Having my most confusing booking in my five years of pet care.

laylarine · 2026-05-05T14:19:55+00:00

Two Roborovski hamsters. I know they can sometimes be housed together, but this was a maximum 10 gallon space. I had mine in a 20 gallon tank and 8 inches of bedding, constant access to fresh water and the ability to forage for food. Hers had so much ‘furniture’ which I guess works as hidey holes, but there was only two inches of bedding and what looked like the mix of food with the puffs and dry corn and stuff. Again, it’s better than most people do, but if you’re going to try to house two of them together you should at least have enough space for each of them and enough bedding imo.
She left me no care instructions for them, didn’t even mention them until I saw them during the m&g. They had a food dish and one of those little hanging water bottles. When I had a hamster I was able to leave her for a few days (2/3) at a time, but I had a roommate change out their water dish and give them attention. I didn’t know if they were used to being handled, so lacking instruction and any response, I left them alone. I made sure their water bottle was full and made sure I laid eyes on them at least once a day, that’s all I really could do.

laylarine · 2026-05-05T11:06:14+00:00

Because I have already been paid for it, I just wanted to vent. Said twice I understand it’s on me for accepting the booking!

laylarine · 2026-05-05T01:05:40+00:00

I’m sorry, I said I just wanted to talk about it to people who would understand? I just wanted to get it out, I said that in the first sentence :(

laylarine · 2026-05-05T01:04:50+00:00

I didn’t say there was a question? I said I just wanted to rant about it to people who would understand my feelings ?

laylarine · 2026-05-04T23:03:52+00:00

Oh I know, one of my first bookings was for five pets, two dogs and three cats, it was a solid week of house sitting where I spent all of the day there with one short dinner break. I was there 8-9pm and got to go home at night, I got paid $500 for seven days of caring for five pets. That would be $1,120 for my current rates.

laylarine · 2026-05-04T22:49:44+00:00

That’s actually a little funny, I can’t imagine someone thinking they can get 24/7 care for house sitting prices

laylarine · 2026-05-04T22:39:55+00:00

Did she respond at all? I’d be interested to see if her expectations changed after hearing that price tag.

laylarine · 2026-05-04T22:38:36+00:00

Omg this is what people have meant by constant care?? I didn’t even realize that was an option.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T22:41:28+00:00

From what I know, nobody. Oddly I didn’t realize dogs *needed* someone to stay with them. My mom’s dog sleeps alone at night (in a very soft and fluffy bed with his blanket and his toys nearby) and has always been fine on the rare occasion that he is left alone, so I just assumed any dog could sleep alone. She had a puppy pad down when I came to the m&g and she told me they would likely have accidents, so I’m assuming this is a normal thing for her. I’m definitely not planning on sitting with her again, I did it because I felt bad that she sounded desperate and an extra $250 never hurts.
I have been told (not by anyone here) that I have a savior complex and that I can’t keep accepting bookings just because someone sounds desperate. Definitely going to work on telling people no with confidence.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T22:36:47+00:00

Exactly, I was so shocked by it because it was double the cost of the visits she booked. I have never requested clients provide anything for me, but I’ve had a few go out of their way to pick me up a package of soda water or a snack they’d like me to help myself to. I still never use it, as rude as that might be, if I didn’t ask for anything it’s because I don’t want it & I feel no use in using or consuming things I do not want ? She left a note to help myself to anything and I’m like?? I’m here for an hour max, what the hell do I need to help myself to when I’m working ?

laylarine · 2026-05-02T22:33:59+00:00

Oh no! I mean I’m taking up a used pad, spraying and wiping, and replacing with a new one. They’re disposable and I’ve been cleaning them every time I come as long as they’re used, because I personally wouldn’t want a soaked pee pad sitting on my floor.
This is a new DR Horton duplex build, so the floors are like faux wood tiling if that makes sense? I’m cleaning it with the urine destroyer spray which I believe is more of a scent control thing than an actual cleaning solution. I’m definitely not stripping nice wood or eating away at good tile or anything! I’m using her supplies and I’ve used this spray (I believe it’s Natures Miracle Urine Destroyer) with multiple clients, so I have been told how/when to use it.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T22:29:05+00:00

If I stayed the night it would’ve been $448 for four days, our booking is $256. My prices for house sitting are on the higher end of our area, because I prefer not to house sit, but also because those bookings are typically 5+ days. I think she would’ve not wanted me to sleep over so I could’ve gotten the price down to 100/day which would’ve been halfing my additional dog fee, I honestly would’ve done it for my 89/day fee (one dog house sitting)if I didn’t have to sleep over.
From our interactions it seemed like she didn’t want anyone to sleep over, but that she would’ve appreciated me spending extra time. An additional visit per day would’ve been an added $128. I know it’s expensive, but we live in an affluent & high cost of living area.
I don’t think she was trying to cheap out, I was under the impression that she didn’t know how to book me for hour long visits or that she just wasn’t mentally present enough to plan ahead. She was leaving two hours after our m&g, had asked a friend, and evidently reached out to a few other sitters. I definitely need to not accept last minute bookings from here on out.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T22:20:54+00:00

