pet sitting vs. boarding

phenomsmom

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What is the cost. My mom and I are talking about pet sitting. I would rather have a trusted sitter come feed and play with my animals and save them the stress of going to a new environment. But does anyone know the cost difference. What do pet sitters usually charge?
 

catlady4

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I boarded once, never again, it is too stressful for my cats. I have a very dependable sitter, the charge in my area is $15.00 per day, it is money well spent. The sitter also brings in my mail and newspaper, and waters house plants. The sitter has the name of my Vet, and the name and telephone number of my neighbor if she should have some emergency and can not get here. I have been using a sitter for 6 years and find the arrangement most satisfactory, my kitties all love her.
 

gailuvscats

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the petsitter here charges 15.00 a visit. the vet charges 15 a day for boarding. If you board three cats it is more than one or two visits a day, plus the cats are not in a cage, at home, comfy and less stressed. Plus the catsitter gives pills as well. I bet the vet charges extra for that.
 

cdubbie

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the going rate in my area for a certified, licensed, and bonded sitter is $15 per visit for 1-3 cats. Includes what catlady said.
Visit is 30 minutes max, and includes playtime as well as the essentials.

Since I am a pet sitter, I can say w/o a doubt, animals are much happier in their own environment vs being boarded - even if they are lonely w/o their humans.

A new client of mine recently switched from kennel to me...she noticed a big improvement in the animals happiness level when she returned (vs when she picked them up last year at the kennel).
 

keelyg

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I recently had this dilema! I had Tilly booked in to board at her vets when I went back to England for 5 days over Christmas. A few days before she was due to go in I went to have a look round and my heart sank - was a wall of cages and they advised not to bring any toys / things with my scent on as they'd just get lost...

I found a pet-sitting service online (fetch) and they were fantastic - it was v short notice but they said they'd definitely find someone. The sitter came round the next day for an intro meeting - got down on the floor and head-butted with the cat and they were firm friends!

The vet charge was $15 per day and the sitter was $20 for 30 mins or $30 for an hour - and then it was an extra $5 for the public holiday days.

So, it cost double but honestly, it was so worth the peace of mind knowing Tilly was at home and being able to picture what she'd be doing / where she'd be sleeping - I hardly worried about her at all - whereas I'm sure I'd have felt guilty all holiday thinking about her caged up at the vets!
 

rang_27

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I just had a pet sitter after Christmas. It cost $45 for 2 vists & a one time $15 fee for coming to the house to fill out paper work & meet the cats. Where I would have boarded them it would have been $17 a day per cat, which would have been between $272 - $289 depending on what day I picked them up. So for me it was a huge money savings. Personally unless the cat needed the medical care offered by a boarding service I would go with a pet sitter.
 

rosey

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Usually it costs 15$ for boarding but for Isis it's 30$
I am not sure if it's because the place is totally lavish or what but it's her vets office and i figured it would be best. My old vet was only 15$/day for boarding.
Pet sitting: free...a friend of mine does it
 

gizmocat

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Pet sitting is much better! The cat is in familiar surroundings and not exposed to germs and illnesses from other cats.

My neighbours and I trade catsitting services. I looked after their three kids (with a battalion of supporting visitors) when they went to Uganda for a month, and they catsat Gizmo when I was away for two five-day trips. They said they got the better part of the deal--but it was no bother for any of us.
 

sharky

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I have done both and only like vourding when the animal needs something( ie bathing or trimming ) otherwise I would get a sitter.... currently the sitter is mom and she is cheap
 

white cat lover

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I am cat sitting for a lady....I love this lady....I have no flat rate. She said she'd pay me $10 / visit & ended up paying me like $16 / visit as she thought I did a wonderful job. 30 mins. 2x a day. Cats are much more comofortable being at home with a pet sitter.....I know that a friend of mine now uses as in home pet sitter as her chronic UTI kitty would get a UTI every time she was boarded from the stress.
 

amy-dhh

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Pet sitting is better. Get references and find someone good (ask around locally and find someone that comes recommended if possible).

My mom uses a pet sitter and pays quite a bit.. about $40 per day, but the sitter also spends the night with her cat (my mom doesn't like to leave her old lady alone for nights on end).

Sometimes, my mom uses either a cousin of mine or a young college-aged girl who works in her office. She usually saves money by doing this (when she can't afford the pet sitter), gets someone she knows and trusts who will spend the night, and has had no problems. The key is that it's someone you KNOW is responsible. A neice, cousin, good friends college-aged kid, etc. My mom will usually offer about $25 per day.

Don't know what the cost is if they DON'T spend the night... but I'd imagine cheaper.
 

rapunzel47

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We pay our sitter $18/visit (CDN) and couldn't be happier. The visits are nominally 30 minutes, but she's often her for 45 or more. She feeds, scoops, plays, will take in mail and water plants, is licensed, bonded, insured, pet first aid certified, and the kids are warming up to her as quickly as they warm up to anyone. I wouldn't think of boarding.
 

urbantigers

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It depends on your circumstances - the cat's personality, how long you're going away for, how good your sitter is etc. - as well as the boarding cattery. I prefer to board mine as I think they do better there and are safer than if they had a stranger coming into the house twice a day. But I do use a good cattery where they pay a lot of attention to individual cats and which has sneeze barriers etc. Mosi got a lot more attention there over xmas than he'd have got home alone with someone coming in for an hour a day. He loved it.
 

celestialrags

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I board my dogs. I would most likely board my cats. I would hire a sitter to feed/water the horses mabey.
 

tavia'smom

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I guess I am a worry wart cause I don't go out of town for just that reason that I am affraid to trust the boarding places or sitters. And it might be because Tavia doesn't really like strangers and she gets easily stressed. If I do go somewhere my dad takes care of her and Lilly but even then I worry because she is such a finicky cat everything has to be a certain way or she's not happy. And I mean with her food and such as that. She is just a very delicate cat and so I don't really chance leaving her alone with anyone but me. My dog is about as bad when she was spayed she cried so much they thought she was in pain and sedated her. Because she doesn't shut up its why I couldn't crate train her I tried and she wouldn't give in on the crying. But as long as she's with my dad she's okay but its not fair for me to ask him to watch either one of them really.
 

mamakitties

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I never board my cats ever since what I saw at the boarding. It was nothing but walls and cages. There is NO way I am going to have my cats locked in such sad place. It really reminded me of animals in labs.


The last time I had a friend cat sit my two cats, I had to drop them off at their place cause it's 30 minutes drive. I think it will be my last time dropping them off at anyone's house cause they were so scared and when I picked them up, they ran to me and wouldn't leave my side. Next time I'm out of town, I'm going to have a certified petsitter coming to my place or someone closer to me check on them daily. I don't think it's a good idea to change their environment like this. It got me really worried for a couple of days until they settled down again at their home sweet home.
 

celestialrags

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I don't like the idea of them being scared, or uncomfortable because they aren't home, or caged, ect. But I know they are safe and secure, 10 mins after the sitter leaves and they got hurt, or tried to get out of a window, some one breaks in, ect, how long will they be there before the sitter gets back to try to find/care for them. If they are secure in a cage I know they are atleast going to be there when I get back, or if they get hurt some one will notice sooner. (I haven't boarded a cat before, I didn't have one for a long time, but I think I would, this is with my dogs, I had one that didn't like thunder, and if I left him home and he broke through a window, he could get hurt and non one would be there to get him to a vet,) but if they are boarded some one is there a lot more often and at night kenneled. I don't want them caged but would rather come home and have them safe and sound still. JMO
 
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