I’ve been boarding for 4 years,consistently.
As far as I’m concerned I did everything correctly which is probably why it bothers me so much.

Context:
A young doodle(under 12 months)they booked me in for their wedding night. 5:30pm-10am so not even a full day.
They came for a meet&greet back in April,it went well she seemed a bit more needy than some other parents but less than 24hrs is not a big deal. I mentioned then how it can be scary for a dogs first stay and they may not settle in under a day. Afterwards they paid a deposit(comes off total)and filled in my form.

1 Month before their stay she messaged saying the pup was going to be ring bearer so I would need to collect from wedding venue(about 2 miles away).
I said that’s fine but will be my pickup fee of 15.
Total stay with that included came to 60.
Day before she comes around again to drop some stuff off and comes inside where we have a quick chat.

Day of it’s absolutely pissing it down when collect dog from the venue,she’s a bit nervous as she only met me once months ago but is generally ok.
Went out for walks once rain subsided a bit with me and other dog boarders.

Didnt seem interested in food which is common first night & being a doodle. Grazed at it throughout the night,slept in my room per request of owner. Paced majority of it though.
Collection comes she’s over hour late and by this time bit rushed because another will be arriving shortly. However I do mention she didn’t settle the best and was pacing in my room but she did eventually eat.
Sent them on their way and thought nothing more till today.

Her review said dog was traumatised(yes they used that word)hungry,upset and surprised I have a licence. Then mentioned how I charged her 15 to pickup when was already charging 45. 🙃
How her dog came back from another place after 5 nights happy. They had mentioned to me they were getting free care for their honeymoon from their dog trainer. Which to me feels like,of course dog is going to be more relaxed after being somewhere 5 nights compared to 17 hrs specifically with someone they already know?

TLDR; me having a vent over a bs review 🙈

Luckily at the moment I’ve only got one half hour-ish job to do, but I’ve come down with a cold, really bad, throat hurts, started to be blocked up and can’t breathe through my nose, feeling really really ill, achy. But I’m committed to feeding other people’s cats. So have to go out and drive to do this job. Finishes Friday morning thankfully! Next job is from next Thursday I think. But what do you all do if you’re ill? Has anyone had to cancel on a customer or tell them they can’t do it because they’re ill, in hospital etc?

Plz send advice

We’re housing my mother in law’s dog for the foreseeable future, and I’m looking for some real advice on how this situation can improve. There are a ton of variables and I’ll try to address them all and can add any and all information whatsoever. We’ve known this dog since she was at an adoptable age, she does not come from a good home (MIL’s) as there is neglect there.

She is absolutely full of nothing but love, pure unconditional dog love, despite being in an unfavorable situation for the majority of her life. Our issue is that her love can be ridiculous. EXTREME separation anxiety, we can’t even be outside with our kids without loud barking that we can hear outside from across the street. Jumping on us and toddlers that walk in the nanosecond we walk in the door. Excessive licking of us and said toddlers at all times. I’m sure I’m missing so much and I probably sound terrible even making this post but I’m looking for advice because at this point it’s looking like she will become our family dog.

There is absolutely zero aggression, towards us or our toddlers, who absolutely adore her. I know she’s been neglected and not properly loved in her 3 years on this planet, but I’m looking for help on how to redirect some of her emotions. I promise I’m not trying to sound evil or like a dog hater because that could not be further from the truth. Any resources, advice or help you guys could give would be deeply appreciated. Thank you!

Hi, I'm looking for advice on a situation.

I’m house-sitting for a client with a big German Shepherd, and I’m totally at a loss on how to deal with his wrestling. The second I get down on the floor, whether I’m cleaning up a spill or just picking something up, he sees it as an invitation to play. He’ll lunge at me, grab my waist or hips with his paws, and try to pin me over. It’s not aggressive; he doesn’t actually bite hard, though he does bark, growl, and nip a bit. The problem is, he weighs over 80 pounds, and at 5'1", being pinned by him while I’m trying to work is exhausting.

I’ve tried everything I can think of, but nothing sticks. Shouting NO or DOWN doesn't seem to register for him. If I push him away, he thinks I’m engaging in the wrestle match and gets even more excited. Once he’s got hold of me, I basically have to crawl over to something sturdy to try and pull myself back up, and he follows right along, keeping his paws on me the whole time.

I’m feeling pretty helpless because I’m out of ideas. How do I handle this without being mean? Are there different commands that might work better here? I really want to do a good job while I’m here, so any advice would be a huge help. Feel free to DM.

I'm relatively new to pet sitting and genuinely looking for advice because I'm getting confused and a little fed up with some client interactions lol.

I've had a few experiences where I feel like I've explained my rates, availability, and boundaries pretty clearly, but clients keep asking the same questions or seem to misunderstand what I've already told them.

