Cat, Lizard, Small Animals & Bird Pet Sitters

Familiar surroundings are important to most of our pets, but none more so than our feline companions. Cats love to cuddle up in their favourite spot and watch the world go by and if their staff must go on holiday then they expect continuity of service!

Indoor and outdoor rabbits and guinea pigs, other rodents, fish, birds, reptiles, spiders and insects can also be cared for at home by experienced VIPPIES team members who will feed and clean out their quarters as needed.

We will visit your fussy feline and offer them a cuddle (if they are in the mood). We will feed them, clean their litter trays and deal with any ‘gifts’ they may have brought in.

If you prefer you can bring your small pet in its own home (hutch, cage, aquarium etc) to VIPPIES HQ or one of our specialist homes where experienced team members can look after your small pet.

Perfect for:

Those going on holiday
People who are taken ill
Looking for an alternative to kennels

Pet Sitting

How our pet sitting service works

Reliable, trained and experienced; VIPPIES can look after your pets in your home.

Step 1

A member of our team will meet with you and your pets to agree on a care plan.

Step 2

You go on your way and leave us with keys to your property.

Step 3

Our team member will visit as agreed on the care plan to look after your pets and give you peace of mind.

PRICING

Our pricing for Pet Sitting:

We pride ourselves on our flexibility so please discuss your individual circumstances. There is a 10% discount for senior citizens (human), the forces and NHS. We also extend this discount to any 16 or more pre-booked day services per month.

Bank holidays are charged at the standard rate apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day when the rate doubles.

Pet sitting in a VIPPIES home from £7 per day per hutch/cage/tank etc. Additional hutch/cage/tank at £4 per day.

Cancellation charges apply.

Length of visitPer visit

1 petPer visit

+1 petPer pet

10 mins

£9.75

£3.00 (to max. of £6.00)

20 mins

£10.25

£3.00 (to max. of £6.00)

30 mins

£10.75

£3.00 (to max. of £6.00)

MORE INFO

FAQs

What training and experience do the carers have?

All our carers are experienced animal lovers, many have their own pets. We pair new carers with an experienced VIPPIES team member to ensure they know what standards we expect. Our carers receive pet first aid training early in their career with us and this is refreshed every three years.

What security measures do you have in place?

All our staff have had criminal record checks. We do not use marked vehicles or wear uniforms. We only carry the keys required for each visit. Keys are stored safely at VIPPIES HQ and at your team member’s home, they are coded so they cannot be tracked to your property or pet(s).

What happens if my regular carer is not available?

VIPPIES has a team of approximately 30 pet carers so we always have back up. At the meet and greet you will be allocated a main carer and a back-up. In an emergency, if your regular carers are not available, one of the management team will step in to look after your pets.

My pet needs regular medication, can you still help?

We are able to give your pet their medication whilst in our care, just discuss it with us at the meet and greet. If they are on new short term treatment please let us know in advance of the booking, contact VIPPIES HQ (not your carer) via email admin@vippies.co.uk or telephone 01522 823536 during normal office hours.

What happens if there is an emergency?

At your meet and greet we will take the contact details for your vet as well as your emergency contact details – mobile, office landline etc. We also like to have the contact details for another person who can make decisions on your pet’s behalf if we cannot contact you. This can be a partner, family member or friend (over 18 years). At the meet and greet you will be asked to complete a form that gives us authority to act on your behalf at your vets. You will also be asked to notify your vet that we have your permission.

What if I need to cancel?

If you need to cancel please contact VIPPIES HQ 01522 823536 during our normal office hours (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). Outside our normal hours there is an answer phone service where you can leave a message. There is an emergency mobile number on this message which you can call for last minute cancellations. Unfortunately, last minute cancellations will be subject to a fee.

What insurance does VIPPIES have?

Whilst our processes and systems aim to avoid these events we are insured up to £5 million which covers your pet and home as follows:

should your pet cause an accident while in our care there is third party cover,
if we have an accident in your house and damage anything we are insured to replace the broken item,
should we lose your key and need to get a locksmith in to gain entry to your premises and we are insured to replace all locks and supply new keys,
if your pet goes missing in our care we are insured to advertise for their recovery or replacement,
finally, should your pet be injured due to our negligence we are insured for all the vet’s bills.