Frequently asked.
How do you operate?
For our cats and small animals we offer a drop in service where we come to your house one or two times a day to feed and look with your pet. We offer three types of care packages; bronze, silver and gold depending on your requirements. We also offer a variety of add-on services available such as litter tray disinfecting, cage cleaning or even back yard poop scooping. Together we can create a unique care package that meets yours and your pets needs.
For our regular dogs we offer a monthly subscription walking package. You can choose from bronze, silver and gold depending on the length of time you want your dog walked. These are solo walks so we do not mix your dog with a dog from a different household.
For the more adventurous dogs we have our mini and maxi adventures, These are longer walks in the countryside for a group of four well behaved dogs. They are not suitable for puppies. Your dog will be collected, walked, play games, have a treat and drink, get cleaned off, and then return home (hopefully tired and exhausted).
How do I know that you’ll get along with my pet?
Before we take on any new pets we run a free meet and greet visit. This visit enables us to meet you and your pet and for you to meet us. This is a great opportunity for us all to assess that we are a the right fit for each other and to ask any questions or answer any worries that you may have.
We do hope that we are the perfect fit, but if we are not we will try and point you in the direction of other pet sitters that may be able to help.
Will we have a signed pet sitting agreement / contract?
Yes!
This is a signed contract that will cover everything so that you know exactly what to expect from the services we provide. We recommend that you read through the pet sitting agreement thoroughly before signing.
Will you send me regular updates on my pet?
We love taking photos and videos of your pets and will always update you after each visit and share these pictures with you.
What type of pet sitting experience do you have?
I can’t remember a point in my life when I didn’t have a pet!
Between the two of us we have a range of experience of different pets including hamsters, gerbils, fish, guinea pigs, domestic cats, pedigree cats and dogs.
We both have our Certificate in Pet First Aid and are experienced in administering medication.
Caroline is also a registered volunteer with The Cinnamon Trust, a charity that provides practical help to the pets of the elderly and terminally ill. Caroline regularly takes a beautiful dog on her weekly walk round the park for her housebound owners.
I need my dogs walked at a specific time.
We understand that some dogs need specific times to be walked so that they can do their ‘business’. Our regular walks take place between 11am and 3pm and we can’t always guarantee what time we will be visiting. If you do need a specific time then let us know and we will allocate you that time slot. A £2 charge is made for this service.
Do you offer group dog walks?
For our regular dog walks we do not do group walks unless the dogs are from the same household. Our adventure walks are longer walks that take place in the countryside and for these we take a maximum of four well behaved dogs.
My pet is nervous and may have an ‘accident’ whilst we are away, will you be able to clear it up?
It can be a stressful time for your pets whilst you are away so we are more than happy to clear up the odd accident. If your pet is prone to having accidents please do let us know beforehand so that we can work together on how to manage the issue.
Do you have any business credentials?
Pet Sitter Solihull is a registered limited company (number 10253780). We have pet sitting and dog walking insurance. All pet carers hold DBS certificates and have Pet First Aid Certification. We are registered with NARPS and with Professional Dog Businesses UK.
What is a DBS check? Why is it important? Do you have one?
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is a criminal record search that shows any unspent convictions and conditional cautions. The aim of the DBS check is to provide you with some extra reassurance about us as we will be working in your home, looking after your house keys and caring for your pets.
All members of The Pet Sitter team have a DBS check which you can request to view at any time.
Do you have insurance?
Yes, we hold Pet Business Insurance.
How do you keep my keys safe?
Home security is not something we take lightly. This is one of the may reasons that we hold a DBS check. All keys are locked away and our key identification system ensures that should your keys ever fall into the wrong hands then neither your home nor your pet can be identified.
If you prefer for us not to have a key then you will need to install a key safe onto an exterior wall of your home and provide us with the code. Like all keys, our code logging system will not identify either your home or your pet.
What happens at each visit?
We have developed a system that we refer to as WAGGS which stands for Welcome, Assess, Goals, Games and Security. By developing this system we are able to ensure that our high standard of care is consistently achieved on every visit.
When we first arrive our main aim is to say hello to all the pets under our care. This is the welcome stage and ensures that we have seen all the animals. We have a few tactics for cats that our outside and aren’t wanting to rush through the cat flap. Next we assess your pets and your home to make sure that everything is in order. Our next stage is goals, this is the jobs that you’ve asked us to do such as feeding, grooming, disinfecting and even plant watering. Next up we have games and this is time devoted to your pet and ensuring that they get all our attention. Lastly we have security and this is where we do our final checks before leaving your property.
Why do you charge for dropping off my keys when you can put them through the letterbox on your final visit?
We will never put keys through a letterbox after a final visit for a variety of reasons and therefore we will need to arrange a mutually convenient time to return your keys to you.
Pet and home safety are very important to us. We feel that posting keys through a letterbox after a final visit is not a secure way to return your key. We also like to know that you are home and are resuming responsibility for your pet before we release any keys. Circumstances do change and we would rather carry out an extra visit to your pet in the event of you getting held up and returning late.
The add-on service that I want isn’t listed on your website, can you help?
Prices can vary significantly depending on the size of your project. We handle projects for small agencies, and also large projects that can run upwards of $200k. Our minimum project cost is $5,000.
Why did you start pet sitting?
We both grew up with pets and couldn’t imagine a more rewarding job.