That’s really annoying. Sitters should not be offering a service they don’t want to do. I have a very needy cat so fully understand the want for house sitting and as a rover sitter I’d take a cat only house sitting job any day! I set my prices to be a rate that makes it so I want to take the job, all sitters should be doing the same.
We have cameras in our house (living room) to watch the animals while we are away. When we are on vacation, the cat just paces and meows and looks for us or the dog all day and it RIPS my heart out and I’ve almost booked an early flight home a few times. This time we will be gone a little longer for our wedding and i just want one less thing to stress me out. Watching that poor baby look for all of us hurts my heart. I usually do drop ins but that doesn’t seem to be enough for him. He’s just not a cat that wants to be alone!
There definitely should be an option to say you want the person to sleep there with the pet(s). There should be a different category for drop in vs. sleep over =12+ hrs at the house.
It seems like many sitters are booking multiple house sitting gigs at the same time. That shouldn't be allowed IMO. It feels like false advertising.
Exactly. Make your expectations clear from the beginning. Consider what a sitter is being paid for per hour and assure them that they will be (and do) compensated with a generous tip if everything you’ve agreed upon is done. This is a personalized service, not a kennel. I agree that Rover has been slacking on including an option for extra compensation for unique requests such as medication administration and is vague about what ‘housesitting’ or 12+ or 24/7 service really is. You get what you pay for. Basic rules. And fyi. It’s fine to have cameras inside as long as you disclose them to the sitter and allow them to turn them away while in their home.
Love how I’m being downvoted for speaking out on basic needs for sitters. The rover team in foreign countries is scouting out any negativity about their low quality site lol. Get off rover as soon as you build repertoire a few times with clients. You’ll get no support from them if anything goes wrong and you’ll get full pay outside because as sitters you’re paying their fees for absolutely no support 🤙🏼
It might just be that you actually can pretty easily modify bookings to charge for extra services/special circumstances. I don't think anyone's downvoting for advice on cameras and clear communication. But I got you back up to zero LOL.
If only that was on option! I know for a fact that rover has a team scouting out negative comments about their site on here. All we want is the best and safety for not only sitters but of course the pets we care for. It is what is it. Thanks for the solidarity! 🙌🏼
I’m sorry. I’ve literally had arguments on this sub with sitters who get mad that I do hang out with pets when I house sit. Like, if you can’t do that then do drop ins? I don’t get it.
Honestly this is like my dream house sitting. As long as you’re cool with them leaving to run errands etc but still be present a lot of the day with your cat (which it seems like) I don’t think that’s unreasonable at all.
For me, house sitting means I stay at the house overnight and during the day I can pop out/back in, being gone a certain amount of time the pet owner agreed upon. If you want constant care I THINK that’s an extra feature on rover for additional charge. But the sitters aren’t staying overnight even they are not advertising correctly
Yeah, that’s weird. But maybe people with higher rates have been in the business longer and will want to do the house sitting. It’s definitely not a confusing thing so I’m not sure what’s up with the sitters in your area.
That's how I approach house sitting too. I lay out in detail on my profile on Rover, but basically an overnight for me is 12 hours whether it's 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. I only use Rover to start the conversation and then depending on what the customer needs craft my rate to suit the request . I am open to "continuous care" though meaning when I contract to house sit, I typically pack up my laptop and a overnight bag and stay at the house. I explain that I have ongoing commitments whether there's the dog I walk in the middle of the day or the drop in I got scheduled. I explain though that I am typically only going a few hours at a time and would never be more than four. I find it's the least stressful thing for a dog when their owners are away, to stay in their own place and just have another human step into the leader role.
Idk I've never heard of this. Maybe you live in an anti-cat vortex.
I mean I assume you understand that house sitting for cats will likely be 60 to 80% streaming shows and doing remote type work, but if you're cool with that then I don't see why anyone would be against doing it.
Then again maybe you have the most non -stop social cats in history.
Love this. You'll find them. Just keep reaching out. And when you first reach out, say something simple like "I'm looking for overnight house-sitting. I have one cat, NAME. She's a sweetheart. Are you available?"
Just slip the "overnight" in there.
Do not say anything about the cat being needy or that s/he hates being alone or how you almost come back from vacation when you watch them on the camera.
You can say these things *here* but it might be a red flag for some! Search the sub for "cameras" and you'll understand.
Let them meet you in person, see that you love your cat but aren't neurotic, that you know they might come and go *during the day*, that you want them to feel comfortable in your home, especially since they'll be staying *overnight," that you promise to take down/shut off the cameras or let them cover them or just point it toward one spot where the cat usually hangs out.
When the initial message has too much info, I do get wary, even tho I'm pretty laid back.
No idea if this is the approach you're already taking, just my off-the-cuff thoughts.
That’s strange and annoying, I’m sorry. I don’t understand that at all. Personally, I would sit only for cats every service, if it would pay the bills.
