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Thread: Catsitting for 20+ CATS!

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
    Posts
    20,163

    Catsitting for 20+ CATS!

    I don't remember if I posted here a couple of months ago about talking with a breeder of Turkish Vans in Ypsilanti (next town over) ... http://ypsivans.com.. about sitting for some 17 of her cats when she took a couple of others to a cat show out of town. And the job fell through at the last minute, due to a "family emergency" she said.

    I thought perhaps she'd decided she just didn't want to pay for a petsitter and that was the last I'd hear from her.

    A couple of weeks ago she got back in touch with me: she was going to a show in Wisconsin the weekend of Sept. 20-22 and would I sit for her. Well, I did it.. a visit Friday pm, visits Saturday am and pm and Sunday am and pm.

    There were more cats this time; including a litter of 6 kittens about 6-7 weeks old.

    I did it! Boy, was it exhausting!

    I got $30 a visit, thinking about an hour each time. She's talking about another show in October. I think I'll ask for more; it took at least an hour each visit, and that was with everything going smoothly.

    (Also I'm going to line up liability insurance. It was hitting me what a huge responsibility all these cats were!)

    She has this cute little house with lots of little rooms, one after the other, many without overhead lighting. Some cats were in this area, some in that, and some should not get into other areas but some were very tricky about slipping through narrow door openings or opening screen doors themselves.

    So It was all very interesting, shall I say ..now that everything went well and I'm unwinding from it all.

    Anyway, I wanted to share this update.. and ask for any feedback or thoughts you might have and also what I should charge now that I know more about what exactly is involved.

    Cheers! All the best,

    Pat
    I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"
    Death thought about it.
    CATS, he said eventually. CATS ARE NICE.

    -- Terry Pratchett (1948—2015), Sourcery

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    22,005
    I don't know what to charge for rates - but where are the PICTURES????
    "Do or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Illinois, USA
    Posts
    28,378
    That's what I was thinking too... could you take pictures of her kitties when you visit them again. Were the kittens adorable, I bet they were! I think it's a good idea to have liability insurance. Are Turkish Van cats the ones who like to play in water?

    Copied from her Web site... Ypsivans Ronald Weasley - look at his eyes! I want to smooch him!
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Litter Box, Greenville, SC
    Posts
    5,307
    They are so cute. I love the pic of the cat and the Dalmation. I thought Vans came in other colors, too.
    Anne
    Meowmie to Lucy Lou and Barney, and Aunt to Timmy (RIP)

    Former kitties now in foster care: Nellie aka Eleanor van Fluffytail (at a Cat Cafe), Lady Jane Grey, Bob the Bobtail, and Callie. Kimi has been adopted into another family that understands Siamese. HRH Oliver Woodrow von Katz is in a Sanctuary.

    I'm Homeless, but with resources, and learning to live again.


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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Santa Paula, CA
    Posts
    27,648
    Wow! That sure sounds like a lot of work. Right now I'm pet sitting for only 2 cats and I just go over there once a day. I feed them and make sure that they have enough water in their drinking fountain, bring in the mail, and check to make sure that their automatic litter box is working properly. I will also need to change the bag in the litter box since their parents are out of town for 2 weeks. I'm getting $15 per day and they live less than 1 mile away from me so it only takes me maybe 15 minutes a day to do this. I would definitely ask for more money per day at least $50 maybe even more. Good luck.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    St. Louis, Missouri
    Posts
    5,383
    I normally charge $15/visit but for that many cats I would absolutely have asked for $30/visit... that's a lot to look after!!!!!

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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    40,169
    That would be a lot of work, but a labor of love for this Old Cat Man. I know have Ten Cats and Four Visitors. That is a lot of litter box cleaning and can opening. And we too want PHOTOS!!
    Please
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
    Posts
    20,163
    These are the six kittens I was taking care of: http://ypsivans.com/brand_new_kittens

    They've gotten somewhat bigger, of course, since these pictures were taken, and they were just FULL of energy, scampering and bouncing and exploring and climbing all over.

    Ronald, the guy in the photo that cassiesmom posted here, is one of the cats who went to the show in Wisconsin.

    My phone doesn't have a camera in it. I have a separate digital camera, but I don't know if I'd have the energy to try and line up good shots with it on top of all the food-serving and water-changing and litterbox-scooping.. and slipping carefully through doorways to make sure that little feet weren't scampering out below where I was looking.. washing a LOT of dishes..

    Carol, the owner, is talking about going to another show next month.. in Pennsylvania, I think.. and she'll be away longer for that one.

    I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"
    Death thought about it.
    CATS, he said eventually. CATS ARE NICE.

    -- Terry Pratchett (1948—2015), Sourcery

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