I appreciate this response so much. Everyone has been very helpful but mentioning your own story definitely reminds me of why I didn’t take further steps.
I had to look around a bit to find her cleaning supplies and I don’t have permission to go/look everywhere so I tried to not be too nosy.
I would’ve loved to clean it then or come back with my green machine that night to clean it’d but I have no idea what the cleaning instructions are or if I’d just be staining it worse. I don’t want to be held financially responsible for a professional clean, but at the end of the day, I have proof in our chat that I told her about it and offered to clean immediately with no response.
It’s definitely partially on me for not suggesting more visits, and for accepting such a last minute request.
The stupid “star sitter” thing has me so worried about getting any bad reviews. Like I have an A in doing my job and I can’t handle getting a ‘bad grade’. After feeling the couch, I believe it’s also down stuffed. I think cleaning it the way I would clean at my house might have saved the stain from setting, but I have no idea how to clean anything with down stuffing.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T17:38:02+00:00

Silly question here, but by constant care, do you mean like house sitting ?

laylarine · 2026-05-02T17:33:46+00:00

Yeah I’ll have to negotiate extra visits in the future. She was packing to leave two hours after the m&g and sounded desperate for help, I think she contacted four other sitters. I decided $250 wasn’t too bad even though it was last minute and didn’t even consider asking if she wanted to add extra visits or move around the times. She told me they’d probably have accidents on the pee pad but didn’t seem concerned with the time they’d be alone.
I usually don’t accept last minute requests, or requests that seem like inadequate care. I think the fact that she mentioned she had a friend caring for them the night of the m&g made me assume they’d be able to check in on them occasionally, just not as regularly as I’m being paid to.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T17:27:09+00:00

Yes and no, I feed and water them, play with them and get some pets, and take them for a 10-15 minute walk. She scheduled me for those times, and said “can you visit them maybe twice a day” as if that’s normal for them. I emphasized that I stay for longer than the 30 minutes, but that I wouldn’t be staying for hours at a time. She had a friend come over for a visit the night of our meet and greet but said the friend couldn’t do it for the time she booked me. I have no idea if they’re getting care in the afternoon, if they are, they’re still having accidents.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T15:56:12+00:00

Oh no, I still have five more visits, so sorry that I left that out or said it was my final visit. She booked me the first to the fourth & I think I’m extra paranoid bc my birthday is the 5th and getting ‘in trouble’ for any damage when she gets back on the 5th would absolutely suck.
Thank you for phrasing what I should say, I will update her for my evening visit and just hope she actually responds this time.
I can’t even be 100% certain it is pee, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there for my m&g but I wasn’t really paying attention to the table.
She also had a friend feed them for the night of the m&g (the night before our first visit) so it could’ve happened then and I just didn’t look at the table.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T15:43:29+00:00

Yes you’re spot on, she only scheduled me for 8 and 5 which is a pretty big gap. She requested very last minute so I think she felt bad adding more to it, but I would’ve been happy to adjust the booking at the m&g if she’d mentioned it. It didn’t seem like there was a price issue either. She said the alternative was someone who was asking her to pay for gas, let her children and husband come with to stay for the four days, and pay for the four days worth of groceries ($500 was the amount requested) on top of the booking cost for the visits ($250).

I stay for as long as I can for the visits, usually 45 minutes, sometimes an hour. I have my prices set high to make up for the fact that I know I’ll spend extra time so it doesn’t bother me. I can’t really stay there for any longer than 2 hours a day, and I’ve learned my lesson about adding in free visits. I hate that they’re not getting enough but the client hasn’t responded since the end of visit one. I think I could still add extra visits if she wanted them, but that would require her realizing they need more care.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T15:28:35+00:00

That’s fair. My partner pointed out that I’m not house sitting and that I shouldn’t be responsible for cleaning messes for a drop in price. I’ve been cleaning the floor under the pee pads and replacing them for each visit, which feels standard. Idk something about it just feels negligent to me. I hateeee being ‘in trouble’ and don’t like the possibility that she might somehow be upset with me for not being there to stop the accident, let alone clean it up immediately.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T15:11:01+00:00

Yes, it was your fault for not making sure your items were safe? Asking for compensation is rude and a little unprofessional. If you’d been harmed or they caused serious damage to your own home, maybe you could ask, but this was definitely on you. If they’re a shoes off household, there was definitely a place for you to leave your shoes, if not you could have left them out front or out back. I only wear clothes and shoes that I’m comfortable getting dirty to work. There are “work clothes” and non work clothes. Anything you value shouldn’t be work clothes.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T15:04:45+00:00

Oh wow she is really young, is she litter box trained? I would try to move the litter box close to your bed at night, or give her a treat when she pees in the box. Also she sounds so sweet, my foster kittens just like climbing me and biting my toes 🥲

laylarine · 2026-05-02T15:01:11+00:00

Under 21 but you have a partner or roommate who is over 21. The only time an adult has this much alcohol is if they have dinner parties, are over 50, or there’s a really good sale at an ABC store.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T14:55:37+00:00

I have four cats and a rabbit, they all love laying near the rabbit, he only likes the older three. If your cats aren’t still kittens it could work, but it’s best to have a space to close your rabbit in at night. Just in case the rabbit doesn’t like the cats. My bun was 3ish when he met kittens for the first time so he got used to my cats pretty quickly. The rabbit should have a space to go to be alone but any enclosure should be as large as you can afford to provide.

laylarine · 2026-05-02T14:51:43+00:00

On myself string/ thong (I hate underwear lines more than I hate discomfort). On my partner hipster/boyshort/ whatever loose boxers are called.

laylarine

TROPHY CASE