Why should I hire a professional pet sitter,
instead of asking a friend or relative? A
friend or relative has their own life, and will probably
not spend time sitting with your pet, cuddling and grooming kitty, and playing
with him and your dog; they'll likely be in a hurry to get it over with, and
get on with their own life. Can you be sure that they're scooping the litterbox
every day? Can you be sure that if something comes up, they won't decide to
"skip a day", after all "it's just a cat"? Do they have
an emergency plan, if something happens to them, and they're (for instance)
in the hospital for a week? As professional pet sitters, you can rest assured
that we are there for one reason only - to care for your pets. We will spend
the time interacting with your pet, we will ensure the litterbox is scooped
every day, so he doesn't decide to go somewhere else because his box is dirty.
We have an Emergency Plan in place, and we carry cards in our wallet instructing
the authorities to contact another Cat's Cradle representative, who has been
trained to carry out my pet-sitting duties if we're unable to. back
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Your Company's name
implies that you only care for cats, but I have a dog - can you take care
of Fido as well as my cats? Absolutely!
We're all dog-lovers too, and due to overwhelming demand, Cat's Cradle
now includes doggy care. Whether you need daily care while you're away,
or a mid-day dog-walk while you're at work, or a ride to the dog trainer or
vet, we can take care of your dog's needs too... back
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How do I know you're qualified to care
for my pets? When
I come to your home for the free half-hour Initial
Consult, I'll bring my portfolio, and will
show you my credentials. In addition to a copy of my Business License, and
my Certificate of Insurance and Bonding, you'll
also see my Veterinary Assistant Certificate (and a copy of a plaque, saying
I received the highest marks in the class!), as well as my Pet First Aid Certificate
from St. Johns Ambulance, and Feline Specialist Certificate from PIJAC. And
if you'd like, I can show you pictures of many of the other pets I've shared
my life with... back
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Are you insured? Yes,
the company and all representatives are bonded and insured
with Aviva Insurance Company of Canada, under a policy specifically created
for pet sitters! back
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Will you stay overnight? I'm
sorry, but we don't yet provide overnight visits.
I myself have pets of my own, and am not able to stay overnight at your home.
Our services are designed for daily (or twice-daily) visits, and during that
time, your pet will get a day's worth of love and attention all packed into
a minimum half hour! back
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Does my pet need to be vaccinated
before I go away; and what about YOUR pets - are they vaccinated? YES,
your pet must be up-to-date on his required vaccines, as are ours! This is
important to all of us, because we need to be able to tell ALL our clients
and potential clients, that every pet we are in contact with is up-to-date,
which drastically reduces the chances of passing on something to your pet.
There are so many infectious diseases out there, and none of us want to take
any chances! During the Initial Consult, I will show you copies of my pets'
vaccination certificates, and I'll ask to see yours. Having said that, I am
not one who believes it necessary to vaccinate an indoors-only adult cat every
year, and we can discuss vaccinations further at the Initial Consult. back
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How much notice do you need? We
require a minimum of 7 days notice for a booking, to
ensure that we're able to care for your pet, and to give you enough time to
find someone else if we're not available! back
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What if I have to leave suddenly
due to an unforeseen emergency? In
most circumstances, we do require a minimum 7-days notice, but we understand
that emergencies do happen. If we are able to squeeze your pet in,
we charge a $20 Late Booking Fee. back
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What happens during the Initial Consult? During
the half-hour free Initial Consult, I will come to your
house, along with your new primary pet-sitter if it won't be me, to meet with
you and your pets, show you my portfolio and credentials - so we can all see
if we're a good "fit". If we decide to go ahead and book the
pet-sit, we'll need to see a copy of your pets' most recent vaccination certificates.
We'll go through the detailed Service Agreement, where you'll tell us everything
we need to know about your pets, and any other information pertinent to the
job. We'll go over and sign the Veterinarian Release, which enables us to
get medical help for your pet if necessary, and will state the maximum amount
you've authorized that may be spent on your pet's veterinary care. When
the Service Agreement and Vet Release are signed, you'll pay a 50% non-refundable*
deposit (or 100% if the total amount is under $100), and give us a post-dated
cheque for the balance, and two sets** of keys. back
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How do I get my key to you? In
most cases you'll give us two sets** of keys
during the Initial Consult, at the same time we sign the Service Agreement.
