TL;DR: Looking for a side hustle that’s flexible, easy to start, and doesn’t involve staring at a screen all day? Pet sitting through Petme is one of the most rewarding ways to earn money - especially if you’re a pet lover. With low upfront costs, no boss, and full control over your schedule, it’s quickly becoming the go-to gig for thousands.
Why pet sitting is the most underrated income stream
In the ever-growing gig economy, workers are searching for side hustles that are meaningful, manageable, and not soul-sucking. While rideshare driving and food delivery used to dominate the scene, more people are looking for alternatives that feel less like “hustle” and more like “happy money.”
Enter pet sitting - a side hustle where you can get paid to walk dogs, cuddle cats, or house-sit for traveling pet owners. And thanks to apps like Petme, it’s easier than ever to launch a real pet care business with just your phone and a genuine love for animals.
Petme takes the concept of pet sitting further with a community-driven model, lower fees, and social features that make it feel less like a job and more like a lifestyle.
How pet sitting on Petme compares to other popular gigs
You might be wondering: “Why pet sitting? Isn’t driving for Uber or freelancing online just as good?”
Let’s break it down.
| Side hustle | Startup cost | Flexibility | Burnout risk | Human or animal contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pet sitting on Petme | Very low. No vehicle, no stock, no equipment. | Total. You accept or decline every booking. | Low | High, and it is the reason most sitters stay |
| Food delivery | Moderate. Vehicle and fuel. | Medium. Tied to peak meal windows. | High | Low. Brief hand-offs. |
| Rideshare driving | High. Car, insurance, maintenance. | Medium. Earnings track peak hours. | High | Low. Often silent rides. |
| Online freelancing | None to low. | Medium. Client deadlines set your week. | Medium to high | Low. Remote only. |
| Selling handmade goods | Moderate. Materials and listing fees. | Low. Orders arrive on their own schedule. | Medium | Low. Customer service by message. |
| Online tutoring | None. | Low to medium. Fixed lesson slots. | Medium | Medium |
The pattern is consistent: pet sitting is the only one of these with no vehicle, no stock and no fixed shift, and the only one where the contact is the point rather than the cost. It suits people who would rather move around than sit at a screen.
What is Petme?
Petme is a social pet care app that connects pet owners with verified, trusted sitters in their area. Think of it like a mix between Airbnb and Instagram for pets, with built-in booking features and a community of animal lovers.
Unlike corporate-first platforms, Petme was built with the sitter in mind. That means you choose your rates, your availability, and your services. The app supports:
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Cat care and more
You run your pet care business - Petme just gives you the tools (and the customers).
How much can you make with Petme?
This is one of the biggest questions new sitters have. And the answer? It’s up to you. You set your own rates on Petme, meaning you can charge what works for your experience, location, and the level of care you're providing. On average, sitters earn between $20–$60 per booking, and those who build up a client base can earn $3,000–$5,000/month or more.
Here’s what you can expect:
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Beginners often earn $500–$1,200/month within their first 60 days
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Active sitters with regular clients often earn $2,000–$4,000/month
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Power sitters in urban areas have reported earnings exceeding $5,000 or even $10,000/month
And the best part? You keep 85% of every booking, which can drop to 90% thanks to Petme’s monthly cash-back bonus:
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Over $5,000/month: 2% back
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Over $10,000/month: 5% back
In comparison, other apps like Wag and Rover take a far bigger cut of every booking. Their exact fees are published on their own sites and can change, so check them before you list.
How to start pet sitting on Petme
If you’re wondering what it takes to get started, here’s the good news: you don’t need a special license or years of experience (unless you're based in countries like the UK, where you do need a license to board pets in your home).
Here’s how it works:
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Create a sitter profile with a profile photo, pet profiles (if you have any), and a short bio
- Fill in the sitter application form (takes less than 10 minutes)
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Get approved and pay a one-time activation fee ($15–$19) to verify your identity and background
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Start accepting bookings and building your pet care business
Petme supports multiple service types, so you can offer just walks, just boarding, or everything. You’re in control.
What makes Petme different from other platforms?
Unlike many gig apps that feel impersonal, Petme is a social-first, community-powered platform built by pet lovers, for pet lovers. It’s designed to feel like a real network rather than a transaction machine.
Key advantages:
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Transparent 15% fee, well below what typical platforms take
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Flexible cancellation policies with compensation for sitters
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Built-in messaging and photo sharing with clients
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Payments arrive 24–48 hours after each booking
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Full control over your schedule and pricing
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Mobile-first, modern app with a focus on user experience
Whether you want to walk two dogs a week or run a full pet care business, Petme adapts to your goals.
