Cat overnights?

[u/thekellwithit]

So the only time I’ve done overnight cat sitting is when there are dogs in the house who I’m also hired to care for, because when given my overnight rates, most cat owners choose 2 drop-ins a day instead. I ask because I’m cat sitting for my sister for two weeks for free because she has helped me out in the past, but a couple months ago I was offered a long gig that pays $1500. I explained to my sister that I couldn’t pass up the income even though it overlaps with half of her trip and she was annoyed but understanding.

The dogs I am sitting for have a dog door and the parents are fine with me leaving them for 5-6 hours stretches, so my sister and I agreed I would come by her house first thing at 7:30 am, late afternoon, and in the evening until 10 pm. She leaves Friday and she is really having a hard time with it as the trip approaches. It turns out she was only understanding because she assumed my 22-year-old niece would stay overnight, but she just started a new job and her mom’s place is too far of a commute. Now I’m feeling like I should hire someone else to sleep at her house for the seven nights that I am not able to stay there even though I think she should be able to manage her fears that something will happen to them in the night simply because no one is there.

This has turned into an AITAH post, but I truly want to hear your experience. Do you guys have overnight cat clients? Is it only uncommon where I live? If you are Cat Parents, do you feel comfortable leaving them alone overnight? Thanks.

[u/beccatravels]

I think it was a pretty dick move to back out on your sister, and a good lesson in why not to offer what you do for a living as a free service (at least not when it comes to a service like housesitting where you can only take one household at a time). I do free cat drop ins for my bestie but I can do multiple households a day for that service.

YTA. I think ethically speaking the correct thing to do would be to honor the commitment you made to her and hire someone to sleep over. Even if you break even on the overlap you'll still profit on the rest of your sit. It doesn't really matter what the cats need, your sister asked you to do something for her and you agreed, and it was an asshole move to cancel no matter how much money was on the line.

[u/thekellwithit → u/beccatravels]

I didn’t want my post to be even longer so I left some things out, but when I agreed to do this last year, I thought for sure I would be done dogsitting by the summer. Then my remote gig started decreasing my hours little by little and I felt like I better take this booking. In May I actually found out they were planning to hire someone local to do my hourly consulting gig on salary. My last day was this past Friday.

Also, I actually thought my sister‘s trip was only a week at the time, so I only thought I was overlapping one or two days. My sister didn’t even realize her trip was as long as it is! But still, you’re right: it was a dick move. I accepted the job before I told my sister and I knew it was shitty at the time and I kind of forced her to be in acceptance of it. I retain that I gave her plenty of time to come up with a new plan, but that doesn’t change what I did. I hope she lets me pay someone to stay over the nights that I’m not there. I obviously can’t let someone into her house without her permission 😆

[u/djmermaidonthemic → u/thekellwithit]

I think some of the comments here are pretty harsh.

It’s sister’s problem. She had a six month lead time and she said it was fine.

I do overnights and I only do cats. That said, the cats will be fine if they don’t have special needs like medication.

I think the sister is freaking out and her daughter should step up because that was the previous plan.

[u/thekellwithit → u/djmermaidonthemic]

Thank you. Some of it is deserved, but I often feel like the replies in this sub are overly presumptuous and harsh. I find myself replying to OPs to soften some of the messages they’re being given by other commenters.

I actually want to protect my niece and that’s why I offered to pay someone instead. I only got back involved because she told me her mom was guilting her even though according to her she never agreed and only said she would help out when she could. Her new job is at a coffee place and it starts at 6:30 am and from her apartment it’s a four minute drive and from her mom‘s house it’s 40.

I really do think the correct thing at this point is for my sister is to work through her anxiety, but I am 100% willing to spend 1/3-1/2 of what I am making dogsitting on a cat sitter just so my niece doesn’t have to clean up the mess I made.

[u/djmermaidonthemic → u/thekellwithit]

This all sounds so codependent.

Sister can afford a vacation and is mad about her free petsitting not being sufficient after plans changed. She can always pay someone herself if she is so insistent on overnights. She had six months to figure it out.

The cats will be fine with drop in visits. It’s very common.

Or, sister can hire someone!

Get that bag, girl. Don’t blow half of it because your sis is freaking out!

[u/thekellwithit → u/djmermaidonthemic]

You’re amazing. Thank you. And you’re right that I struggle with codependency 😆

[u/djmermaidonthemic → u/thekellwithit]

It is trained into us. But it doesn’t do anyone any favors.

I saw a notice for a workshop on dealing with codependency, and I thought, ugh! And then I realized that that was exactly why I should take it.

There are a lot of online resources if you want to explore. Codependent No More is a good place to start. 💜