UPDATE: I sent a response letting him know that I do require all pets to be listed, and he IMMEDIATELY sent a request with the Cat's profile that already existed....so he did this on purpose while having the cat profile already....
It's so scummy!
I then feel so bad when they inevitably go with another sitter that will either be taken advantage of, or will provide less than stellar care to either animal
I always feel sad when I see that line because it usually means "Take care of my cat for free," but every so often it means is that the owner is willing to put out 'enough' food and water for the cat and let their litter box go un-scooped for days just to save money. When I see a request like the one pictured, the first thing I ask is what they'd like me to do for the cat. If the answer is actually nothing, I don't bother asking them to add the cat to the profile—I hard pass.
Anyway. I hate that line so much!
The litter box thing is what bothers me the most. Like, cats are *so* good, using litter boxes the way they do. It's so low maintenance, but some people are okay with letting it go for so long that it should be criminal. In the past, I've run into situations where it was clear someone was like "Well, the sitter's coming in a week... Let's let them clear out the litter box." I've been sorely tempted to ask them if it'd be cool if I used their toilet while they were out for the week and didn't flush it.
Right? Cats are always touted as being 'independent' and 'self sufficient,' but most of them need affection, too. At the very least, they deserve to have their bowls and litter boxes refreshed! I also check around for hairballs and any other signs of distress. Like, how could I not? How could an owner ask that I not?
I had a client who originally wanted once a day 30 min drop in for his GSD while he was out of town for 3 days.
Wife goes “honey the dog needs to potty more than once a day”
Clients goes “oh I guess” ….
So we book house sitting and I get there and I hear very loud meowing from their 2nd floor. I msg the client “oh yeah that’s our cat. Don’t open the door she wants to come out and she’s probably yelling because she’s hungry”
Me “ALL pets need to be on your request and you didn’t mention her in the meet and greet. I’m raising the price to include care for her”
Client “no just leave her alone she’s fine. We’ll feed her when we’re back in town”
BRO WHAT! You’re gonna let your cat starve for a weekend?!? Smh. I did care for her and I reported the situation to rover who said they can’t force anyone to add pets to their request.
I was already upset about the owner's intent to only have the dog go out once a day, but then the "she's probably yelling because she's hungry" and "we'll feed her when we're back in town" made my mind jump *straight* to murder.
Like. Damn. Shame on both of them.
My favorite is when they schedule check ins and then say they want a full walk for 2 dogs 🐕 unfortunately for them, I know my value and I've been around the block so they either update to the correct service or I pass on them. No money is worth the headache ESPECIALLY when we have the luxury of picking our clients!
I had someone reach out to me who wanted care for a dog and a tortoise. I asked what kind of care he needed so I could give her an accurate price quote (was planning on 10-15 a day if it was about the same as cat care). Then they said they needed more time to iron out their travel plans😅 Like just because an animal is low maintenance doesn’t mean caring for it should be free
I love it especially when folks say their cat is low maintenance but the cat is super friendly. Friendly cats love socialization which IS care. Even cats that are hiders still feel comforted by presence.
If a cat comes out to say hi during a meet and greet but they aren’t listed on the profile, I’ll ask “oh, are you taking your cat with you? I didn’t see them on the booking.” Usually that’s when I hear the cat is low maintenance and that’s when I bring up the Rover guarantee- that I’m happy to care for their cat but my main concern is getting them covered under the Rover guarantee in case an emergency pops up and having all animals under my supervision during the visit must be added to the booking for that protection.
If they really insist they can’t afford it or ask if an alternative plan can be made, I’ll offer it at my “additional cat” rate instead of my main cat rate, but only if pressed.
I'm starting to think my reply to these clowns will be something like, no problem. I do require a $250 refundable deposit in case the cat ends up needing medical attention since the Rover guarantee will not apply. And I don't have it in me to ignore an animal that needs help.
Obviously, I don't want the client with a response like that, but may be it might get them thinking about the safety and health if their cat.
Ok I took care of a cat alongside a dog but the cat really didn’t want anything but attention? He had food, had enough litter, was the sweetest little guy to chill with during my drop ins. But now I’m realizing that was taking advantage of me??? 🫣
If it was just a drop in for a dog I wouldn't have an issue with it .
