Services Offered and Fees
⋇Indicates there may be relevant information on the FAQ page.
Fees At A Glance
(See Services Information below for specifics regarding different kinds of animals.)
Dog Sitting
I realize that dog care can become quite expensive when you have to be gone for extended periods. When you’re already paying for expensive travel, hotels, dining, etc., you shouldn’t also have to worry about exorbitant dog care. Therefore, my fees are designed to provide a significant reduction in cost for longer stays and/or multiple-dog stays. This gives a break in the expense of dog sitting for people who must be away for longer periods, own two or more dogs, or who don’t mind sharing sitting with other people’s dogs. Fees also take into account the cost of using pay mechanisms Square, PayPal or Zelle. Therefore, cash clients receive a 5% discount on all fees. See Dogs section below for specifics on everything your dog experiences during PetFairy dog sitting. Be sure to check out the special services – Doggy Day Camp or Slumber Party and Doggy Dudes and Dudettes Party Week (as planned).
Single Day or Single Night Sitting:
12-hour period or any portion thereof
Hours 1-3 – $10.00/hr. (cash $9.50)
Hours 4-6 – $6.50/hr. (cash $6.17)
Hours 7-9 – $5.30/hr. (cash $5.03
Hours 10-12 – $4.20/hr. (cash $3.99)
Total for a full 12-hour day or 12-hour night – $78.00. (cash $74.10)
Any hours over 12 hours will be billed at the 7-9 hour rate, i.e., $5.30/hour. At 24 hours, client may take advantage of the 24-hour rate.
For the following numbers of hours, expect to pay:
1 hour – $10.00
2 hours – $20.00
3 hours – $30.00
4 hours – $36.50
5 hours – $43.00
6 hours – $49.50
7 hours – $54.80
8 hours – $60.10
9 hours – $65.40
10 hours – $69.60
11 hours – $73.80
12 hours – $78.00
24-hour Dog Sitting:
$100.00/24-hour day. At three days or more, client may take advantage of the Weekly rate.
Weekly Dog Sitting:
$525.00/7-day week (cash $498.75), or $75.00/24 hr. day (cash $71.25), for at least three consecutive days. Anything less than three consecutive days is charged at the 24-hour sitting rate.
Multiple Dogs Owned by Same Client
For each additional dog owned by the same client as the first dog, the fee is 33% (1/3) of the fee for the first dog for the same period. E.g., if the client pays $100.00 for a 24-hour period for one dog, the fee for the client’s second dog is $33.00. This covers all additional work, expenses and resources devoted specifically to a second dog, in excess of that which is already being provided for one dog.
Doggy Day Care or Slumber Party:
Super deal – See details under Dogs section.
$5.25/hour (cash clients $4.99) per dog, with a commitment of four dogs for twelve hours.
Doggy Dudes & Dudettes Party Week:
This service is in the planning stage and not yet available. When available, it will be announced on this web site. If interested, check with me. The best deal under the sun for a group of dog owners planning a week-log vacation – see details under Dogs section.
$455.00 (cash clients $432.25) per dog for the 7-day week ($65.00/day – $61.75 cash).
Cat Hybrid Visit/Sit:
See details under Cats Section.
Flat fee of $50.00 (cash clients $47.50) per daily visit, plus mileage of 70¢/mile, from the starting location⋇ to your home.
Bird and Small Animal Sitting:
See details under Birds section.
Flat fee of $525.00 (cash clients $498.75) per 7-day week. Any portion of week is prorated at the daily rate of $75.00 (cash clients $71.25).
Bird Hybrid Visit/Sit:
Flat fee of $50.00 (cash clients $47.50) per daily visit, plus mileage of 70¢/mile, from the starting location⋇ to your home.
Hybrid Visit/Sit for Ferrets, Pigs and All Other High-functioning Animals:
Flat fee of $50.00 (cash clients $47.50) per daily visit, plus mileage of 70¢/mile, from the starting location⋇ to your home.
Basic Pet Care Visit for All Animals:
See Pet Care Visit section for details.
Flat fee of $30.00 per daily visit (cash clients $28.50), plus 70¢/mile mileage charge, from the starting location⋇ to client’s home.
Pet Transportation and Surrogacy:
See Pet Transportation and Surrogacy section for details.
$25.00 per hour (cash clients $23.75) plus 70¢/mile mileage charge.⋇
Special Research:
See Pet Care Advice, Referrals, Research and Resource Acquisition section for details.
