I have a cat who now needs daily medication. She’s really good about taking it and makes it easy, often just eating it in a little wet food. I’m concerned if I will still be able to get sitters. How do the majority of sitters feel about giving medication.
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You will have no problem getting sitters. There are many sitters who are comfortable giving medication and there are pets here with all kinds of medical issues. And if your cat takes her meds easily, you really have no cause for concern.
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I agree with @mars, it will not be a problem finding sitters who are comfortable giving meds, especially in food!
Do make sure you explain the process you use, and the importance of the medication.
And do check with sitters ahead of time, to make sure they are comfortable with it.
But most sitters have at least some experience giving meds, if not a lot of experience.
So cool that your cats is good at taking her meds!
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You will have no problem finding sitters, especially as your cat is so good at taking her medication. On our Christmas sit starting on Friday, both the dog and cat have medication. Apparently the cat likes her tablet and takes it like a sweet, we just have to put it on the floor and she will eat it! The dog has his crushed and sprinkled in food. We’ve also hidden tablets inside sausages before now!
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No problem at all as long as the owner has left clear instructions 
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Hi @Cawall welcome back to the forum, it’s been a while we hope you have been keeping well.
I see you have some great support and encouraging replies from members the only thing to add is include your kitty’s need in the listing that way sitters with the necessary experience will apply.
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No problem at all, unless it’s a skittish or defensive animal.
I think it depends on where you live and what meds are needed.
If you are in a very popular location (NYC, London, etc), you should get enough applications that some will have experience medicating cats. If the cat is as easy to medicate as you say, that helps a lot.
I live in a less popular city, with a cat that needs one pill placed in her mouth daily, and sub-cutaneous fluids twice a week. It has been difficult for me to find a sitter with experience. I’ve had THS sitters who can do the pills, but I’ve paid a local sitter to come and do the sub-Q fluids while the THS sitters is here.
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You bring up a good point Lassie. I was in CA but moved to Vancouver WA. That’s a new variable for me. CA was not an issue but I have no idea what the response will be here. I guess I’ll find out soon as I have 3 sits to post for the first half of the year.
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I have a cat with diabetes, who needs insulin shots twice a day. I’ve tried using THS in previous years to find someone to look after her but despite sending out invites I’ve never had any luck and always end up regretting the membership fee I spend. I’m hoping to go away at the end of April so have posted an ad, but are there people out there willing to look after a pet who needs shots? I’ve sent out 10 invites that were all no 
Maybe it’s my profile instead?
A warm welcome to the forum.
I have moved your question to an existing thread with some feedback that may be helpful.
I believe that there are many sitters who will be willing to give a cat insulin shots. I am so sorry you have never had any luck in the past.
I am sure some of our more experienced members here will be able to provide you with lots of advice.
Best wishes
Therese
There is also another thread to look at here. If you ever need to search for a question, use the spyglass on the top right hand side.
I would suggest publishing your dates instead of sending out invitations and see if anyone applies. As long as the requirement is in your instructions there are sitters that will give meds and injections.
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The instructions do mention it so I have published dates - it’s just that because I’m not in some picturesque idyll or big city I feel I have to push out some invites too.
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I’ve administered oral medication quite a lot during my time as a pet sitter and I’m more than happy to do this. The only thing I’m not comfortable with is carrying out any injections on animals.
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We’ve had to give oral or skin medication to more than half the dogs and cats (40+) we’ve taken care of and are happy to do so. I think it’s common with HOs who want sitters and not kennels for their pets. We had instructions on bottom (can’t use the correct medical word apparently) injections & suppositories as we arrived to one sit. They weren’t needed fortunately but that’s quite an ask.
I think that there are many sitters, like me, who are experienced with giving meds to cats. I gave sub-Q fluids to my cat twice a week for years, and that is more difficult than insulin because you have to keep the needle under the skin for 5 mins or so, until enough fluid has gone through.
Your sit isn’t for a few months, so i wouldn’t worry about not finding a sitter yet.
I checked your listing and have some suggestions to make it more attractive:
- Put the photo of Treacle as the first photo. I like the photo that is second last now.
- Describe the local attractions in the listing. Coventry has so much history that it will appeal to people. Include a photo of the cathedral in your photos.
- Remove “sitters need a car”. it doesn’t sound like a car is essential if sitters can walk to shops, etc.
- Mention public transport, if it’s available.
- Change the headline. The first few words are all that show on a website thumbnail so these are most important. maybe “Medieval city with senior cat”.
You can check other posts from people asking for suggestions on their listing to get other ideas.
Good luck (from another Elaine!)
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I think there are plenty of sitters who know how to inject medications. I was due to do a cat sit for a cat that needed two daily shots of insulin so I came to the host’s home on a special trip and learnt from her how to do it
Hi @Elaine_Treacle. I had an opportunity to sit for an older cat who required daily insulin injections, something I’d never done before. After doing a quick search in Google I applied for the sit, and got it. The pet parent walked me through the process, and the cat was very good about getting her shot, so all went well.
I’m sure there are many other sitters who would be willing to learn how to administer insulin even if they don’t have any prior experience. @Lassie’s given you some great feedback that should help you catch sitters’ eyes.
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Thank you, this is really helpful - I’ll update my listing!
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