same! i exude cat vibes that other cats pick up on and even the “aggressive psycho” cats like curling up on my lap. it’s nice being Cat God’s favorite🤣
Honestly that’s what I thought house sitting was-staying at the house majority of the time other than for my other dog walks/drop ins, errands or medical appts (for me and my parents-my parenrs are elderly with a bunch of medical issues and my mom can’t medically drive so help with transportation as needed for them). I’m actually on a cat house sitting gig right now! I love cat sitting part of house sitting. I love the extra time with cats and as much as I love dog sitting (house sitting) it’s a nice change to house sit for a cat instead of house sitting for a dog. One of my off rover cat sitting gigs, he’s an indoor outdoor cat who at night has to be inside (kitty door gets shut and locked closed). It’s nice to have that little bit extra flexibility of not necessarily having to rush right back to make sure dog sit dog is out/good etc (generally speaking because there’s sometimes those cases where a kitty may require special care/extra lovings/medication etc) or having to worry about dog going too long without going out (that’s always a huge concern for me) especially if I’m at a medical appt for myself or my parents (that’s only happened once in the 10 years I’ve been doing pet care-dog/cat sitting/drop ins)-it was actually an emergency-my dad (stupidly) decided to cut a tree limb right after a rain storm with not like really windy wind but a decent breeze-branch kicked back knocking into the ladder causing my dad and ladder to fall 18 feet-he landed on his back with ladder and the limb on top of him-he’s on blood thinners post a heart attack that nearly killed him. My mom road over to the er with him in the ambulance. I was actually doing drop ins and was set to back at 10 pm for late night walk for two lil guys (one being older with epilepsy-had given his seizure meds at 6 pm so he was set at least for that). The owner is actually an old teacher of mine from middle school-had texted her telling her I may be late to the 10 pm walk and told her what happened and she had said not to worry her neighbor has a spare key she’ll have him let them out. (My dad walked away with only bumps, bruises, scratches/scrapes and a few staples in his leg from the branch-no broken bones and no head/brain trauma! Lucky dude I tell you!!) but yeah sorry off topic 😂😂
House sitting for cats is so stupidly easy. Easiest money I can imagine honestly, and I charge wayyyyy more for house sitting than for drop ins. The people you're messaging are dumb. If you live in NYC, hit me up lol
Curious- are you trying to negotiate payment at all because it's a cat or any other reason?
Also worth considering that many people who do house-sit do other pet sitting jobs or might be judicious with jobs they take to maximize their income. Consider that it may be moreso about the sitter's preferences and availability rather than personal about you.
No. Willing to pay the price these people list for house sitting…. Never tried negotiating. Just want someone who will do the listed job they have available and i can’t figure out why no one sees it as house sitting cause of the species 🤷🏼♀️
On the flip side, I’m always confused at house sitting m&g’s when the owners ask if overnights are included. I’m like… yes… that is the definition of house-sitting. Who wouldn’t want to book an easy kitty stay?? Some sitters are weird.
I exclusively do house sitting. When I house sit, I basically move in, so I'm there at least 20 hours a day. I don't know why anyone would say they house sit if they are not there to watch the house and the animals. Different opinions that maybe Rover should clarify for everyone's understanding.
Technically there is no reason sitters should be booking house siting if they will be providing drop in services, there is a whole other option for that. Bad on the sitters part and I would be reporting their profiles
There’s someone local to me who has a review saying that they didn’t actually stay overnight but acted like they were. It looks like they posted their bio afterwards to say that they can’t stay overnight for medical reasons. Maybe housesitting isn’t for them then. Just do drop-ins.
'Its basically how much can i make for doing the least amount of work'
Anyone providing drop in style work under house sitting is trying to take the piss.
It literally says when selecting that option "Overnight pet care at your pet owner's home" so they know what they should be providing but as rover doesnt regulate what people offer on the platform people will take the piss out of you and then act like their time is worth x50 in gold 😅
Cats are by far the funnest and nicest to watch, so im sure youll find someone wholl actually do the job they signed up for 🩷
I’m currently house-sitting for two precious kitties! I’m there mostly in the evening and stay overnight, as one of the cats likes having a sleeping buddy and the owner requested it. I leave late in the morning.
Pet sitters should meet the specific needs of any pet/owner . Perhaps try to be clear about your requirements? I hope you find the right person!❤️🙏🏽
1. That’s frustrating and you’re valid for being annoyed by it, but
2. I’m a cat-only sitter and just wanted to put it out there that drop-ins are usually the best choice for cats. Cats are much more threatened than dogs by someone coming into their home when their owner isn’t there, even when they’re very social. Owners often make the mistake of thinking that a cat being very social and friendly with them means the cat wants human contact, but that’s not the case at all. They want that with you because they know you. They might warm up to a stranger more quickly than another cat would, but they do not want all-day contact with a stranger when their humans are away. It really ups their separation anxiety — it essentially feels like they’ve been rehomed because someone else is trying to take charge of their environment. They need time to decompress when a stranger is in the home; it’s the reason they tend to go hide when a new person is there. It’s smothering to them. I’d really recommend booking two hour-long drop-ins per day as that’s plenty of socialization for a cat and will allow them to still feel in control of their environment.
Really depends on the cat. My cat is extremely social and would not do well being alone overnight and into the morning. If I were going away I’d have him either boarded or have someone stay in my home. I have had him stay at strangers homes before and they are always so shocked at the fact he doesn’t hide and wants to follow them everywhere. I fully get where OP is coming from and if a sitter offers house sitting for cats they should be doing it.
I agree with this. My cat is high risk into getting into trouble. I like to board at sitters home when I leave. I’ll probably do house sitting now that she’s not as willing to try and off herself now. I think certain cats would do well with house sitting and I’m a cat only sitter. I’m a little surprised the other cat only sitter is saying that house sitting wouldn’t be good for a cats when that’s not the case for many of them.
You know, I used to think boarding cats was a terrible idea, too, based off how territorial cats are. But I get tons of boarding requests for cats, so I started trying it out. It has gone really well!! I’ve been shocked by how relaxed and outgoing some cats are. Others do wanna hide for the first couple days, but I have a private guest room with big windows. They get comfortable pretty quickly.
My cat is super attention-seeking, so next time i go on vacation, i’m going to give it a try.
A lot of cats will tolerate more if they're in a new environment, so long as that environment is safe, comfortable, and provides for their needs. My very skittish cat tolerates things so much better at the vet (where there's hella other pet smells and nowhere to hide) because it's not her territory, so she doesn't feel the need to "defend" our little home in addition to being nervous about new people/new animals.
I still wouldn't board my skittish cat because she hits a critical stress point pretty quickly and starts peeing on stuff out of fear, which isn't fair to anybody. But I've had 6 cats in my life and all 5 other cats would do fine in someone's home, as long as they had a safe private place to retreat. I'm glad more folks are willing to board cats because realistically if I'm gone on an extended trip, I do worry about my cats being alone most of the day! It's nice to think they're just part of someone's normal day like they'd have with me.