$5.00 per hour (cash clients $4.75), but no more than $20.00 total, for regular pet service clients, and $18.00 per hour (cash clients $17.10) for non-clients.
Services Information
Service Area
I serve the Coachella Valley of Southern California, including Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, Bermuda Dunes, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Thousand Palms.
Overview
The following sections describe the details of the various services I offer. I also include sections regarding specific services for specific animals.
Pet Sitting
This is the core service of PetFairy. I offer a wide range of pet sitting options to meet your specific needs.
Pet sitting means that your pet actually stays with me, in my home, for extended periods of time (hours to days), during which time I care for it, interact with it and fulfill the same kind of needs it has that you would be taking care of if you were present. This type of service is typically provided for animals that are intelligent and social. They need to have significant, regular contact and interaction with others in order to feel good, avoid stress and anxiety and behave normally. When their owners are absent, they suffer without some sort of contact and social interaction. The objective is to provide, as closely as possible, the kind of life activities your pet would normally experience with you.
Though I pet sit for certain birds and small mammals (see sections below), pet sitting is primarily a service for dogs. For a variety of special, fun dog sitting options, see the Dogs section below. Cats are not typically as socially needy as dogs, but there are individuals that are especially social and will benefit from my special Hybrid Visit/Sit service. See Cats below. Many birds are highly intelligent and social, including hookbills (parrots, macaws, cockatoos, etc.), corvids (crows, ravens, jays, etc.) and mynahs. These birds can suffer when the owner is gone for an extended period, just like dogs, and can benefit from the services of a qualified sitter who has experience with birds, which I do. These birds have very individual and special needs. They may benefit either from a Hybrid Visit/Sit or actual Bird Sitting. Small songbirds, such as finches and canaries, usually do fine just with basic Pet Care Visits. See Birds below.
Pet pigs are not as numerous as animals like dogs, cats and birds, but there are some owners out there who are devoted to them. They are intelligent and social, so can benefit from a Hybrid Visit/Sit while the owner is gone. I’ve worked with pigs and know how delightful they are. Ferrets are the third most common pet carnivore, after cats and dogs. As such, they are also intelligent and social, and benefit from a sitter who is knowledgeable about them, which I am. I have had extensive experience with pet ferrets. They may benefit from either a Hybrid Visit/Sit or Ferret Sitting, depending on their individual personalities. See Small Mammals below. Some exotic/wild small mammals are kept as pets. Depending on what species you have, I may be able to provide Sitting service or Hybrid Visit/Sit service. I have special experience with raccoons and possums. See Wild and Exotic Pets below.⋇
For specialty Pet Sitting, basic Pet Care Visit or Hybrid Visit/Sit service options regarding all species not covered on this page, please contact me by phone, text or email to discuss options and make arrangements.
Pet Care Visit
A care visit involves me coming to your home to provide care for your pet. Care visits usually occur once daily, ideally around the same time every day. Some pets may only need one visit every other day. Under some special circumstances, or for special needs pets, the pet may require more than one per day.
During a care visit, I provide the pet with fresh water and food (of whatever type specified and provided by client). I do any cleaning required (litter boxes, cages, messes on floors in the pet area, etc.). I administer any prescribed medications.⋇ I visually inspect the pet to determine if it appears healthy and behaviorally normal. I specifically look for any sign of injury, infection or disease. I check for healthy stools and any signs of diarrhea, constipation (lack of any stool for more than one day), vomit, runny nose or congestion, watery eyes, listlessness, limping or any other kind of movement that is atypical for the species, balance difficulty, difficulty perching (for birds), etc., etc. I am quite knowledgeable in indicators of health in dogs, cats, ferrets, other small mammals, birds, herps (reptiles and amphibians) and fish.⋇
As I am doing these chores, I try to interact and talk to the pet (mammals and birds) in a calming, reassuring voice, pet it and/or play with it a little (if appropriate) and just generally make it feel good.
As a special courtesy, a care visit also includes a check of your home and its environs, to ensure that everything looks OK. If there is any evidence of possible home intrusion or break-in, environmental damage (from rain, wind, etc.) or anything else unusual, I will contact you.
I keep a visit log⋇, with notes on each visit for each client’s pet. If there’s anything significant to report, I contact the client immediately after the visit. Otherwise, the client gets a general report when he/she returns home. Clients can check in with me by phone or text whenever they wish to see how their pets are doing.
