Q.  What is a Pet Sitter? A.  A "Pet Sitter" is a person that is hired to come to a persons home to take care of their pets. Q.  How much does a visit cost? A.  Carolina Pet Sitters charges $15.00 per visit for one pet.  We add $1 each additional after that.  Please see our Services & Rates Page for more information. Q.  How do I get started with Carolina Pet Sitters? A.  The first thing you need to do is fill out our Reservation Form.  (Click the button above.)  We will then contact you to set up your Free Initial Interview to meet you and your pets.   Q.  How many visits a day do you provide for pets? A.  You decide that.  For inside dogs, we do a minimum of two (2) visits per day and as many as four (4).  Most people request 2 or 3.  It really depends on your dog's needs.  Outside dogs require a minimum of one (1) visit a day unless you feel your dog needs more visits for medication or other needs.  For cats, we do a minimum of one (1) visit per day.  We do NOT do "every-other-days".  No exceptions so please do not ask. Q.  What areas of Columbia do you service? A.  We service Northeast Columbia, parts of Blythewood, Hampton Hills, Rosewood, Shandon, Forest Acres, Downtown Columbia, 5-Points, and the USC Area. Q.  What goes on at the initial “interview”? A.  We go over the Service Agreement, exchange keys, and discuss pet and house care details.  Q.  Who comes to meet me at the Initial Interview? A.  Either Kim or Miller Huntley will come to the Initial Interview Meeting.  There will be some instances that another pet sitter will come with them .  Since Carolina Pet Sitters has grown to over 500+ clients as of May 06, there is no way that Kim and Miller can do all the pet sitting reservations.  So we may have one of our sitters come with us to the Initial Meeting if Miller or Kim Huntley will not be actually doing the pet sitting visits.  Kim and Miller will then become the backup in case of an emergency or illness of the sitter.  We feel this is the best way.  We want you to meet us (the owners) and your assigned pet sitter.  We want you to be comfortable with pet sitting in every way. Q.  Is my personal information on the Service Agreement kept confidential? A.  Yes!  We do not disclose any client information to any third parties. All Service Agreements are kept at the Carolina Pet Sitters Home Office.  Only the owners and/or the designated pet sitter will have access to your personal information.   Q.  Will I have the same pet sitter each time? A.  We will try to make sure that the same sitter will take care of your home and pets each time.  If there is a change, we will give you a call and inform you of this.  We will send the new sitter over to your home to meet with you and your pets.  We want to make sure they understand completely about the care for your pets and home.    Q.  How long is each visit? A.  The Basic Visit is 20-30 minutes.  During this time, we take your pets outside (dogs) for a potty break, refresh their food and water.  Clean their litter box (cats) and of course, give them hugs and kisses!  We also fill out a "Daily Scoop" --a daily log that lists time in/time out, what your pet is up to and what services we have performed (getting mail, taking out trash bin, etc...) and any other comments that you might be interested in about your pets.  Q.  How much notice do you need for a cancellation? A.  If you have already made a reservation for Pet Sitting and have to cancel, we require at least a 2-day notice before the reservation is to begin.  No Cancellation Fee will be applied if within that time.  BUT if you cancel your reservation with less than a 2-day notice, you will be charged a $15.00 Cancellation Fee.  We do understand that sometimes emergencies arise, so we will consider the situation individually.  BUT the Cancellation Fee is STRICTLY enforced during the months of November and December. Q.  Do you take "last-minute" reservations? A.  ONLY if you are a Current Carolina Pet Sitters' Client, and we already have your key along with a completed and signed Service Agreement.  There is a small charge of $10.00 if less than two day notice (48 hours).  We do understand that emergencies arise, so if we do have the time, we will make every effort to accommodate you in those special situations.  BUT, we can not take last minute NEW clients around the Holidays.   Q.  What kind of animals do you care for? A.  We care for almost any animals (except SNAKES AND SPIDERS) as long as they do not pose a danger to our safety. Q.  Are you bonded and insured? A.  Yes, we are both Bonded and Insured through the Business Insurers of the Carolinas in Chapel Hill, NC.  During our initial interview, we will show you copies of our Policies.   Q.  How do you choose the Pet Sitters that you hire? A.  Carolina Pet Sitters' first priority is safety and security of our client's pets and home.  We obtain a background criminal check with SLED.  We also put the sitters through an extensive screening process that includes a personal interview that includes an employment history check and a personal reference check. All of our sitters are either current CPS Clients or a friend of a friend or some kind of referral.  We do NOT advertise job positions in the newpaper. Q.  Do you administer medication to pets? A.  Yes, we will administer medication – pills, drops and/or injections.  However, we will not administer medication to any animal that poses a danger to the sitter.  (i.e....pilling a cat/dog that is aggressive and may bite) Q.  Can I hire my Pet Sitter directly? A.  NO!  Please do not place our employees in the uncomfortable position of offering them employment apart from Carolina Pet Sitters.  Our sitters are contractually prohibited from soliciting or accepting employment directly from a Carolina Pet Sitter's client.   Q.  What if my property or pet is damaged while I am gone? A.  Carolina Pet Sitters agrees to provide the services stated in our service agreement in a reliable, caring and trustworthy manner. However, Carolina Pet Sitters is only liable for claims arising from negligence or willful misconduct. Due to the extreme unpredictability of animals, we cannot accept responsibility for unusual mishaps (i.e., bitings, furniture damage, spills, pet stains, water stains that are due to pets actions, etc.).  Also, if your pets have access to the outside, we are NOT responsible for injury, disappearance, or fines. Q.  How am I billed, and when is it due? A.  Payment is expected to be left at the beginning of the pet sitting reservation.  We currently only accept cash and personal checks.  Do NOT post-date checks unless you discussed with Kim or Miller Huntley prior to you leaving on your trip. Q.  What do you do in case of an emergency? A.  It depends on the type of emergency.  If something was to happen to your regular sitter, we have a backup sitter that can take over.  If an emergency occurs with your pets, we will first contact your vet and transport them if necessary.  You will then be contacted about the situation.  If there is an emergency with your home, we will call you, your emergency contact and the appropriate authorities and/or a preferred repair service.  Q.  May I give my Pet Sitter a tip? A.  Yes.  You can either add a tip to the payment in the check or leave extra cash for the sitter.   Q.  Do you have references? A.  Yes.  We have numerous references.  You can read some of our references here.  We can give you some phone numbers when we meet for our Initial Meeting.  You can call any of our references to ask them any questions regarding our service.