For anyone with experience of getting a cat sitter from a website

[stirling]

A quick one really - how can I trust them? With the keys to my house... And all my valuables inside? I checked one site and there was no mention of vetting the sitters...
I'm reluctant to put my baby in with a cattery

Thank you

I've had nothing but good experiences with Cat in a Flat :)

Lots of dog walkers do cat sitting.

Why not message your local ones and ask them to come and meet you and your cat first? They'll have insurance etc. and many will have first aid training qualifications and references available too.

I've had great experiences with both Cat in a Flat and Trusted Housesitters. Agree there is a risk, though.

Thanks everyone, with cat in a flat, do you ask the sitters for their id, address? Or does the company do that?

I look after cats in peoples homes, I am independent/self employed and don’t advertise on places like Rover etc (I dog walk etc too) so don’t have experience of these websites.
I always do a free meet and greet with potential clients, show them my insurance and dbs certificate and if asked would provide references. I have paperwork for clients to fill in giving animals medical history, permission to take to vets if needed etc. We go through feeding, medication if needed, and I am happy to chat so they get to know me. A reputable pet sitter will be happy to do all this . The most important thing is you feel comfortable, trust your gut and if you can find local recommendations all the better. Most of my clients are word of mouth. Good Luck!

My Girl Daisy thank you, really helpful!

We found our regular cat sitter through an app called Tailster, and now Whatsapp her directly to check availability then book through the app for insurance etc. People can leave reviews on there and you can check out sitters’ profiles once they bid on your listing. We did a meet & greet before the first booking and now drop keys / parking permit etc to her home before each trip away. The sitter sends videos and text updates while we’re away and we find it so much better to leave our cat at home than move her to a cattery.

bimbimbap thanks, checking it out now...

I have cameras in my house, mainly to spy on the cats while I'm away, but also handy if you have a cat sitter that you don't know. They are cheap and have motion detectors which alert me when there is movement in the house and they take a recording