642: Why the Cat Fanciers Association Just Elevated Professional Cat Sitting
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Pet Sitters Associates. Use ‘Confessional’ at checkout
In this episode, we unpack how the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) used its magazine to point cat owners toward insured, trained, professional sitters—despite a season sponsored by a gig-app. We explore why that subtle editorial stance signals a cultural shift and how it aligns with PSI’s new global standards. We share what owners are now encouraged to ask: insurance, medical competence, meet-and-greets, backups, and referrals. We also name the gaps (team-based models and continuing education) while celebrating a rising floor for industry expectations.
Main topics:
CFA’s pro-sitter stance
PSI global standards synergy
Hobbyist vs. professional framing
Outcome-based feline care
Owner questions that matter
Main Takeaway Quote: “This is how cultural change happens—not through laws first, but through language.”
When the Cat Fanciers’ Association tells cat owners to hire insured, trained, professional sitters, it changes everything. It raises the public expectation for what ‘good care’ really means and validates the professionals who’ve been setting those standards for years. On this week’s Pet Sitter Confessional, we talk about why that shift matters, how it connects with PSI’s new global standards, and why professionalism—not convenience—is winning the long game in pet care.
Links:
Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA): https://cfa.org
Cat Talk magazine (CFA publication) — article referenced: “Choosing the Right Cat Sitter”: https://cfa.org/cat-talk/choosing-the-right-cat-sitter/
Pet Sitters International (PSI) — Global Standards: https://www.petsit.com (see Global Standards)
Meowtel: https://www.meowtel.com
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Pet sitter confessional, industry standards, Cat Fanciers Association, professional cat sitting, Meowtel sponsorship, cat care, insurance, training, emergency planning, professionalism, gig economy, pet care, client expectations, cultural change, responsible pet ownership
SPEAKERS
Meghan, Collin
Meghan 00:00
Hi, I'm Meghan. I'm Collin. We are the host of pet sitter confessional, an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter. We hope you are having a great day no matter where in the world you are, and thank you for joining us today. We would also like to thank our sponsors, pet sitters, associates, and our lovely Patreon people, for supporting today's show. If you don't know what a Patreon is. They are someone who listens to the podcast, loves it and wants to give back. So they go to pet sitter confessional.com/support, to see all of the ways they can help out. Last week, on episode 640 we talked about pet sitters internationals industry standards that they just put out. So this episode, we're going to talk about the cat fanciers Association. They just backed professional cat sitting, even if they don't realize how big that is yet. So we were tagged in a Facebook post by Liz pass. Shout out to Liz, hi, Liz, you are awesome. She noticed something fascinating. The cat fanciers Association, or CFA, published an article in cat talk magazine titled choosing the right cat sitter, and at first glance, it looks like a basic pet care guide, but when you read it closely, it is quietly revolutionary, and that's what we're going to talk about. It's especially interesting because meow tell which is a gig based cat sitting app. So it's like rover for dogs, but it's for cats. They sponsor the cat fanciers Association's international cat Expo, then the magazine's editorial team published an article that explicitly advises readers to look beyond app based, hobby sitters and seek insured, experienced professionals. And we all say, Yay, yes, exactly. That's the whole point. But this subtle editorial change, taking a pro, professional stance in a meow tell sponsored publication, it might be one of the most important cultural signs that the pet sitting industry has seen this year. If you aren't a specific cat sitter, or you don't know what CFA is, the cat fanciers Association, it's okay. It's not a small player. They have been setting specific breed and welfare standards for cats since 1906 over 100 years, and so they are globally recognized for defining what responsible cat ownership looks like. So when the CFA tells their members which are breeders and exhibitors and pet owners, when they tell them how to choose a sitter, it's not just consumer advice. We really need to pay attention to this. It's a public declaration of what ethical, high quality cat care should be. The people who
Collin 02:24
literally write the book on cat standards are now specifically talking about pet sitters, and are shining a light on that side of the industry and why their members and the association need to care about it. That's pretty big. So
