“Don't trust this app or the people on it.
It's not worth risking the security of your home and wellbeing of your cats.
We went with a highly rated sitter for our two cats.
However instructions were ignored and this sitter did not respect our home even after a first meeting and written instructions left they still ignored everything.
They overfed our cats, did not follow instructions on feed requirements. Did not dispose of cat litter properly leaving it stewing in our kitchen for over a week. We're a shoes off household but they wore shoes inside when asked not to, even provided shoe covers here.
Worst of all did not lock up our home properly on multiple occasions. The list goes on. And because we did not have adequate security recordings (which we didn't think we'd need in the first place) we did not provide adequate proof for them to take any action. So this sitter only got a warning.
Thank god we did have some footage or we would have been non the wiser.
This sitter has rave reviews and cat owners stating she was great and sent them photos and messages everyday. We got sent one photo during the whole two weeks and didn't feel comfortable asking for more updates because of all the issues.
This person should not be looking after ANYONES cat.
Lesson learnt.
Don't trust strangers in your home, don't trust the reviews, don't trust this app.
Because there's little to no protection for cat owners, unless you have 24/7 recordings to back up your claims.
Don't waste your money, you won't get your money back for cancellations before, midway or after dealing with a problematic sitter.”
“Do not trust them! They employ scammers with no background checks whatsoever and I got scammed because of it, my cat was assaulted and they didn't care about it because, and I quote directly from my email "Since this booking was paid outside of our platform, we cannot provide support because bookings and payments must be made through our website, as per our Terms & Conditions, for you, your cat, and your sitter to be protected.
I understand you only did what Woobie suggested so we will contact her as it's a breach of our Terms and Conditions."
So they'd rather ask the scammer for their point rather than asking the injured party despite being given evidence.
Anyone with a pet should NOT trust these rats 🐀”
“Absolute liars. Sending emails to clients saying I've asked for cash payments. Never ever have I done that. But you breached GDPR by emailing my clients. See you in court.”
“As an pet owner it's very alarming, totally disheartened and extremely stressful.
This platform has nothing positive at all you either have sitter that don't respond, sitters who agree to sit than change there mind, sitters that want you to book away from Cat In Flat and charge extra.
As an ex pet sitter this is totally unacceptable, you need to be reliable, trustworthy and will to accept the job and routines of each animals and there needs at the price agreed. Not only is disheartening, but also causes unnecessary stress and worry for the owner which no owner wants or should face. Owners want reliable trustworthy and truthful sitters and this platform cannot offer this at all.
There are some genuine sitters but unfortunately not many!
As a owner and Ex sitter I would advise against using any of these Platforms use registered pet sitting companies that can guarantee you will have a sitter. Instead of being left wondering if you the sitter is going to turn up or cancel on you or going to charge you extra.
The customer service is very slow and there is no contact number in emergency!
With the unreliable platform of sitter and customer service respond, the fact you can't call customer service isn't worth booking through the app at all.
Play to safe book with company least you are provided a guaranteed sitter, able to talk to someone in customer service in event of an emergency (not have to wait days for response via email only), and sitter are vetted, genuine do have experience and you pay only want is agreed and no more.
AVOID you will just be left disheartened!”
“Ich habe die Plattform hauptsächlich als Besitzerin genutzt, die eine/n Catsitter/in sucht. Da man früher entweder Freunde fragen musste oder auf gewerbliche Anbieter zurückgreifen musste, war ich anfangs mega happy, als ich Cat-in-a-flat fand (ca. 2018). Seither habe ich diverse Erfahrungen mit unterschiedlichsten Catsittern sammeln können und mein Feedback ist hierbei leider ernüchternd.
Zunächst die Plattform: Die Suche und die Buchung gestaltet sich dabei ziemlich einfach, wobei einem geraten wird, mehrere Sitter anzuschreiben, da die Rückmelderate leider recht gering ist. Wie bei Kleinanzeigenportalen wäre eine Zuverlässigkeitsrate bei Antworten zu jedem Catsitterprofil wirklich hilfreich um gezielt nur „aktive“ Catsitter anschreiben zu können.
Nach dem Kennenlernen und der Schlüsselübergabe erfolgt die Buchung mit Angabe der Zahlungsmodalitäten. Das Geld wird anschließend nach Ende der Sittingzeit überwiesen. Bevor eine Buchung erfolgt, kann der Catsitter jedoch jederzeit den Betrag beliebig ändern. Das sollte man im Blick behalten, ehe man bucht. Leider können solche Tricksereien und auch kurzfristige Stornos des Sitters kurz vor dem Buchungszeitraum nirgends dokumentiert werden, sodass andere Suchende via Review gewarnt werden können.
