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
$16, even if you want shorter visits, as our sitters are still taking
the time to drive to and from your home.
Can I board my dog or small caged pet
in your home?
- Yes. On a limited basis, we do offer boarding in our home. This
service is available for dogs and small caged animals such as hamsters,
guinea pigs, fish and reptiles. At this time, we are unable to board
cats.
- Dogs must be well-behaved, well-socialized, housebroken (some exceptions
to this are allowed) and up-to-date on vaccinations. We do have dogs
of our own and everyone must get along.
- While staying with us, your pet(s) will live as part of our family.
We will follow your routine and rules and you can drop off and pick
up your pet(s) at anytime you like (advance notice required). Please
email or call us for more information if you are interested in this
service.
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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 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.
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 aggressive in the
past, can I still be a client?
- For aggressive pets, we will interview you and your pet, in person,
to determine if there is a good fit between your pet and our services.
If additional visits are needed to socialize your pet with our pet
care provider, then you will need to be present at all visits and
pay the normal service fee until socialized. If at any time our pet
sitters or owners feel that it is unsafe to perform a service however,
we reserve the right to discontinue that service.
Who will be taking care of my pets?
- In addition to the owners of Friendly Visits, we also have several
wonderful associate pet sitters. You will always meet with Jennifer
and/or Anthony at the consultation to go over the paperwork and what
needs to be done. If another pet sitter will be taking care of your
pets, we will then meet that person on their first visit to introduce
them to your pets and their routine, and pass along your instructions.
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.
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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.
- 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.
- 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 will 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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