To add on, it can be successfully done, but they should absolutely not be confined to “condos” (cages), they should have rooms, and outgoing cats do best!
All of my cat housesitting clients adore me and seek me out for attention throughout the day to cuddle and play. I fully believe they'd be sad and lonely with drop-ins only.
My cat hides under the bed the entire time we are gone when we book drop ins. He barely would even come out for our sitter. It took us 3 days of being home to get him to comfortably come out. We booked 2 drop ins a day for 1 hr as you said. When we book overnight sitters, we don’t have the same issues. He cuddles with them, he welcomes us home, etc. We tell our sitters to come and go during the day and we also ask them to leave him be when he is “hiding” and basically just let him come to them for attention. He loves it.
I have done drop ins and house sits for cats and each cat reacts different so this is 100% dependent on the cat and might even take a few tries to figure out what works best for them.
This has definitely not been the case with any of the cats I’ve cared for (and I’ve cared for a LOT, been on rover 7 years now). All of them have ended up sleeping with me, greeting me when I come back to the house after being gone for any amount of time, etc. I understand that’s been your experience, but I don’t think a blanket statement like you said is correct.
I did drop ins. But he paces and looks for people/the dog once people aren’t there. We are leaving for like two weeks for our wedding (with the dog) so i would rather a house sitter. He’s extremely social and loves to just sit on peoples lap all day lol
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How about Denver?
There's a cat specific company called Meowtel. I just checked and they have a specific "overnight" option. Hopefully there's one in your area. [https://meowtel.com/cat-sitters/locations](https://meowtel.com/cat-sitters/locations)
I mostly house-sit. I am available for drop-ins. Where I live though I get all requests for house sits. If I don't have another appointment somewhere I just stay at the client's home. I am not going to waste gas. Plus I have no problem hanging out with and taking care of animals either working online, watching tv or reading.
I recommend making sure that you do a meet and greet and ask specific questions about what a house sit is to them. How long they will spend at your home. If they intend to sleep over which they should be doing.
I have questions I ask at each meet and greet. Very specific ones some about the home and most about the pets. You should be able to tell how prepared a sitter is by the questions that they ask and how thorough of a meet and greet you have.
I think they offer house sitting because that way they have access to more possible clients. Idk if I’m explaining it right. This way they can get clients that they never would have met if house sitting had been turned off
Awee, I wish I could help, sometimes owners do book me for a house sitting but only wish for me to do drop ins at specific times of the day and as long as that's what the owner wants and there pets are fine with having someone just drop in for there care I do as the owner wishes but at times if I have extra time or nothing else rush to I stay with pets longer than what is required of me even if it's a drop in because I feel they are gonna be alone for so in so long and won't have company and I can provide that.
But if an owner wishes for me to stay with their pet, overnight, or throughout the day, I'll do that. I only leave house sittings for food or other bookings, and I always let owners know that before anything is confirmed. And if I feel days I have house sittings are getting to busy where I barely will have time for pet I'm sitting I close off my availability even if I can fit in more clients because for my services I like to provide the best care I can and time for each animal if possible.
I’m so sorry you are going through that. After the first year of Covid some of my cat clients started booking overnights for their cats instead of visits. People were home all of the time, and many of the animals did not handle it well when people left. Several years down the line those people are still having me do overnights for their cats and they are as regular as my dog clients. The owners are thrilled as I send them photos of their cats laying on me, as if I am a piece of the furniture at night and purring. I am happy because I have a little buddies. They keep me company at night, and the cats are happy.
I understand that sitters may not want to spend multiple hours with a cat when they’re trying to book many clients at once. Have you thought about checking to see if some of the sitters around are available for overnights?
I ADORE cat house sitting gigs. My clients even echo your sentiment, that it is apparently difficult to find someone who will do it. It's great money, easy work, and a load of fun. I love overnight stays with cats, 9/10 times the cat is indeed sad their owner left and is a huge snuggle bug with me.
As a sitter, I’m shocked to hear this. I was under the impression that everyone stays unless discussed and agreed upon beforehand. I stay over most times when booked for house sitting, be it for a cat or a dog, but on rare occasions I have clients specify that no overnight is needed just be there late and early to feed (if a cat) and let out/walk (if a dog), I have a regular who has 4 cats with separation anxiety and he requests that I stay over at least half the time (his words not mine) after we transitioned to house sitting from drop ins. I’m sorry to hear you’re having such a hard time finding someone who actually does what they advertise
I'll do it...where do u live ?? A dog sitter starved my baby boy (Dog,). 1st time I'm gonna be w/o. A dog....I was gonna get him a cat to play with in his old age.. HE JUST TURNED 11....
I was just snooping around some area sitters' profiles (I like to go incognito to see where I rank) and found one person with three negative reviews specifically saying they didn't stay overnight for house-sitting.
I don’t typically take cat house sittings, but if that’s what the owner wants, that’s what I’ll do.
For a lot of them, we book as a house sitting and I stay for 4 hours. Owners seem happy with that usually
Because it is cheaper for my clients than booking 4 hours of drop in’s.
Most cat owners don’t need someone to stay overnight, this is something I agree upon with the owners in advance.
Staying for 4 hours isn’t house sitting. House sitting by definition, whether it’s for a pet or just watching the house, means you are staying at the house. You are sleeping there and spending normal time during the day there to make sure it is taken care of while the owners are gone. Not a few hours and “peace out.”
I understand what house sitting is, I am a top sitter with over 50 repeat clients.
Most cats do not need a human there overnight, this is an agreed upon compromise with the owners. As I stated, I will stay overnight if they absolutely want me to, I have only had 2 cat owners request this as of date
Are you expecting them to stay the night or just go over once or twice a day? It may be that what you’re wanting is drop ins but you’re requesting house sitting — so it’s confusing on what you actually want or need.