If you only have one extra key at that time, you can have the extra key cut
later, and leave it on the counter for us before the first Care Visit.
If we have to make a special trip back to your house after the Initial Consult
to pick up the keys, there is a $15 charge. back
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What steps do you take to keep my key secure? Both
sets of your keys are coded, with no way to cross reference
to your address, and are kept separate from your file, and locked in a safe.
back
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When do I pay you? When
we sign the Service Agreement, you will pay a 50% non-refundable
deposit (or 100% if the total is under $100) to hold the booking, and the
remainder is due via post-dated cheque,
or on the first
day of the pet-sit. If you're a Key Client, after confirming your booking
via email, you can either mail the deposit and balance cheques right away,
or we can put the payments through on your credit card. If less than 7 days'
notice was given, you can pay by credit card, or leave a cheque on the counter
for us to pick up on the first Care Visit. back
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Do you accept credit cards, or debit cards? Although
we do not accept debit cards, we do accept ,
, personal cheques,
and cash. back
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Do you work on Statutory Holidays?Although
ouroffice hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, Care Visits
are done 8am to 8pm, 365 days a year! We do charge an extra $15 on New Years
Day, Easter Sunday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, BC Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving,
Remembrance Day, and Boxing Day, and an extra $25 on Christmas Day. Please
note: Christmas Day visits are shorter than the regular half-hour
visits, in order for us to spend some time with our own families. Rest assured
that we will stay long enough to do all the "chores", and squeeze
in a quick cuddle! back
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My pet likes to have special meals
cooked for her - will you cook? Absolutely!
It's all about the pets, and nothing is too good for them! (as long as we're
not expected to slaughter fresh meat for them :-) Just let us know exactly
what needs to be done, and we can let you know what the extra charge will
be, based on the time and difficulty to cook and prepare. back
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What happens if you run out of pet food
or medications while I'm away? We
would very much prefer that you make sure you have enough food, medications,
and kitty litter to cover the time you're gone, plus extra in case your return
is delayed. We'd rather spend our time caring for critters than shopping,
and we do charge a minimum $15 Shopping Surcharge (depending on the time it
takes to travel and shop), which you will need to pay immediately on your
return, in addition to the actual costs of the supplies. back
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Will you let my cat outside in the morning,
and back in at night? We
feel very strongly about not letting any kitties outside
while they're in our care. Your kitty doesn't know us well (yet), and I, for
one, would have a sleepless night if he didn't come in before bedtime... There
are so many dangers in this big bad world, we cannot be responsible for things
that are out of our control. If you really feel it's imperative that
your kitty goes outside, and we're reasonably comfortable with the idea of
letting him out, you'll need to sign a waiver releasing us from any responsibility
if anything happens while your kitty is outside. back
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When you walk my dog,
will you be walking a big pack of dogs at one time, like some of the professional
dog walkers I've seen in the dog parks? Absolutely
NOT. We want to give the best care to your dog that we can, and our
undivided attention is the only way we can do that. Your dog will enjoy
a peaceful and fun walk, and won't have to worry about keeping up with, or
staying untangled from, other strange dogs! back
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My dog LOVES to run - will you let him
off-leash so he can run around? Sorry,
but we won't let your dog off-leash. Unless and until he knows us really well,
and we are positive he'll come back to us when we call, we just can't take
the chance of him taking off and getting into trouble. back
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My dog really only needs one visit a day
- we leave newspapers out for him to go on when we
don't make it home in time to let him out. Will you visit once a day, and
clean up the mess he makes from only being visited once a day?
