report horrible cat sitter experience in detail?

$120. No other chores. No indoor/outdoor plant watering, big trash to curb, temperature setting, turning lights on/off or getting the mail. The following were agreed upon: make sure dry food was available, a can of cat food with a bit of water mixed in served DAILY and a suggestion of ONE litter box change during the week. I'm not sure if Rover commits to daily photos but I was texted only one photo. I was chest-tighteningly mortified and felt supremely cheated and betrayed when I came home after my week-long absence. As I pulled into the driveway my first sign of lax care was a wet newspaper on the lawn near the sidewalk. I get a Sunday newspaper delivered; I returned on a Fri. Which means the paper had been on the lawn for six days. But I had not specified bringing in the newspaper - so I dismissed the oversight. HOWEVER........Upon entering the house @ 11:30 PM it REAKED of litter-box ammonia (a horrible nose searing, eye tearing, nausea inducing, gagging odor that would be considered a cruel/unusual punishment in a prisoner environment) to the point of having to clean the box after a very long day of travel and a funeral emotionally challenging week. I did not expect daily scooping, just only one simple whole litter box change (during the week I was gone) when stinky...with ALL supplies available 3 feet of said litter box including a large heavy duty trash bag, fresh litter, newspaper, deodorizing granules, Lysol spray, broom and dust pan!!!. All of which were untouched. The 2 dishes of dry food (one upstairs and one downstairs) were piled high (as if you were to leave for 2 days-we cat people have done that)...I guess that qualifies as "dry food available". Because of the other obvious signs of less than poor care, I suspect these dry cat food piles were created on day one and never, ever refreshed. The kitchen trash was swarming with fruit fly-like insects from the empty cans of cat food put in the trash. I surmise that even an unsound, careless rental-apartment dwelling person would have figured to take out the trash (in a closed/sealed plastic bag) or put the whole trash bag in refrigerator. Speaking of, there were several hundred (hundreds...not kidding) of fruit fly-like insects dead on the (inside) bottom of the refrigerator .... meaning at some point the refrigerator door was left open (overnight??) then all the flies died when the door was eventually closed. I cannot prove the dry food piles, (if) the drinking water refreshed, the refrigerator door open, the occasional cat brushing (which was discussed but not a required element), the possibility of other people entering my home or even if visits were daily (directly questioning the occurrence of daily wet cat food nor anything longer than a 5 min visit). I had just moved into this house so everything was still in boxes (and no security cams) - so no valuables were missing. This has been a compelling lesson...install all monitoring systems immediately. I had hidden all prescription and non-prescription medications as well as computers and electronics thus preventing theft without obvious searching. Truly, if I didn't really care for my cat I would have just left open a 2 pound bag of dry cat food, a big bowl of water and a clean litter box for the week I was traveling without hiring anybody (and poorly spending a $100+dollars). A huge aside, when my kids were in middle and high school I would have one of their friends to take care of 2 cats and a large, slobbering dog who needed swims twice a day in the pool. Despite being young they were naturally intuitive (bring in the wet newspaper), took/sent a zillion daily pictures (without requirement), adequately dried the wet dog (no wet-dog odor in the house), watered the LAWN and indoor plants (healthy upon return), took out the trash (and brought the can back into the garage) and would call/text me/my children to ask questions even if that meant daily.... once including a call that a cat had died (I paid for three PTSD therapy visits for this young sitter). The longest time away being 10 days. At one point I was caring for two other dogs (one needed daily insulin injections) as well as "my" pets. At that time the 15y.o I 'hired' for three days, 2 visits a day, was supremely competent in caring for all these animals and the house @ $75 for the entire time ... $25/day (year 2005). The insulin-dependent dog did not become ill (as she had when vet- supervised kenneled for 36 hours). After this ghastly horrendous first-time-using-Rover experience, I have since become acquainted with a 14y/o neighbor. With his parent's agreement, he has taken care of my cat several times for 2 days at a time. I plan to take an 18 day vacation early next year. I am sure this never-had -a-'real'-tax-paying-job neighborhood kid will surpass the <4 simple expectations that were not performed by this unconcerned, neglectful, 7day, Rover hire (who was paid a ridiculously $amount for the "services" rendered). This canine-fearing cat would have been better off staying at my daughter's home with 2 resident huge dogs. I invite Rover to call me and discuss in private this unmindful, derelict, inattentive sitter I had selected to care for only one normal cat during my week long trip (first week of April 2023) away. I feel this sitter needs to be removed/un-enlisted/barred-until-she-grows-up/all reviews deleted from the ranks of premium paid Rover pet sitters. I will not, however, discuss with future Rover clients the specifics concerning my specific location or this particular Rover-endorsed pet care individual as I have not personally discussed any/all deficits with her. I ardently hope that the majority of other Rover-listed sitters are not so negligent. However it will be a very long while and a desperate no-other-choices situation that I will rely on another costly Rover sitter." data-refresh-url="/community/question/55539" data-editor-type="markdown" data-validator="askbot.validators.questionDetailsValidator" >