Couple hires brother in law's 18-year-old daughter to catsit for a week, finds out the catsitter 'forgot [the cat] outside all night', now they refuse to pay her, and she says that it isn't fair because it was just 'one mistake'

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
May 20, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Catsitting is an important job. It's a serious job. And it's a serious responsibility. We would think that this is not something that has to be said out loud, but maybe it is. Maybe there are some people out there who still don't understand that cats are family, and they should be treated that way. Sure, sometimes the cats are not easy to catsit for because of their shananigans, and sometimes, in some cases, catsitting can even be funny… when funny situations arise with the cats, but for the most part, catsitting is like babysitting, at least in terms of the responsibility that you have. 

Now, cats can survive with very little at the end of the day. All that you really have to do as a catsitter is give the cat some food, some water, and clean their litterbox every once in a while. Oh, and don't forget them outside of the house for the entire night and then lie about it, that too. 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

Advertisement
  • 01
    "[Am I wrong] for refusing to pay my cat-sitter?"
    via Unsplash / Erika - erikahg
  • 02
    I (29F) have an eleven year old calico named Daisy. A year ago, I moved a few hours further from home for work, which came with the issue of needing to find a new sitter. My fiance (34M) and I were lucky to find somebody pretty quickly through a pet sitting app, but she ended up being unavailable during the week of our trip.
    via catmom51525
  • 03
    This came up over dinner at my sister's house, and her daughter/my niece suggested her cousin (BIL's family) Ava (18F), saying she's been looking for some side jobs to make money before she goes off to college this fall. I contacted Ava and she accepted the job.
    via catmom51525
  • 04
    I invited Ava over a couple days early so she could meet Daisy and get acquainted with the space. The most important detail here is that I emphasized our main rule to not let Daisy out unleashed and unsupervised.
    via catmom51525
  • 05
    I showed Ava the harness and leash I use to take Daisy on walks, explained the risks of letting her out unsupervised, and she seemed to understand. Fiance and I left on our trip a couple days later thinking all was well.
    via catmom51525
  • 06
    We finally got back yesterday, after a genuinely lovely week, and met Ava as she was finishing up with her last drop-in. During our reunion, I found scratches on Daisy. I asked Ava if she had any idea what happened.
    via catmom51525
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10506900480
    via Unsplash / Nina Jašarević - nyalli

  • Need another laugh? Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly serving of the silliest cat content!

  • 08
    At first Ava's story was that she didn't know, and then she admitted it might have happened when they went on a walk. I went to find the harness to see if there was any damage to it, but it was in the exact spot I left it in, along with the leash.
    via catmom51525
  • 09
    I asked Ava point blank if she let Daisy out by herself and she finally admitted yes, that Daisy wouldn't stop hounding her for food and treats and that she was yowling so much during a drop-in when she was having a headache that she put her out for "a little while" while she set up the food and cleaned the litter.
    via catmom51525
  • 10
    She then FORGOT DAISY OUTSIDE ALL NIGHT. She said she realized when she dropped back in the next morning for a feeding and a walk and Daisy wasn't waiting just inside the door that she remembered she'd put her out so she tried shaking a bag of Daisy's favorite cat treats (which worked, she's a greedy little cat).
    via catmom51525
  • 11
    I was furious at the point and asked Ava to leave. She asked what about the money, and I told her she wouldn't be getting paid. She got upset and said it wasn't fair to not pay her for an entire week over one mistake, but eventually left.
    via catmom51525
  • 12
    She has texted me an apology since, but I've also received some texts from my BIL, who is mostly taking her side in the issue and saying I should absolutely pay her, but that he would understand if I docked a day off. I told him I'll be putting my money towards a vet visit, which I have an appointment for tomorrow. AITA if I stand my ground here?
    via catmom51525
  • 13
    EDIT to clarify a few things: 1) Ava is not a family member of mine. She is my BIL's niece (technically step- niece, as his sister is Ava's step- mother). I do not consider her a niece or cousin of mine. Family is not a factor here for me. I didn't know her at all and admit I should've been more cautious about hiring her.
    via catmom51525
  • 14
    BIL said she was a very good a responsible kid, and she had done some pet sitting jobs before, so I thought everything would be fine. Won't be making that mistake again. 2) To those suggesting I still pay Ava, but dock the vet bills from her pay, if I do that it will result in her owing me. I do not want to pursue legal action or try to get any money out of Ava.
    via catmom51525
  • 15
    I have told her and BIL this and expressed more than once that the best I will do is compromise and consider us square- I don't pay her, she doesn't pay any of Daisy's vet bills. 3) I know results for certain things won't be available/reliable so soon, I will be doing follow-up appointments for further testing and assessments.
    via catmom51525
  • 16
    Cheezburger Image 10506899968
    via Unsplash / Juan Pablo Jou-Valencia - jjouvalencia

  • Look, we wanted to stand by the girl at first, because we believe that people should be paid for the work they do, even if it's not perfect, but… If this happened to one of our cats, there is a good chance that we would have reacted in the same way. What do you mean you forgot her outside the whole night?!

  • 17
    NorthernLitUp NTA. Tell her you'll pay her whatever is left of her fee AFTER the vet visit, provided your cat doesn't need anything due to her injuries. Daisy very easily could have been infected by FIV from a feral cat. That's the part that would terrify me. Quite frankly, she'd be lucky if you didn't sue her for the vet care if Daisy did contract a disease.
    via NorthernLitUp
  • 18
    catmom51525 OP FIV is one of the big concerns right now, I've seen strays in the area here.
    via catmom51525
  • 19
    Gemzanity NTA at all. Shes lucky your cat didn't get lost or worse. I'm currently dog sitting to help my friend out. As I'm not usually around dogs he's given me a comprehensive list of Dos and Don'ts. You bet I'm following that list to the letter because he knows his dog better than I do. Although we're getting on quite well. She even took me for a walk earlier.
    via Gemzanity
  • 20
    catmom51525 OP I'm honestly so glad nothing worse happened. We live close to a busy road and I've seen other strays in the area. I'm a little worried if she was attacked by a stray cat (which is what it looks like) that she could have contracted something.
    via catmom51525
  • 21
    ScarletNotThatOne Info: Is the vet visit due to harm incurred from the unleashed walk? If so, then NTA for not paying. Normally she would deserve to get paid for most or all of what she worked. But if she intentionally disregarded your clear instructions and that caused damage, then it's fair for the cost of the damage to be deducted from the pay.
    via ScarletNotThatOne
  • 22
    Cheezburger Image 10506899712
    via Unsplash / Erika - erikahg

  • We are glad to see that the commenters agree with us as well. There are reasonably small mistakes, and then there is this, and this was unacceptable. Your choice what to do with the payment, but yes, we would deal with the vet bills first. 

  • 23
    catmom51525 OP The vet visit is for the scratches I found on her, yes. I want to make sure they aren't infected and that she didn't contract anything. I'm honestly not sure how Ava didn't notice them, or if she just thought she could get away with it. They had dried blod stuck to them and they were 2-3 inches in length. I've since cleaned the wound a bit with some water and a towel and I gave her a churu tube.
    via catmom51525
  • 24
    I wanted to take her to the vet immediately, but we got home quite late, so it had already closed, and when I called first thing this morning to ask about coming in they said they had several appointments and that somebody had called out sick, but they would squeeze me in tomorrow.
    via catmom51525

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

cat drama interesting babysitting pay story Cats money
Scroll Down For The Next Article