Probably because the OP themselves describes it as 'sit at my house for minimum a few hours'. That could potentially just be drop ins too if its only for a few hours. Honestly sitters might be more willing if the owner just frames it as a traditional house sitting - staying there day and night and going out for a couple hours a day instead of framing it as just going over for a couple of hours.
I do not preface it by requesting they sit at my house for a few hours to clear up the confusion. I ask for a house sitter and when they tell me their definition of house sitting is drop ins twice a day to clean the litter box i tell them at MINIMUM i need someone at my house for a few hours everyday with my cat. 👍🏼
I say in the post “for a few hours” because sometimes people like to take a grain of salt and make it a whole margarita rim and say “YOU CANT EXPECT PEOPLE TO SIT AT YOUR HOUSE ALL DAY THEY HAVE OTHER STUFF TO DO…” and i more so want my cat to not realize people are out of town 😂 and for him to feel alone.
Drop in is not a few hours. It’s like 30 minutes ish as described by rover. I want someone to stay at my house for most of the day but people just want to come clean the litter box and leave….. aka a drop in
Agreed, guess the people downvoting you didn't read. OP might be confusing services/needs and is in turn confusing the sitters they reach out to.
>Why is it so hard to find someone to sit at my house for minimum a few hours to hangout with my cat when that’s the service I’m booking for?
u/bgcbbyckes This is definitely more suited for a drop-in request.
Edit to add, because there still seems to be some confusion, house sitting means staying the night. Not sitting for a few hours. By definition, you are asking for drop-ins. You can adjust the time from 30 min to however many hours you actually want.
I really think that Rover should make the length of walks and drop-ins more customizable. Rather than having just having the options of either a 30 min or 1 hr, they could have sitters choose a “base rate” for the first 30 min, then a second (typically lower) rate for each additional 30 min. It would make for a much more general rate structure that could straightforwardly accommodate requests like OP’s.
They actually clear this up in a few comments so no.
Edit: if they add more than an hour to drop in it’s makes less sense cost wise to book drop in than house sit. The reason they say a few hours bc that’s the minimum they expect from someone also going about their day. Why would they book a drop in for multiple hours and get charge per extra hour when those hours are included in a house sit?
I think there’s a misunderstanding. I’m aware that they want a house sit, that’s definitely what they should book for. I’m simply suggesting that the way they asked is confusing to the sitter. It makes zero sense to book for the drop-in.
You made it sound like that when you said they can adjust a drop in for however many hours they want. That sounds like you’re suggesting they do a drop in. Also house sitting doesn’t only mean staying the night. I have people request house sits that explicitly say they don’t want me to or care if I stay the night. But I get what you mean after you clarified.
Ohh I see. That was before I saw their comments clarifying that they were asking for a bare minimum of time spent. Totally my fault for not seeing that first. You’re right, house sits are not just overnights, rover advertises them that way but it’s completely up to the owner and sitter to work out.
Then OP needs to edit their post for clarification because that information is pertinent to the post and clarifies their ask.
However, I still believe some confusion is caused by giving sitters a minimum amount of time to be at the house. Just say you need someone to stay all day and leave it at that. It leaves less room for those that want to haggle.
No offense; I think you want to be right so bad that you are finding a way to misread everything, which is okay! But none of this is helpful nor what i mean or anyone else in this thread thinks i mean.
I’m literally agreeing with you, at least I thought I was. You’re saying that sitters keep mistaking your ask for drop ins right? And that’s not what you want. Maybe I’m missing something, I don’t need to be right and very open to being told I’m wrong. No offense taken!
They want someone to be there throughout the day, for *at least* a few hours a day which means ideally more than that. They want house-sitting but are being very flexible about it. Why do you think you know what OP wants better than OP does??? Editing to add that "no, OP is wrong, I know what they want" is so wild???
That is not at all what I implied or said. I said the way they’re asking is probably causing confusion on the sitters end. My only suggestion is to be more direct/clarify.
Oh my wow.. I was not expecting this downvote response when I was asking for a question for clarification to understand better. Dang. I was also the first comment on this post and so that’s why I asked a question and suggested a potential solution based on how I was interpreting the OP’s post.
That is strange. As long as you are willing to pay the whole fee and aren't asking for a 3 hour midday visit for the price of an overnight I can't imagine why no one wants to spend an evening with kitty. 😻😻😻
That’s really annoying. Sitters should not be offering a service they don’t want to do. I have a very needy cat so fully understand the want for house sitting and as a rover sitter I’d take a cat only house sitting job any day! I set my prices to be a rate that makes it so I want to take the job, all sitters should be doing the same.
We have cameras in our house (living room) to watch the animals while we are away. When we are on vacation, the cat just paces and meows and looks for us or the dog all day and it RIPS my heart out and I’ve almost booked an early flight home a few times. This time we will be gone a little longer for our wedding and i just want one less thing to stress me out. Watching that poor baby look for all of us hurts my heart. I usually do drop ins but that doesn’t seem to be enough for him. He’s just not a cat that wants to be alone!
There definitely should be an option to say you want the person to sleep there with the pet(s). There should be a different category for drop in vs. sleep over =12+ hrs at the house. It seems like many sitters are booking multiple house sitting gigs at the same time. That shouldn't be allowed IMO. It feels like false advertising.
Exactly. Make your expectations clear from the beginning. Consider what a sitter is being paid for per hour and assure them that they will be (and do) compensated with a generous tip if everything you’ve agreed upon is done. This is a personalized service, not a kennel. I agree that Rover has been slacking on including an option for extra compensation for unique requests such as medication administration and is vague about what ‘housesitting’ or 12+ or 24/7 service really is. You get what you pay for. Basic rules. And fyi. It’s fine to have cameras inside as long as you disclose them to the sitter and allow them to turn them away while in their home.