Is pet sitting for you?
If you’re someone who…
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Loves animals and being active
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Wants a flexible side income
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Is tired of apps that treat workers like replaceable robots
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Enjoys meeting new people (and pets)
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Prefers getting paid to play fetch instead of sit in traffic
…then pet sitting might just be your perfect hustle.
Many Petme sitters started with just a few weekend bookings and eventually grew their side hustle into a full-time lifestyle. The low barrier to entry and fast payouts make it easy to test the waters without taking big risks.
Who should consider pet sitting as a side hustle?
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College students
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Remote workers
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Stay-at-home parents
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Gig economy veterans
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Animal lovers
If you’ve got a flexible schedule and love pets, this could be the side hustle that actually sticks.
The number that decides whether it is worth it: take-home
Two sitters can charge exactly the same rate and end the month with very different amounts, because the platform decides how much of each booking it keeps. That is the number to compare, not the headline rate. On Petme you keep up to 90% of every booking, so most of the rate you set stays with you instead of going to commission. Across a year of regular bookings, that gap is the difference between pocket money and a real second income.
The rates themselves are easy to sanity-check. Drop-in visits commonly run $20 to $30 each and overnight stays $40 to $100 a night, so a couple of weekday walks plus the occasional weekend boarding already adds up. National salary data puts US pet sitters at roughly $18 an hour. Where you land inside that range depends on which services you offer and how much of each booking you keep. See typical pet sitting rates.
Overnight boarding pays the most per booking but needs a suitable home and a free evening. Dog walking slots into a lunch break and builds a daily routine of repeat clients. Most sitters who treat this as steady income do both: weekday walks for cash flow, weekend boarding for the bigger paydays. Dog walking jobs on Petme.
Final thoughts: a side hustle with heart
When side hustles can feel like second jobs, pet sitting through Petme is different. It pays you, and it gives you a chance to build real relationships, have fun, and work on your own terms.
So if you’re looking for the easiest side hustle to start, look no further. Petme offers freedom, flexibility, and a steady stream of tail wags. What more could you ask for?
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best app to start pet sitting?
Petme is built for sitters who want to keep what they earn: you set your own rate and keep up to 90% of every booking, and payouts land after each completed job rather than being held for weeks. It works the same whether this is your first booking or your five hundredth, because owners choose you on your profile and reviews rather than on seniority.
How much can you earn with pet sitting?
It depends on which services you offer and how many bookings you take, because you set the rates yourself. Drop-in visits commonly run $20 to $30 each and overnight stays $40 to $100 a night, so a couple of weekday walks plus an occasional weekend boarding already adds up. The figure that actually matters is take-home: your rate minus whatever the platform keeps.
Do I need pet care experience to start?
No previous experience is required. What owners screen for is reliability: clear communication, turning up when you said you would, and sensible questions at the meet-and-greet. You do need to be responsible with someone else’s pet and home, and your first few reviews will matter more than any qualification you could have brought with you.
How fast do I get paid?
Payments reach your bank account within 24 to 48 hours of a completed booking, rather than sitting in a monthly payout cycle. That cash-flow timing is a large part of what makes pet sitting usable as real side income: the money arrives close enough to the work that it covers the week it was earned in.
Is pet sitting better than driving or delivering food?
For many people, yes, and the reason is repeat clients. Rideshare and delivery restart from zero every shift, while a pet sitting round builds the same households week after week, so the work gets easier and more predictable as you go. You are also not burning fuel or putting mileage on your own car to earn it.
Why does the platform you use change your take-home pay?
Because the platform sets how much of each booking it keeps, not you. Two sitters charging the same rate can take home very different amounts. On Petme you keep up to 90% of every booking, so more of the rate you set stays with you rather than going to commission, and over a year of regular bookings that difference is large.
Is dog walking or pet sitting better for side income?
Dog walking is the easier one to start, because a 30 minute walk fits into a lunch break and turns into a daily routine of repeat clients. Overnight boarding pays more per booking but needs a suitable home and a free evening. Many sitters run both: weekday walks for steady cash flow, weekend boarding for the bigger paydays.
What slows down a new sitter the most?
The first few reviews. A brand-new profile books slowly because owners prefer sitters other people have already vetted. Get a handful of completed bookings and honest reviews early, keep your reply times quick, and offer a meet-and-greet before the first booking. After that, repeat clients compound and the calendar fills itself.
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