Updated November 2026 US, UK, Canada and Australia Free calculator
Pet sitting looks like dog walking until you do it. You let yourself into an empty house, feed and water, scoop the litter, give the pills, check the cat that hides under the bed is still alive, send the owner a photo and lock up. Then you do it again in the evening, every day for a week, on the dates everyone else is away. New sitters price the minutes with the animal and forget that the work comes in pairs, lands on holidays and carries the keys to someone's home.
For $20–$40 you can sell a 30-minute drop-in visit for one cat in the US and sit with working pet sitters. In the UK the same visit runs £13–£22, in Canada C$20–C$35 and in Australia A$25–A$45. Overnight stays, extra pets, dogs and holidays all move that number, and the calculator below handles each of them.
Set the job details to get a price to quote, then check what that price leaves you per hour once driving, supplies and tax are counted.
minutes
Time in the home with the pets. Most drop-ins are 30 minutes. For an overnight stay, use the hands-on care time in the evening and morning, usually 30 to 60 minutes.Time in the home with the pets. Most cat visits are 20 to 30 minutes. For an overnight stay, use the hands-on care time in the evening and morning, usually 30 to 60 minutes.Time in the home with the pets. Most drop-ins are 30 minutes. For an overnight stay, use the hands-on care time in the evening and morning, usually 30 to 60 minutes.Time in the home with the pets. Most drop-ins are 30 minutes. For an overnight stay, use the hands-on care time in the evening and morning, usually 30 to 60 minutes.
We only publish going rates for the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Enter the price you plan to charge and the calculator shows what it pays you per hour, and the lowest price you should accept.
Charge about
$28
per visit, for 30 minutes
Budget$20Typical$28Premium$40
$
per visit, in your own currency
What you really keep
$20an hour in your pocket at the typical price
Adjust the numbers above to match your job.
The price is built as a base fee plus a rate for the size of the job, then adjusted for the options you pick. Time is an estimate for one person working alone; change it if you know your own pace.
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Price list
Pet Sitting prices by job size
Job
United States (USD)
United Kingdom (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Quick check
$15–$2415 minutes, food, water and litter
£10–£1415 minutes, food, water and litter
$15–$2215 minutes, food, water and litter
$20–$2715 minutes, food, water and litter
Standard visit
$20–$4030 minutes, care plus play
£13–£2230 minutes, care plus play
$20–$3530 minutes, care plus play
$25–$4530 minutes, care plus play
Long visit
$26–$5545 minutes, several pets or a dog
£17–£3045 minutes, several pets or a dog
$26–$5045 minutes, several pets or a dog
$35–$6045 minutes, several pets or a dog
Extended visit
$30–$7060 minutes
£20–£4060 minutes
$30–$6560 minutes
$40–$8060 minutes
Hourly rate
$25–$55what working pros bill
£14–£30what working pros bill
$24–$48what working pros bill
$30–$65what working pros bill
Minimum charge
$15smallest job worth the trip
£9smallest job worth the trip
$15smallest job worth the trip
$20smallest job worth the trip
Prices are per visit in local currency, from a fair budget price to an established operator in a higher-cost area.
United States: The 2026 Pet Sitters International survey puts a 15-minute to one-hour visit at $20.64 to $46.26, and an overnight stay at an average of $110.43. Small towns sit at the bottom of that range and New York, San Francisco and Boston at the top, where 30-minute visits reach $40 to $60.
United Kingdom: Most UK sitters sell cat visits. A short 15 to 30 minute drop-in commonly runs £12 to £18, a 30 to 45 minute visit £18 to £35, and an early or late visit carries a surcharge of £5 to £15. Prices in London and the South East sit well above the North, Wales and Scotland.
Canada: The 2026 Pet Sitters International survey puts a 15-minute to one-hour visit at C$20.73 to C$47.66 and an overnight stay at an average of C$113. Charge GST or HST on top once your revenue passes the small-supplier threshold, and quote prices as before tax.
Australia: In New South Wales a 30-minute drop-in runs about A$25 to A$40 and an overnight stay A$75 to A$130, with Sydney 20% to 35% above regional areas. Extra pets typically add A$5 to A$25 a day, and peak periods add 20% to 50%.
Method
Ways to price pet sitting
01Per visit, by length
The standard. Publish a price for 15, 30, 45 and 60 minute visits. The 30-minute visit is the one most owners book, so make it your anchor and price the others around it. The price per minute should fall as visits get longer, because the drive, the keys and the report take the same time on any visit. This is how the calculator on this page works.
