FAQ
Q. What are your working hours?
A. My working hours are 8am to 5pm 7 days a week, 365 days a year (yes I work Christmas day).
Please note; in order to keep service charges at their lowest possible, I organise clients into the best route possible.
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Q. What if my cat becomes unwell whilst in your care?
A. I will try my very best to contact you and take your cat to its usual vets if possible, in the event of an out-of-hours emergency then your cat will be taken to the nearest 24 hour vets to you.
My Public Liability will provide cover for if your cat becomes ill or sick, gets lost, or passes away whilst in my care or due to negligence, but it is your responsibility to ensure your cats are insured and vaccinated, and I'd expect you to inform me of any pre-existing problems, medical or otherwise.
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Q. Are you insured & CRB checked?
A. My insurance, DBS* Police check, as well as testimonials from previous clients including pictures, plus my driving licence & passport are shown to clients during my initial consultation.
*DBS check previously called a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.
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Q. Are my house keys safe in your care?
A. Yes. My Public Liability covers your keys while in my care, including during transport. And whilst not in use, your keys are kept in a locked safe.
They are also never addressed with your details, only with your cat's names and sometimes your general location. Plus I don't keep keys and contracts together.
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Q. What happens if you are off sick?
A. The service I provide is my number one priority and therefore it would take something very serious for me to be unable to visit my cats. Should something happen to me then my full trained and insured back up, Graham Barton, would complete the immediate visits. You would then be contacted to see how you would like to proceed.
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Q. Is it only you who will enter my property during the contract?
A. Yes. I do not sub-contract out my work and I will not be bringing anyone along with me either.
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Q. Who provides the food while I'm away?
A. You would do and I would ask you to show me where it is kept and provide the food and litter to cover the time you're away, including any treats you'd normally give. If supplies of food or litter run out, a shopping trip charge of £3 will apply.
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Q. Will I still be charged if I arrive home earlier than agreed and you don't have to make the final visit?
A. This depends on if I have already left for your home or if I arrive at your home expecting to do the visit. If I haven't left and if you've given me enough notice then no; that visit and any other remaining ones are then removed from your contract and you are not charged for them.
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Q. Will you look after other animals other than cats?
A. I will feed fish free of charge but I do not look after other animals.
Q. Do you accept urgent, late, or last minute bookings?
A. Although I like to be given sufficient notice, I understand this is not always possible.
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Q. Do you work on Bank holidays, Christmas and the New Year and what are your prices?
A. Yes I am available for work 7 days a week, on all Bank Holidays and of course during the festive season.
I'm taking bookings now for Christmas 2023.
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Q. What payment methods do you accept?
A. I am happy to accept cash or bank transfer.
Payment is generally made via bank transfer and must be within 7 days of the contract ending.
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Q. When would you like paying? Do you require a deposit?
A. After you're home & no, there is no need for a deposit. I am customer-satisfaction focused so no payment upfront or deposit is required, therefore before parting with any money I want you to have come home, and be satisfied, seeing your cat is well and happy and your home the way you left it.
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Q. My cat likes to be fed at 9 o'clock at night, can you help?
A. Yes I can, although 8am to 5pm are my working hours, I can set a food timer to open at that time.
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Q. My cat requires medication, is that a problem?
A. Not a problem at all. I am able administer tablets and capsules in a variety of different ways without having to force it down the throat. I do not give injections.
Q. I've never left my cats alone before and will miss them terribly, are you able to send me pictures while I'm away?
A. Yes I can. I am happy to take pictures on most of my visits and either email, text, whattsapp or facebook them to you.
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Q. I've two cats, a dozen fish and a dog. If I place the dog in kennels while I'm away, could you help?
A. Yes. Whilst I would be charging for looking after your cats, fish are free.
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Q. Is your cat Garfield flea free?
A. Yes. Garfield is given flea treatments on a four week basis without fail and has his six-monthly worm and flu jab yearly.
Q. I've three long haired, indoor cats and I'm away for a fortnight, they moult like anything, would you be able to hoover on the last day at all?
A. Yes and it's covered in my insurance.
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Q. I go away a lot with work, sometimes at late notice, are you able to retain my keys and help out when needed?
A. Yes and I'd be happy to help, this is quite a common situation for me. Your keys would be kept securely while not in use, tagged with your cat's name.
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Q. One of my cats is quite often sick, are you OK and not squeamish about cleaning it up?
A. I am used to cat sick of all sorts, So no - it wouldn't be a problem, and I am also insured for cleaning as well as having the highest respect for your property at all times. I have a couple of items in my bag to help me, but I'd expect you to be fully equipped (kitchen roll, carpet cleaning spray, anti-bac spray, bin bags etc.) to deal with such occurrences.
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Q. What will my cats do while I'm away??
A. Sleep a lot more mostly. They will obviously miss you a lot, but they are in the comfort and safety of their own home, where they can sleep, wash, relax, doze, preen, nap and do other cat related things and wait for you to come back... With me coming in with strokes, cuddles, treats, head kisses, (and maybe a free toy!) and to serve food, water, and of course sort litter trays if required.
They have nothing to fear and they're in familiar surroundings with their scent areas already marked so although they may get a bit lonely, and will miss you... they are safe, warm, comfortable and at ease without any additional stresses, strains, or fears other than you being away.
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Q. What will happen during the free consultations?
A. Ideally I'd like two meetings before you go away the first time, and usually one after you come back, to return keys and take payment. During this final meeting I will let you know how your cat behaved while you were away, and I can also email any pictures of your cat to you, should you wish.
All my consultations are free of charge and these give us all a chance to get to know one another better.
1st Meeting - Introduction, documentation and testimonial presentation, cat details and booking details taken. Booking contract signed - Please allow approx. 30-45 minutes.
2nd Meeting - Key exchange and alarm test if needed. - Please allow approx. 5-10 minutes.
3rd Meeting (if needed) - Payment (if cash) and key return. - Please allow approx. 5-10 minutes.
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During the free initial meeting I would hope to meet your cat/s, meet you and show you my documentation including my DBS police disclosure, passport, public liability insurance, driving licence, and testimonials from previous clients, including photos of their happy cats.
We will discuss your cat's requirements, (what food, feeding times, how they like it served, etc.) to try to keep their routine as normal as possible for them while being 'home alone', and also any requirements or questions you may have.
I will explain the levels of service offered, and you can consider over what best suits you and your cats.
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During this initial meeting I will ask to see the feeding area, so that initial notes can be made, during this time I will also be asking general questions about your cat(s); such as; their general health, diet, routine, food bowls and cat-cutlery used, any medication, favourite toys, normal (and naughty) behaviour, likes and dislikes, where they are not allowed to go, and if they are up-to-date with their flea and worming treatments, as well as which vets they are registered with, and where their cat carrier is located, to name just a few.
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There will be a further meeting just before you go away to hand over and test keys/alarms etc. Your keys are then tagged and placed in my safe until needed.
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Don't forget, you can always leave me a note if you remember anything else we've not already covered!
All I then ask is that you call, text, or email me to confirm you're home safe, we then have seven further days to arrange the meeting of key exchange and payment.
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I then pop back at a mutually convenient time for the final free meeting; return your keys, take payment (if cash) and then the service is complete.
For re-bookers it's a much simpler process with just a a key collection meeting to finalise the details, and I can also retain your keys should you wish, and I can take re-bookings by text and email, eliminating the need for any meetings.
I do always prefer information to be in writing by either letter, email, or text, as it reduces the chances of miscommunication.