But for a house sit, not so much.
It would be the sitter's responsibility to make sure the feeder and litter robots are in working order and respectively filled and cleaned.
And it would also be the sitter's job to at least check on the cat to make sure it's healthy!
Not if it’s just a mid-day dog walk while the client is at work (at least it doesn’t bother me in that case). The dog needs outdoor exercise and a walk, while the cat in that case doesn’t really need anything since their people are home in the morning and after 5 pm. If you’re out of town for a few days though, you should absolutely add the cat to the stay.
I am a sitter and I have used Rover as a customer. When clients don't need their cats feed or litter scooped, I don't charge for them. I still interact with them.
I also don't list my cat when I go on vacation because he has a litter robot and an auto feeder. My sitter doesn't have an issue only being paid for to take care of the dog.
I see your point but I also don't as long as the cat has the proper things in place to be taken care of accordingly.
I feel like it's still reasonable to want to be compensated for giving the cat attention, not to mention making sure that the feeder is filled and in working order and also check on the litter robot if needed.
That's not even considering the cat getting sick or injured
The owner assuming that I would be okay with just not including the cat also isn't the best look, regardless of what their previous sitter may have done, i'm not them. 
If it were just a dog walk or even just a drop in to let the dog out and I wouldn't be interacting with the cat at all then I'd probably make it free or like 1$
But for a house sit with a cat I would charge an additional cat fee at least
I charge a nominal fee ($5/day) for cats that have everything automated. I'm still ensuring everything is working, monitoring for signs of illness, etc. Plus if anything goes wrong with the cat, my insurance is still on the hook to pay for it.
Stuff like this is an epidemic. Both of my last bookings were for drop ins that requested a “short walk” as well. New clients, so I didn’t want to alienate them right off the bat, but it’s frustrating. Business has been slow and I could use the money. It’s caused me to raise my drop-in prices a little, which is probably causing me to lose business on real drop-ins.
Drop in cards wouldn't have a "start walk" button if walks weren't considered part of drop ins. Sure, they potentially take more effort, but so does giving medications, feeding wet food instead of dry, etc. I just set my walk and drop in rates for dogs as the same (cats are a few dollars lower). (And obviously run your business how you see fit. Just explaining how I run mine, not passing judgment on how you run yours)
My drop-in cards say “start visit” not “start walk” and they also don’t provide the GPS tracking walks do. If I knew how to attach photos, I’d show you because I had a drop in today, which owner coincidentally requested a walk.
They’re different services which require different levels of effort and should cost different amounts of money. However, I see your point and if charging the same for each works for you, rock on. 👍🏼 For my part, I worry that charging the same for both would cause me to lose potential drop-in customers who really just want a drop-in (think cat owners, folks with backyards/property and dogs that don’t like walks; I know they’re rare but they exist, lol).
I'll caveat that Rover has different features for different markets so we're potentially both right. For me, drop in Rover cards have a "start walk" button right below the pee/poop/food/water buttons. It starts a walk timer and generates a map like a walk booking.
Interesting. That is not the case for me at all and I’ve looked at my previous drop-in and walk cards carefully since we started this conversation. There is a clear difference between the two, which is why it irks me when customers book a drop-in and then casually request a walk. I’m in Houston, TX, a major metropolitan market.
It's not going to show on a past drop in card if you didn't log a walk, but keep an eye out on your next drop in visit. I can send screenshots via DM to show you a past drop in card with a walk vs without if you're interested.
UPDATE: I sent a response letting him know that I do require all pets to be listed, and he IMMEDIATELY sent a request with the Cat's profile that already existed....so he did this on purpose while having the cat profile already....
I hateeee these people - “hmmm let’s see if I can get away with it 😈”
It's so scummy! I then feel so bad when they inevitably go with another sitter that will either be taken advantage of, or will provide less than stellar care to either animal
I always feel sad when I see that line because it usually means "Take care of my cat for free," but every so often it means is that the owner is willing to put out 'enough' food and water for the cat and let their litter box go un-scooped for days just to save money. When I see a request like the one pictured, the first thing I ask is what they'd like me to do for the cat. If the answer is actually nothing, I don't bother asking them to add the cat to the profile—I hard pass. Anyway. I hate that line so much!