02Per night for overnight stays
A flat rate from evening to morning, with the sitter sleeping in the owner's home. It pays for your presence, not for 12 hours of work, so it is far less per hour than drop-ins but far more per booking. State whether a midday visit is included. Most professionals sell it separately.
03Per day for a holiday booking
Owners going away for a week think in days, not visits. Quote a daily price built from your visit price: two visits a day for cats, three for dogs. Sell the whole trip as one booking, take a deposit and charge for the full booking if they cut it short.
04Base price plus per-pet and holiday extras
One price for the first pet, a set amount for each extra animal, and a holiday rate printed on the price list. Owners understand it, and you never have to renegotiate when a second cat appears on the booking form.
Price factors
What changes the price
01The trip, not the minutes
Every visit carries about 15 unpaid minutes: the drive, the key safe, the alarm code, the photo and the note to the owner. On a 15-minute cat check that is half the job. A short visit should cost well over half a 30-minute visit, and your minimum should cover a trip that takes almost no time once you are inside.
02Drop-in or overnight
An overnight stay is three to four times a drop-in, not twelve times. You sleep in the home and do evening and morning care, so the rate pays for being there, not for working all night. What makes it expensive for you is that it fills your evening and your bed, so you can sell only one a night. Price it so one overnight beats the two or three evening drop-ins it replaces.
03Cats or dogs
Cats are the core of drop-in work: two visits a day, food, water, litter and some company. Dogs need to go out, so a dog visit is longer and has to be closer to the owner's schedule, often three times a day. Charge about a tenth more for a dog on the same visit length, and if the owner really wants a walk, sell a walk at your walking price.
04How many animals
A second cat is a second bowl and more litter, not a second visit. Charge about a quarter more for two pets and less again for each one after that. In the 2026 Pet Sitters International survey, 52% of professionals charge for additional pets and the rest price only by visit length, so either approach is normal. Pick one and print it.
05Holidays and peak weeks
Your busiest weeks are Christmas, Thanksgiving in the US, school holidays and long weekends, exactly when you would like time off. Holiday rates of a quarter to a half above normal are standard. Owners book these dates months ahead, so publish the holiday rate early and take a deposit.
06Medication and special care
Pills hidden in food take a minute. An insulin injection at a fixed time, a diabetic cat or a dog that needs lifting is a different job with real risk. Charge a set amount for each medication visit, and for timed injections make sure the visit time suits your route before you agree.
07Keys, trust and the home itself
You hold the keys and the alarm code to an empty house. That is why owners pay a professional rather than a neighbour's teenager: insurance, a written agreement, key handling and a sitter who turns up at 7 am on Boxing Day. Price like a business that carries that responsibility.
Worked examples
Real quotes, step by step
United States
Two cats over Christmas week
Two indoor cats, visited for 30 minutes twice a day from December 22 to 29 while the owners fly home for the holidays. This is the price of each visit.
Sixteen visits at this price is a solid week from one booking. Christmas customers book early and expect a holiday rate, so take a deposit when they book.
Base price, 30 minutes
$28
2 pets
× 1.25
Public holiday or Christmas week
× 1.35
Quote, rounded
$45
Going range
$35–$70
Time, with 15 min driving
1 hour
Supplies and fuel
− $2
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $11
You keep
$32 an hour
United Kingdom
Overnight stay with a dog
A calm Labrador whose owners are at a wedding. The sitter arrives at 7 pm, gives dinner and an evening wee, sleeps over, and leaves after breakfast and a morning garden run.
An overnight earns less per hour than drop-ins, but it is one booking that fills an evening you could not otherwise sell. State clearly whether a midday visit is extra.
Base price, 45 minutes
£21
Overnight stay in the owner's home
× 3.2
Dogs, with yard time or a short walk
× 1.1
Quote, rounded
£75
Going range
£60–£105
Time, with 15 min driving
3.75 hours
Supplies and fuel
− £3
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− £18
You keep
£14 an hour
Canada
Diabetic senior cat with insulin
A 15-year-old cat that needs an insulin injection at 8 am and 8 pm, plus food, water and litter, for a ten-day trip. Each visit is 30 minutes.
Timed medication fixes your schedule twice a day for the whole booking. Charge for every injection visit, and only take it on if you have done it before.
Base price, 30 minutes
$26
Give medication: pills, eye drops or an insulin injection
+ $5
Quote, rounded
$30
Going range
$25–$40
Time, with 15 min driving
1 hour
Supplies and fuel
− $2
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $7
You keep
$21 an hour
Australia
Two dogs on a long weekend
Two kelpies on a suburban block, visited for 45 minutes three times a day over a long weekend: out to the yard, feed, a game of fetch and a check of the water bowls.
