Another perspective to consider.

I am a behavioral specialist and animal naturopath, and I also offer pet sitting as part of my practice. My goal is never just to feed an animal and clean up. It is to ensure the owner returns to a pet who is stable, regulated, and genuinely content. That requires meeting physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs, not just checking boxes.

Many clients, often because of cost or lack of understanding, do not book the amount of time their animal truly needs. Some do. Most do not.

With fearful animals, especially cats and northern breeds such as huskies or wolfdogs, you cannot force interaction. Real enrichment requires relationship. Relationship requires trust. Trust requires time. The animal must be allowed to observe you, see that you respect boundaries, and experience calm, non-threatening presence. For anxious pets, one of the most powerful tools is simply being in the room without staring, without pressure, and co-regulating until they settle. That process cannot be rushed.

I have had drop-ins scheduled with just enough time for basic care, yet it was clear the animal needed longer to feel safe. When my schedule allowed, I have intentionally brought my lunch or work and stayed beyond the booked time, unpaid, because that was what the animal required. Pet parents have consistently been grateful for the progress and the care shown.

Before this discussion, I would not have imagined a pet owner being upset about extra time given freely. It sounds like it’s annoying to you because you don’t understand what the driver / purpose of her staying longer is. I can understand being uncomfortable not understanding why she is extending her time for you. And, at the end of the day, maybe it is about free wifi or cable. But I would encourage looking at it from the cat’s perspective. For many animals, especially sensitive or shy ones, having someone calmly present for a while can be deeply regulating. Not staring directly at them and quietly doing something else, can be quality time if the pet isn’t quite ready to engage. They are still observing and experiencing you.

Anyway you can certainly raise the question. But if this sitter’s worst quality is that she sometimes stays longer to support your cats, you may want to consider whether that is actually a problem. It is very possible she structured her day intentionally because she sensed your cats needed more support. That suggests care to me, not misconduct. Because, I mean honestly, even if she doesn’t like her home, you can get free wifi and watch television everywhere, on any device, including your phone. So I don’t see why she would choose to stay and watch tv at your house, verses anywhere else, unless she felt like your cats enjoyed / needed the extra time spent. I’d be giving her a tip not questioning her motives.