From Sharing to Caring

Over the last 2 years Cat in a Flat has socialised and breathed some life into the well established Pet Caring Industry (worth £6 billion/year in the UK). With it’s new online platform, connecting cat owners with cat-loving sitters, it quickly became the UK’s biggest Cat Sitting Community and was characterised as part of the sharing / gig economy movement.

But are we really a sharing or gig economy?

Recently, the gig economy has been criticised of exploiting their own ‘self-employed’ community — if you can’t set your own fees or negotiate your terms of service, then what ‘self-employed’ rights do you have?

In an article from the Guardian, service providers of the gig or sharing economy are accused of pressuring their members to take any job and for a set fee. i.e. they are not in control of what they accept.

Farrar told how he was put under “tremendous pressure” to work long hours and accept jobs and said that there were “repercussions” from the company if he cancelled a pickup. He said some months he earned as little as £5 an hour — far below the £7.20 that employers are obliged to pay workers aged over 25.

Service providers also are not allowed to negotiate directly with customers

“Drivers do not and cannot negotiate with passengers … They are offered and accept trips strictly on Uber’s terms.”

How is Cat in a Flat different?

We pride ourselves with a very happy community, our sitters are given the flexibility to set their own rates and availability, and we provide them with the security of insurance and a free service platform to process bookings and payments.

With a 99.5% five star ratings, we can tell that the cat sitters love what they do and the cat owners really appreciate the kitty cuddling service they provide.

01 Unlike others, our model, does not require any capital or equipment investment and it does not require full time dedication. Our primary currencies are trust and attention when time allows.

02 All our community consists of mainly part time cat sitters. Most have a full-time or part-time job elsewhere and only offer their service in their spare time to satisfy their needs for cat cuddles.

03 Although some sitters would love to work for free ( we have a hard time telling them to charge the minimum), most sitters take the additional earning as a welcoming supplementary income, not as their main income.

04 We give our sitters a guide on starting prices with £ 8/visit of 30 min. This price is not set and they can change it to what suits them best.

05 Sitters are encouraged to agree and negotiate face to face, and the platform puts them in control of their pricing and hours.

06 Sitters and owners agree on the time of the service provided. This is very important so the service can fit around a normal work day and not disrupt existing employment.

So, what we can say with certainty is that we are part of the new movement of Caring Economy =^.^=

Well, that’s the time when you should start thinking about your summer holiday plans.

If you haven’t decided yet or you are still uncertain…you can always spin the globe and see where your finger points you to…

As we all know, preparation is King!

Here are some of our favourite tips and apps to help with that all important holiday planning:

01 The City hopper

If you do not want to leave your holiday experience to the recommendations of others, but prefer taking faith into your own hands you probably already know Stay.com. Great for planning your own itinerary with your friends.
If you prefer leaving your itinerary to the experts, Lonely Planet has great curated city guides. For some awesome insider tips, check out CoolHunting Travel.

02 The Globetrotter

If your chosen destination requires long haul flights, make sure you have the LoungeBuddy app that is connected to over 2000 airport lounges — it will have you sorted in no time.

03 The Settler

We all know Airbnb.com or Homeaway.com for great affordable places and love it big time. But always read the reviews, check out how recent they are, read the best and the worst….you sometimes find that the worst is criticising a point that you can live with which makes the review less relevant.

04 The Planner

Or are you more a person that follows the allure of your latest flight offers in your inbox…Kayak.com has a nice little widget that scans the flights for the cheapest prices and sends you little reminders when the prices have dropped.

Prepay Foreign Currency cards WeSwap and Revolut always come in handy.

05 The Pet Owner

For those who have pets to take care of, check out Cat in a Flat or Borrow my Doggy. Great pet loving and insured online communities that can’t wait to take care of your fur babies while you’re away.

And if you love your pet sooooo much, you can barely be apart and have the extra cash… there is PetCube which allows you to stay in touch with your furry friend via your phone.

06 The Gadget lover

Dress to impress your smartphone with some super smart travel gadgets.
Your personal translator: google translate app
The app that packs for you: Packpoint
Traveling as a woman: Getmagpie
And for even more great travel apps - check out ProductHunt

However you plan and get to your holiday destination, we hope you have a great trip — you deserve it!