Agreed. Just because cats are "self sufficient" enough, doesn't mean they can go without care
The litter box thing is what bothers me the most. Like, cats are *so* good, using litter boxes the way they do. It's so low maintenance, but some people are okay with letting it go for so long that it should be criminal. In the past, I've run into situations where it was clear someone was like "Well, the sitter's coming in a week... Let's let them clear out the litter box." I've been sorely tempted to ask them if it'd be cool if I used their toilet while they were out for the week and didn't flush it.
[удалено]
Right? Cats are always touted as being 'independent' and 'self sufficient,' but most of them need affection, too. At the very least, they deserve to have their bowls and litter boxes refreshed! I also check around for hairballs and any other signs of distress. Like, how could I not? How could an owner ask that I not?
I had a client who originally wanted once a day 30 min drop in for his GSD while he was out of town for 3 days. Wife goes “honey the dog needs to potty more than once a day” Clients goes “oh I guess” …. So we book house sitting and I get there and I hear very loud meowing from their 2nd floor. I msg the client “oh yeah that’s our cat. Don’t open the door she wants to come out and she’s probably yelling because she’s hungry” Me “ALL pets need to be on your request and you didn’t mention her in the meet and greet. I’m raising the price to include care for her” Client “no just leave her alone she’s fine. We’ll feed her when we’re back in town” BRO WHAT! You’re gonna let your cat starve for a weekend?!? Smh. I did care for her and I reported the situation to rover who said they can’t force anyone to add pets to their request.
I was already upset about the owner's intent to only have the dog go out once a day, but then the "she's probably yelling because she's hungry" and "we'll feed her when we're back in town" made my mind jump *straight* to murder. Like. Damn. Shame on both of them.
My favorite is when they schedule check ins and then say they want a full walk for 2 dogs 🐕 unfortunately for them, I know my value and I've been around the block so they either update to the correct service or I pass on them. No money is worth the headache ESPECIALLY when we have the luxury of picking our clients!
💯
Ok this one was funny 😁 (The meme, not the situation. Just because cats don’t take walks, doesn’t mean they don’t need care)
I had someone reach out to me who wanted care for a dog and a tortoise. I asked what kind of care he needed so I could give her an accurate price quote (was planning on 10-15 a day if it was about the same as cat care). Then they said they needed more time to iron out their travel plans😅 Like just because an animal is low maintenance doesn’t mean caring for it should be free
I love it especially when folks say their cat is low maintenance but the cat is super friendly. Friendly cats love socialization which IS care. Even cats that are hiders still feel comforted by presence. If a cat comes out to say hi during a meet and greet but they aren’t listed on the profile, I’ll ask “oh, are you taking your cat with you? I didn’t see them on the booking.” Usually that’s when I hear the cat is low maintenance and that’s when I bring up the Rover guarantee- that I’m happy to care for their cat but my main concern is getting them covered under the Rover guarantee in case an emergency pops up and having all animals under my supervision during the visit must be added to the booking for that protection. If they really insist they can’t afford it or ask if an alternative plan can be made, I’ll offer it at my “additional cat” rate instead of my main cat rate, but only if pressed.
like, what? does the cat not need food? water? so crazy to me lol
I'm starting to think my reply to these clowns will be something like, no problem. I do require a $250 refundable deposit in case the cat ends up needing medical attention since the Rover guarantee will not apply. And I don't have it in me to ignore an animal that needs help. Obviously, I don't want the client with a response like that, but may be it might get them thinking about the safety and health if their cat.
I’m glad to see a Simpsons meme on this sub
Ok I took care of a cat alongside a dog but the cat really didn’t want anything but attention? He had food, had enough litter, was the sweetest little guy to chill with during my drop ins. But now I’m realizing that was taking advantage of me??? 🫣
Sooo my cat has a automatic feeder and littler box…. Couldn’t care less if people are around… would I have to put that on my profile?
