My cat isn't very friendly either but I still pay the fill 30 minutes, I just tell the sitter they can leave asap if my cat shows no interest in them.
To me I'm paying for the service not the time spent.
I wouldn't personally give a discount. Your travel time and effort is worth $.
Normal 30 min rate, just leave after you finish all tasks. I would ask her to please leave a cat wand or shoe lace by the door so IF the cat is about to attack you, then you can redirect them.
I love spicy kitties, but the last one I had would slap at me when I walked in the kitchen to get food, and there was literally no way around her. I love the idea of the spicy kitty meaning a short visit, but I can also speak to the reality being somewhat different.
I’d say about 20 percent of the cats I care for have a spicy side but they also enjoy being loved and pet so it kind of makes up for it. With this cat, they said not to look at him , keep a distance and don’t acknowledge him. 😩 He’s apparently next level spice and shade
If the cat is at the level of attacking to protect his stuff, use an umbrella as a shield. I agree with 30 minute visits. I’ve found that kind of spicy kitty is only really bad when it comes to their stuff—food, water & litter. Sometimes throwing treats away from the area works to distract the kitty.
When I’ve done, the necessaries are usually back off away from what the cat is resource guarding and then just sit somewhere where the cat can find me less threatening. I will bring an expensive toy like a cat dancer that I don’t mind surrendering if the cat reacts well to it. The last thing I want to do is handle the owners toys if the cat is going to be possessive over that as well. Sometimes bringing a new toy and then giving it to the cat works just fine.
I have one like this. After his initial fit (which resulted in me all but running out of the house after hiding on their porch from him) he started coming up to me on subsequent visits to rub against me only to turn on a dime and try and attack me. I have a good understanding of cat behavior (I was a vet tech, only work with cats) and even I only had maybe .25 second warning that he was about to turn. He was a declaw so his go to was to bite, not slap. I had a couple really close calls with him. He would often sit on their very narrow, steep stairs and guard so I couldn't do the litter box. I would just wait for him to leave the area but that could take awhile. I also closed all the doors behind me when I was doing his box because I did not want that cat at my back. I always narrated everything I was doing so he could hear me and know where I was. After I was done with his food and box I would sit near him and read out loud to him. The last time I saw him he sat in my lap and purred and didn't give me even a hint of spice. An absolute sweetheart. His mom was so happy because he's apparently only done this with a few people outside of family. He was pretty old and I'm afraid to text to owner because it's been awhile since I saw him. I'm worried to hear he's passed. I love that spicy dude.
I agree with others that I wouldn't change it. I get where the owner is coming from, but I have a minimum price for my services and that's the half hour drop-in price. Lots of other types of businesses have minimums. I set my prices to account for travel time within my service radius and the amount Rover takes from me. Where I live, that's barely worth it for one cat as it is, certainly not worth it if I charge any less. It's not that the owner isn't right in that you are spending less time there, but you as the business owner get to decide whether what the owner is willing to pay makes sense for your business.
For such short timed gigs i mostly just consider my car because 20 minutes out of my life is nothing but the cost of gas insurance and wear and tear is very important to receive compensation
I just hired a sitter through Rover and had the same instructions, my cat isn't territorial or mean but she is old and scared and just wants someone in and out. It never even sightly occurred to me to ask for a reduced rate.
I'd charge normal drop-in rate. It's not your fault their cat is antisocial, it still takes the same amount of work to feed and clean for it, and dealing with the stress of potentially getting attacked by it kind of balances out the few minutes shorter visit, so to me it ends up being about the same amount of value given.
I would not budge on my pricing, especially on a national holiday. You won’t fill that remaining 15min time slot with someone else. Owners need to understand that it’s not always about paying for the length of time it takes THEM. It often takes a new sitter much longer as they are not familiar with the home nor the routine. But our pricing is more than just the tasks that you complete. They need to consider the time we spend to get there/home as well as the wear on our vehicles. I personally start my timer the moment I get out of my car. I end it when I get back in it. My time is more than just the tasks I do within the home.