For example:

I previously worked with a client who had 2 pets. I originally charged $X per hour, but they eventually started asking me to split that hour across two daily visits (30 minutes each). That meant I'd only earn $X total while having to travel there twice. I wasn't comfortable with that, so I clarified that I charge $X per visit, for up to one hour, with additional charges for separate visits or extra time. They said they understood, but eventually stopped using my services (ig they kept me until they found someone else). Honestly, that was fine because they seemed to need more of a housekeeper than a pet sitter, and they were also telling me what time they needed me at the last minute every day (there's a difference between being flexible and being on-call..but idk if I was just being too much trouble for them).

Since then, I've been upfront with clients that I charge per visit rather than charging by the hour across multiple visits. I thought this was reasonable, especially since I've seen other sitters use similar pricing.

More recently, someone contacted me about caring for their dog while they were travelling. I explained my rates and mentioned that I could only offer boarding at my home until October 20 because of family circumstances, but can do daily pet visits. Somehow, they interpreted my rate as $X per hour and calculated $XXX per day based on six hours. I clarified my pricing and asked whether they wanted boarding or drop-in visits, but they kept asking questions without really clarifying what they needed. I eventually explained that I could offer 2-3 visits per day, but if they needed six or more hours of care, boarding or doggy daycare might make more financial sense.

Like... were they expecting me to stay at their house for six consecutive hours, or visit six separate times throughout the day?? I genuinely couldn't tell, and I can't realistically make six trips a day for one client. I ultimately decided not to book with them because the interaction felt a bit sketchy. They also gave me a lengthy explanation about why they could only pay by a certified cheque after I'd explained that I accept cash or e-transfer.

I've had another interaction where I explained my rates, services, and payment methods, including that I charge per visit for pet care. The person said they'd done their own research and decided on an hourly rate instead, then asked for my personal information and banking details so they could send me a cheque..lol. I immediately blocked and reported them.

Now I'm extra cautious, and sometimes I genuinely can't tell whether people are confused, not reading my messages properly, or being dishonest (or just straight-up scammers lol).

For experienced pet sitters:

• Is offering 2-3 drop-in visits per day reasonable, depending on the dog's needs? How many visits do you typically provide for one client?
• Do clients regularly misunderstand your rates and services, even when you've explained them clearly?
• Am I overexplaining things? Should I keep my messages shorter and ask clients to specify exactly what they need before discussing anything further? (I'm tired of repeating myself honestly).

I'm genuinely open to feedback if there's something I could communicate better. I'm still figuring things out and want to make sure I'm being reasonable with my pricing and boundaries.

Orrr am I just overthinking my services and communication because I've recently had a few interactions with people who seemed fishy (probably scammers)?? I'm starting to wonder whether this is normal in pet sitting or if I've just had an unlucky run of potential clients lol.

Hello! I’m new to Meowtel and looking to get insurance. I’m confused by this option to add broadened property damage insurance. It’s states it’s not included in the basic but the basic membership states it cover property damage so it’s confusing to me. What is this “broadened property damage” for? Do most of you just have the basic coverage? Also, is there a way to cover yourself if the pet has to be taken to the vet while in your care?

I would love to hear from other small business owners, especially those in the pet-care industry. ❤️
How do you deal with discouragement when you’re trying to grow your business in an oversaturated market? I live in Denver, Colorado, which honestly feels like a city full of dog lovers and pet-care providers. 😂🐾 There’s a lot of competition, and sometimes it can be discouraging trying to figure out how to stand out and continue growing.

Thankfully, I’ve built a reasonable clientele that keeps me afloat, and I’m genuinely grateful for that. But I know I’m capable of growing beyond where I am now, and I’d love to continue expanding my business and bringing my ideas to life.

Sometimes I get caught up wondering how to stand out in such a saturated market, whether I’m doing enough, or if I’m even heading in the right direction.
For those of you who have built businesses in competitive industries, how did you keep going when you felt discouraged? How did you find your niche, stay motivated, and trust that there was still room for you to grow?

I’m not necessarily looking for business advice alone. I’d really love to hear about the mental side of entrepreneurship, too. How do you keep believing in what you’re building when growth feels slow or the competition feels overwhelming?
I’d appreciate hearing your experiences, lessons, and any advice you’d be willing to share. 💕

I’ve done a lot of petsitting and unfortunately dealt with my first pet client getting mildly injured. The dogs got in a scuffle over food guarding and one dog got a minor cut that was 1/4 of an inch at most. (I’ve watched these dogs multiple times too and haven’t had this happen. When I asked if this ever happened owner said they got in scuffles but without injuries.)

Luckily the client was very calm about it and had a bandage that I was able to wrap around the dogs ear but I want to make a first aid kit for the future so I’m prepared in the unfortunate event that a pet ever has a minor injury again that doesn’t require a vet and would love suggestions of supplies to include.

