Cat sitting costs: visits, overnight care and a week's budget

Illustrative seven-day totals

CVP arithmetic from listed tariffs; assumes seven identical chargeable days with no extras.

Compare the same absence with sitting and a cattery

Use actual quotes for the same dates. A visit and continuous accommodation are different services.

Price the departure and return visits explicitly

Using 4 Paws’ published £12 single visit and £21 two-visit day: one departure-evening visit, six full two-visit days and one return-morning visit total £150 (£12 + 6 × £21 + £12). This purchases 14 visits across eight calendar dates. It is £3 more than seven complete two-visit days at £147.

This is a tariff-based booking illustration before extras, not an agreed booking or recommended visit frequency. Ask for the additional-cat and holiday terms; do not assume a per-household rate includes every task for every cat.

Agree the visit schedule around care

Decide the schedule with the sitter around feeding, litter care, medication and your cat's needs. Ask what the sitter does if a normally visible cat cannot be found or food is untouched. A cheaper plan with fewer visits is not an equivalent quote.

Write down which tasks fit within the visit and whether additional time can be authorised. For medication, confirm the sitter's experience and your vet's instructions before committing.

A week's absence is not always seven full days of visits

Build the booking by actual visits: perhaps an evening visit after departure, two on each full day away and a morning visit before you return. Obtain a price for that schedule and add a contingency visit in case travel is delayed.

The examples above are deliberately seven complete days, making the multiplication reproducible. They are not a recommendation that one particular schedule is suitable for every cat.

Check the household and key arrangements

Confirm whether the fee covers every cat in your home, key collection and return, a preliminary meeting, parking, and weekend or bank-holiday visits. Ask how updates are sent and what backup applies if the sitter is unwell.

Home access deserves a separate conversation: identify who will hold keys, whether another person can attend, and how alarm codes are protected. Avoid leaving these arrangements to an informal booking note.

When comparing with a cattery

Compare the total for the same dates and number of cats, including shared accommodation, transport and arrival-day billing. Sitting keeps the cat at home but provides only the presence you book; a cattery offers a different environment and care routine. Neither price alone establishes the better option.

Contact a vet promptly if your cat becomes unwell during your absence. Leave a reachable decision-maker and an agreed payment arrangement so the sitter is not waiting for permission in an emergency.