Whether you’re leaving for a quick weekend trip or a longer jaunt abroad, you’ll need someone to keep an eye on your cat. Hiring a dedicated cat sitter can be the best way to keep your pet safe and happy, especially if you’ll be gone for a while or have a cat with special needs.
Rates for cat sitting can vary, depending on whether you want a sitter to drop in during the day, keep your cats at their house, or stay overnight in your house.
To help you plan your travel budget, we’ve rounded up the average cat-sitting rates from across the country, based on real price data from Rover cat sitters!
Cat Sitting Costs By Service
There are three main types of cat sitting, each with their own time commitments and scope of work.
- Drop-ins: Cat drop-ins are 30- to 60-minute visits to your house during the day. The sitter will take care of essentials, like refilling food and water bowls and cleaning out the litter tray, and can give your cat attention and play sessions. It’s typically the least expensive type of visit, with the shortest time commitment, and allows your cat to stay in their home territory.
- In-house sitting: The sitter will stay overnight with your cats at your home. In-house sitting is best if your cats need more active supervision or you’d like someone to keep an eye on your property. Your sitter can keep up with your cat’s daily routine and make sure they get attention more than once a day!
- Overnight cat sitting: Your cat stays at a registered cattery or a commercially licensed facility. This arrangement is ideal if you’d prefer not to have sitters in your home, but leaving home and entering a new environment can cause stress for some cats.
The rates for these services are based on national averages across the United Kingdom. Cat sitters may charge more or less in your city, depending on the cost of living. Some sitters might also offer nightly discounts for longer stays, like a week or more.
| Service | Rate | Cost per week | Cost per month |
| Drop-in visit | £20 per visit | £140 | £600 |
| House sitting in your home | £33 per night | £231 | £990 |
| Cat boarding at a licensed facility | £40 per night | £280 | £1,200 |
Is it standard to tip a cat sitter?
In the UK, tipping a cat sitter is not standard practice or expected. Whether you choose to leave a tip generally depends on how your sitter operates:
- Self-employed sitters: Sitters on Rover set their own rates. They make sure their fees fully cover their time, expertise, and business costs without expecting a tip.
- Agency sitters: If a sitter works for a larger pet-sitting company, they are legally guaranteed at least the National Living Wage by their employer. Tipping is still entirely optional.
While a sitter wouldn’t expect a tip, they always appreciate them as a kind gesture if they go above and beyond—for example, if they had to manage a medical emergency or look after a cat who suddenly became poorly.
A cat-sitter would consider a small flat tip of £10 to £20 to be a welcome thank you for a long stay. If you leave a glowing five-star review, book them again, or offer them a small gift like a box of chocolates or a coffee voucher, it can also help you foster a great relationship with the sitter moving forward.
Diego Cerro Jimenez via iStock
Factors That Increase Cat Sitting Rates
A professional cat sitter’s fee per visit or per night is only their base rate. You can expect to pay a slightly higher rate if any of the following factors affect your situation.
- Experience: A professional cat sitter with years of experience will charge more than someone who sits as a hobby or a new sitter building their client base.
- Certification: Cat sitters with certifications, including pet CPR, first aid, or the Fear Free Certificate, may charge more due to their training and background.
- Special needs: If your cat needs medication, has mobility issues, or requires special care or supervision, your sitter may charge more for the added time and attention on their end.
- Kittens and seniors: Young cats and kittens may be small, but they can be a handful to supervise, leading to higher cat-sitting rates. Senior cats also tend to need more attention.
- House maintenance: If you’d like an in-house sitter to handle chores around your house, like getting the post, cleaning, or watering houseplants, they may charge a higher rate.
- Location: Expect to pay more for a cat sitter in a large city, like London, Brighton, or Bristol, than in a small town or an area with a lower cost of living.
- Holidays: In-demand sitters will see an uptick in business during the holiday season, so expect to pay more around Bank Holidays, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
- Last-minute: Most cat parents book a sitter at least 10 days in advance for drop-ins, and even longer for in-house sitting or boarding. Booking closer to your trip can result in last-minute fees.
Professional vs. hobby sitters
Of course, professional cat sitters aren’t your only option.
Casual sitters, like friends, family, and neighbours, can be a great choice if your cats only need quick 10- to 15-minute drop-ins and you’ll only be gone for a day or two. Of course, it never hurts to bring back a gift as thanks!
You might want to opt for a professional sitter if you’re leaving for a longer trip, your cat has medical needs, or you just don’t feel comfortable asking someone you know. Most professional cat sitters also carry public liability insurance. Additionally, if you choose a boarding service away from your home, always ask to see the facility’s valid local council license. This is a legal necessity.
Average Cat Sitting Rates in the Top 16 Cities
Curious to know the going rate in your city? These are the average rates for drop-ins, house sitting, and boarding in your cat sitter’s home at 16 of the most popular cities across the UK!
For more detailed price ranges and add-on costs in each city, click the links in the first column.
| City | 30-minute drop-in visit | House sitting | Cat boarding |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £13.50 | £35.50 | £32.67 |
| Birmingham | £12 | £30 | £26 |
| Reading | £14 | £35 | £28 |
| Leeds | £12 | £30 | £27 |
| Glasgow | £12 | £30 | £29 |
| Cardiff | £12 | £30 | £28 |
| Sheffield | £12 | £30 | £24 |
| Liverpool | £12 | £31 | £28 |
| Edinburgh | £12 | £30 | £30 |
| Nottingham | £12 | £30 | £27 |
| Leicester | £12 | £30 | £25 |
| Coventry | £12 | £35 | £26 |
| Southampton | £12 | £32 | £25 |
| Swansea | £12 | £40 | £32 |
| Portsmouth | £11 | £35 | £32 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | £12 | £30 | £27 |
How To Find a Reliable Cat Sitter on a Budget
You can find cat sitters through word of mouth from your friends and family, local social media pages like Facebook groups or Nextdoor, or a pet-sitting service like Rover.
Rover lets you browse cat sitters by their rates per visit or per night, so it’s easy to find options within your budget. Every sitter also goes through a third-party background check before they’re listed, and you can filter by options like distance, reviews, and specific services, like giving medication.
No matter where you find your sitter, it’s a good idea to meet them in person at a public location, just so you can ensure they’re a good fit and brief them on your cat’s needs. Don’t be afraid to meet with multiple sitters until you feel comfortable and confident that your cats will be in good hands.
You can browse local cat sitters here!
Note: These prices are accurate as of July 2026, as pulled from Rover’s data.
