Frequently Asked Questions about pet sitting:

Why hire a pet sitter?

-Pets stay stress-free in the comfort of their familiar surroundings

-Virtually no risk of contracting illnesses or injuries from contact with unfamiliar animals

-No need to pick up or drop off pets at a designated place or time- your pets are waiting for you at the door when you get home!

-Individualized attention to your pets' health, well-being and care 

-Medications or regularly scheduled activities need not be interrupted because you leave

-Unexpected sicknesses or changes in health can be caught early

-Your home is safer: less risk of burglary when your home is being visited regularly, unexpected home-related disasters can be averted or caught early (ie. gas leaks, water leakage, furnace/ac malfunctions)

-No need to burden friends or neighbors with caring for your pets

-Professional pet sitters are insured, so there is no need to worry about unexpected damages or costs if something goes wrong while in their care

Is in-home pet care right for my animals?

While in-home pet sitting is an excellent option for most animals, it is not always ideal in certain situations. Please consider some of the following scenarios as you consider in-home pet care:

-Does your pet have separation anxiety? If so, 2-4 half-hour visits in a day may not be sufficient to keep them calm, and the extended time alone may even make your pet more anxious or destructive.

-Is your pet used to being alone for extended periods of time? If your pet is used to having a person around 24-hours a day, extended periods of time alone between petsitter visits may be very stressful for your animals. Most pets are used to being alone while you are at work during the day, but they are also accustomed to having you around in the evenings. Most pets who are used to this type of setup are perfectly fine for a few days with a petsitter, but may not do well for long periods of time.

-Do you have outdoor pets? C.A.L.I. Pet Care does not care for animals kept outdoors. Your pets will need to be kept indoors while we care for your animals.

-Is your pet crated when they are alone? Crating is certainly a responsible option for training, housebreaking, puppies, and destructive or aggressive animals, but we believe it is not an appropriate setup in which to keep an animal for days at a time. If you crate your pet and are going away on an extended trip, please consider setting up a larger, secure area in your home, a live-in petsitter, doggie daycare or other option where your dog will have some significant time out of their crate.

-Has your pet ever been cared for by a "stranger?" Some animals may be afraid, stressed or even aggressive with an unfamiliar person in their home. While we certainly will make every effort to respect your animal's space, we will not comprimise our own safety in caring for any animal.  If you are unsure how your pet may react, we are happy to set up a "trial run" during an afternoon that you are in town. Please do not book us and then "hope for the best." There is nothing worse than ruining a vacation because the dog tried to attack the petsitter! (No joking, this has happened several times...)

*The most important thing to us is the well-being of your animals. Please contact us if you have any questions as to whether pet sitting is appropriate for your situation.

How many visits a day does my pet need?

All animals deserve to have human interaction daily: for their well-being, health and safety. For these reasons, our policy is to visit cats no less than once a day, and dogs no less than twice a day (although we highly recommend at least three visits daily for dogs). Please also consider how long your dog can "hold it" and try to schedule as many visits so to keep them comfortable and happy!