I loved this app and used it as a cat sitter for 8 years. Since the merger with Rover the interface is so much harder to use, the options available and pricing have gone downhill, my clients and their names are gone from the gallery, everything has just massively worsened. My availability was amended without my knowledge, and services I am not equipped to offer like boarding added to my profile, with dog care added as an option with cat care removed from my profile entirely. Payment details are gone and payment now takes longer. I'm really annoyed.

I’ve been using Cat in a Flat for around 5 years as a part-time side hustle, and until recently, it was an excellent platform. It was intuitive, easy to navigate, and made communication with owners simple. Over the years I built up a strong base of repeat clients, and the whole experience felt well-designed specifically for cat sitting.

Unfortunately, that’s all been undone since the merger with Rover. Rather than improving the platform, it feels like Cat in a Flat has been completely absorbed and replaced. The features and simplicity that made it so effective have been lost, and what’s replaced it is a confusing, poorly adapted system that doesn’t suit cat sitters or owners.

The transition itself was incredibly abrupt. Despite Rover owning Cat in a Flat for some time, there was no gradual rollout or proper support. Everything seemed to change overnight, leaving both sitters and clients struggling to adjust to a platform that feels ill-suited to their needs.

What’s particularly frustrating is how existing sitters have been treated. Many of us came across with years of experience, excellent reviews, and loyal repeat customers, yet that history appears to have been disregarded. Rover’s “Star Sitter” system seems to favour those already established on their platform, putting experienced Cat in a Flat sitters at a disadvantage.

It’s also clear that Rover is primarily designed for dog services. Cat care has very different requirements, and the platform simply doesn’t accommodate them well. On top of that, the pricing structure is far less appealing compared to the straightforward fees Cat in a Flat used to offer.

Overall, what was once a fantastic, niche service has become a frustrating and time-consuming experience. I’d recommend looking for independent cat sitters instead, as this platform no longer delivers what it once did.

Fantastic care, by Ashleigh for our cat. But payment policy has changed. It has always been that payment is taken at the time of the service.
Due to change of ownership payment is is now being taken in full at the time of the booking. So if booking for a future holiday they will sit on your money for months. Will not use them again if this does not change

This site was great up till it merger last week with Rover. It's now borderline unusable. I lost all my bookings, past, present and future overnight and had to go through hoops to get to the right support to get them back. Rovers terms are not the same as cat in a flat and so now customers I've had for years will now be charged extra because of rover fees. However I can't remove these loyal customers from the app without facing a fine. It's not on, this is affecting people's livelihoods. My account was moved to "away" and I didn't they notification of this so wondered why I had not had any messages over Easter. This is not on and such a poor show by both companies.

I have used catinaflat for 7 years as a part time hobby / small side hustle. I have had a great experience all these years, with many repeat customers. The app was easy to navigate, easy to communicate with owners and set my availability. However this has been completely destroyed in the merge with Rover.
My profile was deleted in the middle of a booking, meaning I was unable to communicate with the owner whilst on a job. 7 years of reviews and customers has been deleted with no notice. I received no communicate that this merge would be happening (or I would have made arrangements mid booking!). Rover app is completely useless - expensive fees for owners and sitters, poor adverting (looks like I’m mainly a dog sitter who also does cats - no thank you!) and hard to navigate. Rover and catinaflat have been completely useless helping resolve my account being deleted with just AI chat bots sending me in circles. I give up and am now going private.

I have regular clients on Cat in a Flat that I have catsit for for years, and the recent merger with Rover is *atrocious.* Didn't keep my settings the way I had them, my profile was reverted to a much older version, my profile was updated to say I took dogs (no), the website is completely unnavigable from the cat sitter's side. My clients are also now being charged more than I had my rates set even though I corrected it on the new platform. Now we are paid after the job is over, apparently, so if I need to take the bus to a client's house I now need to wait for that reimbursement in the form of payment for the booking even later and pay it out of pocket...

I am so incredibly pissed off and upset that we are are dealing with this on both sides. I use Cat in a Flat for my own cat too and think I will look elsewhere the next time I need to book. See less

CatInAFlat WAS an amazing app. It was ideal for both cat sitters and owners, it had an intuitive interface and was clear and easy to use.

Then it merged with Rover. And by “merged” I mean cannibalised. Rover bought out CatInAFlat and instead of seeing what made the app popular in the first place it just copy and pasted its own layout and branding with no forethought. It has become a confusing mess for sitters and owners alike.

Look for freelance cat sitters instead because this app will waste your time.

I want to raise serious concerns about how the transition from Cat in a Flat to Rover has been handled, as it has had a significant negative impact on my work.

I’ve been a dedicated cat sitter on Cat in a Flat for eight years, building up a strong reputation, a large number of positive reviews, and a base of loyal repeat clients. Since the move to Rover, that history has not carried over in any meaningful way. My visibility has dropped, my past reviews are no longer reflected properly, and the position I once held as a top sitter in my area has disappeared.