You are what you eat

If you are tired of the same quick ready meal food and feel guilty for your lack of curiosity when eating, try Hellofresh.com — it delivers zingingly fresh ingredients straight to your door. With yummy recipes to follow, this is a fun way to eat healthy without the hassle of dusting off a cookbook or tracking down the star anise. Enjoy delicious, nutritious dinners daily.

Shopping break

We’ve all been there. Rushing through the busy high street during our short lunch breaks, and trying to update our wardrobe while others relax in the park enjoying their lunch. Have you tried Thread.com yet? By matching you to top stylists, it helps you to enjoy your well deserved lunch hour with Mindfulness and look good at the same time.

Be frugal with fun

When you are working hard, time flies and too often we look back at the last month only to realise that there’s been very little me-time, not to mention the lack of social life. We know money is tight, but there are ways to have a good time on a budget; YPlan has great suggestions on how to uncover the best events in your city and frugl.com is for those who want to have a good time without having to break the bank.

Cuddles for Money

It’s been proven that owning a pet protect you from heart diseases. So why not balance out the stress of work with kitty cuddles or walking dogs? If you like fresh air and a bit of exercise, join borrowmydoggy.com. Or, if you are the more cosy, stay at home type, why not look after a kitty through catinaflat.com — and best of all you get a supplementary income by being paid to do what you love. Suddenly your wardrobe refresh is in reach ;)

A new employment shift triggered by the emerging sharing and on-demand economy has resulted in more self-employment and micro entrepreneurs. In particular the Millennials are showing a growing trend in looking for a chance to make their own way, and seek a live-work balance using technology and services from the sharing economy, such as Upwork, Uber and TaskRabbit and contributing to the fast increasing crowdworking sector.

… in the past workers had one job for life, millennials will have 6 jobs at the same time. The Guardian

While traditional companies have to allow a more ‘remote friendly’ work arrangement in order to retain talents, workplaces and co-working offices have to meet the demand of today’s diverse, lean thinking, flexible workforce.

No wonder platforms such as Spacehop.com, vrumi.com and officeriders.com are popping up everywhere offering hot-desk-like solutions targeting the growing army of freelance workers, looking for cool, short-term, co-working spaces for a small charge.

According studies form to the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS)

‘a substantial number are also using these platforms to do work in other people’s homes’

Great stuff… but what if we could add the perfect way to destress to your new working environment? What could be more calming than a purring kitten sitting on your lap while writing your next big novel or doing your boring accounts?

Cat in a Flat is the first (cat-loving) sharing platform that not only offers you a hot-desk but a cat to cuddle, too. The cats home becomes your office, and you get paid to look after the cat.

Whether you call it sharing economy, collaborative economy, on demand economy Cat in a Flat is the perfect solution for all cat lovers out there looking for a new working environment a couple of times a month.

A big issue at this time of year, for the felines amongst us is, ‘Staff Xmas Holiday Replacement Cover’. When the humans start packing for the annual Christmas dash to the in-laws, cats everywhere start to wonder ‘So, who’s going to feed me then? And what if I need a belly rub!’.

To solve this problem, a group of enterprising cats have taken up the cause themselves, to bring snacks and cuddles to furry friends in need this Christmas, by investing directly in Cat In A Flat! Yes, if there’s anyone more serious about investments than a ‘Dragon’ it’s got to be a Cat — and these furry pioneers call you to join them! With crowdfunding site Crowdcube, now any cat (or their human) can join the mission to spread love and cuddles to felines around the UK whose human staff are off on their seasonal holidays. Yes!

Here at Cat In the Flat we are so happy to be able to be advised by this amazing panel of pioneering business-cat shareholders, who, like any feline, know exactly what they want from our service. We look forward to serving their command!

If your cat would like to join Cat In a Flat as a shareholder, you can find us here on Crowdcube. After all, the world is better when cats are in charge ;)

May we also introduce our most recent and distinguished investors — including the eminent Bee, Casper, Edward, Little Miss, Nelson, Pumpkin, Tibbs, TicTac and Yuki. Join the revolution!