Sorry, but we'll only dog-sit a minimum of two visits per day. Dogs are a
den animal, and instinctively have an aversion to soiling their den - and
your whole house is their den. By forcing him to soil his den, we'd
be causing him grief and confusion. If you don't want us to come twice
a day, we can give you the names of some reputable kennels, where he'll be
let outside at least three times a day, and won't be forced to soil that den
either. back
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My dog has bitten
people in the past, but he'll usually warn you first by showing his teeth
- will you be able to handle him? We
don't particularly want to care for a dog who's not friendly and fun
to be around! If your dog has a history of biting and aggression,
or shows us his teeth during our Initial Consult, we simply won't take the
job. If that's the case, we will give you the names of some reputable
kennels, but we will not take a chance with our own health and safety. back
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Is there anything else you WON'T do? There
are some other things that we will not do, which are included
on the Services page. back
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What happens if you're suddenly sick,
or in an accident, and can't come to my house one day? One
of the things we'll show you during the Initial Consult is our very detailed
Emergency Plan, and if we sign a Service Agreement, we will leave a copy of
this document with you. Rest assured that your pets will be cared for, by
either (depending on the nature of the emergency) a Cat's Cradle representative,
who is covered under the company's Liability Insurance and Bonding, or by
your Emergency Contact who has a key. back
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What if you notice my pet seems sick? If
your pet seems sick or a little "off", we will
seek veterinary advice, and if necessary, will take him to either your veterinarian,
our own on-call vet, or the nearest animal emergency clinic, as per the Veterinarian
Release form you will have already signed. back
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What if you notice a home emergency,
for instance, my hot water tank bursts? One
of the items on the Tips list, is
to leave us a list of people we should call in that sort of emergency. If
you don't leave such a list, and the emergency warrants it, we will have to
use our own discretion as far as who to contact. We will not be responsible
for such an emergency, and you will bear any related costs yourself. back
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Will you contact me if there's an emergency
with my pet or my home? Absolutely,
unless you've instructed us not to contact you under any circumstances. If
there's anything we feel you should know, or would want to know about, we
will attempt to contact you using the emergency contact numbers you will have
given us. back
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What if my return flight
is delayed? One
thing we insist on is that you call the office, no matter what time it is,
as SOON as you return home. We will be awaiting that call, and if we don't
hear from you at your scheduled return time, and if another Care Visit is
due, we will continue visiting your pets until we do hear from you. If your
flight is delayed and you're able to call us, please do. But rest assured
that if you're unable to call, we will realize you haven't made it home on
time, and will continue to care for your pets. back
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What if my trip is cancelled or needs to
be rescheduled? No
problem. If you need to cancel or reschedule your trip,
just let us know as soon as possible. We will issue you a credit note for
the amount of the deposit you've already paid, that you can use towards a
future pet-sit. back
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I have a bird/hamster/rabbit/fish/snake/turtle
- can you take care of them, too? We
will care for just about any caged pet you have (except
maybe tarantulas and black widow spiders :-). If you have one or two extra
small pets, and all that's required is food and water (no cage cleaning),
this is included in the regular price of the Care Visit. If more time
is required, such as to clean cages, or for more than a couple of pocket pets,
please contact us for a quote! back
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I have friends with pets
who are looking for a pet sitter - may I give them your name? Please
do ! Word of mouth is very important in this type of business, and we would
sincerely appreciate your passing our name and number on to anyone who could
use our services! Top
of Page
*Deposits are non-refundable,
but a credit will be issued for a future pet-sit, if you need to cancel. return
to answer
**One set of keys is for use
while we're caring for your pets each day, the other set is coded and locked
up in the office, in case of emergency. return
to answer
Please go
to the bottom of the Home Page to Request a Quote, Check
Availability, or make a New Booking!
Cat's
Cradle Critter Sitter provides pet sitting, dog walking, and home checks, in
Cloverdale, White Rock, Surrey, North Delta, and Langley BC, Canada, and for
the following postal codes: V3A,V3S,V4A,V4B,V4N,V4P,V4W,V1M,V2Y,V2Z,V4E,V4C,V3V,V3T,V3R,V3W,V3X.
or 
on the first
day of the pet-sit. If you're a Key Client, after confirming your booking
via email, you can either mail the deposit and balance cheques right away,
or we can put the payments through on your credit card. If less than 7 days'
notice was given, you can pay by credit card, or leave a cheque on the counter
for us to pick up on the first Care Visit. back
to list of FAQs