Money-Related Red Flags To Watch Out For When Hiring A Cat Sitter

We all wish it weren't true, but unfortunately, many things can go wrong when hiring a professional pet sitter. Dogs have escaped, cats' litter boxes have been neglected, and pets have been injured due to pet sitter negligence, or the sitter doesn't show up at all. Pet parents know these risks, but sometimes they have to take them when going out of town. In some cases, you can weed out the dishonest, unreliable sitters from the dependable ones. One of the easiest ways to do this is by eliminating the ones who ask to be paid in cash or give unclear pricing details.

Nowadays, you can find dozens of pet sitter options in your area on sites like Rover, Wag!, and Fetch! Pet Care. Many sitters also offer work independently and promote their services primarily on social media and with business cards and flyers. One of the benefits of hiring through a pet sitting platform is that many require background checks for sitters, provide reviews and ratings from previous clients, and offer built-in insurance and service guarantees. Regardless of where you're browsing for a sitter, be mindful of these money-related red flags, and if you see one, you may want to consider another cat sitter.

If you're paying your neighbor or coworker who's not affiliated with a pet-sitting website, paying in cash would be a common payment option. It also likely wouldn't be an issue if it's someone you're already acquainted with. You would just have to decide if you'll pay them before or after the job is done. On the other hand, if someone who is associated with a pet-sitting platform asks to be paid in cash, it could raise questions about their trustworthiness with your cat.

Here's why: Many of the popular pet sitting websites require upfront payment from clients through their system. The sites hold the funds until the end date that the clients select for the service. Then, the sitter receives the payment after that date has passed. This policy protects both the client and the employee. If a sitter requests to be paid in cash or in a format outside of the platform, it undermines this protection and likely violates the company's terms of service.

Typically, anyone who chooses to promote their pet-sitting services through a website lists the rates for those services online in their profile. However, some pricing may not be clear, especially for multiple pets. Or, you, as the client, might have specific requests that could make pricing a bit muddy. This is why you should always ask the sitter to provide a quote with a full price breakdown before booking, including the final total cost that you'll be expected to pay.

You should also confirm that there will not be any additional surprise fees added later, unless this is something you've already discussed or approved. For example, you might decide to make a change after agreeing to the initial quote and after the pet sitting begins. You might realize that you need the sitter to make one extra visit to your home or clean your top-entry litter box twice a day instead of once. 

In these cases, the sitter would modify the existing booking with the added services and send an updated quote. You'll then need to approve the new quote before your pet receives the services. Just be sure to contact the sitter through the pet sitting platform with the request, not through their cell phone. In addition to steering clear of money-related red flags, consider these questions you should ask every cat sitter before hiring one.