Should me as a pet owner leave a pot of cash for any sitter emergencies?
We’re new to this
I think leaving some money behind can definitely be a good idea. But just be sure to make it clear it is for emergencies and necessities for the pets–I think most sitters would be aware that it is not money for their own personal use, unless the host explicitly said that, but can’t hurt to be clear.
In my experience though, this doesn’t seem to be a common thing, and I don’t request hosts do it, though some sitters might. But I think it definitely would be appreciated.
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No homeowner has ever done that for me. What I appreciate is them reaffirming that they have a card on file with the vet.
If you were to leave anything for emergencies, it might be wise to have it hidden and not mention it to the sitter unless there actually IS an emergency. For example, a cat that requires special food that they’ve run out of; you can then tell the sitter to check the tin on the bookshelf to go buy more. Sitters deeply appreciate it if you have TOO MUCH food, litter, waste bags, etc. on hand for the pets. On more than one occasion I’ve had to do a grocery run to ensure there is enough food for the pet for when the owners return; they left JUST ENOUGH for the stay without thinking about stores being closed for holidays etc. when they returned.
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I think it depends on how accessible you will be during your travel. If the emergency requires service such as a plumber, veterinarian, etc, you can pay by phone with a credit card.
The host of one of my repeat sits travels to remote destinations where service is rarely available, so she leaves a credit card for emergencies.
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I have had a few people leave cash in an envelope for emergency and in case anything for the pets should run out. I have never had to use it and always make a point of noting in writing it’s not been touched when I update them about the sit on the last day as I am leaving.
We leave a petty cash envelope with about $100 in an easily accessible drawer, so if it’s needed they can find it. Vet has cc on file. It’s never been used, but better safe than sorry.
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I agree with @mdarden1x. For example, I recently took a trip to visit national parks and knew there would be stretches where I’d be without service for a few hours at a time while hiking. While things didn’t end up working out with my sitter for that trip, I had prepared by leaving cash at home for emergencies and letting my emergency contact know they could step in to cover any unexpected expenses, with the understanding that I’d pay them back as soon as I had service.
This month, I’m taking a short weekend trip where I’ll have reliable service and can be easily reached at all times. In this case, I’ve asked my sitter to notify me if any situation comes up that requires funds. For vet visits or home repairs, I’m comfortable paying directly over the phone. I also explained that while I’ll have all my pets’ supplies fully stocked before leaving, if something unexpected comes up, I can quickly have items delivered to the house through services like Instacart — though I realize that option depends on the home’s location and may not be available everywhere.
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Some hosts have left emergency cash and told me where it was, like in X drawer. I never bothered looking, because need never came up, so I don’t even know how much they left.
I always leave $50 with a post-it saying “for emergencies”. I always way overstock pet supplies, TP and cleaning stuff, and leave a card on file with my vet, so that seems like a reasonable amount. No one’s ever used it.
Welcome to the forum @Wobbly .
It depends on your situation , where will you be , how long the sit is and what the emergency is .
Will you be contactable and able to pay an emergency vet bill ? If you will not be contactable or able to pay if payment is required for an emergency vet bill , you could set up an account in advance or arrange for your emergency contact to pay and tell your sitter to contact them in case of an emergency.
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If I’m reachable by phone/text during the sit, I just call the vet or whoever with the payment information.
In cases where we are traveling with no reception, I leave a credit card in a sealed envelope. If no emergencies, the envelope remains sealed. But it’s best to leave them with some way to pay a vet in an emergency.
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We’ve done 40+ sits, but I can think of only 2 times when we’ve been left money for emergencies (it’s actually 4 times when cash has been left, but 2 of those were to pay the window cleaner).
We always leave an emergency fund. The last two times it was 300$. The sitters know where it is and that it is for anything needed for our cats or the apartment. If they message us we can also have anything the cats need delivered. As for the vet they have our credit card on file so no money needed there.
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I’ve appreciated it the few times that I’ve been left cash, even though I didn’t need to dip into it. Another time I noticed a huge dish where (I guess) pockets were emptied into each day but again I had no need to use any of that, but at least it was there if an emergency arose (I’d let the HO know if it was needed)
I would never expect a homeowner to leave cash but that is only if they have an arrangement with their vet that they can call in If there is an emergency, and nowadays it would be very rare that you couldn’t PayPal or Venmo if a sitter has an unexpected expense. As sitters I have never encountered a pot of cash nor would I want to.
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We like being left cash for emergencies & if we run out if anything for the pets. It shows additional trust & care from the host & also a bit of extra planning for the unforeseen. I’d say about 50% of our sits have done this. Rarely used by us, other than to order those huge water bottles when it’s a country with non drinking tap water and needs to be delivered to home. #nicetouch
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We have had some HOs leave a pot of cash for incidentals but we have never used it. When things happen I usually pay upfront and get the money back when they return or they transfer the money to my account or they pay the supplier.
To be honest, I’m not comfortable with large quantities of cash left lying around especially when they are not mine.
I’ve had cash left a few times but only used it once when we needed to call the snake catcher. We had already discussed this possibility with the HO who was very amenable to leaving the money.
Have also used a HO’s credit card for an emergency vet visit. I’m very appreciative of HOs who think about possible emergencies and plan accordingly.
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I think I’d like to know which sit might need a snake catcher 
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In Queensland, Australia, @DianeS