £18 for 2 visits a day. She feeds ,washes up bowls, plays with his lordship if hes around and sends me pictures and videos. She has also been known to run the Hoover round!

How do you know how long they stay for? Last time we went away (first time for these cats) the cat sitter sent me one message all weekend. Goodness knows if she stayed and played with them at all, how long for etc.

You dont know thats the problem.

I didn't know cat sitters were a thing. When I had cats we had a cat flap; when we went away we put cat beds in the kitchen and shut the door so the cats couldn't roam the house. A nice neighbour came in to feed them once or twice a day. They survived without cuddles and fusses while we weren't there.

One of my neighbors hates cats and the other isn't about much. When I was a child I used to go in and feed our neighbor's cats. Think I got about £5/£10 for the whole holiday!

I had a cat sitter at the weekend. She charges £13 for 2 visits per day. Just feeds them and puts out fresh water. They have a cat flap so arent always there at every visit (one more than the other). We use her for our main summer holiday too