Friend Demands Cat-Sitting Over Holidays For Minimal Pay, Expects Sacrifice, And Gets Furious At Rejection

"At this point I try to explain that this doesn't seem like an easy job at all."

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• May 18, 2024

When a friend asks for a favor, most people try to help out. But when a favor involves taking care of two finicky cats over Christmas and New Year's for just $50, while missing your own holiday plans, it quickly becomes complicated.

The situation in this post shows how tricky it can be to navigate the expectations of friendship.

The friend wanted to travel for the holidays, leaving her two cats behind. She offered a seemingly generous arrangement: stay at her place, have access to her food, and get paid a small fee for cat-sitting.

But when the cat-sitter discovered the complexities of the feeding routine and realized the time and expense required to commute without a car, she understandably wanted to rethink the offer. After sharing her concerns, the cat owner grew defensive and called her "flaky."

Situations like these highlight the importance of clear communication and setting realistic expectations. If a favor turns into an overwhelming burden, it’s essential to speak up and explain the difficulties.

On the flip side, it's important for friends asking favors to consider the impact on others' lives and offer fair compensation. Ultimately, keeping kindness and understanding at the forefront can help both sides avoid misunderstandings and resentment.

Just take a look at this...

OP's friend asked them to cat-sit from December 17th to the 27th or 28th over Christmas. They offered $50, food, and a place to stay.

Initially, they thought the offer was fair until they learned more.

Cats need feeding twice daily with different foods; one overeats, the other has a sensitive stomach. This complexity changed their view of cat-sitting.

Commute costs and time constraints in a big city make cat-sitting difficult, with nearly 4 hours and $8 spent on bus fare daily.

Christmas plans clash: they want to see their mom but must shuttle back and forth to feed the cats, creating a hassle.

Friend extends vacation, but feeding cats once a day is denied due to sensitive stomachs.

Costly commute to feed cats clashes with Christmas plans to see mom and New Year's with boyfriend.

OP gets accused of flakiness and expects no problem due to the offer of keys and place.

She tried to explain the need for holiday time with family, but she abruptly decided to take cats with her and then ghosts.

Feeling guilty; OP wanted to help but underestimated cat care needs.

TL;DR: Friend asks for extended cat-sitting, offering $50 and food, but gets upset when OP declines due to constraints.

Scroll down to see what people had to say...

If she can extend her vacation on a whim, she can surely cover cat care costs. Don't let her holiday hijack!

Talk about inflation! At 21, leaving for Christmas, they paid $50 a DAY for cat boarding. Her offer? Beyond unreasonable.

Now, that's a purr-fect deal! Their friend's earning $100 to care for their cats for a week—just dry food, water, and a clean litter box.

Twice daily for that long? $50? Nah, let her ghost and enjoy the holiday with mom!

She can take them with her? That's the cat's meow of solutions! No need to feel bad, have a Merry Christmas!

Dump that "friend" faster than last year's fruitcake!

Consider it a favor, seriously. If she's cutting ties over this, she's not worth the Wi-Fi.

Vacationing for 2-3 weeks but short on cash for cat-sitting? Nope, not in the wrong. She's asking for too much.

Twice-daily feedings and fountain refills? $50? Absolutely ridiculous!

Why not turn her place into a holiday retreat for everyone? It's all for the cats, after all!

In the land of favors and felines, it’s clear that no amount of free snacks can compensate for holiday cheer. So next time a friend's request meows its way into your plans, remember: sometimes it's best to pause and ensure the purr-ice is right before you commit!

Comment down your thoughts, or share this article for all your family and friends to see!

Sophia