Pet Boarding vs. Sitter Calculator: Cost Comparison for Travel
Five common ways to handle pet care while you travel — kennel, drop-in sitter, overnight sitter, Rover, friend. Enter your trip length and rates; the calculator compares all five and highlights the cheapest.
| Option | Total | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Kennel boarding | $315 | $45 |
| Drop-in sitter | $350 | $50 |
| Overnight sitter | $525 | $75 |
| Rover sitter | $420 | $60 |
| Friend / neighbor | $50 | $7 |
How to read these results
The bar chart shows total trip cost for each option, with the cheapest highlighted in dark rose. The table breaks it into per-day cost — useful when comparing a $315 kennel stay against a $420 Rover stay over 7 days, you can also see it's $45/night vs $60/night, which often tells a clearer story.
Cheapest isn't always best. A nervous senior cat dropped at a noisy boarding facility may spend the whole trip stressed, eat little, and come home sick. A reactive dog at a kennel that mixes play groups can hurt or get hurt. Use price as the starting point, then weigh fit.
The five options, ranked by typical cost
1. Friend / neighbor — $0 + tip ($30-$75)
The cheapest option by far. The catch: you're imposing on a relationship, and most friends will only do it once or twice a year before it gets awkward. Best for short trips (under 5 days) and pets with simple needs. Always tip generously — $30-$75 cash, a gift card, or restocking everything they used. If you want to use this option more than twice a year, propose a reciprocal arrangement.
2. Drop-in sitter (cat) — $25-$30/visit, 1-2 visits/day
For cats, this is the gold standard. One visit per day at $25 covers feeding, fresh water, litter scoop, and 15-20 minutes of attention. For 7 days, that's $175 — usually the cheapest non-friend option. Senior cats, cats on meds, or cats with anxiety should get two visits per day. Rover.com, Wag, and local independent sitters all offer this.
3. Kennel boarding — $35-$75/night for dogs, $20-$35/night for cats
For dogs, the price-leader for trips under 7 days. Cat boarding is rarely worth it unless your home isn't pet-safe. Run the numbers in the calculator; for a 7-day dog trip, a $45/night kennel beats most other options. Trade-offs: stress, kennel cough exposure (real risk despite vaccines), and your dog being in an unfamiliar environment for a week.
4. Drop-in sitter (dog) — $25-$30/visit, 2-3 visits/day
For dogs, drop-ins only work for short trips (1-3 days max) because dogs need more interaction than cats. At 2 visits/day, $25/visit, you're at $50/day — competitive with kennels. At 3 visits, $75/day usually exceeds boarding. Best for confident, house-trained adult dogs that are comfortable alone for 8-10 hours.
5. Rover sitter (in their home) — $40-$90/night
Booking a sitter to host your pet at their home. Better than a kennel for socialization-friendly dogs and pets with anxiety; usually 30-50% more expensive than a basic kennel. Quality is highly variable — read reviews carefully, do a meet-and-greet, and avoid sitters with multiple pets boarding simultaneously unless your dog is genuinely good with others.
6. Overnight sitter (your home) — $65-$120/night
The premium option. A sitter sleeps at your house, follows your pet's normal routine, brings in mail, and reduces all transition stress. Usually the most expensive route, but for senior pets, multi-pet households, or pets with serious anxiety, often worth every dollar. Also great if you have a high-value home or other property concerns — built-in occupancy.
Hidden costs to budget for
- Kennel vaccine update: Bordetella ($25-$50), influenza ($35-$60), sometimes leptospirosis ($30-$50). Often required and not always current.
- Holiday surcharge: Most kennels and Rover sitters add 25-50% for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and July 4th week. Book 2-3 months ahead for these.
- Medication administration fee: $5-$15/day at most kennels for any med beyond basic preventives. Insulin and twice-daily meds are sometimes refused entirely or charged at premium rates.
- Late pickup fees: $20-$50 if you don't pick up by checkout time. Flight delays happen — build a buffer.
- Special diet handling: Some facilities charge for raw, prescription, or refrigerated food prep.
- Pre-boarding vet visit: Many places require a wellness exam within 6-12 months. See our vet visit cost calculator if you need to add this in.
Best fit by pet type and trip length
Dog, 1-3 day trip: Drop-in sitter or kennel are nearly tied. Drop-ins win on lower stress.
Dog, 4-7 day trip: Kennel usually cheapest. Rover sitter for anxious dogs. Overnight sitter for seniors.
Dog, 8+ day trip: Overnight sitter or Rover boarding. Kennel for that long is rough on most dogs.
Cat, 1-3 day trip: One drop-in visit per day. Auto-feeder for the gap days if you trust your cat.
Cat, 4-10 day trip: Drop-in sitter, 1-2 visits per day. Cheapest and lowest-stress option.
Cat, 10+ day trip: Drop-in sitter twice daily, or overnight sitter for seniors. Boarding is rarely the right answer for cats.
How to vet a sitter or kennel
Before you book, do this checklist:
- Meet-and-greet first. Free at most reputable sitters; required at most quality kennels. If they refuse, walk away.
- Tour the facility in person, not just photos. Look at the runs, the play areas, the staff-to-dog ratio.
- Ask about emergency protocols. Which vet do they use after-hours? How do they reach you?
- Read recent reviews — past 6 months specifically. Older reviews can be misleading; ownership turnover is common.
- Confirm vaccine requirements match yours. A kennel that doesn't require influenza in 2026 is behind the times.
- Verify insurance and bonding for in-home sitters. Rover provides some coverage; independent sitters should carry their own.
The travel cost most people miss
Add the trip-side costs to your overall travel budget — they add up fast for a household with multiple pets. A family taking 3 trips/year with one dog and one cat realistically spends $1,000-$2,500/year on pet care for travel alone. Over the dog's 12-year lifespan, that's $12,000-$30,000 — more than most people spend on the dog's food. If you travel often, factor this into your pet lifetime cost upfront. The "free" option (asking friends) only scales so far.
Smart hack for frequent travelers: build a relationship with one trusted sitter early. They'll often offer repeat-client discounts of 10-20%, prioritize you on busy weekends, and know your pet's quirks well enough to spot health issues before they become emergencies. The cheapest sitter on Rover this trip is often the most expensive sitter on your tenth trip when something goes wrong.