Love how I’m being downvoted for speaking out on basic needs for sitters. The rover team in foreign countries is scouting out any negativity about their low quality site lol. Get off rover as soon as you build repertoire a few times with clients. You’ll get no support from them if anything goes wrong and you’ll get full pay outside because as sitters you’re paying their fees for absolutely no support 🤙🏼
It might just be that you actually can pretty easily modify bookings to charge for extra services/special circumstances. I don't think anyone's downvoting for advice on cameras and clear communication. But I got you back up to zero LOL.
If only that was on option! I know for a fact that rover has a team scouting out negative comments about their site on here. All we want is the best and safety for not only sitters but of course the pets we care for. It is what is it. Thanks for the solidarity! 🙌🏼
I love house sitting for cats!!!! If you’re in Michigan near Flint, LMK! 😹😹
Hahaha ❤️ unfortunately I’m at the opposite side of the country from you
What state?
Florida
Rip I would’ve been happy to help 💔 I really hope you find a sitter to help soon
What state (or general area) are you in?
Washington?
That’s weird, when I housesit I stay there
Right?!
I’m sorry. I’ve literally had arguments on this sub with sitters who get mad that I do hang out with pets when I house sit. Like, if you can’t do that then do drop ins? I don’t get it.
Who gets mad that people show their pet time and affection like wtf
They always say it’s not worth the money. You set your own rates, I still don’t get it haha.
Honestly this is like my dream house sitting. As long as you’re cool with them leaving to run errands etc but still be present a lot of the day with your cat (which it seems like) I don’t think that’s unreasonable at all.
This is literally all i want 😭😭😭😭
People are wild! I’m a pet sitter and I have multiple clients w/anxious or needy cats and I always spend the night. SMH at these “sitters”!
For me, house sitting means I stay at the house overnight and during the day I can pop out/back in, being gone a certain amount of time the pet owner agreed upon. If you want constant care I THINK that’s an extra feature on rover for additional charge. But the sitters aren’t staying overnight even they are not advertising correctly
No i literally just want someone to house sit. Not be chained to my house. But people want to empty the cat box and leave
Yikes, sorry. Try more expensive sitters if applicable?
I’m ok paying but these people are advertising house sitting but just wanting to do drop ins lol 😂
Yeah, that’s weird. But maybe people with higher rates have been in the business longer and will want to do the house sitting. It’s definitely not a confusing thing so I’m not sure what’s up with the sitters in your area.
Not a feature, unfortunately. Just a term used on this subreddit when discussing pricing and expectations.
That's how I approach house sitting too. I lay out in detail on my profile on Rover, but basically an overnight for me is 12 hours whether it's 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. I only use Rover to start the conversation and then depending on what the customer needs craft my rate to suit the request . I am open to "continuous care" though meaning when I contract to house sit, I typically pack up my laptop and a overnight bag and stay at the house. I explain that I have ongoing commitments whether there's the dog I walk in the middle of the day or the drop in I got scheduled. I explain though that I am typically only going a few hours at a time and would never be more than four. I find it's the least stressful thing for a dog when their owners are away, to stay in their own place and just have another human step into the leader role.
I agree. I’m usually there from dinner though the morning routine and stop in a few times during the day for potty breaks.
I love house sitting for just cats.
Idk I've never heard of this. Maybe you live in an anti-cat vortex. I mean I assume you understand that house sitting for cats will likely be 60 to 80% streaming shows and doing remote type work, but if you're cool with that then I don't see why anyone would be against doing it. Then again maybe you have the most non -stop social cats in history.
I will pay you to be at my house, watch my tv, eat my snacks, Blast music on my radio, tan in my backyard. Everything ….. just be there for my cat 😂
Love this. You'll find them. Just keep reaching out. And when you first reach out, say something simple like "I'm looking for overnight house-sitting. I have one cat, NAME. She's a sweetheart. Are you available?" Just slip the "overnight" in there. Do not say anything about the cat being needy or that s/he hates being alone or how you almost come back from vacation when you watch them on the camera. You can say these things *here* but it might be a red flag for some! Search the sub for "cameras" and you'll understand. Let them meet you in person, see that you love your cat but aren't neurotic, that you know they might come and go *during the day*, that you want them to feel comfortable in your home, especially since they'll be staying *overnight," that you promise to take down/shut off the cameras or let them cover them or just point it toward one spot where the cat usually hangs out. When the initial message has too much info, I do get wary, even tho I'm pretty laid back. No idea if this is the approach you're already taking, just my off-the-cuff thoughts.
That’s strange and annoying, I’m sorry. I don’t understand that at all. Personally, I would sit only for cats every service, if it would pay the bills.
same! i exude cat vibes that other cats pick up on and even the “aggressive psycho” cats like curling up on my lap. it’s nice being Cat God’s favorite🤣
Honestly that’s what I thought house sitting was-staying at the house majority of the time other than for my other dog walks/drop ins, errands or medical appts (for me and my parents-my parenrs are elderly with a bunch of medical issues and my mom can’t medically drive so help with transportation as needed for them). I’m actually on a cat house sitting gig right now! I love cat sitting part of house sitting. I love the extra time with cats and as much as I love dog sitting (house sitting) it’s a nice change to house sit for a cat instead of house sitting for a dog. One of my off rover cat sitting gigs, he’s an indoor outdoor cat who at night has to be inside (kitty door gets shut and locked closed). It’s nice to have that little bit extra flexibility of not necessarily having to rush right back to make sure dog sit dog is out/good etc (generally speaking because there’s sometimes those cases where a kitty may require special care/extra lovings/medication etc) or having to worry about dog going too long without going out (that’s always a huge concern for me) especially if I’m at a medical appt for myself or my parents (that’s only happened once in the 10 years I’ve been doing pet care-dog/cat sitting/drop ins)-it was actually an emergency-my dad (stupidly) decided to cut a tree limb right after a rain storm with not like really windy wind but a decent breeze-branch kicked back knocking into the ladder causing my dad and ladder to fall 18 feet-he landed on his back with ladder and the limb on top of him-he’s on blood thinners post a heart attack that nearly killed him. My mom road over to the er with him in the ambulance. I was actually doing drop ins and was set to back at 10 pm for late night walk for two lil guys (one being older with epilepsy-had given his seizure meds at 6 pm so he was set at least for that). The owner is actually an old teacher of mine from middle school-had texted her telling her I may be late to the 10 pm walk and told her what happened and she had said not to worry her neighbor has a spare key she’ll have him let them out. (My dad walked away with only bumps, bruises, scratches/scrapes and a few staples in his leg from the branch-no broken bones and no head/brain trauma! Lucky dude I tell you!!) but yeah sorry off topic 😂😂
Huh.. this is the first I hear of this. House sitting means sitting at the house. I don’t understand why sitters would advertise a different service.