Und generell gibt es leider keine Vorgabe, wie lange der Catsitter pro Besuch bei der/n Katze/n bleiben sollte. So kann es sein, dass man einen ohnehin schon überteuerten Catsitter buchen muss, der schnell das nötigste erledigt und nach 10 Minuten wieder abdampft - und das für einen Stundenlohn!
Solche Details würde ich als Besitzer daher dringend vorher klären!
Ich weiß auch nicht, wie die Plattform inoffiziell abgeschlossene Buchungen verhindern will. Hierbei nutzt der Catsitter das Portal für einen Auftrag und lässt sich den Betrag dann bar oder per Paypal auszahlen. Gerade wenn man kurzfristig sucht und keine Alternative hat, wird man nahezu dazu gezwungen, diesen Weg zu gehen. Und gerade weil die Catsitter sich dann zusätzlich die Provision der Plattform in die eigene Tasche stecken (die wenigsten Buchenden denken wahrscheinlich dran, dass der angegebene Gesamtbetrag diese inkludiert hat), ist das Vorgehen schon ziemlich dreist.
Zu guter Letzt: Mit Straßenschuhen durch die frisch geputzte Wohnung, doppelt gegebene Tabletten (weil man keine Zettel lesen kann), Erbrochenes „nicht gesehen“ obwohl man das schon roch, Virus von den eigenen Tieren mitgebracht…
Aufgrund dessen ist mein Fazit leider, dass ich meine Tiere keinen Laien mehr anvertrauen möchte und auch keinen fremden Leute mehr meine Wohnung überlassen will. Sofern man keine großen Anforderungen hat und dem Catsitter keine komplizierten Anweisungen geben muss, ist das immer noch eine gute Sache. Auch ich werde die App noch nicht löschen, aber nutzen will ich die Plattform nur noch im Notfall.”
“"Cautionary Note for Cat in a Flat Users: Exercise Care in Selection and Booking"
The experience as a cat sitter on Cat in a Flat (catinaflat.com) proved to be disappointing. While the platform's concept is appealing, there is a lack of reliable implementation. The emphasis on the application process and document submission for cat sitters does not ensure trustworthy and professional service providers, as evident in numerous 1-star reviews from other customers. Finding a reliable cat sitter on Cat in a Flat requires a stroke of luck.
Furthermore, I would like to expand on my experience with Cat in a Flat by highlighting another critical point. As a seasoned pet sitter with over 8 years of experience, certification, and a proven track record of reliability, I was willing to contribute a significant percentage of my earnings to Cat in a Flat and provide professional services for customers in Bern.
Despite my transparent communication about my existing pet care website and willingness to collaborate, Cat in a Flat did not accept me into their community. The reason provided was that it would be a pity if they had to pay double for insurance. This justification proves to be unfounded and unprofessional.
As an independent pet care provider, I have clear structures, including transparent payroll management and existing liability insurance. Every provider should have the freedom to register on the platform and offer their professional services. Instead of explaining the reasons for their concerns about potential double insurance payments, my account was suspended without a clear explanation.
This lack of communication and unprofessional handling has disappointed me with Cat in a Flat, and I advise all pet care providers to explore alternative platforms that value transparent and cooperative collaboration. Cat in a Flat has completely lost my trust.
Additionally, I want to emphasize that customers should also scrutinize their choices and bookings on Cat in a Flat (catinaflat.com) to avoid any bitter disappointments.”
“After years of positive experiences with them, I am today forced to write a bad review and warn my fellow cat owners.
I booked a cat sitter for the Xmas period and I had then to extend the booking.
The website tells you that, in order to do soy, you have to cancel the original booking and make a new one.
When I did that, I was charged £90 as a late cancellation fee, despite me immediately booking again the exact same cat sitter for a longer period.
Once I realised the problem I tried to undo my original booking cancellation and asked the cat sitter to decline it instead, which they did.
The booking was noe showing a £0 fee and I moved on, only to find out they still charged me the £90.
I now find myself very stressed that recovering my money will not be easy and will take time, and I am genuinely flagstabbered that such a non transparent process is allowed.”
“Awful experience with sitter Sini Manner through Cat in a Flat. Despite positive reviews.I booked Sini Manner via Cat In a Flat for one week 10/9 to 17/9. At the beginning of the sitting my rescue cat went missing. This is extremely out of character for my cat and extremely worrying. Sini Manner could not have cared less and appeared extremely irritated at my concerns to the point of anger. Rather than spending time looking for my lost cat Sini Manner went out to dinner, walks, shopping etc and ignored my messages. In fact she was more concerned with the fact that two light bulbs had blown and claimed that she couldn’t see and had to go and buy new ones. (I had left money for emergencies - which she took when she left!) Sini was very angry about this (something beyond my control) Requesting updates and photos met with a shocked face! Messages ignored and If I asked at where my cat was she just stated “hiding” and when I asked in the house the reply was “I suppose so” Very poor communication & it turned out my cat had hid in the cupboard much of the week because He was so nervous of Sini Manner.