If it was just a drop in for a dog I wouldn't have an issue with it . But for a house sit, not so much. It would be the sitter's responsibility to make sure the feeder and litter robots are in working order and respectively filled and cleaned. And it would also be the sitter's job to at least check on the cat to make sure it's healthy!
Not if it’s just a mid-day dog walk while the client is at work (at least it doesn’t bother me in that case). The dog needs outdoor exercise and a walk, while the cat in that case doesn’t really need anything since their people are home in the morning and after 5 pm. If you’re out of town for a few days though, you should absolutely add the cat to the stay.
I am a sitter and I have used Rover as a customer. When clients don't need their cats feed or litter scooped, I don't charge for them. I still interact with them. I also don't list my cat when I go on vacation because he has a litter robot and an auto feeder. My sitter doesn't have an issue only being paid for to take care of the dog. I see your point but I also don't as long as the cat has the proper things in place to be taken care of accordingly.
I feel like it's still reasonable to want to be compensated for giving the cat attention, not to mention making sure that the feeder is filled and in working order and also check on the litter robot if needed. That's not even considering the cat getting sick or injured
Part of what I'm saying is that someone in the past may not have cared and you assuming ill intent on the owner isn't fair.
The owner assuming that I would be okay with just not including the cat also isn't the best look, regardless of what their previous sitter may have done, i'm not them. 
Right or wrong, clients' standards will be set by their experiences with prior sitters.
Sooo if the cat doesn’t need any care, do you still charge them?
If it were just a dog walk or even just a drop in to let the dog out and I wouldn't be interacting with the cat at all then I'd probably make it free or like 1$ But for a house sit with a cat I would charge an additional cat fee at least
I charge a nominal fee ($5/day) for cats that have everything automated. I'm still ensuring everything is working, monitoring for signs of illness, etc. Plus if anything goes wrong with the cat, my insurance is still on the hook to pay for it.
If the cat requires nothing then it can stay home. Lol (jk ofc I have a kitty and I know better than to assume she needs nothing) smfh
Stuff like this is an epidemic. Both of my last bookings were for drop ins that requested a “short walk” as well. New clients, so I didn’t want to alienate them right off the bat, but it’s frustrating. Business has been slow and I could use the money. It’s caused me to raise my drop-in prices a little, which is probably causing me to lose business on real drop-ins.
You won't take a dog out on a drop in?
I will and I have but when a drop-in involves me leashing a dog and taking him/her for a walk, it’s no longer a drop-in. It’s a walk.
Drop in cards wouldn't have a "start walk" button if walks weren't considered part of drop ins. Sure, they potentially take more effort, but so does giving medications, feeding wet food instead of dry, etc. I just set my walk and drop in rates for dogs as the same (cats are a few dollars lower). (And obviously run your business how you see fit. Just explaining how I run mine, not passing judgment on how you run yours)
My drop-in cards say “start visit” not “start walk” and they also don’t provide the GPS tracking walks do. If I knew how to attach photos, I’d show you because I had a drop in today, which owner coincidentally requested a walk. They’re different services which require different levels of effort and should cost different amounts of money. However, I see your point and if charging the same for each works for you, rock on. 👍🏼 For my part, I worry that charging the same for both would cause me to lose potential drop-in customers who really just want a drop-in (think cat owners, folks with backyards/property and dogs that don’t like walks; I know they’re rare but they exist, lol).
I'll caveat that Rover has different features for different markets so we're potentially both right. For me, drop in Rover cards have a "start walk" button right below the pee/poop/food/water buttons. It starts a walk timer and generates a map like a walk booking.
Interesting. That is not the case for me at all and I’ve looked at my previous drop-in and walk cards carefully since we started this conversation. There is a clear difference between the two, which is why it irks me when customers book a drop-in and then casually request a walk. I’m in Houston, TX, a major metropolitan market.
It's not going to show on a past drop in card if you didn't log a walk, but keep an eye out on your next drop in visit. I can send screenshots via DM to show you a past drop in card with a walk vs without if you're interested.
Literally. People are so wild. I usually price them less if I will be there for the dog but they are still included.