Meghan 02:38
there was an article written in this magazine called the cat talk, and this piece was written by Nicole wellna. She gives cat owners a checklist of questions to ask before hiring a sitter. And if you've been in this industry long enough, you know that pet sitters International has had a National Association of Professional pet sitters naps. They both have had these kind of checklists for a long time, but now it's starting to spread more to other parts of the industry and to other pet owners as well that may not be familiar with pet sitting specific organizations. So the language used throughout this article sets a clear expectation for professionalism. It says that apps like rover and wag are framed as options of you know, if you're comfortable with a hobby sitter that type of language of well, if you are okay with that, you know, it's not the best option, but it is placing the onus kind of back on the owner going well, if you are okay with a level of care, a standard of care that is kind of suboptimal, well, you can choose that, but you probably should choose something
Collin 03:38
else. And I think it's that framing of rover and wag. They're not the places to go to, or these aren't the way to find your next sitter. It's saying, if you're fine with that level of care, then you should go to XYZ. The article goes on to describe how professional pet sitters are insured, trained. They're working full time in pet care. They're dedicated to their craft. They're seeking and continuing education. It really sets the that dichotomy between those two and in the mind of a reader a lot of times, this is going to be the first time that that cat owner has thought about that distinction, and really what makes that professional? And this is why the psi guidelines and standards are also so powerful, because we're adding definitionally to that term, professional pet sitter. Professional cat sitter. What does that mean? And here this cat talk piece is adding, okay, yeah, look, they're going to be insured, they're trained, they're doing this as their job. They're dedicated to this. The readers are also encouraged to use referrals, local agencies and even professional associations to find care. Yet again, psi has their finder. Naps has their finder other associations have their finders. Those aren't widely known among pet parents. Pet owners and so to have this association saying, use these things to find care, that's a great again, a bit of knowledge and education that hasn't been there before.
Meghan 05:11
And it should really be encouraging to us that this type of language is starting to get into other sectors, because it means that more pet owners are going to be educated on exactly what the levels and the standards are, and hopefully they will choose the highest level possible, because they love their pets that much,
Collin 05:28
even going as far as in this article, having a strong emphasis on meet and greets, hello, right? Something that we have been banging on and the industry has been banging on for a long time, but to have this get in front of clients and pet owners that's huge, or even things like medical competence, like asking questions about your sitter of do they fully understand particular diseases and requirements? Could they look at progressions of those and know when to step in emergency plannings and backups? These are kind of questions that I know, at least Meghan and I have. Last 14 years, we've kind of forced those in conversations, because I don't know if you've had this experience where you're talking to a cat owner and we're talking to a dog owner, and they kind of look at you and they go, Well, what do I ask now? And I'm just like, ooh, ask me about my emergency plan, or ask me about my backup, or ask me about how I'm trained in pet first aid and CPR, like, ooh, Ask me, ask me. But they don't think to ask that because they don't know what's possible. They don't know those expectations, they don't know those standards that we hold ourselves to. And so this is all part of a broader push and a broader understanding in the industry and at large of what really is possible. It really is a public endorsement of literally everything that defines a legitimate pet sitting business. These are the very qualities that the industry has worked so hard for years to communicate. And now what's more powerful here is that the industry isn't the one talking about those standards. It's a third party pointing back to the industry and saying, Hey, these are things you should ask them. It really adds more, again, more legitimacy. It's more powerful for somebody to hear it from a third party than than from me at a meet and greet, because then they know, okay, this is more than just what this person's talking about. And we also
Meghan 07:13
