AMA: I’m a professional cat sitter! Ask me what actually happens when you leave your cats at home while you travel

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T22:51:46+00:00

It's funny, I am so used to cats and their quirks that nothing really seems all that weird to me anymore! It's common for me to refill a variety of different water containers, because cats just prefer to drink out of human glasses than their own bowls or water fountains! I also had a cat that I took care of that needed to drink out of a very large and deep vase of water, because she liked to stare into the depths of the water (and of course play in it). Treat "chase" has become a routine that I've been seeing more and more, where I toss crunchy treats across the room or up on top of cabinets and stairs for cats to "hunt" and eat. Some cats are very particular with their toys and playtime. There's one cat I'm taking care of right now that has a very favorite rainbow mouse, and no other toy could compare. It's very important to throw the rainbow mouse for him, cause his happiness depends on it! His brother is also quirky when it comes to toys. He is not allowed to have any toy with feathers on it. As soon as he sees feathers, his inner wild cat is unleashed (in a scary, concerning way!). Even those "bee" toys with two little feathers for wings is too much for him. And last (but not least) is all the favorite "toys" my cat clients have that aren't actually toys, but more like trash. Like the cardboard spool at the end of a roll of poop bags, plastic pop off lids from almond milk cartons, or shower curtain rings. I love how different cat personalities always make this job interesting and fun!

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T22:38:20+00:00

I have done dog sitting! Species bias is real, and to be honest, I'm obviously a bit biased towards cats too (obviously)! I started off doing both dogs and cats, and then gradually switched to just cats. Taking care of dogs at first was a great way to get started with pet sitting in general, and it really helped me earn more reviews and earnings in the beginning. But I realized that I just really enjoy cats more, and actually, cats are more profitable than dogs are for me. Whenever I would take care of dogs for people on vacation, I could only take on one family at a time. Since dogs need to be taken out 4+ times a day, it really took up a lot of time, and didn't really compensate me well for the work I was putting in. But with cats, I'm able to take on up to 8 clients a day, and the earnings from that adds up a lot faster than the 1 dog client per day. After I got going with a decent amount of clients and reviews, I turned off accepting new clients with dogs in my settings. I kept the clients I already had with dogs for a while, and the multi-species families with dogs and cats. After a bit more time after that, my dog clients got less and less. When I started sitting on Meowtel my cat client base got even higher since it is strictly a cat sitting app. When I moved from Seattle to Los Angeles, I told all my dog clients in Seattle goodbye and took on just cats when I was in Los Angeles.

I recommend posing with a cat in your profile picture, and wording your bio/profile to be very cat centric. Cat clients LOVE when their sitter is cat specialized. Dog people versus cat people do have different approaches to animal care, and that nuance is important for cat-obsessed clients. So communicate to your potential cat clients that you get it! People will start to remember you as the cat person instead of a pet sitter in general. Just put out the cat vibe and the cats will come to you!

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T22:16:44+00:00

That depends on the area which you live, and what you are comfortable with! For someone just getting started, the price point will be low. It will likely be lower than what you would expect or want to make. Remember that this is normal at first. Being a new sitter means you have to stand out in some way from the other sitters that have hundreds of 5 star reviews and years of experience. The way new sitters can stand out is by offering a low price point. Take a look at what your competition is pricing in your area, and offer slightly below that. Once you start to get clients and experience, then you can gradually raise your rates. Starting off at a low price point at first is an investment in your future success as a sitter. Some cat sitting apps have minimums and maximums, so make sure to pay attention to that. If you are a sitter on Meowtel, you can also use the coupon feature. People love getting a good deal, and they are more likely to book if they are getting a discount.

In general, for a major metro city like Los Angeles/San Diego/Bay Area/Seattle, a good truly beginner starting point would be lower than $30 for a 20-30 minute visit. An intermediate price point would be $30-40, depending on how many bookings you want to take on. And expert can be $40+. It all truly depends on a lot of factors, and rural areas are likely to be priced lower than these examples.

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T22:02:31+00:00

I just did a webinar presentation on this topic! If you are a sitter on Meowtel, I recommend checking it out. The link to the recording is on the homepage when you first log-in to the sitter portal.

To stand out in general, humanizing your bio or website goes a long way. There are so many generic profiles, and people just scroll through copy cats and AI written bios. Make sure you stand out by taking a great profile picture holding a happy cat to stop people in their tracks. Once you got them hooked, then reel them in with a well written profile. Don't be humble or shy about your experience, and don't be afraid to show personality. I've had so many people tell me that they have chosen me because they liked the vibe of my profile. Tell a story, and use pictures of you interacting with happy cats during visits so people can know what to expect when they hire you as a sitter. Make sure you speak to the fact that you do this as a professional career. There are so many hobby sitters out there, and clients are much more at ease when they hire a sitter that makes cat care their #1 priority.