Three dog visits a day can cost an owner as much as boarding, and they will say so. Explain that the dogs stay at home in their own routine, and do not cut the price to match a kennel.
Base price, 45 minutes
$43
Dogs, with yard time or a short walk
× 1.1
2 pets
× 1.25
Weekend or school holidays
× 1.1
Quote, rounded
$65
Going range
$50–$90
Time, with 15 min driving
1.5 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $3
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $16
You keep
$31 an hour
Your costs
What it costs you to do the work
Pet sitting needs almost no equipment. The money goes on insurance, key security, a car and the training that lets you charge professional rates.
Item
USA (USD)
UK (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Liability insurance with care, custody and key cover, per yearMake sure it covers animals in your care, damage in the client's home and lost keys.
$250–$600
£60–£170
$300–$700
$250–$600
Pet first aid courseOwners ask about it, and it sets you apart from casual sitters.
$50–$150
£40–£120
$70–$200
$80–$220
Coded key tags, a lockable key box and spare leadsNever label keys with a client's name or address.
$40–$120
£30–£90
$50–$150
$50–$150
Booking and client app, per monthHandles schedules, visit reports and invoices once you have more than a few clients.
$0–$60
£0–£45
$0–$75
$0–$80
Background check
$20–$60
£20–£60
$25–$80
$0–$130
Avoid these
Pricing mistakes that cost beginners money
Pricing the minutes with the pet
A 30-minute visit is about 45 minutes of your day once the drive and the report are counted. Two visits a day for one cat across town can eat a whole morning. Check your hourly earnings in the calculator before you settle on prices, and set a minimum such as $15 in the US or £9 in the UK.
Pricing an overnight like a day of visits
Owners will not pay twelve hours at a drop-in rate, and you are not working for twelve hours. But an overnight is not a cheap visit either: it uses your evening and your night. Price it at three to four times your 30-minute visit, and sell midday visits on top.
No meet and greet
Meet every new client and pet before the booking, at their home. Learn where the food, the vet details and the hiding places are, test the keys and get the instructions in writing. Skipping it is how sitters end up locked out on the first morning.
No deposit or cancellation policy for holidays
A Christmas booking cancelled in mid-December cannot be resold. Take a deposit when holiday dates are booked, and set a cancellation window, such as seven days for holiday bookings and 48 hours for regular ones.
Taking pets you cannot handle
An aggressive cat that needs pills, a reactive dog, or exotic animals with special care are not jobs to learn on. Say no, or charge for the extra time and risk once you have the experience.
Doing house sitting for drop-in money
Watering the garden, taking in parcels, bins and swapping lights are extra jobs. A few small tasks can be included, but list them. If the owner wants someone living in the house, that is house sitting, priced per night.
Questions
Common questions about pet sitting prices
How much should I charge for pet sitting?
For a 30-minute drop-in visit for one cat, charge $20–$40 in the US, £13–£22 in the UK, C$20–C$35 in Canada and A$25–A$45 in Australia. Charge more for dogs, extra pets, longer visits, medication and holidays.
How much should I charge for an overnight pet sitting stay?
About three to four times your 30-minute visit price. In the 2026 Pet Sitters International survey the average overnight was $110.43 in the US and C$113 in Canada. In New South Wales overnight stays run about A$75 to A$130. Use the booking type option in the calculator to see the range for your country.
How much extra should I charge for a second pet?
About a quarter on top of the single-pet price, and a little less for each pet after that. In the US that is commonly $5 to $10 a visit, in the UK £5 to £10 for a second cat, and in Australia A$5 to A$25.
How many visits a day does a pet need?
Cats usually need one or two visits a day and dogs two or three, because they need to go out. Price each visit, then give the owner a daily or trip total so they can compare it with boarding.
Is pet sitting the same as dog walking?
No. Dog walking takes the dog out for exercise and brings it back. Pet sitting is care inside the owner's home while they are away: feeding, litter, medication, company and keeping an eye on the house. Many sitters do both, but price them separately. Our dog walking guide covers walk prices.
Should I charge more on holidays?
Yes. Holiday rates of 25% to 50% above normal are standard in the US, and Australian sitters add 20% to 50% in peak periods. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and school holidays are when you are most in demand.
How much should a teenager charge for pet sitting?
A teenager feeding a neighbor's cat, with no insurance or business costs, usually charges about half to two thirds of the professional rate. Keep it to simple care for healthy pets close to home, and have a parent agree the arrangement.
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Where these numbers come from
The rates on this page were set in November 2026 from the published price guides below, then checked so that the calculator, the price list and the examples all agree. How we work out prices.