have to keep in mind that this isn't just coming from a source like care.com because I know that they produce blogs of how much should a sitter charge, or from a from a pet owner's perspective, of what should you pay a pet sitter? Like there are articles out there from other sources, but this is a very reputable magazine and association that is well respected by a lot of people, so that's why this article is so important. But what's the connection to meowtel, and why does that sponsorship matter? Well, meowtel is a nationwide app based platform, like I said a moment ago. Think rover, but for cats, sitters create profiles. They set rates, they manage bookings directly through the app. They're independent contractors, not employees. This is kind of the same conversation that we have around rover and wag of it's a tech platform that's kind of a matching service the platform of meow tell earns a commission for connecting clients and sitters. So to meow tells credit, though they have done a lot to raise awareness of cat specific care and give cat owners options, again, very similar to what rover does with dog specific information and educating sitters about dog behavior and what they should be looking for at a meet and greet. But meow tells, business model still lives squarely in the gig economy space. There's a very low barrier to entry, there's minimal standardized training, there's limited accountability once the visit ends. So when CFAs own magazine in the same season as meow tells event sponsorship when they publish an article that says, hey, hire a professional, not a hobbyist. It's really a fascinating contradiction. It shows that even institutions accepting corporate sponsorships are beginning to separate financial partnerships from welfare messaging,
Collin 08:59
I think, which speaks to the fact that this kind of differentiation is getting harder and harder to ignore in the public mindset and in the institutional mindset, where maybe 10 years ago, it was easy to accept big money for sponsorships and kind of move on with your day. As we see the pet care industry continuing to mature and professionalize and standardize. These distinctions matter. These distinctions are very, very important. And when you tie in the welfare messaging here of if you want the best for your cat, here's what you look for, and again, that you have to make these distinctions, otherwise, it's kind of meaningless
Meghan 09:43
well, and as we've seen over the past few years, the trajectory of pet parents is they are family. I subscribe to chewy every single month. I never miss a box. I want my pet to open the newest toy and have the best treats and the best kind of care possible. So when you extrapolate that. Out you get to the best professional pet sitter or professional cats that are out there,
Collin 10:04
which speaks to the fact that this distinction, again, this cat welfare still depends on observations, relationships, responsibility, professionalism, not convenience or algorithms. I know when rover, when rag WAG, I know when rover, when WAG, when meow, tell popped up. They thought they could replicate the same things that Uber and Lyft were doing for taxis. Of we'll just make it immediately accessible. We'll make it immeasurably easy to get to, and convenient and super cheap, because it doesn't matter. But what we continually find time and time again is the businesses that invest in the relationships, the responsibility, the professionalism, those outperform the others every single time. And that is a good sign for the industry, especially independent business owners in the pet care space of that's your superpower, these things that we talk about with it, we tend to think, Oh, isn't this what everybody does? The answer is, No, it's not. And it wasn't the expectation 15 years ago when these apps burst onto the platform and burst onto the scene. We all thought, Okay, well, the convenience is going to win out, the algorithms are going to win out. And what we're continuing to see, and what Thankfully we're seeing, is, no, it's not about convenience, pet parents don't want convenience over and against professionalism is that that equation is balanced and tipped way more to the professionalism than the convenience. They're actually willing to kind of jump through some hoops and do what they need to to come onto your into your business in order to get access to who you are and the quality service that you provide, there is
Meghan 11:42
a real tension here between sponsorship and substance. So CFA took the sponsorship dollars from a gig based company, but still used its editorial platform to reinforce professional standards. It's crazy, but it's not hypocrisy. It really is integrity. It shows the editors weren't writing for advertisers. They were writing for cats and cat owners. This quiet editorial stance matters because it aligns with what professionals have said for decades. Outcome based care is built on relationships. It's built on consistency, it's built on informed observation, and it really is safer and more humane than transactional one off bookings.