So far I’m thinking of getting:
1) Bandage wrap
2) Medical gauze
3) Blood clotting powder

TIA!

I’m leaning towards PSA over PSI/BIC.
There are many posts here on petsitter insurance, but no specific reasons (other than cost) I’m also getting a bit of pushback from independent contractors paying their portion (PSA charges for each additional named insured).
If you have a definitive answer on why you did or did not choose PSA, I’d really appreciate your response.

(reposting this because i realized i posted it on my other account which has my name in the user)

Hey all! This is my first time posting here, I did read through the rules, however if posts like this aren’t allowed please let me know.

I’ve been a pet sitter for almost 6 years now, I’ve built a very large client base both in and out of my county, and for the first time ever, I had a client message me telling me she was very disappointed upon her return.

For context, this woman is also a pet sitter in my area, we’ve met previously during a time where I took over for a client she was sitting for and wouldn’t be available for the remainder of her booking, and she told me she was impressed by my efforts with her client and decided to book me to watch her kitties while she was away.

She had me coming once daily for a week, her cats all shared one food bowl and one water bowl and stayed out in a screened room. Both bowls were about the size of a regular dog bowl maybe slightly smaller

She asked me to come by, refill both bowls, and scoop the litter box, and that’s all. So that’s exactly what I did, along with spending time with the kitties; petting the one that would let me interact with him.

She returned home a little over 24hr after my final visit, and sent me a very long text explaining how she was very disappointed because when she got home, the water bowl was only half full, (keep in mind this was not a small bowl, and was shared by multiple cats so half full would still be a decent amount of water) and the litter box was not spotless. I was baffled. This woman has multiple cats, who obviously would have continued to eat drink and use the bathroom within the 24 hours after my final visit. I made sure they had a full food and water bowl and clean litter box before leaving on my last visit, and i feel like coming home to that should be expected when you’re getting home an entire day later.

She told me she regrets tipping me because she expected an outstanding job, but it seems she is disregarding how during each visit I was picking up cat poop off the floor, which i was not pre-warned that one of them poops outside of the litter box around the room, and having to be in a home that smells like 10 smokers live there, it was truly difficult to breathe, however i did not complain about any of the issues on her end, i only just mentioned that i was cleaning up poop around the room.

i responded kindly, explained that i was very sorry for her disappointment, and i assured her the water was refilled at each visit (she accused me of not doing that and assumed i was not refilling it) and that i scooped the litter each day as well, and i told her that its likely that they continued to eat and drink after i left. and her only response to what i sent was one more remark saying that the cats had tracked litter to right infront of the litter box and that i should’ve gone searching for the broom (i did, and could not find one, and since she was on a vacation where she had no service i could not call her to ask)

All that being said, I’ve had a pit in my stomach after this interaction because i’m truly confused on whether or not i could have done better, and i’m also really worried about her warning people of me and telling people not to book with me. And i guess i’m posting this here for reassurance because i feel like i’ve been gaslit into thinking i could’ve done something differently.

Hi! I’m trying to get a flexible side gig and would love to get into the cat sitting scene, I signed up for Meowtel but am hesitant about paying the $39 background check fee - has anyone had success there? Is facebook the way to go? Or is it more word of mouth sort of thing?

Any tips are appreciated, ty!

I currently live in Toledo Ohio, a medium size city. I’ve spent the last 3 years building my clientele, building relationships. My boyfriend wants to move to Indianapolis, for job opportunities and cheaper housing. The implication would be for him to go and me to stay here.

For the sake of our relationship health, i’m trying to play with the idea of going with him. I’m super anxious about having to start my clientele all over again. I know it’s going to take so much effort and energy. But has anyone made it work before?

some pros i’ve been looking at is the fact that Indianapolis is a more concentrated city, and i know they have the market for it. I could possibly make it off better with dog walk and drop in clients, compared to overnights, which is what my most popular service is here at home. But i’m trying to get away from that and not have much luck.

Without getting into too many personal details I’m in a bit of a situation right now where a long term, regular client who I’ve gotten to know very well is in the middle of a possible worst case scenario family emergency and called me in a panic today asking if I can watch their pets this week so they can go where they need to be. Luckily I was available so ofc I said yes and I’m here now. They are keeping me updated on the situation because no one knows what’s gunna happen or how long they’ll need to be there. I don’t really know what to say to them but I am genuinely glad I can help by being here. I’m really really hoping for a good ending but right now things are life or death for them and all I can do is make sure their pets wellbeing is not something they have to worry about. I guess I’m just wondering if any of you have been in a similar position where a client had an emergency and needed last minute pet care and how did you navigate that? Scheduling isn’t a huge concern as I’m not booked for any other overnights until next month. It’s just a really shitty thing happening to really good people and I want to support them as best I can while maintaining professionalism.

anyone else hate clocks that chime every 30 minutes? I've asked clients to turn that off when I sit. It's probably a touch of the tism, but I just hate it when a clock chimes often like that.

