Frequently Asked Questions

Are you insured?

Absolutely! We're covered by a specialist insurance company, which covers us for all aspects of pet sitting, dog walking, pet boarding, and pet minding, care, custody, and control of animals, non-negligent cover, travel cost financial loss, and key cover. You can view our insurance certificate during your consultation, and if you click on our insurance logo on our website or emails, it will take you to the insurance company website to show that we have a policy.



Which areas can you cover?

Amity Pet Care are based in Salfords, and cover most surrounding areas, including Salfords, Earlswood, Whitebushes, Redhill, Woodhatch, Reigate, Horley, etc. By limiting our service area, it means minimum travelling for the animals in our care and ourselves, and hopefully minimum disruption. During off-peak times, for certain services, we may be able to cover areas slightly outside of our normal area, at a small additional cost.



What experience do you have?

We believe that people should be able to leave their pets in 'qualified hands', which is why we've both completed courses relating to our work, and we do lots of continued professional development by watching webinars, going to talks and seminars, etc, all run by industry professionals, particularly focusing on animal health, handling, and behaviour. You will have the opportunity to see some of our many certificates during your consult. We've both been working with animals for many years, including at a boarding kennels and cattery, and we've been established since 2011 so we've built up a very loyal client base.



I feel anxious about leaving my pets!

It's completely understandable to feel worried about leaving your 4-legged family members in the care of someone, and our aim is to alleviate these worries. Over the years we've collected so many amazing client testimonials and reviews, which are available for you to view online, which show the great experiences people have had whilst using our services. We are also DBS checked (previously CRB). We're happy to talk to you on the phone or video call to see if we're able to provide you with the service you require. We will then visit you and your pets at your home to discuss your requirements further, and allow your pet to become accustomed. For some added reassurance, we can also provide references upon request, to allow you to chat to our current clients to discuss their experiences with us. Once your booking is confirmed, we can add your email address to your booking on our schedule, so you'll receive a notification, and can add the services to your own schedule on your computer/phone if you'd like, so you can see what you've booked. We aim to provide complete peace of mind, and put everyone at ease, so we can provide daily updates via email whilst you're away, or leave any notes if you're just out at work for the day. We also have an emergency procedure should any issues occur.



Why do you advise and provide a minimum of twice daily home visits for cats and other smaller animals?

Cats are not as self sufficient as people often think, and it's really important to be able to check on regularly, as their health and welfare standards should not be compromised. Small pets, in particular, can decline rapidly should they become unwell, so it's vital they're taken to the vets quickly. It's necessary to carefully monitor how cats and small animals are eating (cats would naturally eat up to 16 tiny meals a day, and we need to ensure they're not wolfing their meals in one go, and many small animal species need to regularly graze). We need to regularly monitor that they're toileting normally, no signs of urinary tract infections, blockages, diarrhoea, as well as things like vomiting, etc. Although cats can be solitary animals, they're used to living and interacting with humans, and in most cases see them before they go to work and again in the evening at the very least, and we want to keep the disruption to their normal routine to a minimum. We check that the water isn't fouled, as well as the litter tray, as many cats will avoid using a fouled tray, which in itself can lead to health and behavioural issues, as 23.5 hours is a long time to not use the toilet. It also allows us to check the security of the home more regularly, picking up post, and making the home looked lived in by opening/closing curtains, alternating lights, etc. We also check that pets haven't accidentally shut themselves away in a room whilst they're playing!
Small animals, can be incredibly fragile, and if they do become unwell, they can go 'down hill' rapidly, so it is absolutely critical that they are seen by a Vet ASAP. As an example, fly eggs can hatch within a matter of hours, and would require an immediate Vet visit to treat. Fly strike, gut stasis, and other illnesses can even effect 'clean', healthy rabbits. Please see The RWAF's guide to rabbit care for further information regarding rabbits.

Vets and other welfare organisations generally recommend a minimum of twice daily visits for the above animals.



What about house keys?

We ask our clients to provide a spare set of keys during their free consultation visit, or you may drop them over when convenient, or have a key collection visit as an optional extra. We ask that you ensure that all keys work, and are not stiff, and that they're put on a labelled, strong and sturdy keyring, so there's no risk of the keyring breaking. All keys are stored in a secure key safe when not in use, and our insurance includes 'key cover'. We will not post keys through your door after our last visit in case you become delayed and we need to return for added visits, and most clients like us to keep a set of keys in our safe, particularly should they require our help at short notice.



How and when do we pay you?

We accept payments by bank transfer, and the account details can be found on your invoices. For holiday or ad hoc bookings, we take a deposit to secure your slots. Your remaining balance is then due a month before we're due to start. We have a cancellation policy which can be found in our terms and conditions, but you may be charged a cancellation or retainer fee.



Must my pets by up to date with their vaccinations and parasite treatments?

We do request that dogs, cats, and rabbits are up to date with their vaccinations, and all pets must be suitably treated and rid of parasites to protect them, the other animals in our care, and not cause any disruptions to services. For dog day care, home boarding, and small group walking, we will request a copy of your vaccination certificate.



Do my pets need to be insured?

We highly recommend taking out an insurance policy, as all owners are responsible for their pets' veterinary bills.



How much notice do I need to give to book?

For peak times (Christmas, New Year, Bank Holidays, school holidays, etc), we appreciate as much notice as possible, as we do get very booked up-some clients even book a year ahead! Outside of peak times, we can often fit in home visits at fairly short notice, should you experience an emergency and need us to cover, but it's important your pet is already registered with us, as we cannot provide a service without having done a consultation visit.



What times do you offer?

For cat and small pet twice daily visits, morning visits are usually between 7am-10am, and afternoon visits between 3pm-8pm, however we may extend our times during busy periods.

Our social adventure dog walk slot starts late morning, and finishes early afternoon, and any other services are slotted in around those times. We can also offer 'out of hours' home visits, for an additional charge.



Will we have the same sitter each time?

We do not have any employees, helpers, or host families, so it will be either of us (Laura or Luke), or occasionally both of us! The only additional person who occasionally assists us is Laura's mum, Lynne, who is covered on our insurance policy, but we will aim for you to meet her, should she be covering for us. Because we're such a small, exclusive company, your pets will get to know us well.



What would happen in the event of an emergency?

Although very rare, it's important for us to have an emergency procedure in place. If we have any emergencies, we will make every effort to contact you, the owner, first of all. If we cannot get hold of you or a spouce for whatever reason, we will contact your 'emergency contact 1', followed by your 'emergency contact 2', if necessary, from your client profile. We will of course take your pet straight to a vet (must be registered with a local vet), if we are concerned about their health and welfare. All clients are responsible for their own veterinary bills, and there may be a charge for transporting your pet to the vet, and any additional care they require.



Are there any products you recommend?

We are happy to suggest products which we've had positive exeriences with. Have a look at our shop page for a couple of products. We are stockists of Pet Remedy, natural calming plug-in diffusers, sprays, wipes, and dog grooming kits, which are brilliant at helping your pets cope with periods of change, or potentially stressful situations.



What is the cost of your service?

For all price enquiries, please get in touch, and provide details about your pet, the service you would like, including dates/days/times, etc, and we will put together a quote for you.



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