top of page

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much do you charge and why are your prices different than other sitters?
    Please visit our Services page for our current rates. My prices reflect my professionalism, experience, and dedication to my profession. I am not a hobby pet sitter from a random pet sitting app nor is my business a side gig. I am a professional small business owner. I have and continue to, invest in my business. I am insured, bonded, and first aid/CPR certified. I provide professional pet sitting software to my clients so they have the convenience of requesting bookings, paying invoices, managing their profiles, and messaging me directly. But most of all, I offer my clients total peace of mind knowing they're leaving their pets and homes (two valuable possessions) in the hands of a reliable, trustworthy professional. If you want top-quality care, don't expect to pay "next-door-neighbor" prices. If that's what you're looking for, hire your next door neighbor!
  • Can you share pet sitting responsibilities with a friend or family member?
    We understand that your friends or family may want to lend a hand by coming by to take care of your pets too. However, we do not accept job sharing for several reasons: 1) We want your pets to receive a consistent, reliable standard of care. Friends and family, although well-intentioned, may forget to come by when you ask them, they may not follow your instructions regarding medication administration, or they may simply be uncommunicative. After all, pet care is not their career! But it is ours. Hiring a professional as the sole provider of pet care is the best option for you and your pets. 2) For liability purposes, if other people are allowed to enter your home while we are scheduled to pet sit for you, we cannot be held liable for anything that may happen to your pets or home. Job sharing is a breach of our service agreement and will result in termination.
  • Can you "pencil me in" or "hold a spot" for my upcoming vacation?
    No, we cannot. All bookings must be requested through our pet sitting software (after successfully completing our onboarding process) and a non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.
  • Do you take care of other pets besides cats?
    Yes, we do! Check out our Services page and scroll down to "Small Pet Care" to learn more.
  • Can you visit my cats every other day or twice a week?
    We have a strict "minimum visit" policy. Indoor cats must be visited and checked on at least once each day. As a professional pet care business, your cats' physical health, safety, and emotional well-being come first.
  • Will you give my cat medication?
    Yes, as long as they are cooperative (but we don't pill cats). If they're showing signs of aggression or agitation, if they're hiding, or if they're otherwise uncooperative, we won't administer medication. In these situations, your cat is already stressed out and forcing medication will only negatively escalate the situation. If you know your cat doesn't tolerate being handled by someone other than yourself for medication, we recommend veterinary boarding. They'll probably still be stressed out in a different environment, but at least they'll have access to multiple, experienced veterinary professionals. Please review our Need to Know page to learn more about our Medication Administration policy.
  • Will you pet sit for an aggressive cat?
    Safety is a top priority for us. If you have an aggressive cat, this would pose a danger to both them and their sitter. In these cases, we would not move forward with providing cat care services.
  • What times will you visit my pets?
    We operate within time blocks. We do not guarantee specific appointment times. If we are unable to visit your pets at your preferred time block, we will inform you and make arrangements to visit them during an alternate time block. Visit our Services page to review our current time blocks.
  • Do you offer long-term pet sitting?
    Yes, we do. However, long-term bookings (those lasting longer than 2 weeks) will require a team approach to ensure I, as your primary sitter, do not get burned out. I will enlist the help of my backup sitters, who are all insured and bonded through Pet Sitters Associates, to rotate scheduled visits.
  • When and how can I reach you if there is an emergency after-hours?
    If you must contact us after-hours for an emergency while we are scheduled to pet sit for you, please send us a secured message through Time to Pet up until 8 pm. We will call you to determine the nature of your emergency. If your emergency is after 8 pm, please call your designated emergency contact for assistance. We will be unavailable.
  • How do you handle medical emergencies or inclement weather?
    For medical emergencies, we require all clients to sign a Veterinary Release Form during new client onboarding which gives us permission to seek emergency medical care for your pets in your absence. We will always try to reach you and your emergency contact first before making the decision to take them in. However, if we cannot reach you or your emergency contact, we will make the decision whether or not your pet needs immediate medical attention. Please inform your veterinary clinic that you will have a professional pet sitter taking care of your pets anytime you're away and provide them with a valid method of payment on file in case of an emergency. We will not be held responsible for any medical expenses. For inclement weather, we will try our best to visit your pets at their scheduled times. However, safety is our main priority and if the weather makes it unsafe to travel, we will wait until it is safe before heading out to see your pets. We can't help your pets (or anyone else's) if we end up in an accident. With that said, we require all clients to designate a local emergency contact (like a neighbor) who would be willing to stand in should an emergency prevent us from providing pet care.
  • How do you handle key exchanges?
    We do not hold onto keys between visits. Unless you use an entry keypad, you can either provide your own lockbox or purchase one from us.
  • How do you accept payments?
    Payments must be made through our pet sitting software, Time to Pet. All major credit/debit cards are accepted through this secure portal. An Administration Fee is added to all final invoices to help cover a portion of business costs, no exceptions.
  • What is your cancellation policy?
    You must submit your cancellation request via Time to Pet no later than 24 hours before pet sitting services begin. Once services begin, no credits or refunds are issued. No credits or refunds are offered for early returns and/or late departures. While we understand that life happens and sometimes last-minute cancellations occur, please keep in mind that we have likely turned away other clients to make room for your request and we don't overbook. Therefore, you will be required to pay the full amount of your booking regardless of the time you depart or return home.
  • Once I complete the onboarding process, how far in advance can I submit requests for pet sitting?
    You can submit a request anytime. However, we will not process requests until the service is within 3 months. Your request will remain in "pending" status until 3 months prior. We are unable to guarantee availability until that time.
  • Do you have a referral program?
    Yes! If you refer someone to us and they become a client, you get one free visit off your next booking! So the more you refer, the more you save.
bottom of page