What’s most frustrating is how abruptly this was implemented. Despite Rover owning Cat in a Flat for some time, there was no gradual transition or proper preparation for sitters. Instead, everything changed almost overnight, leaving both sitters and clients trying to make sense of a platform that feels poorly adapted for cat sitting.

There are also serious issues with pricing transparency. Clients who have tried to rebook me have seen rates that are far higher than what I actually charge. I have never set my prices at those levels. Additionally, even though I have clearly specified that I do not charge extra for additional cats, Rover is automatically adding fees for multiple cats anyway. This is misleading for clients and makes it look as though I am inflating my prices, which is damaging to trust.

The platform itself feels unreliable, and the lack of proper support only makes things worse. The support chat appears to be little more than automated responses that don’t address the issue at hand. It’s difficult to get meaningful help, and problems remain unresolved.

There is also an imbalance in how sitters are being recognised. Rover’s existing “Star Sitter” system favours those who have been on Rover longer, while experienced sitters coming from Cat in a Flat are not given equivalent standing. This is despite many of us having years of experience, extensive reviews, and a high number of repeat bookings. That history seems to have been disregarded entirely.

Overall, the situation gives the impression that the focus has been on scaling the platform rather than maintaining the quality and trust that Cat in a Flat was known for—particularly when it comes to cat-specific care.

For clients, I would strongly suggest reaching out directly to any sitter you previously worked with on Cat in a Flat and arranging bookings privately where possible. At present, the platform is inconsistent, pricing is not transparent, and the protections offered may not be as reliable as they seem—especially where pre-existing conditions are concerned.

Cat in a Flat used to be a platform that worked well for both sitters and owners. Unfortunately, this transition has undermined much of what made it effective, and the people who built its reputation are now left dealing with the consequences.

EDIT: Currently looking for a sitter myself from Friday to Sunday and Rover quotes £193 for 3 cats x 4 visits! This is ludicrous!

It has deteriorated significantly since the merge with Rover. I am a cat owner and I cannot find sitters near me, details of sitters have been lost of made incorrect, and it has made it harder, not easier, to find useful, reliable sitter listings

I was a sitter on Cat in a Flat and as others have said, since the merger with Rover, there have been lots of issues. My main issue is that I have bookings approaching, and I need to contact the owners to arrange a Meet & Greet and get my instructions. Unfortunately, I’ve sent everyone a message on Rover and not a single one of my owners has received a notification that I’ve messaged them. For bookings from new owners, I don’t have any contact details to contact them any other way, so what am I supposed to do? I also have a few owners whose numbers I don’t have because I updated them through Cat in a Flat. If this issue doesn’t get fixed I’m going to have to turn up at their houses to let them know I’ve been trying to message them to arrange a key pick-up; how embarrassing and unprofessional. Rover support just keep saying that owners will see my message when they log in, but they’re not going to log unless they know there’s a message! If Rover communicated the change to owners, at least it would prompt them to log in. Otherwise they might only log in when it gets very close to their booking and they realise that they’ve not had their M&G or given a key to anyone.

As others have said, Rover is set up for dog care services. The needs of dogs and cats are very different, and Rover doesn’t have the functionality to accommodate the needs of cats, so there are various issues related to that. The fees owners are expected to pay vs the small flat fee on Cat in a Flat is also off putting. But my main concern right now is that I have bookings coming up, my only way to contact owners is through Rover/Cat in a Flat, and my messages aren’t triggering a notification to my customers. I’m just getting repeated upbeat, AI replies telling me not to worry. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, honestly - we have very different standards. Unlike Rover, I am worried about my customers but I don’t know what else I can do other than leave this review and hope it prompts them to take some action to fix this quite serious issue ASAP.

The merger with Rover has been managed atrociously and has left multiple catsitters and owners completely in the lurch, with inconsistent access to booking details (even imminent/current bookings).

Sitters are caught between adhering to Rover t&c's of not contacting owners outside the platform, or risking a ban to reach out privately to booked clients to advise them of the platform changes (and consequent pricing/payment changes), which neither catinaflat nor Rover have done.

The poor management of this merge has left cats at risk of not being fed as booked (as booking details did not transfer over correctly, and contact outside the platform is technically prohibited, meaning many Sitters may not have backup contact details), sitters at risk of not being paid (as payment terms have now all changed, not to mention pricing being much higher on Rover), and owners at risk of paying twice AND potentially being left without their booked sitter.

Absolute shambles all round, and a real loss for the catsitting community as there is now no dedicated catsitting platform. Rover is only suitable for dogs, and is not set up to manage catsits effectively or safely.

Despite having 2 years to prepare for this "merger" with Rover, the handover has been an absolute disaster. Zero communication to sitters or owners, zero support, everything breaking, and reviews being lost in the transition. Two years. Two years to get this right!

And what have we ended up with? A dog walking/sitting/boarding platform where cats (and the people who care for them!) are an afterthought.

The fees are insulting: 15% from the owner AND the sitter?! Ludicrous.

I've been going back and forth with a regular client over a booking for today - it was never confirmed on the new platform as they couldn't find where/how to pay. I still showed up and did the job, because that's what a professional does! The payment will now have to be sorted separately, outside the platform entirely... So, well done to both CIAF and Rover for completely failing their own users and losing out on their cut through sheer incompetence!

