Question 1

I'm a new client, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

To get started, please complete the New Client Form and follow the emailed link to finish setting up your Time to Pet portal. This secure portal stores all of your home and pet information and serves as our main hub for communication, scheduling, invoicing, and the cutest visit report cards with photos.

The portal is accessible through The Mindful Pet website, with messages also sent to your email, though we recommend the Time to Pet app for the easiest experience. Once everything is submitted, you can request a complimentary 30-minute Meet & Greet, virtual or in person, or skip it if your pet’s care is simple and straightforward.

Question 2

Who is The Mindful Pet, and how do I know my pets and home are safe?

Accepted Answer

Cierra founded The Mindful Pet 10 years ago(!) after several years of working in a local veterinary clinic. She is a life-long animal owner and cat lady. Today, we are a small close-knit team of honest, reliable, and nurturing sitters with decades of combined pet care experience. We are also mothers, fathers, managers, and teachers — we take our responsibilities (and yours!) very seriously. We are each thoroughly trained and informed on every detail listed in your portal prior to visiting your home. You'll also notice our pet sitter team stays consistent for you and your pets, we don't have a revolving door of new sitters like you'll find with many other companies and apps -- we keep our sitters, clients, and pets happy by building lasting relationships and strong pet bonds.

We proudly have had no emergencies or security breeches. Just in case, we are insured and bonded through Pet Sitters Associates. We also have all-terrain vehicles, ensuring inclement weather won't prohibit us from reaching your home. After each visit we check in by sending a report card with photos and GPS map of walks, and we're available for prompt communication during the entirety of your service dates.

Question 3

Why should I choose a pet sitter over boarding?

Accepted Answer

Cierra started The Mindful Pet after years of working in a veterinary office with an attached boarding facility, having seen first-hand how chaotic and unsettling boarding can be for your pets. Constant barking and unfamiliar smells can instill anxiety in the most laid back of animals, uncomfortable kennels with little exercise aren't good for the body, and responsibilities changing many hands multiple times a day leaves room for error. We whole-heartedly believe pets should stay home where they are most comfortable. Having us come to your home allows pets to receive the same mindful care and routines they're used to, so you return home to a happy pet. Our small close-knit team builds bonds with your pets, so they feel like we're a part of the family and get so excited to see us! As for your home, lights being turned on and off and packages brought in leave little indication of a vacant home, so there is an added home security benefit. Watered plants, a tidied home, and emptied trash are a nice perk, too! You'll find more about your sitters on the About page and the FAQ question just above this.

Question 4

What can I expect during a Meet & Greet?

Accepted Answer

We offer multiple ways to get to know each other!In Person: This is a complimentary 30 minute visit at your home to get to know you and your pets. We will learn your routines at this time, and make sure we've understood everything you filled into your portal. We'll go over where their food and water is kept, where cleaning supplies are, commands you use, get a key if you use one, and learn what security measures you'd like us to use. Shy and anxious pets may feel more comfortable once they know who to expect while you're gone, as well. This is also a time for us to answer any questions you may have.Virtually: We are available for a 30 minute Zoom or FaceTime Meet & Greet to "walk through" and go over everything mentioned above! This is great for pets that are easy-going with low maintenance instructions.The Portal: If your pet’s care is simple and straightforward, or you're just too busy, you are more than welcome to leave us detailed instructions in your portal and upload photos of where we can find all of your pet bowls, areas, and supplies.*Due to our busy pet-care schedule, we are unable to accommodate in-person Meet & Greets with less than one week's notice. We're happy to offer Option 2 or 3 for last minute requests.

Question 5

What can I expect during a visit?

Accepted Answer

Thank you so much for entrusting The Mindful Pet! At the start of each visit we'll pull up our Time to Pet app with your portal profile and clock in when we get to the door. We'll refer back to everything you input into your portal and follow your routine: food and water, potty breaks, walks, light tidying up after your pet, and litterbox scooping. We'll also adjust window coverings day and night, turn lights on and off (added security so your home won't appear vacant for long periods of time), drip faucets during the winter, retrieve packages and mail, water indoor and porch plants, and take trash to the curb. We'll spend the rest of our time giving your furry friend love and mindful attention and playtime. At the end of our allotted time, we clock out and send a report card with some super cute photos.

Cierra (The Mindful Pet Owner and pet sitter), will be your main point of contact for scheduling and all of your admin needs. Your assigned pet sitter will also be available for prompt communication during regular business hours for the entirety of your scheduled service dates, so feel free to message through the portal anytime!

Question 6

What time will you visit?