There is no hourly rate for care visits. I charge a flat fee for each visit, based on an expected 45 minute-1 hour visit. Visits may be a little longer or shorter on any day, depending on what chores need to be done or what I find when I arrive. If visits are obviously going to take significantly longer, based on numerous animals, cages, aquariums or exceptional chores that need to be done, I will negotiate an appropriate fee with the client. Any additional amount will typically not be significantly more than the base fee.
Hybrid Visit/Sit
A hybrid visit/sit is just what it implies. It is a care visit for the pet at the client’s home, but with extra time allocated, beyond that needed for the basic chores, in order to provide the kind of personal interaction that would take place in a pet sitting situation. I developed this service primarily for cats. It can also be useful for some birds and small mammals. The value of this kind of service for these pets is described in the sections on Cats, Birds and Small Mammals below.
During a hybrid visit/sit, I provide all of the services/chores described under Pet Care Visit above. Afterward, I spend additional time, typically an hour, or up to two hours, devoted just to having interaction with the pet. I give it attention, affection and mental stimulation. I try to make it feel happy and connected, to hopefully dispel any feelings of loneliness or abandonment.
This service is a compromise, when actual pet sitting is impractical or impossible, in order to provide, at a reasonable cost, some attention to higher-functioning pets or pets that need only minimal contact and affection.
As with care visits, hybrid visit/sits also include the special courtesy of a check of your home and its environs, to ensure that everything looks OK. If there is any evidence of possible home intrusion or break-in, environmental damage (from rain, wind, etc.) or anything else unusual, I will contact you.
As with care visits, I keep a visit/sit log, with notes on each visit/sit for each client’s pet. If there’s anything significant to report, I contact the client immediately after the visit. Otherwise, the client gets a general report when he/she returns home. Clients can check in with me by phone or text whenever they wish to see how their pets are doing.
Pet Care Assistance
Even the most loving, dedicated pet owner sometimes has difficulty juggling family, work, social and pet responsibilities. Life can be very demanding. Just as you may seek assistance with your housework or child care, pet care assistance can also be very valuable. I can help you with that.
Pet Transportation & Surrogacy
It is always best that the pet owner takes the pet to any service provider. However, this can sometimes be difficult for a really busy person. I can transport your pet to an appointment with your veterinarian, grooming salon, obedience training session, dog park for exercise, court-ordered pet visitation with your ex (ha ha), etc., and represent your interests with the service provider. This will require you to complete two forms – the Transportation Authorization form and the Representation Authorization form.
I will safely transport your pet to and from the appointment or activity and, per your instructions, I will make sure the purpose of any appointment is appropriately achieved. I get along with other people almost as well as I get along with animals and I am articulate, capable of discussing almost anything with anyone. I will make sure that your pet receives excellent care, and all details of the appointment/excursion are accurately reported to you.
Pet Care Advice, Referrals, Research and Resource Acquisition
It can be challenging to know how to handle certain difficult pet care situations, or to locate the persons, businesses or other resources that can help you, with either general care or specific issues. I can advise you with many issues, based on my decades of experience, and help you to find the resources you need. If I can’t answer your question, I can find someone who can. If your pet requires a highly specialized service, I can help you to locate the best individual or business to provide it.
Dogs
There are so many reasons to love living in the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area. But one of the reasons particularly important to me is that the people here are true dog lovers. There are numerous dog parks. There are all sorts of accommodations for dogs in stores and shops, restaurants, etc. You see people walking their dogs everywhere. You almost never see a dog alone on the street, as is unfortunately so common in other areas of the state and nation. And when the sophisticated, fun-loving, responsible residents of this area head out for vacation or business, or if they just need a little time for taking care of life necessities, they want their dogs properly cared for. That’s where I come in. There are lots of dog sitting options out here, most of them pretty good. But PetFairy is just above and beyond the typical service. Check out a couple of special services I offer below.
Dog Sitting
These are some special sitting services just for dogs.
