Frequently Asked Questions
Answering your questions from Pet Emergencies to Home Security
Select FAQ
Pet Insurance FAQ
Are you bonded and insured?
Yes, we carry both specialized insurance and bond that is specific to our services.
General Service FAQ
What happens at the Meet and Greet?
We go over everything we will be responsible for.
We have a specific checklist that includes items like:
- Food/water dish location
- Extra food location
- Meal prep instructions
- Medical concerns & medication instructions
- Favorite toys
- Where to put scooped litter
- Where to dispose of poop bags (if you request Waste Cleanup)
- Mailbox/package instructions
- Going over your pet’s usual routine
- Any other details concerning your visits
Do you offer pet sitting over the holidays?
Yes we do but please be aware that major holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, and 4th of July book very quickly. It’s best to schedule your holiday visits in advance.
HOLIDAY SERVICE
An additional $10 is added to EACH VISIT on holidays.
*Holidays that incur our additional $10 charge per visit are at the sole discretion of Whisker Watchers.
At times we may charge holiday rates on the days leading up to and after the holiday. This additional charge is used to pay our team and ensure we have the availability to offer our services 365 days per year.
How far in advance should I book?
The earlier, the better! Especially around the holidays and busy travel seasons like summer.
What is your cancellation policy or what if I need to reschedule?
All cancellations are REQUIRED to be submitted via login to the Whisker Watchers secure online system here.
After you log in, select the appropriate dates on the home screen, and press “Cancel” on the services needing cancellation.
Services are NOT canceled until you receive notice via email that your services have been canceled as requested.
Our cancellation policies always apply regardless of COVID or any other unpredictable event.
These fees are the minimum amount required for us to reserve your space in our schedule.
CANCELLATION POLICY
For any visit canceled with less than a complete 48 hours notice from the start of the visit time window, payment in full is required. This is in addition to any short notice booking fees.
SNOW AND INCLEMENT WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY
When Yavapai County schools are closed due to bad weather, cancellation fees will be waived when the cancellation is submitted via login AT LEAST six (6) hours prior to the scheduled time window.
Weekend services cancellation fees will be waived in the event of extreme weather only and at the discretion of Whisker Watchers management. Cancellations must be received via login six (6) hours prior to the start of the visit time window to be eligible for a waiver.
HOLIDAY SERVICE
An additional $10 is added to EACH VISIT on holidays.
*Holidays that incur our additional $10 charge per visit are at the sole discretion of Whisker Watchers.
At times we may charge holiday rates on the days leading up to and after the holiday. This additional charge is used to pay our team and ensure we have the availability to offer our services 365 days per year.
Why is the Cancellation Policy important for Clients and Staff of Whisker Watchers?
At Whisker Watchers it is very important that we take great care of our clients and also our valuable employee/independent contractor sitters. The cancellation policies ensure fairness to all involved.
We absolutely hate to turn away any of our excellent clients because we are fully booked, but from time to time this does occur. The cancellation policies help to keep space available in our schedule for those who really need it because we are only booking services with those that are certain they need us and know that cancellation policies apply should they need to cancel.
We would hate to turn away a client because we are full, only to have someone cancel on short notice whose space we could have given to someone who really needed it. This occurs often around holidays and school vacation weeks – our schedule fills up, then many clients wait until the last moment to cancel, which makes it impossible for us to service the clients we had turned away.
In addition to this, our excellent employee/independent contractor pet sitters set aside time in their busy schedules to service our clients. We believe that our sitters deserve to be paid when their work is canceled on short notice. Imagine a job where the work you depended on could be canceled at any moment with no pay.
The cancellation of one or two visits does not seem like a big deal but please consider that there are times when several clients may cancel a few visits during the same week. We want to keep all of our top-notch pet sitters employed with Whisker Watchers for a very long time so we choose to pay them for services on their schedule that are canceled on short notice.
Our cancellation policies are put in place so that Whisker Watchers can serve our pets and clients in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
If I return home early, will you charge me for the remaining visits that I booked?
If you return earlier than planned, you will be given a credit for visits paid for but not made.
What if my trip runs long or my flight is delayed?
Do you take "last-minute" reservations?
Whisker Watchers will make every effort to accommodate last-minute new clients, depending on the resources and time available.
