Do
You Have Questions?
Because We've Got Answers!
Is your question not on this list? Please email
us!
Why should I hire a
pet sitter?
- Pets are happier and experience less stress at home.
- Diet and exercise routines are uninterrupted.
- Travel trauma for both owner and pet is eliminated.
- Pet's exposure to illness is minimized.
- Untrained or unwilling friends/family/neighbors need not
be called.
- In-home professional pet care provides added peace of mind.
(Taken from Pet
Sitters International)
What services do you offer and
how much do you charge?
- Check out our "Services &
Rates" page for more information. Please note that
our minimum charge is $18, even if you want shorter visits,
as our sitters are still taking the time to drive to and from
your home.
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Will you let my cat outside?
- No. It is our policy that if your cat is inside when we arrive,
we will not let your cat outside during our visits. There is
no guarantee that they will stay with us while we are outside,
or that they will come back during the times that we are there
and there are many things that can happen to a cat outdoors.
We are not willing to take on that liability. The only exception
to this policy is if you have a leash & harness for your
cat so that they are under our control at all times.
Do you require a certain
number of visits per day while I am on vacation?
- For Dogs: We require visits at least two times per
day (AM and PM, or an overnight).
- For Cats and Other Animals: We prefer at least once
per day but will consider every-other-day visits on a case-by-case
basis. Under no circumstances will we space visits out longer
then every-other-day.
- Many things can happen while you are gone with both your pets
and your home and the more time there is in between visits the
more chances that something minor can turn into something major!
Do you charge by the number of
pets that I have?
- No! Friendly Visits charges for the minimum amount of time
that it takes to get everything done, regardless of the number
of pets you have. Extra time for love and attention can be added
on as well if you choose!
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Do you have any restrictions
on age or breed?
- No! Some kennels don't allow younger dogs because they aren't
fully vaccinated yet and are more susceptible to getting sick.
This is the same for older pets, who may have limited mobility
or be on medications. With us, your pets stay in your home and
are not interacting with other animals, so this is not a concern
for us! We've taken care of everything from young pets to very
old ones -- in fact, we have quite a few dogs and cats that
are 17+ years old!
- We NEVER discriminate on breed alone. We have worked with
plenty of "bully breeds" that have been the sweetest
pets ever! We judge pets based on their individual personalities
and work from there.
If my pet has been / is aggressive,
can I still use your service?
- This is one of the reasons for the consultation -- it allows
us to meet with your pet to determine if we are a good match.
Sometimes with "iffy" or "shy" pets, we
may require extra visits (prior to your departure) to allow
your pet to become more comfortable with the sitter. If that
is the case, you may need to be present for those visits and
pay the regular service fee until your pet is comfortable with
us, and us with them!
- Please note however, that if at any time we feel that it is
unsafe (for us or your pets) to perform a service, we reserve
the right to discontinue that service. We take the safety of
your pets and sitters very seriously!
Who will be taking care of my pets?
- In addition to the owners of Friendly Visits, we also have
several wonderful associate pet sitters. All pet sitters who
work for our company are covered with liability insurance, have
gone through both a reference and background check, and have
extensive experience taking care of animals. More
information about our associate pet sitters can be found here!
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Can you administer medications
or take care of other special needs?
- Yes, we do have experience administering medications, including
sub-q fluids, pills, and shots. If your pets have any special
needs and you are concerned about whether we can accommodate
them, please don't hesitate to ask!
I have a last minute trip, can
you help?
- We do understand that sometimes things come up and we will
always try and fit you in if possible. This is especially hard
with new clients that have not had a consultation yet, as those
are required before taking care of your pets. Giving us as much
advance notice as possible is the best way to get you on the
schedule!
Do you need a copy of my house key?
What do you do with it?
- All keys are coded with a system and are locked in a lockbox
when not in use. We recommend that you leave your keys on file
with us so that they are ready for use the next time you go
away or if there is an emergency we can get over their quickly.
If, however, you wish your keys to be returned, exchanges are
billed at $10 per trip.
- We do require at least one method of entry to be a key, and
we ask for two copies of the key to be kept on file so that
we have a backup. While we appreciate knowing about alternative
methods into your home such as garage codes and hidden keys,
those are not always reliable and for liability purposes we
can not use them as the only method of entry. If less then 2
keys are given, key copies will be charged at $5 per key.
- For clients who have not used us in over a year, we reserve
the right to have their keys destroyed.
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What is your cancellation
policy?
- For normal vacation visits, we require at least 48 hours notice
of cancellation. For overnights and visits scheduled through
a holiday, 10 days notice is required, otherwise 100% of the
fees are due.
- If services are not booked at the consultation or cancelled
after reservations have been made, first time clients will be
charged a one-time $20 fee for the consultation. This fee will
be credited to their account for future services (within 1 year
from the consultation).
- Clients returning early or leaving late may be responsible
for the reserved amount of time scheduled.
Is there an extra charge for holidays?
- Yes, there is a $5 fee per visit that fall on a holiday. We
feel that since our sitters are taking time out of their holiday
to make sure that your pets are taken care of, that they should
get a little something extra for it!
Can I tip?
- As in most service industries, tips are greatly appreciated
as an extra "Thank You" to the sitter who took care
of your pets. 100% of tips go to the sitter, split proportionately
by the time that each of them was there.
What can I expect upon my return?
- All of our sitters leave detailed notes on what they did with
your pets while you were gone. On this note it also has a reminder
for you to call us so that we know you are back safe and sound!
If you do not call us, we will try to call you and if we can
not get in touch with you we reserve the right to continue services
until told otherwise. So you can rest assured that if something
happens on your way back (delayed plane, etc) that your pets
are in good hands!
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