Kate's Critter Care is a professional dog walking and pet sitting service providing exemplary and affordable in-home care to its animal clients in the Durham, Morrisville, and Cary areas.
Kate’s Critter Care firmly believes that there is much more to pet sitting than providing animals with food, water, and bathroom breaks.
Keeping that in mind, with each pet sitting reservation, we will ensure that your animals' every need is lovingly tended to, and will provide services including the following:
• Dog walking/potty breaks
• Play time
• Fresh food and water
• Medication administration
• Companionship and TLC
• Litter box/cage/crate maintenance
• Clean up of pet-related accidents
• A note detailing relevant information from our time with your animals
Upon request, Kate’s Critter Care will also gladly perform basic household tasks, including watering plants, bringing in the mail and newspaper, taking out/bringing in trash and/or recycling, and altering lights and blinds.
In an effort to make top quality pet sitting services more affordable for everyone, Kate’s Critter Care charges on a sliding scale.
A sliding scale is defined as "a flexible scale (of fees) adjusted to the needs or income of individuals." This means that within a specified range, on the honor system, *clients may choose* where they fall in the sliding scale structure and, subsequently, how much they wish to pay for our pet sitting services. Rest assured that Kate and her team of professional pet sitters will provide the same exemplary service regardless of the amount you choose to pay in the sliding scale range.
Payment in full is due on (or prior to) the first day of service. Cash is the preferred method of payment, but checks are also accepted.
Kate’s Critter Care offers a variety of in-home pet sitting services.
This description of services is not exhaustive, and includes the sliding scale rate range.
♦ 30 Minute Pet Sitting Visits: $19 – $25 per visit
♦ 45 Minute Pet Sitting Visits: $26 – $28 per visit
♦ 60 Minute Pet Sitting Visits: $29 – $35 per visit
Your animals enjoy a visit from a professional pet sitter for your choice of 30, 45, or 60 minutes. Pet Sitting Visits are perfect for animals who stay home alone during your long work day, for animals who do not require live-in care when you are out of town, or as a supplement to overnight sitting services when you are out of town.
*Note: To ensure your animals' comfort and wellbeing, clients requesting only Pet Sitting Visits while they are out of town must reserve a minimum of three visits per day for dogs who do not otherwise have outdoor access (i.e. via a doggy door), and a minimum of one visit per day for all other species if we are the animals’ sole caretakers.
♦ Hourly Pet Sitting: $29 – $35 per hour for the first two hours, $26 – $28 for each subsequent hour
Believe it or not, there is a demand for what amounts to pet babysitting! This service is beneficial for animals who need extra company and/or close observation due to health issues, a medication regimen, age (such as a young animal who is potty training or an older animal who needs a helping hand), separation anxiety, or a client's reluctance to leave animals loose in the house without supervision or crated for an extended period.
♦ Simple Overnight Pet Sitting (9 pm – 9 am): $55 – $65 per night
♦ Extended Overnight Pet Sitting (5 pm – 9 am): $70 – $90 per night
Your animals enjoy overnight care from a professional pet sitter from your choice of 9 pm – 9 am or 5 pm – 9 am. When you are out of town, this service is great for animals who may benefit from more companionship than Pet Sitting Visits provide, in conjunction with daytime Pet Sitting Visits, or for clients who simply wish to have an added layer of security to their home overnight. In addition to the basic services included with every pet sitting reservation, additional dog walking/potty breaks and playtime, overnight companionship, and morning and evening feedings are provided.
*Note: Kate’s Critter Care does not provide solely Simple Overnight Pet Sitting—without a supplemental Pet Sitting Visit—for dogs who do not otherwise have the ability to relieve themselves during the day.
♦ Premium Pet Sitting: $100 – $120 per day
Your animals enjoy around-the-clock care, never being left alone for periods greater than four hours at a time. With this premium service, your animals receive all the amenities included with all other services, plus virtually unlimited dog walking/potty breaks, playtime, and companionship. This is the next best thing to your animals having you home with them!
***Please contact Kate if you feel that your pet sitting situation is unique or that your needs do not fit within the parameters laid out here.
♦ Discounted Packages
These service packages are offered at the following discounted sliding scale rates:
• Simple Overnight Pet Sitting + 30 Minute Pet Sitting Visit: $70-$85 per day
• Extended Overnight Pet Sitting + 30 Minute Pet Sitting Visit: $85-$99 per day
• 8+ days of three 30 Minute Pet Sitting Visits per day: $50-$70 per day
• 8+ days of Simple Overnight Pet Sitting: $50-$60 per day
• 8+ days of Extended Overnight Pet Sitting: $65-$85 per day
• 8+ days of Premium Pet Sitting: $95-$115 per day
*We are pleased to reward our loyal clients with one free 30 Minute Pet Sitting Visit for every person they refer to Kate’s Critter Care who uses our services.
Some of the following fees may apply, based on specific circumstances.
♦ Consultation fee: FREE with service reservation; $20 without reservation
The initial consultation is FREE if a pet sitting reservation is made before or during our meeting. There will be a charge of $20 for consultations without a reservation for services (for instance, when clients are “interviewing” pet sitters), or additional consultations as needed (when a new pet joins the family, clients move to a new home, etc). We are happy to apply the $20 consultation fee payment towards services if a client eventually makes a reservation.
♦ Key pick up/drop off service fee: $15 per trip
Kate’s Critter Care recommends that clients provide a permanent key during the initial consultation. For clients who choose not to do so, however, key pick up/drop off services are offered at a charge of $15 per trip.
♦ Cancellation fee: Because Kate’s Critter Care accepts jobs on a first come, first served basis, and does not overbook, late notice cancellations generally make it impossible to re-book the time that was reserved to care for your animals. With this in mind, the following cancellation fees will apply:
• 0 – 48 hours notice: 75% of complete service ($250 maximum)
• 3 – 5 days notice: 50% of complete service ($150 maximum)
*Kate’s Critter Care is unable to offer refunds or service credits when clients return home early during the course of a pet sitting reservation.
♦ Holiday fee: $10 per day added to services on the following holidays:
• New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day
• Easter
• Memorial Day
• Mother’s Day
• Father's Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day & day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
♦ Incidental services: $19 per 30 minutes, $29 per hour
There are times when circumstances beyond our control (related to your animals or home) present themselves during the course of a pet sitting reservation and, in the event that such circumstances require services and/or time in addition to those which have been reserved, a fee for incidental services may apply.
♦ Travel surcharge: $0.50 per excess mile/minute
The standard IRS rate (rounded down) for business miles driven will be incurred for mileage/travel time in excess of 20 miles/30 minutes roundtrip from Southwest Durham (27707) or Morrisville (27560) for all services. Google Maps will be used to determine exact travel distance and time. (Please see Policies page for details of our service area.)
