A CAT lover has revealed how she managed to turn her love for felines into a side hustle bringing in an extra £2,000.
Becca Winkler makes hundreds of pounds every month alongside her usual income from her full-time job just by cat sitting.
Becca has been cat sitting using the Cat in a Flat app since 2017
The 27-year-old first signed up to the Cat in a Flat app back in 2017 when she was away at university and missed her own cat Delilah.
Since then she has successfully completed 35 bookings for owners who need their pet looked after while they’re off on holiday or on a business trip.
Becca works as a content creator for a video editing company full time and lives in south east London.
Speaking to HOAR she explained how the side hustle really couldn’t work better for her because of her flexible hours and being able to work from home.
Becca said: “I offer a drop-in service so I’ll go in the mornings and the evenings or they might just want one a day.
“Sitters can offer overnight stays as well where they stay in the owner’s house but I don’t personally.”
How long she stays with each cat and what she does on her visits depends on the booking and the pet itself.
She explained: “One of my regulars isn’t the friendliest of cats, so I pop in, feed her, clean the litter tray and let her outside.
“Then in for the evening I let her in and feed her again, which in total could be about 20 minutes.
“But with other cats I’ll be there for about 45 minutes to an hour, as they like playing, cuddles, and have to have specific medication so I need to make sure that they aren’t sick after taking it.”
Cat in a Flat itself recommends a visit lasts between 20 to 40 minutes, but Becca pointed out that this will differ if the cat is an outdoor cat and isn’t in the home as much.
In terms of payment, sitters can set their own prices but the app does offer a guide as a suggestion.
Becca used to charged £9 for a visit but has since upped her prices to £13 for one and £20 for two due to rave reviews.
She said: “The average booking is for around five or seven days, usually if people are going on holiday.
“Although the cat I’m currently sitting, her owner has been away for two weeks – so it can be longer too.”
Sitters can also set a restrictions on the app for days they aren’t available as well as distance from them.
Becca doesn’t drive so has a 0.8-mile range and makes sure each of the houses are within walking distance from her.
Back in April during the Easter holidays she was sitting for five different cats in four different houses so she needed to be able to get around to each of them every morning and evening.
“It works amazingly with my job, it really gets me up in the morning which is good as I work flexible hours and I can start whenever I want,” she said.
Bookings vary from month to month but peak times tend to be during holiday season, Becca has had three weeks of jobs just this month alone and in July she is set to bring in £270.
Becca’s top tips for having a cat sitting side hustle
Location is pretty important when it comes to making cash and getting jobs regularly, according to Becca.
Previously, she lived outside the city and it took her two years to get her first job through the app.
She explained: “Then I moved to London and got my second job from it in 2021, since then the jobs have really snowballed and I think it’s down to being more central.”
Another top tip from Becca is that setting up an engaging and appealing profile is key.
Explaining who you and extra information about you is helpful for owners to know, and having pictures of yourself as well as cats you’ve looked after previously is also handy.
Although you can only upload photos of clients’ cats after you’ve done your first job so do bear that in mind.
Once you’ve had a few good reviews it can help bolster the number of people interested in you.
She said: “Getting five star reviews under your belt is key, it shows that other people like and trust your service and encourages others to try it too.
“But word of mouth is also a great way to build your base, I’ve had owners who I’ve sat for recommend me to their friends and had new jobs that way.”
Becca also said that when you first meet the client to exchange keys it’s important that you’re friendly and engaging with both the owner and the cat, to let them know there’s nothing to worry about.
For her this often involves playing around with the cat as well as asking any necessary questions.
How does the Cat in a Flat app work?
People looking to sign up to the pet sitting platform are covered by the Cat in a Flat guarantee with all bookings.
It covers vet care for injuries to cats in the care of a sitter, with veterinary reimbursement to a maximum limit of £700 per booking and an excess of £150.
Loss of key replacement is also covered should the sitter not be able to get into a owners’ home during a booking.
This has a maximum limit of £250 per booking and an excess of £50.
Injury or emotional distress to the cat sitter is not covered.
Sitters have to be over 18 to sign up and will need connect their bank account through Stripe to receive payments.
It’s important to note that Cat in a Flat does take a 19% fee from all bookings, so bear that in mind when setting your prices.
The cash will automatically be transferred to the sitter’s account within five to seven business days after the booking starts.
If you have a dispute regarding the site or service you can contact the team at [email protected].
It’s important to read the full code of conduct and terms an conditions before you sign up, you can see these on the website.
Tax rules around earning extra income
It’s worth remembering that anything you earn with an extra income like this can be taxed.
You can earn up to £1,000 without paying tax thanks to the trading allowance.
The odd jobs you can claim tax-free include money made at car boot sales, online selling or auction, according to HMRC.
It could also include money made from food delivery or by charging other people for using your equipment or tools.
Once you earn more than £1,000 a year, you need to complete a self-assessment tax return and start paying tax on your extra earnings.
How much that is will depend on how much you already earn.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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