I am writing to express my disappointment in the utter mess the Rover merger has been with Cat in a Flat.

I have been a cat sitter on Cat in a Flat for over 7 years. Rover acquired Cat in a Flat over two years ago and, until recently, did nothing to meaningfully integrate the two platforms. Then, suddenly, the merge was pushed through about a week ago with very little notice or preparation for sitters.

Since the merge, all of my reviews and repeat bookings have disappeared. When I search for my profile now, I no longer appear as a top sitter in my area, despite previously holding that position consistently. Years of work building trust, credibility and a loyal client base have effectively been wiped out overnight.

Good, experienced cat sitters have been forced onto Rover, which is primarily a dog sitting platform, and expected to simply adapt without any real support or transition period. This has created confusion not just for sitters but for clients as well.

I have already had customers try to find me on the new platform, only to be shocked that my rates appear to have doubled. I have not set my rates anywhere near that level. The platform is clearly buggy and displaying incorrect pricing, which puts me at a serious disadvantage and risks losing long standing clients.

To make matters worse, Rover has an existing system where some sitters have been awarded “Star Sitter” status. This system was already in place for long standing Rover sitters who are now at a clear advantage in this merger, while those of us coming from Cat in a Flat, despite years of experience and over 100 reviews and more than 200 repeat customers, are effectively excluded from the same recognition simply because our history was built on Cat in a Flat, which they have now absorbed.

It feels like Rover does not genuinely care about pet care, particularly cat sitting, and is instead focused on maximising profits. The way this merger has been handled shows a complete lack of consideration for the sitters who built Cat in a Flat into what it was.

I would strongly suggest that if you previously had a cat sitter on Cat in a Flat that you trusted, you reach out to them directly and book with them privately. The app is currently unreliable, and the protection they advertise is not as valuable as it seems. For example, claims can be invalidated if your cat has a pre existing medical condition, which significantly limits its usefulness.

Cat in a Flat was once an honest, well functioning platform that truly supported cat sitters and owners alike. Rover has turned it into a frustrating, disjointed experience, without taking the time, care or consideration needed to properly support the people affected by this transition.

Unfortunately this would have been a positive review had I written this prior to the merger with Rover. I have used the site for many years now, going back to 2018 for my first booking and have had an overall positive experience. Some sitters were subpar, but some real great ones. The website/app has evolved in that time and worked really well for what I needed as an owner.

Since the merger, it is apparent the previous owners/creators have sold it to Rover who are not cat-focused and it just does not work in the way it did. Unless something is fixed, I am going to be looking elsewhere for a cat sitter in the future.

We were given zero communication on this merger and I only found out via Reddit. Since then it has been nothing but AI/generic responses to sitters/owners problems. The costs are astronomical by now charging the owner and the sitter a fee and also in some instances charging additional cat fees making a twice daily feed for a 2 cat household incredibly expensive. I know the cat sitters are trying to work with the pricing models to make it work, but have encountered problems in being able to change those figures.

The messaging I have seen from CIAF was that nothing really would change for sitter/owner when in fact it has completely changed by forcing all to the dog-centric Rover platform. There was zero engagement with sitters/owners about the move to actually check the features Rover offered translated to cat sitting. Disappointed in Kathrin Burkhardt and Julie Barnes for not considering the product they sold to make a few £££ and leaving the so called "community" network they created behind to be just another cog of Blackstone.

The recent app update merging with Rover has drastically reduced the quality of the app. The speed is slower and it seems like many users may stop using the app or look for alternatives.

Cat in a flat used to be a 5* site, but the merge with Rover has absolutely ruined the experience for sitters. I won't list all the reasons, as they are covered in other recent reviews, but I highly doubt I will be using the new service unless considerable changes are made; at the moment it is no longer fit for my purposes.

This used to be a great platform for cat sitters & owners. Now they've sold out to Rover it's completely changed! As sitters we had barely any prior warning of this merge & so many people have had problems since. We have just been lumped on to a predominantly dog care app and it's just not on. I will be taking my services off app.

I'm writing this from the sitter's perspective, following their utterly disastrous merger with Rover. You've had nearly two years since the acquisition to prepare for it, but you've decided to release something apparently entirely untested, which breaks, omits 10+ years of reviews as a sitter, forces the parties to only communicate through their platform - all with higher fees - all without communication to your sitters or cat owners. Slow clap.

You've lost me, and a whole bunch of others.

Seit Update und Übernahme eine absolute Katastrophe.
Die App ist so nicht mehr nutzbar.
Auch online das gleiche Gesicht.
Als seit Jahren angemeldeter Kunde sind aus meinen Katzen zwei Mischlingshunde geworden. Umkreissuche findet nur noch wenige Anbieter und diese sind kilometerweit entfernt.
(in mittlerer Großstadt)

Terrible since they have merged with Rover! Unfortunately, this app used to be great until the merger with Rover! Now the app is clunky, complicated and lots of people have lost bookings or had details go missing since the merger.