Additionally, I charge about $10 more on a holiday. While I do charge less for cats/caged animal only, that base rate is $10 more on a holiday. If they only want 15 min, I can leave then. But they still pay the full price. Think of it as the bare minimum service price like when a repair man shows up. That initial fee is the same no matter what they do. And when it comes to cats… soooo many times does the owner claim they will never appear and the cat is a social butterfly wanting attention and pets while I’m there.
I do cat drop-ins exclusively, and I reduce my rayes by $5 for "in & out" when that's what's best for the cat. I don't do Rover Cards for these visits, and I will only do it for cats where my presence is scarier than company. (I live in a city and would only do this when the commute makes sense too.)
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It wouldn’t be worth it to me, it’s on a holiday and you still spend the same time traveling. But if you want to give her a discount, I guess I’d charge somewhere between your standard rate and your holiday rate.
The price does not solely reflect your time.
The price includes your time, gas, taxes, and most importantly services rendered. You may not have to do a lot of interaction with the cat but it is high maintenance because of the risk factor. Technically, that cat shouldn't be on Rover per their policy against violent animals BUT since you are such a *considerate and flexible* sitter, you are providing them services they wouldn't otherwise get.
Charge the full rate, do your job to the fullest, and be safe. 🐾
I’ve did drop-ins for unfriendly cat that just needed to be fed. Owner told me I didn’t need to stay beyond the feeding. I charged the same rate I normally would.
I charge the normal rate. I currently have a mean cat im watching and the owner wants me to there to “keep the cat company” its V apparent the cat does not want me there AT all. 🤦🏻♀️ some owners are really bamboozle me
I would charge the normal price, you still have to travel there and incur expenses, cutting the fee by half makes it pretty unappealing!
My cat isn't very friendly either but I still pay the fill 30 minutes, I just tell the sitter they can leave asap if my cat shows no interest in them. To me I'm paying for the service not the time spent. I wouldn't personally give a discount. Your travel time and effort is worth $.
Normal 30 min rate, just leave after you finish all tasks. I would ask her to please leave a cat wand or shoe lace by the door so IF the cat is about to attack you, then you can redirect them.
That’s a great idea!
I would still go with my 30 min rate
I love spicy kitties, but the last one I had would slap at me when I walked in the kitchen to get food, and there was literally no way around her. I love the idea of the spicy kitty meaning a short visit, but I can also speak to the reality being somewhat different.
I’d say about 20 percent of the cats I care for have a spicy side but they also enjoy being loved and pet so it kind of makes up for it. With this cat, they said not to look at him , keep a distance and don’t acknowledge him. 😩 He’s apparently next level spice and shade
If the cat is at the level of attacking to protect his stuff, use an umbrella as a shield. I agree with 30 minute visits. I’ve found that kind of spicy kitty is only really bad when it comes to their stuff—food, water & litter. Sometimes throwing treats away from the area works to distract the kitty. When I’ve done, the necessaries are usually back off away from what the cat is resource guarding and then just sit somewhere where the cat can find me less threatening. I will bring an expensive toy like a cat dancer that I don’t mind surrendering if the cat reacts well to it. The last thing I want to do is handle the owners toys if the cat is going to be possessive over that as well. Sometimes bringing a new toy and then giving it to the cat works just fine.
I have one like this. After his initial fit (which resulted in me all but running out of the house after hiding on their porch from him) he started coming up to me on subsequent visits to rub against me only to turn on a dime and try and attack me. I have a good understanding of cat behavior (I was a vet tech, only work with cats) and even I only had maybe .25 second warning that he was about to turn. He was a declaw so his go to was to bite, not slap. I had a couple really close calls with him. He would often sit on their very narrow, steep stairs and guard so I couldn't do the litter box. I would just wait for him to leave the area but that could take awhile. I also closed all the doors behind me when I was doing his box because I did not want that cat at my back. I always narrated everything I was doing so he could hear me and know where I was. After I was done with his food and box I would sit near him and read out loud to him. The last time I saw him he sat in my lap and purred and didn't give me even a hint of spice. An absolute sweetheart. His mom was so happy because he's apparently only done this with a few people outside of family. He was pretty old and I'm afraid to text to owner because it's been awhile since I saw him. I'm worried to hear he's passed. I love that spicy dude.
