How much should I pay lovely cat sitter?

[ClaudOfTheRings]

Just had a week away and a family friend kindly looked after our two cats in our home. She lives round the corner and popped in every day to deal with litter, food, water and dispense cuddles.

I think we’re really lucky as we know and trust her and it enabled us to avoid a cattery.

I offered to pay her but she was adamant she didn’t expect anything. I suggested a voucher and she reluctantly said M&S would be nice if I insisted.

I was thinking of £200 as she’s done us a huge service (in a heatwave) and I really want to show our appreciation. Plus being generous means we could ask her again later in the year. My DH says £100 is enough.

Opinions welcome please!

I've just paid a professional cat sitter £180 for a week's worth of sitting (that was 2 visits a day)

I'd split the difference with husband and say £150.

If it were me I'd feel embarrassed by £200.

I agree no more than £100.

I paid my cat sitter £18 a day, so for a week I would say £100 is ok - £150 max

£200 is too much. I'd be embarrassed to take that. £100 is generous.
It's less than a cattery or a professional sitter, but it's been done as a favour for a neighbour, not for money.

£100 is a lovely generous gesture, £200 is an odd amount IMO. I’d do that and a big bunch of flowers or wine or chocolates she likes. It’s a gift to show your appreciation, not payment

£100

100 is more than fine...

£100 is more than generous and a lovely gesture.

Did the cat-sitter live in your house when you were away? I used to pay a cat-sitter £10 pervisit (usually 30-40 mins, twice a day, that was what she charged).

I looked after my neighbour's cat for a week, 4 visits a day, across the road from me. She gave me a box of Milk Tray, so £200 is mental!

Thanks so much for the quick responses and for putting me right. I’d hate to embarrass her - my husband said the same thing.

I like the idea of flowers with the £100 gift card.

I'm a cat sitter and two visits comes to £15 a day 😊

Oh blimey, I still think that's too much. I would go for a £20 or £25 voucher and some flowers and a nice bottle of wine. That I could accept - a huge-value voucher would make me feel very uncomfortable and take away the pleasure of doing something nice for someone. Not everything's transactional.

I would say £200 is too much. If I were doing that for a friend, I would feel really awkward receiving that amount and possibly not even spend it as I'd feel guilty ever time I looked at it. Which I know sounds mad and is mad as you'd already have spent the money. I'd say £50 would be a nice thank you and perhaps some flowers or chocolates.

£200 is embarrassing
£100 is very generous
We pay our cat sitter £7/visit weekdays, £10 on weekends and have one visit a day so £55 a week so I would say £50-100 is plenty and generous. Also do you want to be committed to that sort of money on an ongoing basis? You might set up an expectation if you pay £200 this time.

I'd be pleased with a £40 voucher , but be over the moon with £100.

Even £100 is too much I think - then you’re taking away from her that she wanted to do a nice and generous thing and not profit from it.

I’d do a £50 voucher max and a box of roses

We pay our professional cat sitter £18 a day for two visits to feed two cats and our chickens. I think £200 is too much for a weeks cat sitting but £100 and some flowers would be fine.

Even £100 is too much I think - then you’re taking away from her that she wanted to do a nice and generous thing and not profit from it.

I agree with this. People who are telling you what they pay a professional is besides the point. Even if she's actually worth it. She offered to help you out and now you're paying her like she did it for income.

I'd agree that £50 and chocolates or flowers would be appropriate in this situation.

I'm another one who thinks £100 Is too much for a friend who did it as a kindness. You don't want to embarrass her into thinking it was a "job" she was doing.

I would do £50 voucher and either flowers or bottle wine

I think the people explaining what they pay a professional are doing it to provide context to the message that £200 is far too much.

Rather than a generic gift are you able to come up with something thoughtful? Does she have a hobby or passion you could support?

A special plant for her garden? Something for her own pets?

Get a card and put a photo in it of your cat saying “thank you”.

I'd do £50 and a bunch of flowers / box of chocolates! £100 is a lot! X

I agree it is too much. You aren’t trying to replicate what you’d pay a professional pet sitter. This is a friend doing a favour. A gift is needed, but you shouldn’t go overboard. You want to be able to ask her again and if you over-gift, she might feel awkward.

If it were a teenage neighbour, then I’d give cash, but for an adult neighbour we leave a nice bottle of wine and chocs. Recently, we’ve been away for 2 weeks with 1 might home in middle. We left wine and chocs the first week and wine and biscuits the second. Each week the gifts cost under £20. We also say we will feed neighbours cat if they go away. They don’t very often, but we are keen to reciprocate for them if we can.

Neighbour is happy to do it and a token gift is nice. They aren’t doing it for payment. A sign of appreciation is definitely good, but gifts exceeeding £50 in my mind, especially if. There is. A clear monetary value as with a gift voucher, are just a bit over the top. I know it’s kindly meant and of course very generous, but over generosity can make people feel awkward.

If she's a family friend then I think it's a bit odd to give money. We regularly feed cats or others feed our cats and we usually buy some biscuits or something to say thank you.