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Pet sitter or kennel: which is actually better?
We're in-home pet sitters, so you know where we stand — but this comparison is honest, including the cases where boarding is the sensible choice. It comes down to four things: stress, supervision, cost, and your home.
Short answer: for anxious, elderly, or routine-loving pets — and for any household with more than one animal — an in-home sitter is usually calmer for the pet and often comparable or cheaper in total. For a single, confident, sociable young dog, a good kennel can be a perfectly reasonable option.
Stress: the biggest difference
Boarding means your pet moves somewhere unfamiliar — new smells, new noises, other animals within earshot, and none of their own territory. Some dogs genuinely take it in their stride. Many don't, and cats almost never do: cats are territorial animals, and relocation is the most stressful thing you can do to most of them.
With an in-home sitter, nothing about your pet's world changes except who's holding the lead. Same bed, same routes, same feeding spot, same routine. The difference is usually visible the moment you walk back in the door.
Supervision and overnight care
Worth asking any kennel directly: is someone on site overnight? At many facilities the honest answer is no — animals are secured for the night and checked in the morning. With overnight sitting, we live in your home for the whole trip and sleep there every night. Between the two of us, one of us is almost always in, so your pet is rarely alone at all.
Cost: it depends how many pets you have
| In-home sitting (us) | London kennels / catteries | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | £45–£65 per night per household, +£10 per extra pet | Typically £25–£45 per night, per pet |
| One cat | £45 per night | Often cheaper on paper — the price you pay is the relocation stress |
| Two pets | £55–£75 per night total | Two full rates — usually £50–£90 per night |
| Medication / special care | Included | Commonly a surcharge |
| Your home | Occupied and secure; plants, post, deliveries handled | Empty for the duration |
Full price breakdown, including weekly and monthly rates: how much does a pet sitter cost in London?
The home security point people forget
An empty London home with no lights, no movement, and post piling up is its own risk — and some insurers care about long unoccupied periods. An in-home sitter means your house looks and is lived-in the entire time you're away. It's a genuine second service you get for the same price.
When boarding is the right call
We'd rather be straight with you than win every booking:
- A young, confident, highly social dog may enjoy a good daycare-style boarder with plenty of playmates.
- Dogs with serious separation-driven destruction or escape behaviour may need a purpose-built facility rather than a domestic setting.
- Very tight budgets with one small pet — a licensed cattery or kennel is often the cheapest option, and a good one is far better than no cover at all.
If you do board: check the boarder holds a local authority animal boarding licence, ask about overnight staffing, and visit before you book.
If your pet would rather stay home
That's us. We're Kat and James — two named, fully insured sitters who live in your home while you're away, with a free meet and greet before every sit and daily photo updates throughout. Read more about our dog sitting and cat sitting, or see what our clients say.