“DONT USE, they do not support cat sitters.
This is my experience of cat in a flat:
The owners cats had fleas and ants in her home! and they have taken down my ability to write an honest review for that owner. Unable to warn anyone!
My email to them:
Dear cat in a flat,
Thank you for your response and for offering a refund of your service fee.
However, I would like to highlight that the £16.50 refund only slightly covers the initial cost of flea treatment (£9) and does not take into account the additional expenses I am still incurring, such as essential oils, specialist laundry services, and ongoing medical needs due to the worsening of the bites — as evidenced by the attached updated photos.
Additionally, this situation has resulted in a temporary loss of earnings, as I am unable to take on any further pet-sitting bookings until I have fully recovered and am clear of flea bites, for both health and professional reasons.
I also note that you mentioned reviewing "evidence provided by the owner," yet I have not been given access to this evidence. Given that it has been used in making a decision which directly affects me, I expect full transparency and request that you immediately provide copies of any evidence you have reviewed.
If this evidence is not provided, I will have no choice but to consider taking further action to pursue this matter formally.
This incident has caused significant physical discomfort, financial loss, emotional stress, and disruption to my work, particularly as I am currently abroad and have limited access to medical care.
Given the seriousness and ongoing impact of this experience, I respectfully request that CatInAFlat reconsiders the level of compensation offered and addresses the lack of transparency regarding the owner's evidence.”
“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!”
“"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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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
“Terrible sitter, my house was in disarray when I arrived home from a two week trip. Bowls dirty, water dirty and not refilled, litter not changed and house stinking to high heaven. Not to mention my cat traumatised and clearly someone had visited once or twice, took pictures that everything was fine and took their money and left my cat to fend for itself. Will never use again. Customer service were not helpful claiming my sitter had received 5 stars so they were surprised. Deleted my account and will use a Cattery next time. Took two hours to clean my home and calm my pet after the experience. So unhappy!!”
We are sorry to hear that you were unhappy with a cat sitters service. We can see that you have contacted our customer support team but have not been able to supply any evidence to support your accusations. Please get back to them as soon as possible so that we can look into this matter further. Thank you.
“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.
“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.”
