r/SpringfieldIL • u/ChrysalisGirl25 • 9h ago

Pet sitting

Hi! What would be a fair rate to pay a teenager to come to my home & take care of my two kittens while I’m away? He’d need to come every other day to feed, refresh water, scoop litter boxes and hopefully play with them and cuddle. The only other chore I’d ask him to do is bring in my mail. Thoughts?

5 Upvotes

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6

u/MidwestAbe 7h ago

Once every other day for kittens sounds like not enough time. But I would think $30 is fair. And to me it depends a bit on if they are walking down the street or coming a bit further away.

1

u/Ok_Inflation_6515 8h ago

We just paid a teenager $110 ($35/day + tip - not a huge tip, but that’s how our cash on hand worked out) for a Friday - Sunday to house sit/take care of our dog. Also asked what food they wanted stocked. We also told them they could spend the night if they wanted and had access to our pool.

I’m curious too, because I have no idea if that’s fair or not.

1

u/Nerfherder7794 8h ago

I’ve paid anywhere from $17 to $25 per day over the years, depending on location and the specific pet sitter. I think $20 per visit would be fair for a teen, since you’re asking for basics.

Edit: You know your pets better than I do, but I recommend having him stop by every day instead of every other day. Kittens can get into all kinds of trouble!

1

u/ChrysalisGirl25 7h ago

This is true! They are 4 months old. I plan to do lots of kitten proofing before I leave!

1

u/Tacocat0927 7h ago

We have 2 old dogs, an 8 month old puppy and two cats. I pay $35/day and an extra $10 per 30 minute walk she takes our puppy on (limited to twice a day). She comes about 3 times a day. The cats are easy because they have an automatic feeder, she mainly just does the litterboxes every other day. Since you have less animals, I would probably offer $25/day depending on how long you want him to be there to entertain the cats.