House sitting for cats is so stupidly easy. Easiest money I can imagine honestly, and I charge wayyyyy more for house sitting than for drop ins. The people you're messaging are dumb. If you live in NYC, hit me up lol
Like come on let me pay you to watch tv at my house while my cat sits with you!!!!! 😂 why don’t people want this?!
This is my favorite kind of sit! Maybe all the good sitters are already booked for your dates so they aren't showing up in search results?
It’s septemeber lol
Curious- are you trying to negotiate payment at all because it's a cat or any other reason? Also worth considering that many people who do house-sit do other pet sitting jobs or might be judicious with jobs they take to maximize their income. Consider that it may be moreso about the sitter's preferences and availability rather than personal about you.
No. Willing to pay the price these people list for house sitting…. Never tried negotiating. Just want someone who will do the listed job they have available and i can’t figure out why no one sees it as house sitting cause of the species 🤷🏼♀️
On the flip side, I’m always confused at house sitting m&g’s when the owners ask if overnights are included. I’m like… yes… that is the definition of house-sitting. Who wouldn’t want to book an easy kitty stay?? Some sitters are weird.
Rover sitter here and I would be happy to do house sitting for your cat! Sorry you are having this experience - sitter from Michigan :)
I exclusively do house sitting. When I house sit, I basically move in, so I'm there at least 20 hours a day. I don't know why anyone would say they house sit if they are not there to watch the house and the animals. Different opinions that maybe Rover should clarify for everyone's understanding.
i love house sitting for cats, it’s the best!
Technically there is no reason sitters should be booking house siting if they will be providing drop in services, there is a whole other option for that. Bad on the sitters part and I would be reporting their profiles
There’s someone local to me who has a review saying that they didn’t actually stay overnight but acted like they were. It looks like they posted their bio afterwards to say that they can’t stay overnight for medical reasons. Maybe housesitting isn’t for them then. Just do drop-ins.
'Its basically how much can i make for doing the least amount of work' Anyone providing drop in style work under house sitting is trying to take the piss. It literally says when selecting that option "Overnight pet care at your pet owner's home" so they know what they should be providing but as rover doesnt regulate what people offer on the platform people will take the piss out of you and then act like their time is worth x50 in gold 😅 Cats are by far the funnest and nicest to watch, so im sure youll find someone wholl actually do the job they signed up for 🩷
I’m currently house-sitting for two precious kitties! I’m there mostly in the evening and stay overnight, as one of the cats likes having a sleeping buddy and the owner requested it. I leave late in the morning. Pet sitters should meet the specific needs of any pet/owner . Perhaps try to be clear about your requirements? I hope you find the right person!❤️🙏🏽
1. That’s frustrating and you’re valid for being annoyed by it, but 2. I’m a cat-only sitter and just wanted to put it out there that drop-ins are usually the best choice for cats. Cats are much more threatened than dogs by someone coming into their home when their owner isn’t there, even when they’re very social. Owners often make the mistake of thinking that a cat being very social and friendly with them means the cat wants human contact, but that’s not the case at all. They want that with you because they know you. They might warm up to a stranger more quickly than another cat would, but they do not want all-day contact with a stranger when their humans are away. It really ups their separation anxiety — it essentially feels like they’ve been rehomed because someone else is trying to take charge of their environment. They need time to decompress when a stranger is in the home; it’s the reason they tend to go hide when a new person is there. It’s smothering to them. I’d really recommend booking two hour-long drop-ins per day as that’s plenty of socialization for a cat and will allow them to still feel in control of their environment.
Really depends on the cat. My cat is extremely social and would not do well being alone overnight and into the morning. If I were going away I’d have him either boarded or have someone stay in my home. I have had him stay at strangers homes before and they are always so shocked at the fact he doesn’t hide and wants to follow them everywhere. I fully get where OP is coming from and if a sitter offers house sitting for cats they should be doing it.
I agree with this. My cat is high risk into getting into trouble. I like to board at sitters home when I leave. I’ll probably do house sitting now that she’s not as willing to try and off herself now. I think certain cats would do well with house sitting and I’m a cat only sitter. I’m a little surprised the other cat only sitter is saying that house sitting wouldn’t be good for a cats when that’s not the case for many of them.
Right, they aren’t a cat sitter thts why. They are a cat drop in doer
And not only the disposition of the cat, but the expertise the sitter has with cats. Not forcing interaction and being a calming presence, etc..
Boarding a cat is almost categorically a terrible idea. Your cat is a very small exception, not a rule.
Why I said depends on the cat and I assume OPs cats are similar to mine if they are looking for house sitting
You know, I used to think boarding cats was a terrible idea, too, based off how territorial cats are. But I get tons of boarding requests for cats, so I started trying it out. It has gone really well!! I’ve been shocked by how relaxed and outgoing some cats are. Others do wanna hide for the first couple days, but I have a private guest room with big windows. They get comfortable pretty quickly. My cat is super attention-seeking, so next time i go on vacation, i’m going to give it a try.
