Cat sitting jobs in Columbia, on your schedule
Feed, fresh water, litter, a little play and a photo update on every Columbia visit. Cat visits in Columbia run $16 to $26 per 20 to 30 minute visit, and you keep up to 90% of every booking with sitter cashback.
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Local know-how pays off in Columbia
Columbia earns its "Famously Hot" slogan, with July highs near 93°F, heavy humidity, and about 72 days a year at 90°F or above. Sitters walk at dawn and after sunset through the summer to keep paws off scorching pavement, then take advantage of mild winters when highs sit in the 50s.
When demand peaks
Demand climbs around Fort Jackson graduation cycles, when families travel in for the ceremonies, and follows the University of South Carolina calendar and Gamecock football weekends. Boarding and house sitting lead during travel stretches, while dog walking stays steady for downtown and USC-area professionals.
Know your Columbia areas
Most cat bookings cluster The Vista to Shandon. Owners book the sitter who can reach them quickly for a daily visit, so the areas you list matter more than the distance you are willing to travel.
Choose your services, set your own rates
Typical Petme rates in Columbia. You set your own price for each service, and keep up to 90% of every booking with sitter cashback.
Drop-in cat visits
$16 to $26 per 20 to 30 minute visit
House sitting
$30 to $52 per night
Overnight boarding
$30 to $52 per night
Columbia areas that book the most
Petme cat bookings in Columbia come from neighborhoods like Five Points, Shandon, The Vista, with drop-in visits and house sitting the most requested for cats.
South Carolina does not require a state pet-sitter or dog-walker license. Operating in Columbia calls for a City of Columbia business license, and the city leash ordinance requires dogs to be restrained on a leash no longer than six feet in public. Keeping more than three dogs needs a kennel license, so plan multi-dog walks, and any day hosting, around that limit. Pet-care income is self-employment income, reported on Schedule C against the platform's 1099.
Built for sitters in Columbia
Keep up to 90%
You set your rate. Petme keeps a low service fee, and sitter cashback pushes your take-home toward 90% of every booking.
Full schedule control
No assigned shifts and no minimum hours. Accept or decline each request and pause your profile whenever you need to.
Protected on every booking
$22,000 in Protection Plan comes with every confirmed booking, so you are never on the hook alone if something goes wrong.
Cat Sitting Jobs in Columbia
What new sitters ask before signing up on Petme in Columbia.
How much do cat sitters earn per visit in Columbia?
Drop-in cat visits on Petme in Columbia run $16 to $26 per 20 to 30 minute visit. You set your own rate per visit, and with sitter cashback you keep up to 90% of every booking.
Are cat sitting jobs hiring near me in Columbia?
Yes. Petme recruits sitters across Columbia year-round, from Five Points to Shandon, and owners send booking requests directly to sitters in their area. There is no vacancy list to wait on: you create a profile, set the areas you cover, and accept the requests you want.
Can I do cat sitting jobs in Columbia at 16 or 17?
No. Petme sitters must be 18 or over, so under-18s cannot take bookings yet. From 18 you can start without formal experience: you need a smartphone with the Petme app, to pass ID verification, and a profile that describes the pets you have cared for, including your own.
Is cat sitting a good part time job in Columbia?
It fits part-time schedules well because you are self-employed: no assigned shifts, no minimum hours, and you set your own rate. Many Columbia sitters take a few bookings a week around a job or studies and scale up or down as their calendar allows.
Where is cat sitting demand strongest in Columbia?
Petme cat bookings in Columbia come from neighborhoods like Five Points, Shandon, The Vista, with drop-in visits and house sitting the most requested for cats. Most cat owners book a sitter within their own neighborhood, so listing the areas you cover sharpens your visibility.
What does a typical cat sitting visit involve?
A standard drop-in runs 20 to 30 minutes: feeding, fresh water, litter scooping, playtime, and a photo update to the owner in chat. Many Columbia owners book one or two visits a day while they travel.
Can I set my own visit schedule in Columbia?
Yes. You set your available hours and accept or decline each request. Morning and evening visit slots fill first, and you can stack several nearby visits around Five Points and Shandon into one efficient round.
What protection do I get on cat sitting bookings?
Every confirmed Petme booking, including drop-in visits, includes $22,000 in Protection Plan for the cat in your care, at no cost to you or the owner. The same cover applies whether you sit in Five Points or Shandon.
When is cat sitting demand highest in Columbia?
Demand climbs around Fort Jackson graduation cycles, when families travel in for the ceremonies, and follows the University of South Carolina calendar and Gamecock football weekends. That pattern shapes cat sitting bookings in Columbia across the year. Columbia earns its "Famously Hot" slogan, with July highs near 93°F, heavy humidity, and about 72 days a year at 90°F or above.
What do I need to start cat sitting in Columbia?
No formal qualification is required. You need to be 18 or over, have a smartphone with the Petme app, and pass ID verification. Experience helps you win your first cat sitting bookings in Columbia, so it is worth describing the pets you have looked after, including your own, on your profile.
Cat sitting jobs near Columbia
Cover more than one patch. Each city page has its own local rates and demand notes.
Start earning in Columbia
Set your own rate. $22,000 Protection Plan on every booking, cashback that keeps your clients rebooking, and fast payouts to your bank.