When it comes to our beloved furry friends, anything that will give us peace of mind while we are away is worth it. Apart from daily photo updates of your precious while you’re away sunning yourself, we now offer a super duper (industry first!) cat and cat-sitter insurance included as part of the service. Essentially your cat and the cat-sitter are insured in a pay-as-you-go fashion for the duration of the booking.

Some people call it Micro Insurance, other’s call it Peer-to-Peer Insurance.

Here’s how it works:

For the cat (and owners peace of mind).

Whilst being pampered, played with, and cat-treated until they can eat no more, they are also completely covered if, once their sitter has tucked them in for the night, they invite that tabby from next door round for a pint of milk and things ‘get a little out out of hand’. Or if they manage to get lost on the way home from the catnip bar, or even hurt themselves in a ‘breakdancing accident’ on the kitchen lino after a few ‘milk shakes’ — we’ve got them covered.

For the cat-sitters.

We don’t do those expensive monthly flat rate insurance fees. Which is excellent news! Whether you have 2 or 10 furry clients, for a handful of days or every day of the month, you pay only for the duration of each booking. Pay-as-you-sit! A fair system for all cat-sitter entrepreneurs.

What’s included.

Our high-end pet care package offers:

• Accidental Damage
• Legal Costs
• Care & Custody of the Cat
• Loss of Keys

For the legal eagles here’s the full T’s & C’s.

Essentially, at Cat in a Flat Mr Whiskers is fully insured while in the care of one of our lovely cat-sitters, from whom we require have no criminal record (of course!). We don’t however insure your home for theft while you are away.

We always say it’s important for cats and sitters to meet a couple of days beforehand — that way the furry ‘boss’ can approve of the choice of his ‘personal assistant’ while their owner is away.

Always good to keep ‘The Boss’ happy ;)

When you’re a proud new cat-parent of the cutest bunch of fluff in the city, it’s hard not to share the odd Instagram isn’t it? Gazing forever into those cute shiny eyes, those tiny fluffy kitten feet…

But wait… Woooaah, if you think you’re in charge — you’re, deluded. Yes. Let’s face it, he’s “The Boss” — and he’s got us exactly where he wants us. Holding the can opener.

Our feline overlords — You’re a slave to their whims. The 24/7 mouse wielding entertainment machine. The cat-cam installing super-protector and general concierge service. Yep, no matter how you look at it we’re totally under the thumb. El Presidente — He meows, we dance.

So, ‘Two-Legged-Cat-Staff’, there’s no type we’ve not met at Cat in the Flat. Crazy-cat-loving-ladies and gents, it’s time to take a long hard look in the mirror… at our top 4 most common Cat-Parent varieties:

1. The Under-the-Thumb ‘Employee’ aka The Cat Slave

Needius Cuddleum

The cat totally has the upper hand in this relationship. Every whim catered for. Every toy on Amazon has been bought, even the finest cat food in the land is not good enough for his highness. You’ll do absolutely anything for a cuddle — even if you have to catch the goddamn mice for him yourself.

2. Cross Species Adopter

Furrio Sapien

Just like those shows where a tiger adopts a squirrel as one of their own cubs, you literally make no distinction between your four legged and two legged offspring.

Cat gets pocket money and a scooter for xmas just like the other kids. This is normal, right?

3. Presidential Bodyguard

Caesar Protectus

If anything untoward ever happened to your furry superior, the universe would literally implode. Bullets would gladly be taken to protect the premier. So like any true Armageddon-ist all precautions are taken to protect against potential zombie uprisings, stray puppy love and the like, including security checks for all those entering the border (the front door). Level 1 security clearance given only to the most thoroughly vetted citizens.

4. Obsessive Over-Sharer

Pictoria Millenius

The day starts and ends with this furry face. The world entirely revolves around his fluffy exquisiteness, and rightly so. He’s clearly the most gorgeous creature ever to have walked the earth, and by jebus we’re going to make sure you know about it. Loyalty of friends can be assessed by their willingness to continuously ‘like’ the solid carpet bombing of social media that provides the minute by minute biography of this singularly majestic being. We know you love it really.

So, it turns out our fellow cat lovers come in a few furry flavours. Maybe you’re one of them? I know we are. But which one? … Well, to be honest, probably all of them.

Stalk us on Instagram here ;)

Now that summer holidays are upon us it’s time to start asking ourselves some questions — “How can I go on that well deserved holiday without my kitty holding it against me?