NEW CLIENT MEETINGS (MEET AND GREET): New clients receive one FREE 30-minute meeting with their primary pet sitter. Free meetings must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance.
If the new client meeting is scheduled with less than 48 hours’ notice, payment of $30 is required.
Additional meetings will be at the cost of $30 per 30-minute meeting with a pet sitter. All key pick-up and drop-off meetings are 15 minutes and will be at the cost of $20 per key pick-up or drop-off.
How do I pay for your services?
Due to the high demand for our services, we can not make any exceptions to our payment policies.
Whisker Watchers accepts all major credit cards.
FOR NEW CLIENTS: PAYMENT IN FULL is required at the time of booking your first service.
FOR EXISTING CLIENTS: Your preferred payment method will be charged AUTOMATICALLY seven (7) days prior to the start of your services. Please make sure that funds are available.
All clients of Whisker Watchers are REQUIRED to have a credit or debit card set up for automatic payment. You may save a card in your online client account.
Services are NOT booked and availability CAN NOT be guaranteed until we receive payment IN FULL in accordance with our policies.
SHORT NOTICE BOOKINGS: A $10 per-visit short notice fee will be applied to ALL visits requested with less than 48 hours’ notice.
ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS: If you make a cancellation after your payment has been processed, you will receive a credit to your Whisker Watchers account AFTER SUBTRACTING ANY CANCELLATION FEES THAT APPLY. Your credit is good for as long as we are in business and will not expire. ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS OF ANY KIND.
CANCELLATION SURCHARGE: Clients will incur a cancellation surcharge of 25% of their total service cost.
We charge a reasonable cancellation fee of 25% because we spend a significant amount of time and resources scheduling all clients.
Be aware that this cancellation surcharge will be deducted from the amount that you paid on the service that you canceled. This means you will have a BALANCE OWED upon scheduling your next service. See example below.
EXAMPLE:
If you paid $1,000 for a service but had to cancel, our cancellation surcharge is 25%.
In this case, we will subtract $250 from your payment (25%), and apply the balance of $750 to your next service.
This will mean that on your next scheduled service, you will owe an outstanding balance of $250 in addition to the cost of the service.
In this case, if your next scheduled service is $800, you will owe $1,050.
Do I get updates from my pet sitter?
Yes. We send you a “Pawgress Report” on every visit to your home which includes:
- Photo updates of your pet
- First and last days include a brief overview of how the visit(s) went
- Issues or concerns (if any)
- GPS location record of your sitter while at your home
- Date/time/time length record of the visit
- Medicine admin status (if needed)
You also have 24-hour messaging access to your sitter via our app.
Our report is sent via our mobile app to your phone, text message, or email.
Will I be able to meet my sitter before I leave?
Do you keep client information, keys, and alarm codes confidential?
Client confidentiality is extremely important to us. We do not share client information. In addition, all keys are labeled with your pet’s name and a code that only we know internally so that they cannot be traced back to your residence in the unlikely event that your keys are stolen or lost.
Can a pet sitter stay at my home all day or overnight?
We don’t currently offer overnight or 24-hour sitting as all of our pet sitters have pet sits throughout the day to perform. However, in special instances, we can discuss this on a case-by-case basis. Whisker Watcher is also insured for house sitting.
Can my pets stay at the pet sitter's home instead of mine?
Do I have to meet with Whisker Watchers before service?
Yes. Our initial consultation is complimentary and lasts about 30 minutes. Please have working house keys available for us at the time in preparation for the first visit.
Do you pet sit outdoor cats?
Pet Health & Safety / Pet Emergency FAQ
Can you give my pet medication?
Yes, we regularly administer topical and oral medication, pills, and more.
Can you give my pet insulin?
Yes, we are experienced in insulin administration for pets. Please let us know the time window we must meet for your pet’s shot.
What happens if my pet becomes ill while I am away?
We have a strict set of protocols that we will follow.
At our Meet and Greet, we will have you fill a Medical Authorization Release form where you can list your pet’s medical and veterinarian information.
This form also gives us the authorization to transport your pet for treatment and/or to make any decisions in regards to your pet in a matter that is best suited to your pet’s condition.
If your pet requires any emergency veterinary care while you are away, we will contact you, the owner, first.
If we are unable to reach you and your pet’s condition cannot wait, we will take them to the best-suited veterinary hospital for treatment.