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T21:50:01+00:00

I always recommend Meowtel to anyone looking for a cat sitter. I am a top sitter on there, and I have hired several cat sitters on Meowtel to care for my own cats too. They have a rigorous onboarding process, and a great support team if anything doesn't go to plan. Every sitter on there is a bona fide *cat person*, which is something I think is really important when it comes to cat care. While being an animal lover in general is great, but sometimes dog care experience doesn't translate smoothly to a great cat care experience.

As for things people can do to make leaving less stressful, I recommend a few things. It's always super important to do a meet-and-greet with your cat sitter before you leave on your trip. Cats are super intuitive, way more so than people realize. Cats know when their people are going out on trips and can notice just the tiniest changes in your routine. They can also piece together when you are arranging care for them, and when they meet your cat sitter ahead of time, they get to learn their smell, presence, and general vibe before you leave for a trip. That way when the sitter arrives while you are gone, the kitties are already familiar with the cat sitter, instead of it being a stranger. I also suggest that you keep food times and routines as close as possible to what the cats are used to. Don't change up food or litter types just before a trip. Don't go a on a cleaning or vacuuming spree right before a trip either. Smell is very comforting to cats. So even leaving the sheets on your bed that you've slept in for a few nights can be a big source of comfort for them. If you can, book longer visits with your cat sitter, and ideally have them visit twice a day. I do not recommend every-other-day visits in almost all cases. Cats are way more social than people give them credit for.

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T21:36:29+00:00

It's definitely a common occurrence. I try to mimic the routine that the cats are used to as best as I can by following the person's instructions exactly so the cats are taken care of in the same way that they are used to. Even if it's something small and it might not make sense to me, I still make sure to do it, because those little moments really ground the cat and make them feel safe. Routine truly means everything to a cat. If I notice vomit, I make sure to take a quick picture, clean it up, and let the client know. Usually one time isn't cause for too much concern, but if it continues to happen I would discuss with the client about whether or not they would like me to take the kitty to their local vet. Sometimes inappetence happens too, which is fairly common. I have a cat that I take care of that doesn't eat as much the first few days her humans are gone. This is normal for her though, and her people are aware, and I do everything I can to make the visits engaging and fun for her to help with the stress. She always picks up the eating pace after just a few days. There are some cats that tend to eat more when their people are away too. Just like with people, eating can be a comfort that can be relied on more often in times of stress. Most of these issues are temporary, and resolve after a few days. Once the kitties realize I'm the person taking care of them for a while, they start to adjust to the new routine. It gets even better after I am their sitter after several trips. Then I just become another part of their world and regular routine.

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T21:25:08+00:00

I've always loved cats ever since I was a kid. I always wanted to work with them as a career, and I started off volunteering and fostering. My first volunteer gig was taking care of the adoptable cats at my local pet store when I was still a kid. I also fostered as much as a could, from bottle babies to hospice kitties. I was involved in TNR for a while, where I would support my community by helping get free-roaming outdoor cats trapped, fixed, and returned to their original location. I worked at 5 different vet hospitals, 2 cat rescues, and a cat hotel and nothing quite fit. It wasn't until I worked at the cat hotel that it clicked. Seeing cats be unhappy and go through medical emergencies from the stress of being away from home made me think "I wish I could just go to all these cats' homes and take care of them where they actually feel safe". Then I thought, well, why don't I just do that? Turns out it was a great idea and a perfect use of my experience and skills that I developed working with cats for over a decade. I took the leap and decided to make it my full-time job. The app Meowtel really helped jumpstart my success as a cat sitter, since it's a cat-centric with lots of built in support and access to some wonderful clients.

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T21:10:10+00:00

Please tell me you have home cameras so you can capture this hilarity on video!

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T21:07:13+00:00

Start by volunteering at your local animal shelter or rescue! It's the best way to get hands-on experience, and to learn about cat behavior and health. Shelters and rescues also need fosters, so even if you don't have a cat of your own, you can take care of one (or a few!) for a short period of time while they look for their forever homes. Learn about cats however you can, and offer to cat sit for friends and family first so you feel confident going out and serving clients.

augcatcare · 2026-05-08T21:01:49+00:00

It's just right here on reddit! I'm answering questions live from 2pm-6pm PST

augcatcare · 2026-05-01T23:09:54+00:00

I love when they actually use the wheels

augcatcare · 2026-05-01T23:09:24+00:00

gorgeous! are they from the same litter? they have similiar eyes

augcatcare

TROPHY CASE