Is this fair?

Hi All
Up to my last sit I had 21 all 5 star reviews, however my sit I’ve just completed I was left 4 stars because of cleanliness. I feel this is unfair due to the fact that I was siting for an elderly cat and the listing explained the cat needed some extra care. However this turned out to be missing the litter tray and not using the litter tray. I spent a long time cleaning, disinfecting and mopping various floors everyday. The HO said that I didn’t move heavy furniture and that the cat had peed here although I never saw or smelled anything.
I did my normal thing of stripping the bed post sit and cleaning all surfaces. The place wasn’t perfectly clean when I arrived and knew the HO may have issues when she said the cleaner wouldn’t be there but she didn’t clean to her standards anyway.
Thoughts?

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@richten1 I have a cleaning service and have asked them not to move heavy furniture…

This review will speak for itself against your others.

But if that is what the host said, and if what you describe is accurate, I would reply to the review with a short concise note accordingly.

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From your description it doesn’t sound like a particularly reasonable expectation of the HO. If their pet isn’t house trained or is having health issues causing it to relieve itself all over the house/furniture then the HO should be hiring either professional sitters or better yet professional cleaners.
I would definitely respond to the review and explain your side of the situation.
I doubt future HOs will pay much attention to this rating once they see you were presented with unexpected pet behaviour.

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Cat sits usually involve less hands-on duties, but you did a really good thing helping to care for an elderly cat, just remember that. You’re a superstar!

You took on the sit knowing there was extra care needed of the elderly cat and that included extra pee cleaning duties, so unless the cat had only just done it, then her review of 4*'s is justified, she found pee, that’s the fact here, so her score could have been much worse. It probably rolled along the floor to a less noticable place.

Stay calm when you respond to her review, remember she found pee, that’s the fact. It’s one sit out of 21, so now drown that 1 sit in another 21 x 5* sits.

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Based on your description I think the HO is being unreasonable. If it’s just a star knocked off I would just move on as responding often exasperates the situation. If it’s in the review you could reply with something in emotional and factual about the cats toilet habits.

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You took on a thankless task that sounds like a no win situation. In your shoes I’d write an honest, objective response about the cleaning required and the exact situation not being disclosed. Then I’d let it go because hosts will see your 21 five star reviews and read your response to the cleanliness and realize what happened. Also after you do a another couple of sits the 4 star will be burried.

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I think it is unfair . Some HOs need someone to sit an elderly pet that requires more attention and clean up.

But if sitters think they may get a poor review, they may not take these sits.

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Just to be clear the listing mentioned a number of expected behaviours of the senior cat but not the toileting issue. I only knew about such the day before when I came over for a walk through and the HO advised me if such.

@richten1, did the owner return before you leave?
I really think it is unfair because it’s impossible to clean right away. You would need to follow the cat all the time 24/7 to clean it right away. It also depends on the type of floor, furniture, how cluttered the house is…
Owner should be grateful for your unpaid extra care.
I would definitely contest the review. I wish I had @Maggie8K skills to word it. Although she might decide to move on and save the energy.
Of course, it’s up to you and what feels right for you but I think it would be helpful for you (if the wording is nice and non confrontational) and for other sitters. It would also make the owner aware of their unreasonable demands for an unpaid sitter who did an excellent job. The cleanliness issue seems to be because of their cat’s condition not because a lack of diligence on your part.

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It seems she only knew about extra care, not the pee issue or the extent of it

Do you really mean @richten1 should be 24/7 searching for pee in unnoticeable places and moving furniture around?
This could even have happened during or after handover!

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HO is breaking THS T&Cs and she still gives you 4 stars!

Hi @richten1 Did you mention the toileting issue, and the fact that it wasn’t disclosed until the last minute, in your own review of the sit? If so, I think most home owners would put two and two together and realise that it was a bit unfair to ding a star for a pet-related cleanliness issue that you’ve had to deal with, without knowing that’s what you’d signed up for when you confirmed the sit. Was this the stay in the multi-million pound London pad? Hopefully the home and location made the cat pee part a bit more bearable!

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I left at lunchtime @Newpetlover as per agreement. The HO arrived back at 7pm.

Hi @Becca
I stated that this cat required a lot of extra care due to age but didn’t specify the toileting issue.
Yes it was that property.

There you are!
How did the owner even know the cat didn’t pee after you left?

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They said it had obviously been there for some time…but if there was it on my watch I don’t know? I cleared up a pile of :poop: that looked like the owner had missed when I arrived.

Thanks @Marion. Funny thing is the sit before the HO said I left their place cleaner than they did!

Hi @HappyDeb
No the toileting issue wasn’t disclosed until I visited the day before the sit started (it was a local sit to me).

With this problem - not only undisclosed, but why did she cancel the cleaner?! I think it is very unfair to put that responsibility on a sitter without due information!

I agree with the others. A short factual comment. I wasn’t told about the pet having issues with releaving itself around the house before we confirmed and was told the day before handover. It is unfortunate that homeowner has found pee under heavy furniture. I cleaned and disinfected everything I found during my sit every day. I hope your cleaner will be able to correct when he/she is back.

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I would not mention this because @richten1 did not mention it in their review. But I think this part is quite good

I would rephrase it to include the peeing issue in a casual way, Something like:

“It is unfortunate that homeowner has found pee under heavy furniture. I did my best cleaning and disinfecting everything I found during my sit but it was difficult to keep track of all pee and poo around the house. So I admit that something may have escaped my attention. I hope your cleaner will be able to correct when he/she is back. “

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