Have you ever asked her for a big favor? If so, you should do it.

Otherwise just tell her you can only do it for 2 weeks because you're trying to plan vacations.

I guess you could also tell her you'll only do Mon-Thurs each week.

A month is too long - for you and the cats. Even with daily company, 30 days is a looooong time for pets to be on their own. She should be getting a house and pet sitter. Typically, you pay them, but perhaps you all have friends from Europe who might appreciate a free place to stay in exchange for some pet sitting?

Tell her you have plans and you’re not able to take care of her cats this summer.

Our lovely neighbors sometimes ask my daughter to drop in for a few days to feed their cat, change its water and see to the litter box. The longest it's ever been was a week, and that time they said she could come by every few days (she still came daily, so the cat would feel better!).

Every day for a month is too much, OP. Your friend has lost perspective.

She needs to get a paid service.

My best friend pays me $25 a visit to take care of her animals so I think your friend is taking advantage of you.

Even if the house was next door to mine, a month is a crazy commitment. If you do it, she needs to have a backup plan in case you do make plans, and/or have a pet sitter cover all the weekends Fri, Sat, Sun and the cats can be nervy 3 days/week.

I would make up a reason I am busy every weekend, I have a hard time being direct.

She can’t expect you to plan your summer around her cats. A month is a lot. Offer what you can and she can get a pet sitter for the rest of the time.

I would never ask a friend to do that even for a week. It’s easy to hire a pet sitter, and she should do that.

A week would be a reasonable request; a month is crazy.

I pay my cat sitter $25 daily for a single visit.

and btw, is not your responsibility to find a solution to her problem.

She can ask. You can say, "no". You should always say, "no" if no is what you want to say

I wouldn’t ask someone to do it for a month without pay

My friend and I are both Europeans living in the US and we have no extended family here. Her family goes away every summer for about a month and always asks me to go and feed her cats daily and sort our their litter tray and water her plants. I am all for a bit of pet sitting for family/friends here and there but I think a month is a bit much and wouldn't ask that of her. I don't know my plans that far in advance and we might want to go away for the weekend ourselves during that month. She has just asked again for this summer and I suggested if she could find someone else we could split the sitting to 2 weeks each but she didn't seem keen as her cats are a bit nervy. I know this is a small problem in the grand scheme of things but was just wondering if I am being unreasonable for not wanting to do the whole month?