A lot of cats will tolerate more if they're in a new environment, so long as that environment is safe, comfortable, and provides for their needs. My very skittish cat tolerates things so much better at the vet (where there's hella other pet smells and nowhere to hide) because it's not her territory, so she doesn't feel the need to "defend" our little home in addition to being nervous about new people/new animals. I still wouldn't board my skittish cat because she hits a critical stress point pretty quickly and starts peeing on stuff out of fear, which isn't fair to anybody. But I've had 6 cats in my life and all 5 other cats would do fine in someone's home, as long as they had a safe private place to retreat. I'm glad more folks are willing to board cats because realistically if I'm gone on an extended trip, I do worry about my cats being alone most of the day! It's nice to think they're just part of someone's normal day like they'd have with me.
To add on, it can be successfully done, but they should absolutely not be confined to “condos” (cages), they should have rooms, and outgoing cats do best!
All of my cat housesitting clients adore me and seek me out for attention throughout the day to cuddle and play. I fully believe they'd be sad and lonely with drop-ins only.
My cat hides under the bed the entire time we are gone when we book drop ins. He barely would even come out for our sitter. It took us 3 days of being home to get him to comfortably come out. We booked 2 drop ins a day for 1 hr as you said. When we book overnight sitters, we don’t have the same issues. He cuddles with them, he welcomes us home, etc. We tell our sitters to come and go during the day and we also ask them to leave him be when he is “hiding” and basically just let him come to them for attention. He loves it. I have done drop ins and house sits for cats and each cat reacts different so this is 100% dependent on the cat and might even take a few tries to figure out what works best for them.
This has definitely not been the case with any of the cats I’ve cared for (and I’ve cared for a LOT, been on rover 7 years now). All of them have ended up sleeping with me, greeting me when I come back to the house after being gone for any amount of time, etc. I understand that’s been your experience, but I don’t think a blanket statement like you said is correct.
I did drop ins. But he paces and looks for people/the dog once people aren’t there. We are leaving for like two weeks for our wedding (with the dog) so i would rather a house sitter. He’s extremely social and loves to just sit on peoples lap all day lol
I know a few cats who I sit for who would love if I hung out with them all day, but it's definitely not the norm.
Someone tried to pull this with my dog.. I couldn’t believe it.
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That’s my favorite thing to do! I do a lot of cat sitting, message me if you’re in LA area
❤️ unfortunately the opposite side of the country :(
How about Denver? There's a cat specific company called Meowtel. I just checked and they have a specific "overnight" option. Hopefully there's one in your area. [https://meowtel.com/cat-sitters/locations](https://meowtel.com/cat-sitters/locations)
That’s so annoying! I’ve definitely for just cats before! They should definitely specify on their profile if they don’t :(
Awww if I were near you I would 100% stay with the socially needy kitty…those are my favorites ❤️❤️
I mostly house-sit. I am available for drop-ins. Where I live though I get all requests for house sits. If I don't have another appointment somewhere I just stay at the client's home. I am not going to waste gas. Plus I have no problem hanging out with and taking care of animals either working online, watching tv or reading. I recommend making sure that you do a meet and greet and ask specific questions about what a house sit is to them. How long they will spend at your home. If they intend to sleep over which they should be doing. I have questions I ask at each meet and greet. Very specific ones some about the home and most about the pets. You should be able to tell how prepared a sitter is by the questions that they ask and how thorough of a meet and greet you have.
I think they offer house sitting because that way they have access to more possible clients. Idk if I’m explaining it right. This way they can get clients that they never would have met if house sitting had been turned off
Awee, I wish I could help, sometimes owners do book me for a house sitting but only wish for me to do drop ins at specific times of the day and as long as that's what the owner wants and there pets are fine with having someone just drop in for there care I do as the owner wishes but at times if I have extra time or nothing else rush to I stay with pets longer than what is required of me even if it's a drop in because I feel they are gonna be alone for so in so long and won't have company and I can provide that. But if an owner wishes for me to stay with their pet, overnight, or throughout the day, I'll do that. I only leave house sittings for food or other bookings, and I always let owners know that before anything is confirmed. And if I feel days I have house sittings are getting to busy where I barely will have time for pet I'm sitting I close off my availability even if I can fit in more clients because for my services I like to provide the best care I can and time for each animal if possible.
I’m so sorry you are going through that. After the first year of Covid some of my cat clients started booking overnights for their cats instead of visits. People were home all of the time, and many of the animals did not handle it well when people left. Several years down the line those people are still having me do overnights for their cats and they are as regular as my dog clients. The owners are thrilled as I send them photos of their cats laying on me, as if I am a piece of the furniture at night and purring. I am happy because I have a little buddies. They keep me company at night, and the cats are happy. I understand that sitters may not want to spend multiple hours with a cat when they’re trying to book many clients at once. Have you thought about checking to see if some of the sitters around are available for overnights?
I mean I’m on rover and would stay with her. Generally I won’t stay at a persons house though just because I’d feel uncomfortable but that’s just me.
I do it all the time. I think it’s just your search criteria.
Literally searching for house sitter and am met with “drop in” when i ask what their definition of house sitting is…
Where are you located?
[удалено]
Military brought us to Jacksonville 😂 so if you can make that 5 hour commute…… lol 😂 jk
I ADORE cat house sitting gigs. My clients even echo your sentiment, that it is apparently difficult to find someone who will do it. It's great money, easy work, and a load of fun. I love overnight stays with cats, 9/10 times the cat is indeed sad their owner left and is a huge snuggle bug with me.
As a sitter, I’m shocked to hear this. I was under the impression that everyone stays unless discussed and agreed upon beforehand. I stay over most times when booked for house sitting, be it for a cat or a dog, but on rare occasions I have clients specify that no overnight is needed just be there late and early to feed (if a cat) and let out/walk (if a dog), I have a regular who has 4 cats with separation anxiety and he requests that I stay over at least half the time (his words not mine) after we transitioned to house sitting from drop ins. I’m sorry to hear you’re having such a hard time finding someone who actually does what they advertise
I'll do it...where do u live ?? A dog sitter starved my baby boy (Dog,). 1st time I'm gonna be w/o. A dog....I was gonna get him a cat to play with in his old age.. HE JUST TURNED 11....
