How do I know I can trust you in my home

with my precious Pet ?

The first question anyone should be asking of any potential pet sitter, well firstly we are not just a name on a social media site and an anonymous email address, all of our details including our address and telephone numbers are here on the site and as it says, you are welcome to visit us, our 5 cats and Ernie the chinchilla at the home we have owned and lived in for the past 25 years. Our details can also be verified by our DBS certificate which we will gladly show you and which any potential pet sitter should have, this is a certificate from the government firstly verifying who we are and secondly showing any criminal record we may have (none in our case of course). We are also insured with Pet Plan Sanctuary pet sitting insurance for pet care professionals, again any pet sitter should be properly insured for theirs and your safety. Only the two of us will ever enter your home and finally our reviews I hope show the level of service we provide, they are all 100% real, from real customers.

What is the pre-visit for ? The pre-visit is only done once, the first time you use our service, this is firstly to allow you to meet us and make sure you are happy with us coming into your home and more importantly looking after your little friends, this is the time to ask us any questions and the time we can show you things like insurance and DBS certificates. The most important part for us on the pre-visit is to go over the care of your pet, dos and don’ts, their feeding regime, any medical needs, even to find out their favourite toy, everything we need to properly care for them while you are away. This is also the time we go over things like vets, get emergency contact details and discuss where we can and cannot go in your property and even any other jobs you would like us to do like watering your plants while you are away. If you decide not to go ahead with the sitting after the pre-visit, there is no charge and for future visits we will just check nothing has changed and note any changes on your record.

How Long does a Visit Last ? We say our visits are 30-40 minutes but it really depends on your pets, on arrival we will firstly see your pets, make sure they are OK and then proceed with the feeding and cleaning, then its pet time, some pets are shy and just want to be left alone, we will try to befriend them over the sittings, it often takes a couple of visits before they will let us pet them but usually if we have met them before, they remember us and are fine so its play time straight away. So, the actual time we spend depends on them, if they really do want to be left alone then the visit will be shorter but if they want cuddles and to play then we will often be there longer still playing, the visits are geared around your pet and their needs.

Can you give medicines, tablets, injections ? Yes, we have customers who’s pets have quite complex medical needs such as diabetes which requires tablets and injections, we just ask that you let us know about this when you first book so we can go over exactly what they require, for instance a diabetic cat usually requires an injection as the same time every day and we will need to know how your pet is with things like being given tablets or injections, we carry things like pill injectors to help giving tablets and we may ask to visit when you are giving them so we can see what works best with your pet.

What if their is an emergency while I am away ? In the pre visit we will get all the emergency details we may need this includes all your pets details, their vets details and any insurances in place, we will also ask for the details of at least one emergency contact who we can speak to if you are un-contactable, this is usually a family member. If your pet needs emergency treatment, we will of course take them straight to the vets, we will usually take them to your own vet and of course contact you or your emergency contact to let you know what is happening. If there is an emergency issue with your property such as a leak, we will contact you or your emergency contact straight away and of course help with anything that is needed to fix the issue. To date our only emergency was the concierge of a building losing the customers keys when we came to collect them at the start of the visit, thankfully they did eventually appear after some frantic calls to their emergency contact.

What happens if I am delayed returning home ? We know that from time-to-time things can happen that mean your trip might be extended, if this should happen just let us know as soon as you can and let us know how long you might be delayed for and we will make sure your precious pets are cared for until your return. This could involve us using a trusted partner to do the visits in the rare case we are not available on the extra days, but we would discuss this with you should it be necessary and our general rule is to make sure we are available for a week at the end of any booking where we are available just in case anyone is delayed. We do ask that on any booking you let us know when you are back so we know your pets are now back in your safe hands and we will continue to visit until we know they are safely back with you (we leave a reminder card on our last visit).

What happens if you do run out or food or litter ? We do ask that you try to make sure there is enough food/litter while you are away and some spare, some pets require a certain type of food for medical reasons and we don’t want to upset their stomachs by suddenly giving them different food to the one they are used to and indeed with litter many pets will not use litter trays if you suddenly change from what they are used to so we prefer to have a good supply of their usual food and litter. That said sometimes things do run out and we will do our best to get the same type that is already there, if its food and we can’t get the same type, we will obviously check with you before giving them anything else and dietary needs is something we would have gone over in the pre sit visit. We carry both litter and food for emergencies, and we will then source some and invoice this plus 20% (receipts will be provided) to cover our time to purchase the items. Rest assured your pets will never be without food / litter or any other essential items. If you have been unexpectedly delayed, then we do not add the 20% charge.

