A dog follows its people; a cat follows its home. It knows which corner of the sofa gets the afternoon sun, which balcony door lets in the sounds of the street, where to hide when the doorbell rings. That's why, when you're away for a few days, being taken somewhere unfamiliar is often more stressful for a cat than staying in its own apartment — as long as someone comes by regularly to look after it.
That's exactly what Petit-o's Feeding / Home visits service is for: short visits for pets that don't need full-time sitting, but do need care and attention.
What happens during a visit
The sitter comes to your home at the times you've set and:
- feeds your cat the way and the amount you've described,
- refreshes the water,
- cleans the litter box,
- checks that everything is fine — that your cat is eating, using the litter, and hasn't knocked over or chewed anything.
Once the booking is made, you can use the booking chat to agree on the updates you'd like — a photo at every visit, for example. You can request multiple dates and specific visit times in the same request.
One visit a day, or two?
There's no single rule for every cat, but a few things help you decide:
- A healthy adult cat on dry food is often fine with one visit a day.
- Kittens, older cats, cats on medication, or cats that mostly eat wet food usually need two.
- With two or three cats the litter fills up faster — a second visit keeps the home clean and the cats calmer.
An automatic feeder can cover a meal, but not an absence of several days: it doesn't clean the litter, change the water or notice whether your cat is okay.
When your cat hides from the sitter
It's very common for a shy cat not to show itself at all during the first visits. That's not a problem, as long as the sitter knows where to look. Write down your cat's favourite hiding spots — under the bed, behind the washing machine, inside the wardrobe — and ask the sitter to confirm at each visit that they've seen your cat and that the food has been eaten.
Balconies and windows
In Athens apartment blocks, falls from balconies and windows are among the most common accidents for cats, especially in the warm months when everything stays open. Tell the sitter what has to stay closed, whether your cat goes out on the balcony, and whether there's a screen. If they air the apartment, they should only do it while they're inside.
How to book it on Petit-o
- Create your cat's profile with type, age, weight and photos.
- Create a Feeding / Home visits request with dates, times and notes about your cat's routine.
- Send it publicly to sitters near you, or directly to someone you've already found.
- When a sitter expresses interest, you can message them and ask whatever you like — for example, whether they've cared for a nervous cat before. Sitters don't see your exact address before the booking, only your general area.
- Choose, pay securely through Stripe, and the booking is confirmed.
Availability depends on whether suitable sitters are near you on the dates you need, so around the holidays and in August it's worth sending your request early. So nothing gets forgotten, see the checklist of what your sitter needs to know, and for help choosing, read how to choose a trustworthy pet sitter. The whole process, step by step, is on How it works.