“Sitter wanted payment by cash and not via the website. Agreed because I ran out of time and wasn't suspicious (unfortunately).
SItter didn't fulfill the agreement, 5-10minutes per visit instead 30-40, and 5-6 hours too late on visits without giving notice, leaving me worried as hell during my absence.
Got banned on the website after sending a complain, the sitter is still active there.
DO NOT BOOK HERE if you don't want untrustworthy, shady people in your home "caring" about your pets. Customers are treated extremely bad by support.”
“I just had a *phone interview* to become a cat sitter, which was literally a 5 min talk about their payment system and some not so friendly comments about the facts I did not read the website properly regarding their booking system! I thought she could have explained to me over the phone but no, *read the website.* Wow that is professional.
No reference or previous experience was checked, which is what I expected.
Very unfriendly and arrogant with sitters, I can imagine which kind of people they take on without verifying credentials (an address check with a bill is not a reference check). By the way, the website still mentions they do not accept electronic bills but paper ones (fine by me). When I mentioned that to the lady,she said it was not true, it was not possible, they changed the website months ago...So yes pretty much I am a liar!
I work with Pawshake which is way more professional and user friendly (app), I recommend everyone to do the same!”
We're sorry to hear you feel this way, we take great pride in our community and would in no way be rude to people who would want to join us. Not only is it against our values, but we're sure you will agree that it makes no business sense either! As your review is "anonymous" we can unfortunately not confirm that you have in fact joined our community. If you would like to discuss further please email support@catinaflat.com. We're always happy to help.
“This site apparently has too many people offering their services.
I registered to be a cat sitter, have previous experience and have zero responses.
When I looked at how many people were registered in my area there were over one hundred. to choose from.
No wonder it hasn't worked for me, got lost in the crowd.”
“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.”
“Unfortunately did not have a good experience with Cat in a Flat. I went into it feeling confident things were going to go well and I wish I could say we had had a good experience. I found a sitter with 5 star reviews, read through them, thought I'd done my due diligence. However, we had an issue with our sitter not replying to communication for hours/days while we waited in for her to come over and meet us and our cats (as we were meant to do before we went away). We would then eventually get a message late in the day that she couldn't come, so we'd organise another day, same thing would happen. I contacted Cat in a flat because we were at a loss what to do and even thought we would have to cancel our trip because of this. They took weeks to reply saying they would investigate. I replied and then it was another few weeks before I got a snooty, condescending email turning everything round on me. One part was worded patronisingly, but basically saying I should have contacted them as soon as I had an issue - which I did. By the time they replied we'd had to find another sitter at short notice and had already been away. Would never use again.”
“DO NOT USE
My partner has been doing work for cat in a flat for 4 years+, however the last 4 jobs she has done for them she has not been paid. Cat in a flat are blaming it on Strip an american company that pays the sitters, Strip say they wont pay as my partner has no photo ID, but Cat in a flat has accepted her ID. As a British citizen living in the UK it is not a legal requirement to have photo ID. All cat in the flat have said is we will chase it up. Poor company who don't take care of its sitters and takes advantage of the love of cats.”
We're sorry to hear your partner feels this way as we do care greatly about all our cat sitters. Cat in a Flat would not be the wonderful community it is without them.
We have partnered with Stripe as our payment system because security is their number one priority.
Due to recent changes across the EU, banks and financial partners such as Stripe are required to tighten up their online verification to help prevent fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes. On very rare occasions personal accounts are flagged to Stripe and Stripe is required by law to collect, verify, and maintain identity information on the individual associated with the Stripe account.
So although the money has been paid into your partners personal Stripe account, it will be held there until the verification is complete.
Stripes verification process is different to Cat in a Flat’s. But we are in close contact with your partner and working with Stripe to resolve this and provide alternative solutions.
Yours sincerely ,
Team Cat in a Flat
“"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.”
“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.”
“Thank you Cat In A Flat for my FULL REFUND after my awful experience with “cat sitter” Sini Manner. Although your complaints system is biased & your cat sitter vetting system close to non existent it appears some people do have a relatively good experience. Unfortunately Sini Manner provided an extremely poor level of care, dire communication and left my house in a shockingly filthy state. I would urge you not to let Sini Manner near your cat or your home.”
“Awful experience with sitter Sini Manners through Cat in a Flat. I booked Sini Manners 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 Manners 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 Manners 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 Manners.
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, 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 Manners left an angry note blaming me for my cats disappearance, angry about blown lightbulb and is refusing to return my keys. Avoid Cat in a Flat and Sini Manners at all costs.”
“My first year on CIAF was quiet with only one booking. However, that one booking is now a beloved regular. In year 2 I started to get repeat local jobs and now have 5 regulars. The cats and owners I have met so far have all been lovely. No problems at all!”
“I’ve been a cat sitter with CIAF for 18 months with no problems -(with 100% positive feedback from dozens of clients) - and have also booked one of their lovely sitters to take care of my own cat when on holiday. Recommended!”
“I have been a cat sitter for Cat in A Flat for over 4 years now and have made friends with regular and new clients (the cats and their owners), where we have built a trustworthy relationship. I as a cat owner have also used CIAF service, which I am pleased to say has been successful and I've been happy with. I have read some negative reviews and am saddened to hear that people have had bad experiences as this is not how I have experienced this organisation.”
