Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a booking?
Please complete a booking form via our website, and we will aim to respond within a couple of hours, but it could take as long as 24 hours depending on our schedules. We will respond with an acknowledgment of your booking form and work towards matching you with a suitable cat-sitter. Once this has been arranged, we will contact you again with further information regarding your booking and cat-sitter.
Can I get a quote?
Unfortunately we do not send quotes, but you can find our price list on the first page of our website. The booking form is to only be completed if you would like to definitely book and not for requesting quotes.
How do I pay for cat-sitting?
Please wait to receive an invoice via email before making any payments on our website. The invoice will include instructions on how to pay via Stripe on our payment page.
Can I have a phone call before I book?
Unfortunately we do not have the capacity for phone calls regarding bookings, unless it is for an emergency of an existing booking. If you have any questions please email us at michelle@chattycatscare.co.uk and we will aim to get back you as soon as possible.
What happens if I need a last-minute booking?
We require at least 3 days' notice between the booking request and the booking start date. Any booking with less than 3 days' notice may not be possible to accommodate. If we can accommodate your booking and it has 3 days or less notice, we will add a last-minute booking fee to the invoice.
How can I cancel my booking?
Bookings and booking cancellations must be made by email so that we have a record of all communications. We cannot be held responsible for missed bookings/ cancellations if they are made in any other way. A cancellation fee will be applied.
All canceled bookings from a notice period of 2 weeks and more will be charged at 25% regardless of a signed T&C contract, this will cover our time and effort taken to allocate one of our sitters for your bookings.
If you need to cancel a cat-sitting booking due to sickness or any other reasons on the week of the booking start date, we will keep the whole 50% fee.
Can I book visits for every other day?
We can provide this service, but we do not recommend it as our insurance policy will not cover the days in-between visits and if anything were to happen to your cat or your home we cannot take any responsibility for this.
What happens at the initial consultation?
Your designated cat-sitter will reach out to you directly to arrange a date/time for an initial consultation ahead of the booking, this is a complimentary part of the service. The cat-sitter will meet you at your home at the agreed date and time to speak about your cats and their needs. This is also an opportunity to show the cat-sitter around your home, show them where the cat food and litter tray are kept, and discuss any additional needs your cat may have. The initial consultation is also an opportunity for you to do the key handover with the cat-sitter.
What times do we visit?
Our morning visits can start as early as 6 am up to 11 am, depending on our sitters schedules they will visit within this time frame. Our evening visits start from 4:30pm-8pm latest. If you have specific visit hours that you would like to request this needs to be added to the booking form, we will try our best to accommodate this, but we would prefer flexibility.
I am concerned about leaving my keys with a stranger, how to you assure that your cat-sitters are trustworthy?
We meet all of our cat-sitters for an in-depth face to face interview before joining our team. We carry our essential reference checks and ask them to supply us with identification and proof of address. Whilst some of our sitters hold a DBS certificate, some do not, but we feel our background checks and trial work periods surface. Our sitters update us on a regular basis throughout bookings, we are very involved in the business operations.
What Security precautions do you use whilst I am away?
We do not use sign written vehicles or any uniform or identification that would signify that you are away from your home. We also try to vary the times we visit over the booked period. We will take in post or anything left on your doorstep or in your letterbox daily to minimise the appearance of your property being unoccupied. We can alternate lights on and off within different rooms on request. We also would move any dustbins left on the pathway by the refuse collection upon your request.
How often will you visit my cat?
We can visit your cat as often as you request, some of our clients book for 1 visit per day, 2 visits per day or even 3 visits per day if required. We also provide overnight cat-sitting, where one of our cat-sitters will move into your home and look after your cat throughout the day and night, however there are no set hours for overnight bookings, but most of our sitters have flexible schedules and work or study from home.
What if my cat has medical needs?
Please supply us with any information you think we may need on the additional information section of the booking form. When you meet your cat-sitter for the initial consultation this will be an opportunity to talk about your cat's medication and additional needs directly with your cat-sitter. The initial consultation is a great time to demonstrate how you administer medication for your cat.
My Cat is diabetic or has other additional health needs, can you help?
Our sitters will have some experience admistering basic medication, for example we have a number of sitters who have learned how to adminitster insulin injections through cat-sitting jobs. We would be happy to discuss your cats medical needs and generally most needs can be met.
What if my cat is unwell?
If possible we will try to consult you before taking your cat to the vet, but if we are unable to get hold of you and your cats health is getting worse we will need to take your cat to an emergency appointment at your registered vets. There are additional charges for vet visits, which can be found on our website, but we will send you a terms and conditions document before your booking takes place to give you a full breakdown. We do have pet insurance included with all of our bookings, this can claimed depending on the circumstances.
I have other pets that need to be fed can you help?
If you have booked us for cat-sitting and have other pets such as fish, a reptile, a bunny or hamster for example we are happy to help with feeding, there may be an additional cost depending on the request. Please add information regarding this on the initial booking form and we can discuss this further via email.
What if my keys are lost?
Our cat-sitters take great care of our clients keys, but if there is an emergency and the designated cat-sitter is in an accident or we cannot meet them for the key straight away, you should have an emergency set spare. We recommend giving a local neighbour or family member a spare key just in case of any emergencies. In the worse case scenario we can gain access to your property via a locksmith.