Is their a charge if I cancel my booking ? No, we understand that things sometimes change, if you need to cancel, if you let us know before we turn up for the first visit or if your home early, let us know before we make the next visit then there is no charge and we will refund any unused days or keep it on your account for next time, whichever is best for you.

Are their any days you don’t cover like Christmas ? No, we are a 365 day a year service, like many services we do charge extra on some days like bank holidays and Christmas and Boxing Day but we are available every day of the year. If you think you will need us over the Christmas period, we ask you to let us know as early as possible as it can get very busy and of course we also need to have our Christmas dinner so we have a limited number of places but will always try to fit everyone in.

What do you do on a pet sit ? Well, firstly on arrival we will make sure we see your pet, if it’s a rabbit in a cage no problem but we often have to play find the cat if they decide to hide under a bed or in a favourite hiding space, our first concern is making sure they are OK and we have seen them. If they are a cat with outside access we will call them, bang their bowl, and let them know we are here and its food time. Next its cleaning time, all bowls are taken up and emptied, even biscuits are removed (to be put back) and all the bowls washed and refilled, we clean and disinfect food mats and the flooring around their food area. Wet food is of course removed and changed. We will monitor the amount of food and water being used to make sure they are eating and drinking normally and make sure they never have an empty bowl. Trays next usually, depending on how long we are sitting and the type of litter used, we will possibly completely empty the tray, wash and disinfect it then refill it at least once but every other day we will empty any mess and clean the tray inside and out with antibacterial wipes. We will clean and disinfect the area around the trays and clean up the litter that tends to be thrown everywhere by our little friends. If it’s a caged animal such as a rabbit we will clean waste from cages and change everything based on the agreed cleaning routine. We supply bags and wipes and will dispose of all waste. Next, we do our sweep of the house, a quick walk around to make sure nobody has been sick or done their business anywhere, we carry things like carpet cleaner and a portable vacuum so we will clean up any mess. This also helps us to make sure they are fit and well. Now its pet time, time to play, have a cuddle, just sit with them if they are timid and not sure of us yet, we will engage them with their favourite toys and if they are allowed treats like Dreamies we do carry a supply or will give them any you have for them but in moderation of course and only if agreed with you, we will groom them and now is the time to also give any medicine they may require. We will also do anything else we have agreed like water plants or open / close the curtains, switch on a light or turn it off. Then it’s time to leave so again a quick walk around, make sure we see them again just before we leave, take a picture if you have asked us to keep you updated and wanted a picture, make sure everything is turned off, safe, they have food, water and have not used their tray in the meantime and make a safe exit making sure the house is secure.

Will you keep me updated on how my pet is ? Of course, we know ourselves how much you miss them when you are away, we can email, text or WhatsApp you when we visit and indeed send you a picture if you would like, we will let you know how they are doing and if there is anything we are unsure of we will check with you, we will also let you know of things like deliveries or if anyone has turned up while we were at your property. We can do this daily, every few days, weekly, we will check this with you on the pre-visit as it often depends on where you are going and the type of mobile access you might have available.

Dawn Thanks for everything. He was happy and content as always, if always in need of cuddles. Glad you were able to make him comfortable and content.

What do I need to supply during the pet sit ? Food and litter generally are all you will need to supply, anything specific to your pet, we bring supplies such as waste bags, anti-bacterial wipes, scoops, surface cleaner even fresh air spray and carpet cleaner in case your little one has an accident on the carpet. We also bring a portable vacuum to clean up hair and litter but we will generally only use this if it does not scare your pets, some pets hate vacuums, so we also have a good old fashioned quiet dustpan and brush, so we don’t stress them out. Our aim is that you just need to worry about your packing and let us worry about your little friends.

How do I pay for your service ? We have decided on PayPal for our payment provider, this allows us to accept most types of credit / debit cards with the security of the world’s largest on-line payment processor, if you have a PayPal account you can of course pay using that as well but you do not require a PayPal account to make a payment through them, this also means you are covered by the PayPal guarantee which protects your money should you for any reason not be happy with our service and we of course never get your card details as PayPal process everything. We do also accept good old cash but for everyone’s safety and simplicity we prefer PayPal payments if possible. Once a booking is confirmed, around a week before we email you an invoice using PayPal, this will have all the details of the dates we will visit, please check these are all correct then when you are ready simply click on the link in the email to take you to PayPal where you can pay using a card or your PayPal account. Unless otherwise agreed we ask that all sittings are paid for prior to there start. Any extra days or purchase of food or litter will be invoiced on your return, we ask that you settle this as soon as possible.