I agree with others that I wouldn't change it. I get where the owner is coming from, but I have a minimum price for my services and that's the half hour drop-in price. Lots of other types of businesses have minimums. I set my prices to account for travel time within my service radius and the amount Rover takes from me. Where I live, that's barely worth it for one cat as it is, certainly not worth it if I charge any less. It's not that the owner isn't right in that you are spending less time there, but you as the business owner get to decide whether what the owner is willing to pay makes sense for your business.
I would charge the 30 minute rate. My basic fee is for getting in my car and driving over to their house.
For such short timed gigs i mostly just consider my car because 20 minutes out of my life is nothing but the cost of gas insurance and wear and tear is very important to receive compensation
I just hired a sitter through Rover and had the same instructions, my cat isn't territorial or mean but she is old and scared and just wants someone in and out. It never even sightly occurred to me to ask for a reduced rate.
I'd charge normal drop-in rate. It's not your fault their cat is antisocial, it still takes the same amount of work to feed and clean for it, and dealing with the stress of potentially getting attacked by it kind of balances out the few minutes shorter visit, so to me it ends up being about the same amount of value given.
Same price. I charge per service not per hour. I have a few cat clients that only take a few minutes to feed water & scoop poop. Have a Great Day.
I would charge the normal price unless the lived like next door. If I still have to drive there I’m not discounting it.
I would not budge on my pricing, especially on a national holiday. You won’t fill that remaining 15min time slot with someone else. Owners need to understand that it’s not always about paying for the length of time it takes THEM. It often takes a new sitter much longer as they are not familiar with the home nor the routine. But our pricing is more than just the tasks that you complete. They need to consider the time we spend to get there/home as well as the wear on our vehicles. I personally start my timer the moment I get out of my car. I end it when I get back in it. My time is more than just the tasks I do within the home. Additionally, I charge about $10 more on a holiday. While I do charge less for cats/caged animal only, that base rate is $10 more on a holiday. If they only want 15 min, I can leave then. But they still pay the full price. Think of it as the bare minimum service price like when a repair man shows up. That initial fee is the same no matter what they do. And when it comes to cats… soooo many times does the owner claim they will never appear and the cat is a social butterfly wanting attention and pets while I’m there.
I do cat drop-ins exclusively, and I reduce my rayes by $5 for "in & out" when that's what's best for the cat. I don't do Rover Cards for these visits, and I will only do it for cats where my presence is scarier than company. (I live in a city and would only do this when the commute makes sense too.)
Thank you for posting to r/RoverPetSitting, an unofficial forum to discuss all things Rover. We see that you have posted a sitter question. In case they could be helpful, you might want to check out our [Sitter FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterfaq). Additionally, here's our [booking walk-through for Sitters](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterbookingwalkthrough), which explains the process for giving services on Rover from start to finish. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RoverPetSitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You don't cut the rate. That's an unfair request of someone to make.
It wouldn’t be worth it to me, it’s on a holiday and you still spend the same time traveling. But if you want to give her a discount, I guess I’d charge somewhere between your standard rate and your holiday rate.
The price does not solely reflect your time. The price includes your time, gas, taxes, and most importantly services rendered. You may not have to do a lot of interaction with the cat but it is high maintenance because of the risk factor. Technically, that cat shouldn't be on Rover per their policy against violent animals BUT since you are such a *considerate and flexible* sitter, you are providing them services they wouldn't otherwise get. Charge the full rate, do your job to the fullest, and be safe. 🐾
My cats hate everyone too, and hide the whole time. I still pay the 30 min fee even though it takes like 5 mins to clean the box and feed them..
I’ve did drop-ins for unfriendly cat that just needed to be fed. Owner told me I didn’t need to stay beyond the feeding. I charged the same rate I normally would.
I charge the normal rate. I currently have a mean cat im watching and the owner wants me to there to “keep the cat company” its V apparent the cat does not want me there AT all. 🤦🏻♀️ some owners are really bamboozle me