Lady told me her dog got along with cats, but her dog is NOT getting along with my cat. What do I do?

It's absolutely up to you if you want to call Rover and see if someone else wants to take the dog, or you can suck it up for a week and keep them separated. You should do whatever is the best for a safe stay of the dog and your cat. Just make sure they are separated because cats can cause ugly injuries to dogs and vice versa. Good luck!

If I were in this situation I would keep the cat in a separate room and kept the door locked.

I have a dog walking client who lives with 3 cats, but if he sees a cat when we are walking his prey drive kicks in and he pulls like a banshee to try and get the cat. Doubt the owner lied the dog is fine with their cats but not with yours, as Lenka said you need to keep the cat separated. Note if you do cancel the stay and move the dog to another sitter you may be penalized with account suspension, return of all the booking fee and suffer a bad review. Best of luck to you.

This happens unfortunately. This is exactly why I think sitter's reviews of the dog should be visible to the next sitter booking them! The owner may or may not have lied, but I have learned through hard experience that dogs behave very differently in the presence of their owners and their absence. They will definitely test you if you just met them. In such circumstances, I usually ask the owner what I can do to discipline their dog and make him/her back off. If it still doesn't work out, it is probably best to find a different sitter with the owner's help. I don't know how much help Rover is under these circumstances, but they are your best bet.

Amanda, Tough situation you had in July, and I hope you were able to arrange things comfortably for you and the animals. In the future, have a short meet and greet prior to the stay with the dog (cat, parrot whatever) and their person in your residence. This will give both you and the client the ability to “size up” the relationship. Many times, when both parties observe things for themselves, there is agreement and no one ends up with hurt feelings.

I will state that I have lost several dog walking/visit clients because I wouldn’t budge on a conducting a meet and greet at the dog’s residence. I explain that this allows the dog to meet me, see that I am “authorized” to enter the house and take them outside, etc. It also allows me to see the layout of the residence, crate location, where is the dog allowed to roam if free?

The client sees you in their home, with their dog (or in your home) so can picture what happens when they are away.

The meet and greet at your residence - where the dog is staying - again, the dog has at least been there, smelled a few things, met the other animals and you - with their person there for reassurance, affirmation, and agreement that this place is acceptable. No matter how nice, sweet, mushy the dog is with their household, your place is different.

The meet and greet allows you to VERIFY what the owner says - as best you are can.

Just because a dog gets along with his cats at his house does not mean that they will get along with your cats. As a Rover Sitter that boards or has daycare in your home it is your job to make sure your guest dogs are safe, comfortable and well cared for. I keep my cats in their own cat world when I have guest dogs so that there is no risk of any confrontation. No matter what the owner says, you should put the well being, safety and comfort of your guest dog first. If you are put off because the guest dog is acting like a dog, maybe boarding at your home is not a good idea.

I say, if you can separate them without issue, do so. Introduce them slowly and reinforce the bond you have with your cat so the dog can understand. We have also had this issue come up. It is quickly resolved. If it's really bad I recommend you call Rover or spend a little money on a doggy gate.