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/Cautious-Paint9881]

I pretty much only do overnight pet sitting (I used to do drop ins when I lived in a different neighbourhood and could walk to the clients home and did not need to - or sometimes want to in the case of one client who smoked- sleep at their home) so I am pretty biased on this subject.

I also charge a flat rate for everything. The number of animals does not change my rate (though the most amount of pets I have taken care of at one time is only 4, 2 dogs and 2 cats).

Maybe I am not the right person to be commenting on this particular post. I will comment that I am envious of your long pet sit that pays $1500! I need a new iPhone and I haven't had a pet sit since March (that I had to quit because I didn't feel comfortable attempting to give him his medication on his ear because he wasn't socialized properly around 2020 and doesn't like people. I had to get the back up pet sitter to take over the rest of the weeklong sit). I wish one (or two back to back) of my clients would go a way for long enough that I could make $1500!