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Thinking About Becoming a Cat Sitter? Here’s What You Need to Know

By Sandra James, Founder of The Cat Butler

So, you’ve decided to become a cat sitter. It's understandable if you're a lover of cats - becoming a cat sitter is a great opportunity to get paid to spend time with them!

Unfortunately, it’s not all play time and cuddles. In fact, if you do happen to get it wrong, then your feline customer may have some complaints about the service!

You might wonder, what does it take to be a great cat sitter and what skills are required when caring for our feline friends?

There are a few things you need to know before you dive into your new venture. Let’s take a look at the below questions to ask yourself to make sure you have what it takes for the job:

Are You Experienced?

Cat sitters most often tend to be cat owners, but in some cases are die-hard cat fans who for any reason are unable to have a cat of their own, perhaps due to a partner with allergies or their living arrangements.

While it is not a requirement for you to have qualifications or any experience in cat sitting professionally to become a cat sitter, your customers will expect you to have had some experience in cat care.

This includes caring for a friend or relatives cat. So, before you look to become professional, consider offering your services to friends and family first. That way you can get some experience but also get a feel for what you will be doing.

Do You Have the Time?

A cat sitter can care for multiple cats at different addresses throughout the working day, and all cats require a visit at least once a day.

At these visits, a good sitter will see the cat’s needs are met by feeding, watering and letting them out if permitted, administering any medications, clearing up any mess - and that all important kitty fussing and play time.

If the pet owner has requested, you may also need to do security checks around the house such as turning lights on, opening and closing curtains and sorting out the bin collections.

Are You Flexible?

Being flexible and able to step in at very short notice is a huge benefit as a pet sitter.

Life happens, last minute, urgent and unavoidable events crop up and people need someone to look after their pet, that’s where their flexible cat sitter comes to the rescue.

Knowing what your schedule and availability looks like ensures you can work closely with your clients and their needs meaning are able to cat sit without much advance notice.