If you have a veterinarian listed in your account, and they are open and able to see your pet, we will go there first.
If they are not open or available, or if there is no veterinarian listed, we currently use Prescott Animal Hospital (PAH) located at 1318 W Iron Springs Rd, Prescott, AZ 86305 and/or Yavapai Emergency Animal Hospital (YEAH) located at 7876 Florentine Rd, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314.
The owners of Whisker Watcher LLC have established great relationships with these animal hospitals and have personally used both of them for their own time-sensitive pet emergencies. We cannot speak highly enough about these establishments. They do a phenomenal job and are run by competent, caring professionals.
All fees charged by the treating veterinary facility/animal hospital are the sole responsibility of you, the owner. There is also a fee for us, Whisker Watcher LLC, to transport your pet to and/or from the facility and is based on time (by the hour.)
Please make sure your pet’s veterinarian is listed in your account or on file with us. It is also a good idea to make sure they have a credit card on file, as some facilities like Yavapai Emergency Animal Hospital require payment in full to begin treatment for your pet.
What if my pet is injured while I am away?
Whisker Watcher LLC agrees to provide our services as stated in our service agreement in a reliable, caring, and trustworthy manner.
We are only liable for claims arising from negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the pet sitter.
Animals are unpredictable creatures and the sitter cannot accept responsibility for related mishaps such as bites, damage to furniture, pet stains, spills, etc.
In addition, if your pet has access to the outdoors, you know that there are inherent liabilities and risks that may present themselves. Whisker Watcher LLC will not be held responsible for fines, disappearance, or injury.
What if my pet has a scheduled veterinarian visit while I'm gone?
We are always happy to take your pet to pre-scheduled vet appointments that you have made while you are away.
In addition, if your pets seem like they are not well, our practice is to set up a call with you so that everyone is on the same page with the same information.
All of our staff is trained to be confident in mentioning anything during the call that might be relevant to the situation.
Whisker Watcher and its staff understand that even the smallest details can save a life. So bring up anything that you as the pet owner know or have seen. This is much safer for your pets.
If a visit is needed to a vet or animal hospital, we will transport your pet safely to and from the clinic. Please note that Whisker Watcher will not be responsible for costs incurred from vet visits. Additional time transporting your pet and providing extra care will be billed to you upon your return.
What happens if my pet gets out?
First, we require that any pets that we watch wear ID tags at all times while under the care of Whisker Watcher.
As a responsible pet owner, you should also make certain that your yard and gates are secured while you are away.
We will be diligent about checking gates upon arrival and departure. We have never had a pet escape during our care but in the highly unlikely event that this happens, we will contact the necessary agency to alert them and we will contact you immediately.
Pet Feeding & Pet Care FAQ
What happens if the pet food runs out while I am away?
Whisker Watchers will not allow pets in our care to go without food. If food runs out, an extra fee in addition to the cost of the food will be added to your bill.
Do you clean my pet's dishes?
Do you clean out litter boxes daily?
Do you scoop up dog poop?
We can if you request us to. Per our policies, poop in the yard must be cleaned up prior to your sitter arriving.
Per our policies:
PET WASTE: Whisker Watchers will properly dispose of your pet(s) waste. We do request however, that you provide plastic bags for this purpose and indicate where you would like these waste bags disposed of. It is the client’s responsibility to provide a clean waste-free yard upon the arrival of Whisker Watchers. We do not clean waste in the yard present prior to our arrival, nor can we walk or play with your pet in a waste-filled yard.
Home Safety & Security FAQ
Cleaners, neighbors, friends, etc. will be at my home while I’m away. Should I let you know?
Whisker Watchers is not responsible for other persons in your home prior to, during, or immediately after our services have been rendered and who are not employees of Whisker Watchers. Please inform us at the time of the consultation of anyone who may have access to your home while you are away. This includes cleaning services, maintenance personnel, friends, family, and neighbors. It is understood that the client will notify anyone with access to the home that the services of Whisker Watchers have been engaged. Unexpected guests will be asked to leave; the police will be notified if they do not comply. Whisker Watchers cannot be held responsible for the loss, injury, or death of your pets. Whisker Watchers will also NOT be held responsible for any damage to your home or theft that occurs if anyone other than Whisker Watchers is entering your home or property.