Entitled pet owner sublets apartment for $3000, demands tenant take care of her Persian cats: 'She isn't willing to pay for cat sitters'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Apr 11, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

Is caring for somebody else's pets a privilege worth paying for?

While any animal lover is usually delighted at the opportunity to meet other people's pets, it is only natural for there to be a limit to their enthusiasm. Much like with babies, it is nice to stick around for the fun bits and stay out of it when it comes to the pedestrian business of providing the care they need to survive.

Still, there are plenty of people who have no problem with pet sitting duties. Some are happy to do it in exchange for a place to stay, and others even make a full time living out of it. The key is that if it isn't their animal, they are getting some kind of payment in return for their pet care services. Plenty of animals can be challenging to care for, and even the low maintenance ones require a degree of effort and dedication that not everybody is going to have. This needs to be acknowledged.

Nonetheless, certain pet owners cannot get past the fact that they feel it is a privilege to be in the presence of their animal. That, or they are really cheap. Pet sitting can get expensive when there are no friends and family around to do it for free.

 

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  • A grey and white Persian cat sitting on grass outside
    via Reba Spike

    A grey and white Persian cat sitting on grass outside

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

     

  • When one person was searching for an apartment to let while they were on a month-long work placement in San Francisco, they came across a sublet that seemed to be the perfect solution. It was priced at $3k for the month, with a $250 cleaning fee on top.

    However, they were dismayed to find that when they messaged the woman behind the listing, she asked them if they liked cats. She explained that her two cats would be there while they stayed, and that she expected them to care for them.

    Not feeling like this was a fair deal, the person declined the offer and reported the listing. They shared the story.

  • Woman wants me to pay over 3k a month to watch her two cats

    looking for summer housing for a temporary work placement in SF, found a listing on furnishedfinder that seemed great. price was $3,000 per month plus a $250 cleaning fee (which feels insane but work is paying)
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • I message her and she responds with this: "do you like animals? you MUST LIKE CATS! Two Persian cats live here and will need tending to in my absence."
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • View of the Golden Gate Bridge from the shoreline
    via Joshua Earle (Unsplash+)

    View of the Golden Gate Bridge from the shoreline

     

  • turns out she is just going on vacation for the month and wants to sublet her place, but also isn't willing to pay for catsitters... I told her that her lising should be on trustedhousitters or a similar service where people stay somewhere for free in exchange for animal care. then she blocked me.
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • I reported her to the website and they made her update the listing, but it's still up. still over 3k. insane.
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • Two Persian cats sitting together on a bed
    via Reba Spike

    Two Persian cats sitting together on a bed

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • whoistheOutcast Man props to you for actually taking the time to message her and fix it....
    via whoistheOutcast
  • Reasonable_Car_1746 Original Poster's Reply yeah it really bothered me, I was so excited thinking I found a great place! I'm glad I reported it but honestly I don't think the website should have let her keep it up...
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • robjohnlechmere https://www.missioncats.com/blog/cat- sitting-rates-san-francisco Catsitting in the bay area runs $75-150 per night. So the rent should be roughly $2,250 to $4,500 less then equivalent listings without cat service. For 3k, is this an entire home? How many beds?
    via robjohnlechmere
  • Reasonable_Car_1746 Original Poster's Reply No it's just a 1br. Also it's a basic city apartment, it doesn't even have a dishwasher or laundry! Not in the downtown area either. I checked local rents and the average for a comperable apartment in that area is like 2.5- 3k. So it seems like she is trying to subsidize her entire rent (if not even make some money??)
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • Less-Apple-8478 Subsidizing her rent isn't that crazy. Even making a teeny bit of money. Not crazy. what to the cat sitting though LOL
    via Less-Apple-8478
  • Reasonable_Car_1746 Original Poster's Reply Yeah for sure! I am expecting to pay someone's regular rent (or a bit more) when subletting. Alternatively, I'd be happy to care for someone's pets in exchange for staying sonmewhere for free (which is the norm on trustedhousitters). But paying the full rent AND caring for animals is just ridiculous.
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • wobblemint That's absolutely wild. So basically she wants you to pay $3k+ for the privilege of being her live-in, unpaid cat sitter. And a $250 cleaning fee on top? For her cats?
    via wobblemint
  • Reasonable_Car_1746 Original Poster's Reply Correct.
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • DomesticMongol If the no cat price of the place is 4k, 5k...why not? Pp do that all the time.
    via DomesticMongol
  • Reasonable_Car_1746 Original Poster's Reply If that were the case, sure! But the rent is def no where near that. It's just it's a basic 1br apartment in an outer neighborhood, doesn't even have a dishwasher or laundry. I checkedrental websites and the average for a comperable. apartment in that area is 2.5-3k. So it doesn't seem like the rent was discounted at all, let alone by >1k.
    via Reasonable_Car_1746
  • Apathetic_Villainess "I want you to pay me to take care of my animals." Deal, but then you have to pay me to return them after.
    via Apathetic_Villainess
  • RealLuxTempo I left the Bay Area in the early 2000s when rents really started ticking up. Lost my great apartment in the Berkeley area due to my landlords passing. I spent a few months trying to find an affordable place while sleeping on a friends living room floor. Then looked into sublets and renting rooms. This is the kind of nonsense I found all of the time. Eventually left the area with a sad heart. I'm grateful for all the good years I had there.
    via RealLuxTempo
  • Nukegm426 Tell her yes you love them, your pet python Frankie loves them more though.
    via Nukegm426
  • RitaPoole56 As a former Middle School teacher who loved to mess with 12-13 old brains I had a standard answer to: Do you like cats? Yes, yes but I can never finish a whole one. (I'll see myself out) I actually was offered a meal with cat in it in Ghana but I literally had just eaten so never had to make a decision about it.
    via RitaPoole56

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pets rent sublet Cats money entitled people apartment
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