Doggy Day Camp or Slumber Party
This is the perfect, money-saving solution if you have to be away for an entire day or for an entire evening, and have a new puppy who isn’t yet potty trained or safe to leave alone, or an older dog with separation anxiety or other issues. Doggy Day Camp is the 12-hour daytime period, average 6AM to 6PM and Doggy Slumber Party is the 12-hour nighttime period, average 6PM to 6AM. By collaborating with three other dog owners and taking advantage of group dog sitting in my home, you will pay a substantially reduced fee, making it economically desirable, especially if you need the service on a regular basis. And it provides great benefits to your pet. Puppies get to experience an alternative environment and other dogs. They get to observe how other, more mature dogs behave, and can learn from them. They can play with any other puppies that may be present. Not only are they protected and cared for, but it is educational and fun for them. Older dogs with anxiety or other such problems can feel the calm and friendliness of other dogs, and this can often benefit them, leading to less stress in their own homes. Doggy Day Camp is an active, typical day playtime experience. Doggy Slumber Party is a subdued, mostly sleep time with everybody on my bed, but inevitably with a little occasional, lighthearted, middle-of-the-night tomfoolery.
There must be four dogs scheduled for the same service period of twelve hours to qualify for a Doggy Day Camp or Slumber Party rate. Otherwise, the basic single-day pet sitting rate applies.
I try to schedule around two to four day camps and/or slumber parties a month. This depends on other commitments. If you wish to ask me to schedule a day camp or slumber party, but don’t know other dog owners who also want this service, I may be able to put you in contact with other potential participants. In the near future, I hope to add a forum page to this site, where clients and other pet people can contact one another and trade information/ideas, etc.
Future Plan: Doggy Dudes & Dudettes Party Week!
At this time, I am in the planning stage for this new service, which I hope to offer soon. This will be the most amazing event for dogs and their owners offered by PetFairy. Imagine sending your dog off for a solid 24-7 week (seven full days) of constant fun, socialization, exercise, mental stimulation and pampering, with five of his or her best canine friends or new acquaintances. Meanwhile, you’re free to take off for a week-long vacation, footloose and carefree, unencumbered by any concern about your pet. This is the perfect arrangement for a group of close friends, who all have dogs, and want to get away for a party week at some tropical resort, knowing that their dogs are receiving the best care available, having their own little vacation. In fact, the idea stems from a time when I was younger and my friends and I wanted to get away for spring break, but couldn’t stand the idea of boarding our dogs in a sterile kennel.
I plan to try to do six to ten of these parties per year, depending on circumstances and other commitments. It takes planning and coordination. I will schedule for all holidays, including: Christmas/New Year’s week, Easter week, Thanksgiving week, Independence Day (Fourth of July) week, Spring Break, Halloween week, LGBTQ+ Pride week, Memorial Day week, Labor Day week, Veteran’s Day week, etc. Or just any old week of the year when you desperately need a vacation! Wanna get out of town and away from the maddening crowds during overwhelming events like Coachella? Schedule a Doggy Party Week for that time, drop off your doggies and run away! Run far, far away!
Here’s how it will work:
Up to six dogs can participate. At least five dogs are required in order to schedule the party, with a commitment to locate a sixth. All dogs must meet my general requirements for service (see Requirements for Arranging Service page), plus be comfortable and friendly around other dogs. All dogs must be in good health. All clients must commit to the full prescribed time period.
Party Week activities will include: a daily visit to the Palm Springs Dog Park, other walks in my beautiful neighborhood as appropriate, afternoon doggy ice cream socials (with ice cream made just for dogs), a daily whole-body massage/luxury scratching, dog brain teaser (mental stimulation) games, howlin’ hootenanny music time, evening TV & snacks veg-out lazy time, and Saturday steak dinner (special meal for last evening of Party Week). And everybody gets to sleep with me on the queen-size bed! (Floors are for walking, not sleeping.) Other fun activities may be included/added over time as we discover them. Every party guest goes home with a Party Week goody gift bag.
Dog Walking
I don’t offer dog walking services, per se. Dog walking and dog park visits are included as part of my dog sitting services. If you have a regular, dedicated dog walker, whom you like, he/she is perfectly welcome to come to my home during dog sitting to take your doggie for his regular walk if you wish. The maintenance of such regular activities can be good for the dog.
Cats
Most cats, even typically suspicious ones, tend to warm up to me, usually fairly quickly. Over the years, I’ve developed vocal characteristics and mannerisms that tend to be disarming to cats. Of course, no one can always hit it off with every animal, but cats generally like me.
Cats all have very individual personalities. Some of them are remarkably social, friendly, calm and accepting of new things. However, in general, most cats are territorial and not very social, outside of their immediate owner and family or close friends. They are mildly to extremely disturbed by any kind of change, especially an abrupt one, in their environment or routine. Therefore, shoving them into a carrier and hauling them off to a strange home with a strange person can be a seriously traumatic experience for them.