Accepted Answer

We make visits between the hours of 7am and 9:30pm. We will start visits during the Morning (7am-11:30am), Afternoon (12pm-4:30pm), and Evening (5pm-9:30pm) windows you book rather than specific times. When planning our schedule for the day,  we always keep your pet’s well-being and routines in mind. We evenly disperse the visits throughout the day to the best of our ability, so we won’t book visits at the very end of one window and the beginning of the next, or have long gaps between visits, like waiting late into the morning after an evening visit.

If your pet is on a strict medication or dietary schedule, we'd be happy to discuss how we can accommodate that! Visits needed outside of regular business hours can be done for an added fee.

Question 7

What can I expect during dog walks?

Accepted Answer

If your pup is well-behaved and able to follow commands well, we're happy to take them for a stroll around the neighborhood. We'll send a report card after with a GPS map of the walk and cute photos. Please leave poo bags and a leash out.

Some things to note: 
- If they have difficulty with pulling or don't follow commands well, we're happy to play in your backyard. 
- Please make sure leashes and collars fit well, harnesses are discouraged as they don't offer the walker much control.
- Cats can't be booked for walks. 
- Walks are weather permitting. 
- For the safety of people and pets, we do not allow dogs to speak to other humans or animals.

Question 8

How many visits should I book?

Accepted Answer

As many as you need! Each pet and family has different needs, so we're flexible. Some need 1 visit a day, some need 5. But for a general idea to get you started:Dogs: Most dogs need 3 visits per day. Little dogs with little bladders need more visits to avoid accidents or UTI issues. Larger dogs are sometimes okay with just morning and evening visits, but we feel most dogs would prefer that afternoon potty break!Cats and Caged Pets: It depends on your their feeding and snuggle schedule. If they're used to eating in the morning and evening, we recommend keeping that same schedule. If they're free feeders or just eat once a day, kitties and caged pets are usually fine with the 1 visit a day unless you feel they need that extra attention. Please Note: Automatic feeders can malfuncation at anytime, and you never know when a curious furry friend may find themselves stuck somewhere. So while cats and free feeders with lots of food or automated feeders could go every other day or more, we require daily checkins. We like to make sure they're happy, safe, and well-fed.

Question 9

How and when do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Payment is due before your service begins, we cannot start until we receive this. Our portal makes it easy by keeping a payment method on file, it will process your payment the day before your first scheduled visit. If you've already submitted a payment and need to cancel or return early, it will just hang out on your account to use toward future services, it will not expire. Be sure to check out our Services page with rates, fees, and add-on options.

Question 10

My pet is sassy, shy, or has a lot of accidents, is that okay?

Accepted Answer

Yes! But please inform us of any behavioral concerns your pet has prior to booking. This may include jumping, aggression, scratching, biting, chewing, escaping, eating disorders, excessive accidents, or fear, anxiety, and hiding. We're equipped to handle many different types of personalities and difficulty levels, and will tidy up after your pet, but we can't provide the best care if we aren't aware of what to expect. This sets us all up for success, so that we may mindfully adapt to your pet while maintaining safety and health for both people and pets. Though rare, sometimes we need to charge a fee for excessive cleanup or difficult behavior if it causes us to go over the booked time, so letting us know what to expect can help us better estimate costs to you. This also allows us to be informed enough to decide we aren't a good fit for each other. We appreciate your understanding around this sensitive subject.

Question 11

What is your cancellation or last-minute booking policy?

Accepted Answer

We understand that life is unpredictable sometimes, so changes and cancellations outside of major holidays are not a problem and we don't charge fees for this. Just send us a message and we'll take care of you! If you've already submitted a payment and need to cancel or return early, it will just hang out on your account to use toward future services, it will not expire. We'll also do our best to accommodate any last-minute booking requests, again with no fee, we love to be a reliable source for our clients to count on.Please also see our Holiday and Meet & Greet policies.

Question 12

What are your holiday policies?

Accepted Answer

Holidays are a peak time for pet sitting so get those requests in early! Major Holidays are New Years Eve, New Years Day, Spring Break weekend, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Each holiday includes a $10 fee per visit. We don't charge for cancellations during the year, but our official holiday cancellation policy is: since we carefully arrange our schedule to accommodate as many clients as possible on the waitlist, if we have turned anyone away to allow space for your reservation, we may need to charge 50% of your total services booked for any cancellations with less than 2 weeks notice before a major holiday. Our ultimate goal, though, is just to accommodate the next person on the waitlist and never charge this, because we know life is unpredictable and this can be such a stressful time for everyone.