Tips/Christmas Bonus for Pet Sitters?

[Reefgazer]

Do you all give a tip/Christmas bonus to your pet sitter?  If so, what is an appropriate gift or money amount?  Our pet sitter is very good but is here only occasionally.  Is a tip/Christmas bonus appropriate?

[JustEm]

As a pet sitter, yes they are certainly appropriate and appreciated.  Any amount is appropriate.  I've been tipped anywhere from an extra $20 during a job to double the cost of a job. 

[Tap]

I don’t tip outside of the normal services. I don’t understand why we would tip more the month before Christmas than other times of the year?  I tip 15+% on regular grooming/services and call it good.

I don’t like to give unsolicited gifts, because that feels like I may want them to reciprocate. I know it may be something some people do… I just  don’t care for the trend myself. 

[MEmama]

I put $50 in my cat sitter's graduation card. My cats love her and she's simply amazing so I try to pay her well. Young people can always use and appreciate extra cash. Bonus she still watches our kitties when she's home from college! I try to bring her something like yummy chocolates from wherever we've traveled, too.
 

For an adult I'd be more apt to give a gift card for a nice local restaurant/pub or a fancy bottle of liquor. 

[Reefgazer]

I guess I am asking if people give Christmas gifts to their pet sitters.

[mmasc]

I don’t give a gift to my pet sitter. IF we need her help during, say the two weeks surrounding Christmas, I’d likely add more to her daily rate since it’s hard to get sitters during the holidays. Plus, I really appreciate her.  But to go out of my way to give her a gift outside of pet sitting services? No, I don’t do that. 

[itsheresomewhere]

As a pet sitter, tips are always appreciated.  The best gift I ever got from one of my clients was this thoughtout beautiful card from the dogs perspective telling me how much they appreciate me and all I do.  I still have it as it was just so beautiful.

 

 

[TechWife]

I don’t use a pet sitter regularly, only at the occasional holiday. I would only give a Christmas gift, money or otherwise, to someone who regularly provided a service to me. I’ve never tipped a pet sitter that I recall, TBH. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by TechWife

[MEmama]

11 hours ago, Reefgazer said:

I guess I am asking if people give Christmas gifts to their pet sitters.

I will because I'll see her then.

It's a nice gesture so why not? (Assuming you can afford a little something, of course. Otherwise a card would be just as nice--people like to feel appreciated; money isn't the only way to show that)

ETA: The best gift I ever got from one of my clients was this thoughtout beautiful card from the dogs perspective telling me how much they appreciate me and all I do.  I still have it as it was just sobeautiful.

I read this after I commented--so awesome! And adorable that they wrote it from the dogs perspective 🥰

 

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by MEmama

[Dmmetler]

I have a regular pet sitter who comes when we travel, and I've been giving her an extra couple of days worth at Thanksgiving because she's got two kids and I figure she needs the money BEFORE Christmas. 

 

They're a homeschool family and often will come over and do a homeschool day at our house when we're out, which the cats love-they get lonely without people around. And there aren't many pet sitters willing to deal with the assorted animals we've had through the years-she's had to feed snakes, spiders, insects, and worms, add water to frog ponds, and move cameras around when El needed to collect data for a research project.