What solution is best for my cat, what gives me peace of mind and what’s affordable?”

These are common questions that most cat owners face, often discussed in forums like mumsnet. A survey of 1,025 pet owners in 2013 found that a quarter of families cancel or shorten their holidays due to difficulties finding petcare for various reasons.

The PDSA, a large veterinary charity in the United Kingdom, says in their Cat Companionship Advice that ‘It’s best if a friend or neighbour can look after your cat in your home. If this isn’t possible, your cat should be boarded at a reputable cattery.’

Purina echoes this advice “Cats are home-loving and territorial creatures, and can get stressed in new environments away from familiar scents, sights and sounds. That’s why, where possible, it is best to find a way of caring for your cat within her own home when you go away.”

So where to start with your search for the best solution?

Look at the personality of your cat. Is she a shy, calm cat that does not seek human contact much other than for feeding times or is it a human contact seeking cat, is it an indoor cat that is happy with little space or is it an outdoor cat that is very territorial.

Some cats get very stressed if moved from the comfort of their home into a cattery. Others feel stressed when left alone in their own home. At the end of the day a lot of different factors will influence your decision.

The decision of whether cattery, cat sitting or boarding is more influenced by what you think works best for your cat than what your cat thinks. If it was up to the cat, no change would be the best, as they are very territorial and routine driven.

Leave me where I belong in the comfort of my home and you do your own things… just make sure I have got my favourite food, my clean toilet and my cuddles that you do best between 8–10 pm

Asking a friend or neighbour:

Unfortunately, only very few are lucky enough to have a cat loving neighbour or dedicated friend always available to replace you without giving you the feeling of guilt for unpaid favours.

When asking a neighbour or friend for the first time, please always make sure they are true cat lovers, we’ve heard lots of horror stories of cats being neglected just because the person looking after them does understand cats and just thinks they can fend for themselves — as you know this is not the case!

Using catteries:

You could always take your cat to the local cattery, quite often run by your cat’s own veterinary surgery who know your cat’s health history and who are trained to care with medical qualification.

But many cats get very stressed in new environments, specially if they are very social and outdoor cats with a strong territorial connection or if they are old and fragile where any slight change can have fatal consequences. Also, if you have more than one cat, your bill quickly adds up.

Being locked up for 2 weeks while you soak up the sun, would your kitty forgive you? We know ours wouldn’t.

Using cat sitters:

So then there is the option of inviting a pet sitter to come to your own home once or twice a day. That way, your cats stay in their familiar surrounding with minimum change in daily routine.

You can use professional pet sitters. However, they often have super tight schedules, filling up their day, they also care for dogs and other animals too, which might unsettle your cat.

And that’s where Cat in a Flat comes in. Cat in a Flat is an online cat-loving, cat sitting community that connects cat owners with trusted cat sitters in their area.

Our cat sitters do not do this for a profession, but they do it because they are true cat lovers and can’t wait to spend time with your furry friends.

They understand that cats aren’t just pets — they’re part of the family, our confidantes, our BFFs (best furry friends)… they also understand the stresses of leaving your cat behind while going on holiday as most of them are cat owners themselves.

All our sitters go through a phone call interviewing and vetting process.

So why not have a look at our community, all you have to do is enter your postcode and our lovely sitters in your neighbourhood will appear in your search result. Select the sitter and price you like, have a read through their profile and if you like what you see invite them around for a cup of tea so you can get to know them before you make up your mind — no strings attached.

Self funded. Self motivated.

This community has been created by founders Kathrin and Julie, they both have cats of their own and always had trouble finding the perfect person to look after their kitties while away.

They said in a Timeout article:

We set about creating a network where true cat lovers would look after our cats, giving us peace of mind that they are being fed, played with and getting plenty of belly-rubbing/sock-chasing/window-staring/box-sitting while staying in the comforts of their own home.

So next time you are away, why not try and find a trusted cat sitter through catinflat.com.

What ever you decide, make sure you visit the cattery or meet the sitter first, before you leave your cat behind. Your gut feeling counts. If you are not happy or have any doubt, this will nag on you and you will not enjoy your stay-away.

Have a lovely holiday!