Cat owner worries for his senior cat when pet sitter keeps leaving the garage door open, the internet advices him to stand up for himself: 'Get a new pet sitter'

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Aug 5, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

When we leave our pets in the hands of someone else, anything could go awry. 

It can be scary to rely on someone else to take care of our pets. They're one of the most precious things to us, and any pet owner knows the fear and paranoia that could come when you leave for vacation and someone else is caring for your pet. Ideally, the person taking care of your pet is someone you know and trust, but that's not always the case. Take the story below for example. This guy travels for work and he'll sometimes hire a local pet sitter to come in to take care of his senior 13 year old cat, and to let his dog out to go to the bathroom. He's usually pretty relaxed, but everyone has their breaking point. He has one simple rule, and that's that the interior garage door has to stay closed and latched so that nobody can go into the garage. He leaves everything in the kitchen so there's no reason for someone to be using the garage anyway. 

Twice now, he's come home and the interior garage door isn't fully shut. It's an obvious giveaway, and he's immediately disappointed to see this kind of thing. He leaves everything in the kitchen. He worries because if it's not fully shut then someone could get in, and his pets could get out. His dog is curious and could go snooping around that area, and his cat will immediately run towards the door if she sees it open. He wonders how he should navigate this situation. He doesn't want to pay for someone who isn't doing his job. He asks the internet if he should message them something explicit, or add a door alarm, or if he should just stand up for himself and find someone else. The internet comes in with sweeping advice, and it's a must read. 

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  • 01
    I travel for work sometimes and hire a local pet sitter to do drop- ins for my 13-year-old cat and to
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 02
    let my dog out. I am pretty relaxed about most things, but I have one strict rule because I
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 03
    have a garage workshop and pets can get into trouble fast.
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 04
    The rule is simple: the interior garage door stays closed and latched, and nobody goes in the
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 05
    garage. I leave everything they need in the kitchen so there is no reason to be near it.
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 06
    Twice now I came home and the interior garage door was not fully shut. It makes a noticeable click
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 07
    when it latches, so I notice right away. Nothing looks stolen and the pets are fine, but it makes me
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 08
    uneasy. My dog is curious and my cat will absolutely try to slip into the garage if the door is even slightly ajar.
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 09
    I do not want to be paranoid, but I also do not want to keep paying someone who cannot follow a very basic safety boundary.
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 10
    What would you do next? 1. Message them and be explicit, like "please confirm
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 11
    you are latching the garage door every visit"?
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 12
    2. Add a cheap door alarm just for peace of mind?
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 13
    3. Stop using them immediately and find someone else?
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 14
    If you have been in a similar situation, what wording actually worked without turning it into a big confrontation?
    via u/Difficult-Ferret-370
  • 15
    myexstalksmeonreddit I'd get a new sitter. It's like the brown m & m's: you
    via u/myexstalksmeonreddit
  • 16
    don't know what other guidelines are being ignored.
    via u/myexstalksmeonreddit

  • He has every right to want a new pet sitter. It's not the easiest thing to be a pet sitter, even though it seems really mindless and simple. It's a lot of responsibility, and some people just aren't cut out for it. This is an interesting story because everyone will have their own opinion, so what's yours?

  • 17
    50Bullseye Why are you afraid of making a big deal out of something that's clearly a big deal?
    via u/50Bullseye
  • 18
    "Twice I've come home to find this door ajar. This is both puzzling (no reason for anyone to go into the
    via u/50Bullseye
  • 19
    garage) and concerning (safety issue for pets) and if it happens again I'll need to find a new pet sitter.”
    via u/50Bullseye

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