How much should I charge for cat sitting?

US ranges are $20-30 for a standard 20-30 minute drop-in visit, with a second same-day visit often discounted to $15-25 because travel is already covered. Medication administration adds $5-10 per visit, additional cats commonly add $5, and holiday surcharges run $10-20 per visit.

Is cat sitting a good business?

It is an underserved niche. Cats cannot be boarded comfortably because most are territorial and stressed by transport, so owners who travel need in-home visits. Visits are shorter and weather-independent, client relationships last for years, and fewer sitters compete for the work than for dog walking.

How often should a cat be checked on when the owner is away?

Once daily is the common minimum for a healthy adult cat, and twice daily is standard for cats on medication, kittens, seniors, or households where the owner wants closer monitoring. The visit covers food, water, litter, a health check and some interaction.

Do cat sitters need insurance?

Yes, in practice. General liability plus pet bailee coverage, which insures animals in your care, is the standard combination. Group plans through Pet Sitters International, Pet Sitters Associates and NAPPS are the usual route for solo sitters, and clients frequently ask for proof.

What should I ask a cat owner before the first booking?

Where the cat hides and whether not seeing it is normal, whether it is indoor or outdoor and what to do if an indoor cat escapes, exact medication doses and timing, the litter setup and what normal output looks like, vet details with a signed authorisation and spending limit plus an overnight emergency clinic, and a second key holder.

Guide · 9 min read

How to start a cat sitting business in 2026

Cat sitting is the quietest good business in pet care. The visits are shorter, the physical demands are lower, the client relationships last for years, and far fewer sitters compete for the work. Here's how to set one up properly.

1Why cat-only is a real niche

Most sitters treat cats as an afterthought to dog walking. That leaves an opening, and the economics are genuinely different:

Cats can't be boarded comfortably. Most cats are territorial and stressed by transport. Owners who travel need someone to come to the house — there is no equivalent of dropping the dog at daycare.
Visits are shorter and denser. A cat visit is typically 20-30 minutes and doesn't depend on weather. You can route more of them per hour than dog walks.
Bookings cluster around travel. Holidays, long weekends and business trips. That's predictable and plannable, though it means the calendar is lumpy.
Physically sustainable. No pulling on leads, no icy pavements, no large dogs. Sitters often move to cat-only work to extend their career.
Medication work pays. Diabetic cats needing insulin twice daily, kidney patients on subcutaneous fluids, post-surgical care. This is skilled work, it commands a premium, and owners rarely switch providers once they trust someone.

2Handle the legal basics

Identical to any other pet sitting business, and none of it is optional once you're taking money and holding keys:

Register the business. An LLC separates personal assets from business liability. Filing costs vary by state.
EIN — free from the IRS, about ten minutes online.
City or county business licence — requirements and fees vary by jurisdiction.
Liability plus pet bailee insurance. Bailee coverage is the part that insures animals in your care. Group plans through Pet Sitters International, Pet Sitters Associates and NAPPS are the usual route for solo sitters.
A written client contract covering keys, vet authorisation, cancellation and payment terms. Our free contract template adapts to cat work with minimal editing.

Rules differ by state — our state-by-state guides cover licensing, sales tax and workers' compensation where we have them.

3Set your prices

Cat visits are often underpriced because they look easy from the outside. You are being paid for reliability and for holding someone's keys, not for the twenty minutes. Typical US ranges:

Standard drop-in visit (20-30 min): $20-30
Second visit same day: often discounted to $15-25, since travel is already covered
Medication administration: +$5-10 per visit; injections and subcutaneous fluids justify more
Additional cats: +$5 per visit is common, though many sitters include a second cat in the base rate
Holiday surcharge: $10-20 per visit on major holidays. Set this in writing before the season, not during it.

Use the free pricing calculator to sanity-check those against your own costs and target income.

4Ask the questions that prevent problems

Cat-specific intake is where this business is won or lost. A meet-and-greet before the first booking should establish:

Where the cat hides, and whether it's allowed to. Many cats vanish when a stranger enters. You need to know whether “I didn't see the cat” is normal for this animal or an emergency.
Indoor, outdoor or both — and what to do if an indoor cat gets out.
Medication: exact dose, timing, how it's given, and what to do if the cat refuses or you can't find it.
Litter setup: how many boxes, where, what litter, and what the owner considers normal output. Litter box changes are often the first sign a cat is unwell.
Vet details and a signed authorisation with a spending limit, plus a local emergency clinic that's open overnight.
A second key holder — a neighbour or family member — in case you're ill or the lock fails.

5Find your first clients

Cat owners are harder to spot than dog owners — there's no park where they gather. What works:

Cat-only veterinary practices and feline specialists. They field this question constantly and rarely have anyone to recommend.
Rescues and shelters, especially cat-specific ones. Their adopters are your exact market.
Existing dog-walking sitters in your area. Many actively dislike cat visits and will refer them out.
Neighbourhood groups around holiday periods, which is when the need becomes urgent.

6Send updates like the cat is the point

Cat owners are away and anxious, and they can't see their pet. A photo and two lines after every visit is the single highest-value thing you do — it's what gets you rebooked and referred, and it costs you thirty seconds.

Note what you observed, not just that you attended: ate well, litter normal, hid under the bed but came out for food. That record also protects you if the cat is unwell when the owner returns.

7Keep the admin small

Cat sitting generates a lot of small bookings — two visits a day across a ten-day trip is twenty visits on one invoice. Doing that by hand is where the evenings go.

Nuzzo handles recurring visits, per-pet notes including medication details, photo report cards, and invoicing that clients can pay by Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, Cash App or card. It's $29/mo for a solo sitter, with a 14-day trial and no credit card.

Ready for your first cat client?

Start a Nuzzo trial. Add them, book the visits, send a report card. 14 days, no credit card.