How much to charge for 24/7 care for 6 pets?

If you are going to lose out on business (dog walks - drop in's)....Think about that.

Someone expects me to stay at their house 24/7? That person is restricting my freedom to accomplish other tasks, medical appointments, grocery shopping, errands, and not meet up with friends - and otherwise have downtime in my home? Yikes. That's a lot to ask for $80.00. Plus 6 animals who poop, pee, squabble, need attention from you, walks, potty time - and cleaning litter boxes?

How much do local boarding facilities charge? Some even have cameras hooked up to wi-fi where you can view the pets on camera. So, when you are thinking about how much you cost while providing individual attention and care, along with house sitting....

Remember you set the terms - and I would have some things in writing and agreed to before booking. - Something says to me, make sure you have some interesting eventualities covered - just read a few things on the boards here to convince yourself weird stuff happens.

The client always knows the animals routines, and how they have evolved to meet the needs of the client, their family and the animals. As a sitter you are on alert every moment your are with the animals, learning their habits, do and don'ts, remembering who gets fed first - all of that. Those are some pretty impressively complex dynamics to insert a new caregiver.

Please value yourself and your skills.

How long is the stay for? If it's only for a few days I usually don't mind staying in the client home 24/7. Anything over 3 days is unacceptable. I have to check on my home, go to church on Sunday, and possibly visit other clients. is there a reason she's asking for 24/7 care during the day? For my house sits I am always in the client home from dusk till dawn (usually 7pm to 7-8 am) and most of the daylight hours. I will only leave for a 1-2 hour period, and then not every day.

My rates are $45 for dog #1, $20 for each additional dog, and $5 for cat care (up to 3 cats). So for your situation my nightly charge would be $110. If we were to agree on 24/7 care, it would be $150/night just for the inconvenience of not being able to leave.

Rover's guidelines state house sitting is based on staying 24 hours in the home. So, it's surprising to see rates (like yours at $30) that are only double the charge of a drop in visit ($15). And your additional pet discount is really much lower than expected. On many other profiles, it's just $5 or $10 less than the first pet. If the dog is going to enjoy three or more walks, it seems the house sitting rate should be at least three times more than a walk/drop-in visit rate, with ensuring each pet gets proper nutrition and many hours of attention & affection complimentary. So, I'd encourage you to really consider the posted rates, with your understanding of the local market. Yeah $80 seems extremely low for 24/7 care of 6 pets. In my area, an average charge around $80 would only cover house sitting 2 pets.

The house sitting rate is based on staying overnight in the clients home, however, many sitters also have daily walks scheduled and most clients accept that you will be away from the home for several hours each day. Overall the time to care for 6 pets is marginally incremental, but if you feel you need to ask for more you should!

To keep it simple. For that amount of responsibility, I would charge for 24 hours a day and all that is involved.. approx. 125$ . If it's for days on end, then the first day at $150, 2nd day, 130$. 3rd day 120$ every day after that, 105$. I would also keep that house immaculate, poop box, yard poop, give em all baths, check the mail, etc etc. Then call to the top 3 or 4 boarding facilities and get their prices. Explain to owner they won't need unessecary bordatella, parvo and kennel cough shots etc., they stay in their own home, won't be stressed out, won't come home with fleas, ringworm or ticks, you'll always be there, they'll have walks whenever, won't be over looked and ignored. Won't be locked in a kennel. Etc etc etc. God luck!

I have found this to be a dilemma for me as well. I’m feeling my way through it and I think each situation is a little bit different. I find honesty is the best policy. I tell my 24 hour pet sitting clients that I do have to leave on occasion for an hour or so. That allows me to do any important things I need to do including drop in pet care. If they don’t approve of that I charge more than the normal overnight fee. I’ve separated it into two categories. One from about 6 PM to 8 AM, coming back each night and a category for 24 hour pet care with breaks for an hour each day, if needed, to run to the store, check on my home or do drop ins. If they don’t want to allow me to do the drop in pet care which takes about 45 minutes in most cases, I have to charge them that much extra because I’m not going to lose my regular clients for a once a year thing. Just my opinion but I think it’s a lot to ask to be at someone’s house for 10 days and never be able to leave for anything.