So, I do not believe it is in the best interest of cats to offer full pet sitting service for them. It wouldn’t have any real benefit, but, rather, it would be very stressful for them.
This is the reason I created my Hybrid Visit/Sit service (see above). It is a special version of a care visit, modified to include some sitting time in your home. Most cats don’t need, or want, to be fussed over full-time. An hour or two of petting, play and attention will hold them over just fine until the next visit. Depending on how your cat responds when it first meets me, we can determine what kind of service is best for your cat. For more standoffish cats, I can do daily care visits to feed and water your cat, clean the litter box and try to locate and do a visual examination of the cat to see if it appears to be in good physical health. If your cat seems to be friendly toward me, or even just amenable to contact with me, I can do a hybrid visit/sit service. After the basic chores are completed, I’ll spend an extended period of time, as much as I can afford depending on circumstances, but typically about an hour, talking to your cat, petting it, using your cat toys to play with it and, if you approve, giving it treats. This hybrid service gives the cat some comfort and mental stimulation, in its own environment, without stressing it in an unfamiliar environment, and at a very reasonable cost to you.
On the Intake form, it is important to list any potentially problematic behaviors of your cat that could be important. For example, if it has ever demonstrated any “bolting” behavior, where it clandestinely waits for someone to open a door, then quickly dashes out. This will alert me to be cautious when entering or exiting your home.
Birds
Other than finches, canaries and mynahs, the vast majority of pet birds are all “hookbills”, members of the Psittaciformes order, including parrots, macaws, cockatoos, cockatiels, conures, lorikeets and parakeets. Hookbills are, as a group, highly intelligent and also highly social. They have the same intense need for interaction, attention and mental stimulation as dogs, horses and even human toddlers. In the wild, they often live in large social groups, but they nevertheless form an intense bond with one mate. So, pet hookbills typically form very close, often exclusive, relationships with their owners. Some will be friendly with other people as well, but most are quite possessive and jealous of their owner. When the owner is away, it is very distressing for them. It helps if there is another person, with whom they are familiar, to comfort them somewhat during such a time.
I have a room in my home dedicated to pets in cages and similar enclosures. So, I can do actual pet sitting with your bird. Unlike the case with cats, it doesn’t as seriously stress birds to be taken, in their cage, to a different home. Their cage is their actual “safety space”, so as long as they can remain in their cage, going to a different home is not going to stress them much more than they are already stressed by the absence of their owner.
The first time you leave your bird with me, it will be suspicious and standoffish. However, as with cats, I have a disarming and endearing demeanor, developed over the years, that is usually effective with these clever and curious birds. With each consecutive pet sitting or hybrid visit/sit that I do with your bird, it is almost guaranteed to become increasingly comfortable with me, and will more greatly benefit from the service.
The same care information goes for corvids. Corvids, such as crows, ravens and jays are all over the place in Southern California, and juveniles are constantly falling out of the nests before they’re actually ready to fledge, leading to people rescuing and, often, adopting them. This was my experience with my crow, Iktomi. If you bring your bird to my home for pet sitting, you’ll meet him. Corvids are as smart as the hookbills. For anyone who has ever had any experience with either of these bird groups, the term “bird brain” takes on a whole new meaning.
I’ll take good care of your bird while you’re on vacation, so when you get back, it won’t be quite as pissed off at you for leaving, as it otherwise might be.
Note: If you have one of the large hookbills, like a macaw, cockatoo or parrot, don’t expect or ask me to let it out of its cage or let it perch on my hand. With anyone but its owner, no matter how familiar it becomes with the other person, there is always a danger that it may bite. A macaw’s beak is designed to easily slice through some of the hardest nuts in the world, so it has no trouble biting off a human finger. You’ll just have to affectionately make up for lost contact time when you get home.
Chickens
Chickens get their own section because their care is very different from the exotic pet birds discussed above. I’ve always had my backyard flock of laying hens all my life. I never met a chicken I didn’t love. And I can’t stand the thought of having to stoop to eating a store-bought egg after enjoying the fresh, luscious, healthy eggs from my girls’ nest boxes all these years. I have my faults, but my friends and neighbors are willing to overlook them because I gift them with my hens’ eggs.
