Q: Why should I hire
a pet sitter?
A:
You may be wondering why you should hire a pet sitter, rather board your
pet or impose on a neighbor to watch your pet. Hiring a professional
pet sitter offers many advantages, both for your pet and for you.
ADVANTAGES FOR YOUR PET:
-
Reduced stress:
Your pet stays where it feels most comfortable and secure—at home.
With familiar sights, sounds, smells, and routines, your pet can relax
and follow its regular schedule.
·
No “travel
trauma”
-
Minimal exposure to
the illnesses
of other animals.
-
Personal attention:
Your pet will be pampered by a reliable professional using the games,
play, walks, brushing, and instructions you specify.
ADVANTAGES FOR YOU:
-
No more imposing
on neighbors or family members who may not have the experience or
reliability of a professional pet sitter.
-
No worrying about
transporting
your pet while you are busy with work or travel planning.
-
Security:
Your pet sitter will use proven crime deterrence techniques to give
your home a lived in, protected look at no extra charge.
-
Special Services:
Your service includes watering plants, retrieving mail, taking out
garbage, and more.
-
Affordability:
All your pets stay together for one low per visit (not per pet) rate.
No extra charge for holidays.
-
Peace of Mind:
While you are away you can feel confident that your pet is in capable,
caring hands. We care, and it shows! Mark Middleton is trained in Pet
First Aid.
Q: What types of
pets do you pet-sit?
A:
Professional Pet Sitting Plus cares for dogs, cats,
rabbits, and critters (rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, gerbils,
hermit crabs etc.) Outdoor cats will only be cared for if they remain
inside the house for the entire time of service, because anything can
happen to outdoor cats.
Pets with aggressive behavior will not be accepted for pet-sitting
assignments. If a pet is found to be aggressive during a pet-sitting
service, the pet will be transported to a boarding kennel at the expense
of the client.
Q: Where is your
service area?
A:
Professional Pet Sitting Plus serves animal friends in
West Madison,
Middleton, Sun Prairie, and Waunakee, Wisconsin.
Q: Are you licensed
and bonded?
A:
Professional Pet Sitting Plus is fully-insured by Pet Sitters
Associates, LLC (PSA). Instead of bonding, PSA
has a special coverage of personal property of others. This
special property endorsement is considered better coverage than bonding,
because bonds usually require that the person be convicted of a
crime before a bonding company will make a payment.
The special personal property endorsement “provides broader coverage and
includes losses such as breakage, destruction, mysterious disappearance
and loss caused by an employee theft.”
Q: How do I get
started with Professional Pet Sitting Plus?
A:
Please call (608) 833-9193 to schedule a free initial interview visit so
that the pet sitter may meet you and your pets. It is best to call at
least two weeks before your vacation. Your pet sitter will explain the
service and answer your questions. You will give the pet sitter your
specific instructions on caring for your pets.
If you are satisfied and wish to proceed, then you will sign the service
contract. You can get a head start on some paperwork by going to the
SAVE TIME web page and write a check for the scheduled service. Please
print out the forms and complete what you can before the initial
interview visit. If you don’t have time to do this, however, the pet
sitter will bring you forms at the initial interview.
Please be prepared to provide the pet sitter with 2 copies of the key at
the initial interview visit. This is important in order to avoid an
additional charge for a key transfer visit.
Q: How much do
you charge?
A:
Please see web page on Rates and Services.
Q: What is your
payment policy?
A:
Payment for service is due in full at the initial interview
visit, before the pet-sitting service begins. Please write a check
payable to Professional Pet Sitting Plus. The check may be back-dated
to the last day of service. If your return is delayed, the cost of
additional visits will be billed—payable within 14 days.
Q: What is your
cancellation policy?
A:
Please see web page on Rates and Services.
Q: Do you charge
extra for holidays?
A:
There is no extra charge for holidays. Book early because client slots
may fill quickly.
Q: Do you charge
extra for multiple pets?
A:
There is no extra charge for pet sitting multiple pets. We
charge by the length of the visit—approximately 30 minutes or 60
minutes.
Q: Can you give
my pet his/her medicine?
A:
Yes, at no extra charge. But please schedule the
appropriate length of visit to allow enough time to administer the
medicine.
Q: What happens
if I come home early from my trip?
A:
The sitter is not able to accept other clients during a period that has
been reserved by a client. Therefore,
clients returning home early will be required to pay for the reserved
amount of time.
Q: What happens if I
am delayed in my return?
A:
Please call Mark’s cell phone number (608) 212-7362 as soon as you know
that you will be delayed, so that he can make arrangements to continue
caring for your pets until you return. You will be billed for
additional service visits. If the pet food supplies run out, Mark will
purchase additional pet food. You will be billed for the cost of the
food plus a service fee.
Q: Do you offer
boarding of pets in your home?
A:
No. We believe pets are happiest in their own home.
Q: Is it OK for my neighbor or relative to check-in also on my pets
while I am away?
A:
If other people are allowed access to the house, then Professional Pet
Sitting Plus cannot be held responsible for insuring the security of the
premises, since another person might forget to lock the door or
accidentally let the pet through the door.
Q: Is there anything special I should do before I leave?
A:
Please see the web page SAVE TIME for the Checklist
of Suggested Items to Set Out. If your pet has medical concerns, you
might consider leaving your credit card number on file with your pet’s
veterinarian. Please ensure that you have stocked up adequate supplies
of food and litter, in case you are delayed in your return.
You should let neighbors know that you have hired a pet-sitter who will
be coming to care for your pets, so they are not alarmed and call the
police. Also, please alert anyone else who will have access to your
house while you are away. For your security, our pet sitters dress in
plain clothes and drive an unmarked car in order not to attract
attention that you are away on vacation.