Upon returning home the house was in a shocking state. A box of frozen food that had been delivered had been dumped on my sofa, one of my canvas pictures had been thrown down the back of my radiator, scrunched up pieces of kitchen roll everywhere, dirty cat litter dumped in a bag on my carpet, dirty cat litter all over my carpet, cats dish clearly not washed, water bowls not filled or changed all week, boxes of cat food missing, dirty cat litter thrown in my recycling bin, garlic and oats all over my kitchen floor, washing up bowl on the kitchen floor, marks on my ceiling, garden table broken and left out and more gas and electricity used than I use in a month. To top it off Sini Manner left an angry note blaming me for my cats disappearance, angry about blown lightbulbs and is refusing to return my keys. Avoid Cat in a Flat and Sini Manner at all costs.”
“Ive found two fabulous sitters through this site. First Michelle who I used for approx 6 years until she stopped & now Chrissie. Chrissie is equally as fabulous as Michelle and am forever grateful for cat in a flat for making it possible to find teo such great ladies”
“Ohne Beweis musste ich mehr Geld bezahlen als was vorher vereinbart wurde mit dem Ausrede, es wurde von meiner Bank als Bearbeitungsgebühr abgerechnet! Obwohl meine Bank alles verneint hat… Außerdem steht überhaupt keine Telefonnummer zur Verfügung und man muss alles per Email abklären. Je mehr ich versucht habe per Email mit denen zu kontaktieren, desto mehr ähnliche Emails mit den wiederholten Texten hab ich bekommen ohne mit irgendwelchen Beweis zu schicken… Am Ende haben sie auch mich bedroht entweder ich bezahle sogenanntes Geld oder muss ich ein Strafgebühr im Höhe von 500€ bezahlen!!!
Es war echt eine furchtbare Erfahrung…”
“Do not trust Good reviews on their site
Hired a cat sitter (Lily M, London) for the first time based on positive reviews on catinaflat.com
The cat sitter knew there was a camera as we had told her. From the second day onwards she kept turning the camera away when arriving and turning it back when leaving. On the fourth day she forgot to turn the camera away and we were absolutely shocked to see her spraying my partner’s perfume all over her then removing her sweater and spraying it all over it. The scene was almost comical - check
out the video!!! The next morning she returned, turned the camera away but we could hear drawers being opened and rummaged through.
We immediately cancelled her and found an alternative solution for our cat. Returning home the flat was filthy, with cat litter all over the floor.
I messaged catinaflat and sent them the video. They said they would “investigate”. I followed up over the next couple of months with several emails asking for updates. They finally replied saying that the sitter (Lily M) had received some positive reviews from other clients and they could not disclose the conclusion of their investigation. Lily M is still active on their website.
Long story short: catinaflat makes their money from cat sitters, and the way they excused this behaviour didn’t make sense except if you consider they don’t want to lose the revenue Lily M generates for them.
The conclusion from their inaction is that good reviews on their website cannot be trusted.”
“Just arrived home from a holiday in Tenerife, I was very anxious about leaving my 2 year old male cat as I haven't left him alone in the house for a week. I must say my cat sitter Patricia was amazing, she sent pictures of my boy everyday which made me feel at ease knowing my boy was well looked after. When I arrived home my house was spotless , she cleaned up a broken candle and bottle of aftershave which my cat had knocked over. I will definitely be using her again for future holidays.
Thankyou”
“Cat sitter bailed on me after 1 day when I was abroad, causing huge stress. Cat in a Flat kept 7 days money nevertheless despite me being a loyal customer since 2017. Not much point in using them any more in my opinion as no protection if anything goes wrong. You might as well take the risk and find a local sitter yourself.”
“Cat in a Flat made it possible for us to connect with a wonderful cat-sitter on very short notice. Their site is easy to use and their policy gives you peace of mind when leaving your cat in the care of someone that perhaps you don't know that well. We don't use catteries, so this is a great place to go if your usual cat-sitters can't help you out!”
“Très bonne appli. Simplement je ne comprend pas pourquoi c’est les catsitters qui doivent payer les taxes sur les gardes et non pas les propriétaires. Sur airbnb c’est l’inverse et c’est bien plus logique.
Ici on est taxé à 20% donc ça fait mal et ça pousse à passer en dehors de la plateforme …”
