Rover.com | Pet SittingReviews of rover.com

The app is confusing and the merger from Cat In A Flat to this doesn't work, change it back!

Every thing was fine

Sitter went silent 48h before arriving date. I contacted Rover who suggested to keep contacting her,apparently they also sent her a message. No offer to find a suitable sitter for our household. At the end the sitter didn't show up. But worse of all, when I tried to write a review on the sitter's profile to warn other pet owners I found out that I couldn't. Rover said that because I had asked for a refund and this involved the cancellation of the service I could no longer leave a review. So this is why no sitters on Rover have bad reviews! Because dog owners who are stood up usually ask for a refund first in order to find a new sitter. No bad reviews gives a fake sense of security. Rover becomes the enabler of irresponsible sitters like Katie T that do not turn up on the day.

I would give zero stars if that were possible. I’m a professional cat sitter, and since the transition from Cat in a Flat, this platform has become extremely frustrating to use. The most basic issue is that there is no proper option to select cat care as a service. On Cat in a Flat, pricing was simple and fair—we charged the same whether there was one cat or two. Here, the system pushes for double charges, which doesn’t reflect how cat sitting typically works. Even more concerning, my prices were increased without my consent. For example, house sitting was previously £25, but it’s now listed as £29—and during school holidays it jumps to £44. This kind of automatic pricing change is unacceptable. There has been virtually no communication from the company. No clear explanation about the merger, no guidance on how to use the new platform, and no real support for sitters trying to adapt. The platform also completely ignores other types of pet care—I regularly look after rabbits and fish, yet there are no options for these services at all. My profile has also been significantly reduced. On Cat in a Flat, I had three detailed paragraphs about my experience and personality; here it has been cut down to just a few lines. There’s also no visible DBS information or proper background details. Why would any pet owner feel comfortable letting a stranger into their home with so little information available? Previously, Cat in a Flat provided excellent support for sitters—PDF checklists, meet-and-greet forms, visit schedules, and more. Rover, on the other hand, offers no meaningful support, yet still takes a 15% fee. For what, exactly? There is no visible value in return. Overall, this feels like a major downgrade in both functionality and support. The platform does not meet the needs of dedicated pet sitters, especially those specialising in cats.

What an absolute shambles the merger with CIAF has been. I have been a cat sitter for three nearly four years with them. I had a business that was steadily growing year on year, so much so that I made it my full time job. What a mistake that was, my business is now non existent, no enquiries, no bookings and I have been horrified at the lack of action and support from the company. Charging both the client and myself 15% is just plain greedy!!!! My pricing was £15 per once a day visit and £20 for twice a day visits. Rover have now inflated that to £18 for once a day and £36 for twice. Cat in a Flat used to take a booking fee of £1.50 Rover want 15%. I never charged for more than one cat, Rover want to double it. To give an example of the difference in prices Three cats, twice a day visits for seven days CIAF Old price £141.50 Rover price £756 Would you pay that? Rover say you can change the price once a cat owner is interested in booking you. However, if you're a cat owner and have put all your details in and presented with this price would you not look elsewhere? I have lost so much business, trust and reputation and I can't believe that Rover has offered me no support, they talk a good talk but no actual solutions. Complete and utter shambles!!!!

I was double charged and still haven’t recorded the refund yet.

After the abysmally handled Cat in a Flat merger, not only have my prices been jacked up without my say so due to the extortionate double fees Rover charges (15% to owners AND sitters), half the information on my profile is missing. Their customer service is a joke and I’m lucky if I get a response at all. This site is for dogs and they have made absolutely no effort to accommodate the different needs cats have. I’m now penalised if an owner chooses someone else, yet they encourage owners to cast a wide net across multiple sitters. Additionally, I don’t show up in searches while waiting for a meet and greet to take place. This might be weeks after the initial enquiry - are you serious? This is the busiest time of year and I’ve barely had any interest since the merger. My repeat clients have no ideas what’s going on, and I’ve now looked into private insurance to take everything off-app. What a farce. It’s clear that this merger was nothing but a means of expanding their portfolio, not a way of helping cat owners and sitter reach a broader network. Awful.

This entire platform is reprehensible. I will NEVER book a pet sitter through here again. Every single horrible thing you've heard about this platform is right. Customer service truly does not care about your pet at all. Despite the many safety and quality issues I had with my sitter, they just recommend I ask her for a refund. WTF?! I don't even want to contact her, much less ask her for a refund. Instead, I tell everyone in my life to NEVER use this Rover. They have ZERO care for your pets. Protect yourself and your animals.