HOW TO HIRE · PETS

How to hire a cat sitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to cat sitters. Here is what to check instead and what to put in writing.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a cat sitter in five steps

  1. Meet firstA meet-and-greet at home with your cat, before you book.
  2. Write the routineFeeding, litter, medication, hiding places, your vet's details.
  3. Agree visits and lengthOne or two a day, how long, and what each includes.
  4. Sort keys and accessLabelled without your address, alarm codes, a spare contact.
  5. Agree updatesA message or photo after each visit.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to cat sitters who care for your cat in your own home, in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Defra's licensing guidance for England says businesses that look after dogs in the owner's home, such as sitters and walkers, need no licence; the boarding laws cover giving animals accommodation, which a home visit does not.

The checks that matter are insurance, references, a meet-and-greet and your written instructions. gov.uk →

Keys, alarm and access

A cat sitter will hold your keys and alarm code. Ask how they keep them, whether the keys are tagged without your address, and whether their insurance pays to change the locks if keys are lost.

Put key and alarm arrangements in the booking message.

Animal welfare law

While your cat is in their care, the cat sitter is legally responsible for it: the Animal Welfare Act 2006 counts a temporary carer as responsible (section 3) and makes it an offence not to meet an animal's needs (section 9) in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have matching duties in their own Acts.

Ask what they do if your cat stops eating or seems unwell. legislation.gov.uk →

Insurance

No law requires insurance for a cat sitter. The usual cover is public liability plus care, custody and control of the animals; ask whether vet bills for your cat are covered while it is with them.

Ask for the insurer's name and the policy dates.

VAT

Cat sitting is standard-rated at 20% when the sitter is VAT-registered. A sitter working alone under the £90,000 registration threshold charges no VAT and has no VAT number to give.

Ask the cat sitter whether they are registered; most individuals feeding cats under £90,000 a year are not, and then no VAT is added. gov.uk →

“How long is each cat sitting visit, and what is included?”

A good answer: Feeding, fresh water, litter, play and a check on the cat and home.

“What will you do if my cat does not appear?”

A good answer: A careful search of hiding places, and a call to you.

“Can the cat sitter give medication?”

A good answer: Yes, if shown, and recorded each time.

“Are you insured as a cat sitter?”

A good answer: Yes, with the insurer named, including key cover.

“How will you keep my keys?”

A good answer: Tagged without the address, stored securely.

“Who covers if you are ill?”

A good answer: A named backup sitter, introduced in advance.

“Can I have references from cat owners?”

A good answer: Yes, from regular clients.

Booking by the hour

  • The rate per hour or per half-hour visit, and any extra for weekend, bank holiday or late evening visits
  • The minimum booking — often one visit a day — and whether a visit that takes less time is still charged in full
  • What you leave out (food, litter, medication, the vet's number) and what the sitter brings, such as a spare key safe
  • The tasks agreed before the first visit: feeding, litter, brushing, medication, plants and post
  • ID checked and the rating, and whether the sitter's insurance covers a key and your home

Walk away if

  • No meet-and-greet
  • No insurance
  • Keys tagged with your address
  • No backup if the sitter is ill
LOW
£10
TYPICAL
£12
HIGH
£20

What a cat sitter costs: £10–£20 per visit

Cat sitting is priced per visit, by length and visits per day, with extra for several cats, medication or holiday dates. Cat Sitting price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Cat sitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. MeetThe sitter meets you and your cat at home.
  2. HandoverKeys, routine, medication and vet details.
  3. VisitsFeeding, water, litter, play and a check of the home.
  4. UpdatesA message or photo after each visit.
  5. ReturnKeys back and a summary of the stay.

Drop-in visit
A short visit to feed and check on the cat.
Meet-and-greet
A free first meeting at your home.
Key cover
Insurance that pays to replace lost keys or locks.
Backup sitter
Someone who covers if your sitter cannot.
Visit log
A record of each visit.
Care sheet
Written instructions for your cat.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the visit logTimes, food eaten, litter and any notes.
Look your cat overEating, drinking and behaving normally.
Get your keys backAll copies returned or securely kept.
Review and make-it-rightLocufy's reviews are tied to real bookings. Rate it under four stars and the sitter is invited to fix the problem before your review goes up.

STEP 1Tell the cat sitter, in writingSay what went wrong — a missed visit, a lost key, a health problem — and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2The Locufy make-it-right stepBelow four stars, you decide whether the complaint about the cat sitter goes to the sitter first. We follow it through, and then you review.
STEP 3Consumer helpline and Trading StandardsNo regulator oversees a cat sitter, so the route for a dispute is the consumer helpline, which can pass a complaint to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claimsIf the cat sitter still is not settled, the limits are £10,000 in England and Wales (small claims track), £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland (small claims court). Keep every message and invoice as evidence.

Hiring a cat sitter: questions people ask

No. No licence applies to cat sitters visiting your home in any UK nation; boarding licences cover keeping animals at someone's premises.

None is legally required; public liability, care of animals and key cover are normal. Ask to see it.

Yes, while in charge. Welfare law in each UK nation puts a duty on anyone responsible for an animal to meet its needs.

Most people pay between £10 and £20 per visit; £12 is the typical figure. The cat sitting price guide shows what changes it, and a search above lists cat sitters nearby.

In England, yes — by 20 weeks old. Elsewhere it is optional but sensible.

Tell the sitter in writing. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in pets

How to hire: Cat BoardingHow to hire: Pet SittingHow to hire: House Sitting with PetsHow to hire: Cat GroomingHow to hire: Small Animal CareHow to hire: Bird CareHow to hire: Mobile VetHow to hire: Pet TaxiAll 701 hiring guides →

Cat sitters near you

Cat sitters in LondonCat sitters in ManchesterCat sitters in BirminghamCat sitters in GlasgowCat sitters in BelfastAll cat sitters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk (Defra) — dog day care licensing guidance
  2. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 3 — responsibility for animals
  3. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9 — duty to ensure welfare
  4. Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, section 24
  5. Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, section 9
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. gov.uk — get your dog or cat microchipped
  8. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  9. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  10. nidirect — small claims process
  11. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register