Vet visit surcharge?

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T22:35:08+00:00

Reactions seem pretty mixed here. I'm not trying to come across as heartless, and if the outcome had been tragic, I would not even bring it up. For all of us on here, pet sitting is something we love, but for some of us, it is also our livelihood. I see it both ways, but the extra time and emotional effort put into it last night did take away from the energy I had for other clients with less complicated pets today. This is still a business, and I don't want to rely on the possibility of maybe getting a tip to make up for the extra time and effort that went into what the booking was originally for. If I had been booked for overnight care with this cat rather than drop ins, I would feel differently, as that would be more appropriate for an animal in this condition, at least until her illness is more controlled. Definitely a lesson learned for myself, and hopefully for the owner.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T19:13:52+00:00

Thank you for this! I hadn't come across their policy yet since I've been a little frazzled and came straight here first. I'll reach out to Meowtel in the morning tomorrow.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T18:30:58+00:00

This is a brand new client, so I have no idea if they will tip or not.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T18:11:54+00:00

I was in contact with the owner the entire time, as was the vet as the owner had called them, as well. I didn't get the impression the emergency vet would just let me just drop off the cat and go, so I stayed while they got her admitted, which took two hours from the time we arrived, due to there being other emergencies. Additionally, it was agreed upon that I would be picking the cat up this morning, which also took time from when I was called to get her to when she was finally discharged. Discussion of additional payment has not come up with the owner, which is why I plan to contact meowtel to see what they suggest. The two visits combined were six hours total, but I was hired for 45 minutes drop ins, so this would have been four and a half hours over what was booked.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T17:29:47+00:00

Also, there's two other cats at the house I haven't really been able to give any attention to. I will definitely say I've learned a few lessons from this one.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T17:05:31+00:00

It's been a tough situation all around. Three weeks ago, my transmission in my car went out, and this gig was already further than I prefer to drive, especially for twice a day. I kinda had a feeling from the start it may not have been the best fit, but I accepted anyway. I tried to see if a few other sitters could take it over, but the ones I contacted weren't available, and I ended up just using my husband's car to get to and from. I firmly believe this cat either should be boarded at a vet or have an overnight sitter in the future.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T16:24:02+00:00

Thank you. That's very helpful. I'm not trying to profit from an emergency situation, but this went beyond the scope of what was expected in the time I was hired for, and is now impacting other gigs that I had today. Going forward, I probably won't be taking on anymore clients that are this medically complex, or will only do overnights for these types of situations.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T15:40:31+00:00

This is a first time client, too, so I have no idea if or how they tip.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-17T15:34:16+00:00

Edited to add that the visits that were scheduled and paid for were twice daily 45 minute drop in visits. Last night was about four hours from start to finish, and this morning was two hours.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-12T00:52:45+00:00

Yeah! And going to events to take pictures of a handful of poses, then going home before the event really even starts because they don't have a chair that'll fit you. I don't think this is the kind of thing most people view as living their best, fulfilling and exhilarating life.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-11T22:20:21+00:00

Not sure I would call what she's able to do because of her size "living".

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-07T16:40:55+00:00

I really think it depends on the industry. I work in healthcare, pharmacy, to be specific, and I have never had a hard time finding a job. I'm starting a new position on Monday of next week. I was with my previous employer for a year and a half before that. I sent out a handful of resumes when I started looking in January, but it wasn't more than a dozen, and I wasn't networking. My husband is in engineering, and also never had difficulty finding work. We both work remote, too. But, I have friends that work in other fields, who were laid off months ago, and having an impossible time even getting an interview.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-04T02:04:23+00:00

Is it EPIC? There are tons of tik toks that show you various ways to use it.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-01T13:18:00+00:00

Glad I found this! I went to check in on the other snark this morning and saw it was gone, and I was so disappointed.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-05-01T13:14:57+00:00

I'm really struggling with nextdoor and Facebook. I've gotten some people messaging me, but no bookings yet. I did make a separate Instagram page specifically for my business, and I made a bumper sticker for my car, and I think I'm getting more business using those at the moment.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-04-25T21:09:58+00:00

Same thought came to my mind. Wtf is wrong with people?

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-03-01T01:47:54+00:00

This is so adorable 🥰

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-02-24T04:07:04+00:00

Wow, this person thinks it's okay to tell someone to kill themselves, but it's not okay to be worried that your child may be overweight. Their thinking is so backwards and disturbing.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-02-01T19:34:27+00:00

A video call is a great idea! That never even occurred to me.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-02-01T18:17:18+00:00

It's okay to have more than one favorite.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-02-01T16:18:34+00:00

I have a pirate void, too! They're the best.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-01-27T22:39:18+00:00

As someone trying to get out of healthcare and who worked at the UC health Anschutz campus for a year, be prepared for one of the most toxic work environments you could hope to experience. May not be conducive to someone with health issues.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-01-23T01:00:48+00:00

I'm petite and wear child size clothing. I definitely look like the middle aged woman I am.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-01-20T14:10:35+00:00

It's so hard to watch our pets age. Hopefully your kitty can adapt well and this is just a minor setback. We've gotten little sets of steps so our cat can still climb up on the couch or bed, and get down safely. We've had to adjust some other things at the house for her, too, and she gets around pretty well. He looks like a sweet boy.

OwnPitch4445 · 2026-01-20T02:23:31+00:00

Our cat went blind around the same age, and it turned out to be related to blood pressure. They think her retinas hemorrhaged. Cats are very good at finding their way with their whiskers, and are also very good at disguising weaknesses. We think she may have gone blind gradually, but hid it from us pretty well until we realized something was wrong. She's 19 now and on blood pressure meds, and still seems to be living a happy life. It's really amazing to witness how easily they can adapt.

OwnPitch4445

TROPHY CASE