However I LOVE windchimes. One of my clients has a set that just sounds amazing when it chimes.

I've been sitting for this client for years and gotten the pleasure of watching her one pup through the tougher senior years. I'm so grateful she trusts me enough to spend this time with her pup, but I. am. so. tired.

The oldest dog is nearing her time unfortunately, and it's becoming increasingly unbearable to do overnight sits with her. While she's happy to nap, play, and do all the normal dog things during the day, every night a switch flips. She cries nonstop and starts barking loudly if she doesn't get what she wants immediately. The problem is she doesn't even know what she wants anymore. She doesn't allow me to pet her or snuggle her, doesn't need a potty break, and even gets an extra trazadone at night on top of her 2 during the day. Quite literally nothing calms her. She'll keep me up crying and pacing for hours, and when I finally catch some sleep, she's got me back up at 4:30-5am. I feel awful that I'm so miserable watching her because it's simply not her fault.

Am I wrong for knowing I'll likely feel a bit of relief when she passes knowing both that she's not suffering and neither will I anymore? Again, I'm so grateful to be the trusted one for this family, but it's exhausting for everyone involved at this point.

I am working on trying to make the transition from side hustle to full time gig with my pet sitting. I want to make sure that I am setting things up properly and working a good workflow that’s not only easy for myself but for my clients.

I’m wondering if any of you do client intake forms, what you ask for on them if you do and how you send/collect them? Do you do client agreement forms? If so do you do them for every time someone books with you? Deposits- do you just do them for first time clients or every time?

I have a lot of repeat clients that I have open communication with about payment. But I have come across new clients that have either tried to not pay after services were provided or have canceled and went with someone else last minute. Not being full time the cancellations haven’t been a big issues because I still have my full time income. But going full time this worries me that if I continue to allow these things I will be missing out on income and not have time to replace it with other bookings.

For context, I currently provide in home care- drop in visits, in my home boarding, daycare, walks and enrichment drop ins. I also do list house sitting but rarely have this service booked.

What programs do you guys use and just overall what advice do you have from those who have made this transition?

just finished a weekend sit. i had permission to leave for longer hours, but i never left for more than 3-5. however, this was my first actual sit with this dog & it was also “fleet week” in my city so fighter jets were flying over and being extra extra loud. apparently the dog peed in her bed & i didn’t even notice :/ i slept soundly the entire weekend. granted, my allergies were awful this weekend so i couldn’t smell but now i feel terrible. she said it’s okay and she’s just trying to figure out what happened, but im not sure if it was anxiety from the planes, something i did on my end (we went on potty breaks 4 times a day) and how i should remedy it:( advice ?

Has any one ever had trouble enforcing their cancelation with a client?
I have to this weekend (long weekend in Canada)
I reminded her of my
Policy before the sit and she cancelled less than 24 hours before
Most I know would be fine to pay but I feel like she will argue with me or not pay it and obviously id drop her if she doesn’t
And i didn’t get payment before this time
Because she’s one of my
Original clients and I never bothered to start with her so I know that’s my fault.
Just feeling nervous for when I message her tomorrow
Thanks!

My usual cat sitter wasn’t available for the vacation I’m currently on. I booked a new cat sitter via Meowtel for six, 45-minute drop in visits for my two cats while we are away.

For the first 3 days the cat sitter provided ONE photo of ONE of my cats (I’ve received 2 total photos of one cat and one pic of the other). She gives me a single sentence about my cat with medical issues every day and provides no other details. I have no idea if they are getting pet or played with at all. I only know how much one of my cats eats each day.

Today the only thing I heard from my sitter was that she was headed over— received no photos and not a single sentence about either cat. I’m worried about my cat with medical issues and thank god we are going back tomorrow.

This sitter had 5 star reviews on Meowtel and was very sweet at the meet and greet. I hate confrontation and haven’t asked her for more yet but I’m more and more frustrated with her every day.

I don’t want to harm her business by leaving a poor review but I also don’t recommend her. What would you do in this scenario?

I know there are a ton of horror pet sitting experience but I'd love to know/read about people's best pet sitting experience!

For me, I had a house sitting gig that was taking care of a 8 year old brown lab! Fully paid food expenses and there is a gym in the condo too! The owners were super nice and accommodating which was a plus for sure. The lab was sooooo adorable and always wants to cuddle up with me.

I’m looking for some to bring to clients homes that pack down small, the ones I have are too big to bring everywhere with me. Looking for ones that will keep my feet warm!

I just gained a new client who heard of me through word of mouth, and they offered to fly me out (and back home) so I can housesit for her 2 dogs, 2 cats, and turtle. I've never done an out of state booking before! I've always wanted to be a traveling pet sitter. 🥰 I'm so excited and so happy!