Collin 12:20
I think that phrase, outcome based care is really powerful. Of what do we see being a successful visit at the end of this I know Meg, and I spend a lot of time thinking about that and working with our team of in order to set us up for success and the cat up for success, or the dog up for success and the people up for success. What does that mean that takes working together, that takes coming together in that relationship between us and the client, and an understanding that we're here for your best interests, and the only way that we can do that is if you show up doing the same, and that kind of connection only happens, not on gig based apps like that. Really kind of close working together, instead of this just whoever, however, whenever, cheapest, that's what I'm going to go with. It allows us to insert ourselves as the professionals, as part of the care team for the cat and for the dog, and when we have owners who are looking for that, it really is a wonderful match and great outcome for everybody.
Meghan 13:30
What is a great match for you and your business is pet sitters associates. As a pet sitter, you know how much trust goes into caring for someone's furry family member, but who's got your back for over 25 years, pet sitters Associates has been helping pet care pros like you with affordable, flexible insurance coverage, whether you're just starting out walking dogs or pet sitting. They make it easy to protect your business. Get a free quote today at petsit llc.com as a listener, you get $10 off your membership when you use the code confessional at checkout. That's petsit llc.com because your peace of mind is part of great pet care. You may be thinking, I've never heard of the cat fanciers Association, and I've never heard of meow tell so why do I care about this? Well, it is important because for the first time, a major feline authority has publicly said that not all sitters are created equal. There are some hobbyists and there are some professionals. That is a validation of professionals that we rarely get in this industry. We rarely get it, especially from outside the industry. Everybody can do this job, can't they? Well, it's just a cat. How hard could it be? You just throw some food on the floor and walk out, or maybe you do a little chin scratch, and that's it. It raises the floor of public expectation, because now cat owners are hearing about insurance and training and experience from a trusted third party, not just for marketing copy on pet sitting websites or not just when we put our social media posts out there and we go, yes, you should definitely trust us. We raise our hand. We are professional and we are the best. This is how cultural change happens. Not through laws first, but through language.
Collin 15:03
Yeah, it really is equipping pet owners and cat owners with language to take back to their marketplace, back to the sitters in their area, and equips them with that knowledge to start asking those really good questions when they start. And here's the thing, what drives the biggest change in an industry when the clients demand it, when your customers demand it, that's really where you see things being pushed forward and made better. It's not really from businesses making independent choices for how to operate and things like that. The biggest cultural shift changes when the people paying money demand better.
Meghan 15:45
Now, of course, we hope that because we change something in our business, or because we're using specific language, that, yes, that does affect change in people, and we we want to see more people come around and use professionals and and have the same standards and similar language to describe terms that we can all get on the same page. But it is, again, rarely the business where somebody is like, Oh, I see a social media post or I see a blog and it's all about being professional. Oh, I guess that's what I should do. Now it's it is good that it is coming from the outside,
Speaker 1 16:16
right? It they the CFA has just given cat owners the language to actually describe what professional cat care is and what professionalism is. I think for many, many years, the term professional became synonymous with, like, we care a lot, or no, but I like, really love your cat, so I'm a professional. Like, I really, really love them. And instead, this is saying, no, there are qualifiers in here. There are things like sub, the word professional. We should see a little hyphen that says, talk to me about your insurance, your licensing, your bonding, your in like, talk to me about your training. And what makes you that? That's why this is so powerful and so neat to see happening.