If you are also a backyard chicken keeper, and are planning a getaway for however long, you don’t need to have a care in the world about it. I’ll stop by each day to care for your chickens, just as I do for other pets during care visits. I’ll make sure they’re all accounted for and OK, fed and watered and given whatever treats you usually give them. I’ll look them over for any health problems. I’ll collect any eggs they’ve laid and put them in your refrigerator. Some people like them to be washed and some people don’t. I’ll follow whatever instructions you provide. If you want the eggs given out to anyone during the time you’re away, you can provide them with my contact information and I’ll make sure they get their eggs.
Two Notes: I won’t have time to clean an entire chicken coop, so make sure it is well-cleaned before you leave. If you’re going to be gone more than a week, we can arrange for an additional payment for me to clean the coop after that amount of time. Also, if your hens depend on you to let them out of the coop in the morning & then put them back in the evening, rather than using an automatic door system, I won’t be able to make two trips per day to your place to do this, so they can either stay in the coop while you’re gone, or we can arrange for a second visit. Perhaps they only need to come out every couple of days or three days a week.
Pigs
I love pigs and will be happy to care for yours if the need arises. I can’t do “pig sitting”, unfortunately, but I can do hybrid visit/sits for you, just as I do for other pets. I’ll take care of the chores, as you instruct, and give your piggy pet some attention and love. Just let me know what you usually say to him, where he likes to be scratched and where his favorite treats are. I’ll enjoy his little pleasure grunts and tail wagging.
Small Mammals
I’ve owned and cared for most of the common small domestic mammals – rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and rats. I can take care of all of them for you. I usually do either care visits or hybrid visit/sits for these pets. However, I am happy to sit for them in my home if you wish that level of personal care.
Ferrets are the only carnivore in this group. They are the third most common and popular domestic carnivore, and I’m very knowledgeable about them. Let’s get one issue off the table first. I choose not to know, and don’t care, about any possible regulatory issues regarding certain domestic members of the Mustelidae family. If you are an owner of such a furry, delightful critter and you need someone qualified to care for your little cutie while you go on vacation, feel free to call on me. Sometimes I just have the oddest memory lapses about certain things, so I’ve never been able to remember if I ever saw a ferret in anyone’s house. Strange, isn’t it? So your secret is safe with me. The only requirement I will have is that, just like dogs and cats, your little mustelid needs a vaccination certificate, in his case, for rabies and canine distemper. You’ll only have to show it to me, but not leave a copy. I’ll do hybrid visit/sits for your bouncy little buddy to help him get through your absence.
Herps (Reptiles and Amphibians)
As a former reptile and amphibian collector and breeder, and columnist/writer for Reptiles Magazine, your herps couldn’t possibly be in better hands than mine while you’re away on vacation.
Whatever kind of herp(s) you have, I’ll make sure they receive precisely the care they need. I’ll feed and water them, check to make sure they’re in good health and check to make sure the environmental conditions in their enclosure or vivarium are correct.
Exceptions: I can’t provide service for hot (venomous) herps. I’ve handled them before, but in controlled institutional settings, with experts supervising. It’s just too dangerous in a private home. I also can’t provide service for extra-large constrictors (boas and pythons), more than about 8-10 feet long or over about 80-100 pounds, depending on the species.
Aquariums, Fish and Other Aquatic Animals
I have created and maintained numerous aquariums for myself, friends, businesses and pet shops. This includes tropical marine, cool-water marine, tropical freshwater and temperate freshwater planted aquariums of various habitat types for different communities of plants and animals, including fish, turtles, frogs, salamanders/newts, crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, lobster, crayfish, etc.) and other invertebrates.
I’ll make sure all the mechanical systems are operating properly, check the water chemistry and temperature, feed the animals per your instructions and visually inspect the animals and plants for any signs of stress, disease or injury. Aside from my regular visit notes that I do for all my care visits, if a problem is detected, I’ll immediately contact whatever professional resource(s) are specified in your instructions.
Wild and Exotic Pets
For those of you who, for whatever reason, have come into ownership of a wild or so-called exotic pet, you may have had trouble finding someone who was both willing and qualified to care for it, so that you could get away for the kind of worry-free vacation that owners of more conventional pets get to take. Well, now you have someone you know you can call on for service.
Rather than try to list all the different kinds of possible wild and exotic animals for which one might need care services, if you have such an animal or animals, contact me and we’ll discuss what I can do for you.
Please see the Requirements for Arranging Services page for exceptions to this service.