What Happens at a Cat-Sitting Meet and Greet? (And Why It's Free)

Every booking we take starts the same way: a free, no-obligation visit to your home before you commit to anything. If you’ve never used a cat sitter, the meet and greet can sound like a formality — it’s actually the most important half hour of the whole arrangement. Here’s what happens.

Why bother meeting first?

Three reasons, and they benefit three different parties:

For your cat, it means the person who appears while you’re away isn’t a total stranger — they’ve met, scent has been exchanged, and (with all but the shyest cats) some fuss has been had. Cats build trust through familiarity, and one relaxed meeting genuinely smooths the first solo visit.

For you, it’s a chance to judge us in person — ask anything, watch how we are with your cat, and decide with zero pressure. It’s also where you hand over the practical details without typing an essay.

For us, it’s how we learn what “normal” looks like in your house — which matters, because spotting that something’s not normal is half of good cat care.

What we’ll ask about

Expect friendly interrogation on:

The feeding routine — what, when, how much, where, and the politics of who eats first in multi-cat homes
Litter setup — trays, litter type, and where the spare supplies live
Personality and quirks — hider or greeter? Lap cat or look-don’t-touch? Any no-go zones for stroking?
Health — conditions, medication, and anything to keep an eye on
Your vet and emergency contact — we take these before every booking, without exception
The house itself — alarm, keys, cat flap rules, which doors stay shut, plants to water, bins, and how you’d like the post handled
The important extras — favourite games, forbidden furniture (as if), and where the treats are

Nothing needs preparing in advance — though jotting down the feeding routine helps, and if your cat takes medication, showing us your technique is genuinely useful. Our pre-holiday checklist covers everything worth sorting before you travel.

What about shy cats?

Don’t worry if your cat spends the entire visit under the bed — plenty do, and it tells us something useful in itself. We’ll never force an introduction; with nervous cats we work on their timetable across the actual visits, sitting quietly, letting them make the first move. Some of our now-friendliest clients didn’t show themselves for the first week. There’s no failed audition here.

Keys, paperwork and what happens next

If you’re happy to go ahead, we’ll usually take a key at the meet and greet (key collection is free, and many clients leave a spare with us permanently for future trips). We’ll confirm the visit schedule and exact pricing — £16 per 30-minute visit for up to three cats, with any bank-holiday surcharge flagged up front — and that’s it. From there, you get a photo update after every single visit while you’re away.

And if you meet us and decide it’s not for you? That’s fine — no charge, no chasing, no hard feelings. That’s what no-obligation means.

Book yours

We offer free meet and greets across Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington and the surrounding South Manchester areas. Send an enquiry with your rough dates and we’ll arrange a time to come and say hello — to you and, cat willing, to them.