Meghan 16:58
The article says that high quality cat care is matching experience to the cat's needs, its age and its health. When we recognize that multi cat households have dynamics, you can't treat them all the same. They are different. They have unique personalities, and a well qualified sitter would understand how to deal with them, it also says that owners should expect sitters to have a level of preparedness for emergencies and medical routines that sitters are also going to have some sort of framing around their professionalism, whether it's full time or insured or accountable. The days of just saying I'm dependable and reliable and trustworthy, those words have been commoditized, and so they don't really mean much anymore. The article highlights that good sitters also ask you questions at the meet and greet. Mutual trust is being built here. We aren't just again, throwing food on the floor and walking away. We are invested in the relationship with not only the owner who's paying us, but also with their furry family member. This is not blind booking. This is not I'm just going to be here one day and gone the next. We are businesses with responsibilities and taxes to pay, and we know what's going on. We understand cat behavior, and we can assess it and give recommendations based off of that well, it
Collin 18:14
also shows that we are invested in them and we know what we're talking about. I mean, even something as simple as well. Tell me what the preferred litter depth is. I can't tell you the number of times when we ask this, or when we talk about this that the owner's eyes kind of like light up because they realize, Oh, I'm talking to somebody who understands this. And let me tell you about the time that this thing happened, and why I do what I do, and why this is important to me. You get you build that trust. They start to know that we're the ones watching and noticing. We're the ones asking good questions, and we can have a conversation around this. Every one of these things that you just walked through Meghan, these all align with standards of responsible professional pet sitting operations. They align with what I know we believe, and also align with a lot of what psi just released, as well as to what makes a professional sitter in these circumstances. But this isn't flawless, and that is important to acknowledge in what's happening here, the piece still assumes that most sitters are solo providers, not employee based teams. Again, this is actually a relatively new and novel thing in the industry, of having fully team based approach to sitting and having growing team of employees instead of being a solo operation, it also recommends seeking out information on Facebook or next door as search tools to find information about these which unfortunately can still lead people to unvetted hobbyists. And it does also leave out an important aspect here of continuing education, which we believe is essential, especially for complex feline cases, medical care and just staying fresh and knowledgeable about what you do. Just because you watched a video or read a blog or listened to a podcast five years ago doesn't mean you remember it. It's always good to go back and have a refresher and look at some of that. Foundational and baseline knowledge that maybe we forgot over time. Still, this article ultimately, is a direction, and it is very clear professionalism is becoming the default expectation, and we couldn't be more thrilled with that. We've
Meghan 20:14
alluded to this several times, but this article did not arrive in isolation. It dropped within a week of pet sitters International's global standards a document that codifies what professional pet care should look like. So psi standards speaks to how professionals should operate, while CFAs article tells the public what to look for, these things are in convergence. We love it when trade associations and consumer organizations start echoing each other. It signals a maturing industry. Think about the episodes that we have done this year, not only this one, but yeah, talking about the standards psi released on last week's episode 640 and then we've also released an episode this year talking about the laws that have come about. The industry is in such an exciting state right now. We are really maturing. People are starting to finally recognize how awesome we are, how professional we are, that this is really a career. It's not just the thing that we do after our nine to five or on the weekends to supplement income. This can and is a full fledged career for many, many people.
Collin 21:18
And importantly, here you get this positive feedback loop of you get trade associations, consumer organizations, you get professional organizations talking about this and using the same language. You get regulators, you get insurers, you get clients. They all begin referencing these same principles, these same concepts, these same ideas and standards. That's really how we start to get a lot of traction and movement in the industry.
Meghan 21:43
So this is really an exciting time. I'm saying this with a smile on my face. This is really exciting. You know, even if CFA didn't realize it, they just publicly backed professional pet sitting and in a meow tell sponsored season, they chose to tell readers that insurance and experience and training matter most. That's not just an editorial decision. It's a cultural one. It's a shift that is happening. It means that the conversation around pet sitting has finally crossed into mainstream pet media. We are going to be taken seriously now, and when the cat fanciers Association and all of the groups starts telling people to hire professionals, they say, hey, there is a great option out here. It is the best option. It's not just the floor. Here. We want to reach for the ceiling, because our cats are the best in our lives. You can really feel the ground shifting. CFA may not have set out to redefine what professional cat sitting means, but they did, and the fact that they did it in a magazine sponsored by a gig app makes the message even louder. The cat world is paying attention, and so should the rest of us get excited? Whoa. If you have thoughts about this, you can email us at Pet Sitter confessional@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook and Instagram at Pet Sitter confessional, thank you for taking your most valuable asset your time and listening to this today. We really appreciate it. We'd also like to thank pet sitters associates for sponsoring this episode. We will talk with you next time bye.