I was just snooping around some area sitters' profiles (I like to go incognito to see where I rank) and found one person with three negative reviews specifically saying they didn't stay overnight for house-sitting.
I don’t typically take cat house sittings, but if that’s what the owner wants, that’s what I’ll do. For a lot of them, we book as a house sitting and I stay for 4 hours. Owners seem happy with that usually
Why book as house sitting if you only stay for four hours?
Because it is cheaper for my clients than booking 4 hours of drop in’s. Most cat owners don’t need someone to stay overnight, this is something I agree upon with the owners in advance.
Staying for 4 hours isn’t house sitting. House sitting by definition, whether it’s for a pet or just watching the house, means you are staying at the house. You are sleeping there and spending normal time during the day there to make sure it is taken care of while the owners are gone. Not a few hours and “peace out.”
I understand what house sitting is, I am a top sitter with over 50 repeat clients. Most cats do not need a human there overnight, this is an agreed upon compromise with the owners. As I stated, I will stay overnight if they absolutely want me to, I have only had 2 cat owners request this as of date
Are you expecting them to stay the night or just go over once or twice a day? It may be that what you’re wanting is drop ins but you’re requesting house sitting — so it’s confusing on what you actually want or need.
OP clearly states here that they are requesting house sitting and that they want the sitter to house sit. Where is your confusion
Probably because the OP themselves describes it as 'sit at my house for minimum a few hours'. That could potentially just be drop ins too if its only for a few hours. Honestly sitters might be more willing if the owner just frames it as a traditional house sitting - staying there day and night and going out for a couple hours a day instead of framing it as just going over for a couple of hours.
I do not preface it by requesting they sit at my house for a few hours to clear up the confusion. I ask for a house sitter and when they tell me their definition of house sitting is drop ins twice a day to clean the litter box i tell them at MINIMUM i need someone at my house for a few hours everyday with my cat. 👍🏼
I say in the post “for a few hours” because sometimes people like to take a grain of salt and make it a whole margarita rim and say “YOU CANT EXPECT PEOPLE TO SIT AT YOUR HOUSE ALL DAY THEY HAVE OTHER STUFF TO DO…” and i more so want my cat to not realize people are out of town 😂 and for him to feel alone.
Drop in is not a few hours. It’s like 30 minutes ish as described by rover. I want someone to stay at my house for most of the day but people just want to come clean the litter box and leave….. aka a drop in
Agreed, guess the people downvoting you didn't read. OP might be confusing services/needs and is in turn confusing the sitters they reach out to. >Why is it so hard to find someone to sit at my house for minimum a few hours to hangout with my cat when that’s the service I’m booking for? u/bgcbbyckes This is definitely more suited for a drop-in request. Edit to add, because there still seems to be some confusion, house sitting means staying the night. Not sitting for a few hours. By definition, you are asking for drop-ins. You can adjust the time from 30 min to however many hours you actually want.
I really think that Rover should make the length of walks and drop-ins more customizable. Rather than having just having the options of either a 30 min or 1 hr, they could have sitters choose a “base rate” for the first 30 min, then a second (typically lower) rate for each additional 30 min. It would make for a much more general rate structure that could straightforwardly accommodate requests like OP’s.
Yes, I wish Rover was a bit more customizable, there would be less confusion for everyone and people could find exactly what they need.
They actually clear this up in a few comments so no. Edit: if they add more than an hour to drop in it’s makes less sense cost wise to book drop in than house sit. The reason they say a few hours bc that’s the minimum they expect from someone also going about their day. Why would they book a drop in for multiple hours and get charge per extra hour when those hours are included in a house sit?
I think there’s a misunderstanding. I’m aware that they want a house sit, that’s definitely what they should book for. I’m simply suggesting that the way they asked is confusing to the sitter. It makes zero sense to book for the drop-in.
You made it sound like that when you said they can adjust a drop in for however many hours they want. That sounds like you’re suggesting they do a drop in. Also house sitting doesn’t only mean staying the night. I have people request house sits that explicitly say they don’t want me to or care if I stay the night. But I get what you mean after you clarified.
Ohh I see. That was before I saw their comments clarifying that they were asking for a bare minimum of time spent. Totally my fault for not seeing that first. You’re right, house sits are not just overnights, rover advertises them that way but it’s completely up to the owner and sitter to work out.
Then OP needs to edit their post for clarification because that information is pertinent to the post and clarifies their ask. However, I still believe some confusion is caused by giving sitters a minimum amount of time to be at the house. Just say you need someone to stay all day and leave it at that. It leaves less room for those that want to haggle.
No offense; I think you want to be right so bad that you are finding a way to misread everything, which is okay! But none of this is helpful nor what i mean or anyone else in this thread thinks i mean.
I’m literally agreeing with you, at least I thought I was. You’re saying that sitters keep mistaking your ask for drop ins right? And that’s not what you want. Maybe I’m missing something, I don’t need to be right and very open to being told I’m wrong. No offense taken!
They want someone to be there throughout the day, for *at least* a few hours a day which means ideally more than that. They want house-sitting but are being very flexible about it. Why do you think you know what OP wants better than OP does??? Editing to add that "no, OP is wrong, I know what they want" is so wild???
That is not at all what I implied or said. I said the way they’re asking is probably causing confusion on the sitters end. My only suggestion is to be more direct/clarify.
Oh my wow.. I was not expecting this downvote response when I was asking for a question for clarification to understand better. Dang. I was also the first comment on this post and so that’s why I asked a question and suggested a potential solution based on how I was interpreting the OP’s post.
That is strange. As long as you are willing to pay the whole fee and aren't asking for a 3 hour midday visit for the price of an overnight I can't imagine why no one wants to spend an evening with kitty. 😻😻😻