Examples

Kim & Lisa's snow weekend, "Sheba" & "Patra", Oakland HIlls CA

We are looking for a house/pet sitter to look in after our 2 cats in a condo while we are on a romantic ski weekend in South Lake Tahoe.  Duration 3 days: Friday thru Sunday evening. We have 2 loving but insane Siamese cats - 6 years old (Sheba & Cleopatra - Patra for short).  We just need you to check to be sure the condo is secure, clean out the cat boxes at least once, and check the kibble dish and water dish to see if they need to be refilled.  Spend a little time with the cats and check to see if they destroyed anything - shredded paper towels, toilet paper rolls, or chewed-up pens and clean it up, so when we come home to a clean environment and can pretend they were good girls all weekend. 

Two checks (Saturday night and Sunday night) to play with cats, clean cat boxes and clean up the house. Forty Five minutes each check, total $50. No evidence of their insanity was left behind. 

Simon's 6 week Crunch & "Bella", Richmond CA

I have an 8 year old lab named Bella.  I have been put in charge of a project that will last about 6 weeks.  Due to my increased hours at work, I am unable to get home to play, feed, walk and bring Bella in at night before it gets dark.  Basically, I need a companion for her for about 1 to 2 hours every day from January 4th to February 11th.

Bella weighs about 40 pounds, and I feed her twice a day.  I still do morning feed and walk before I go to work, but I would like someone to walk her, brush her, feed her and love her, so she doesn’t feel neglected.  She usually sleeps in her doggy beg in my bedroom at night.  She gets fed 1 scoop of kibble mixed with 1 can of wet dog food in her bowl.  She enjoys a brisk walk and then a brush before coming into the house at night.  I would usually do this at 5pm when I come home from work, but I won’t be getting home until 8 or 9pm. 

Every weekday while Simon was at work I would arrive at 4:30pm.  I would take Bella for a 45 minute walk, then brush her and sit and talk to her.  I would feed her at 6pm and then we’d take another short walk so she could relieve herself.  I would spend about 2 hours a day with her and a few times Simon also asked me to take care of her on the weekends.  He would pay me on Friday $250 for each week.

Phil & Jan head to Peru - "Momo" & the Reptiles, Moraga CA

We are looking for a house sitter and someone to watch after our cat and assorted reptiles.  We are going on a 2 week vacation to Peru.  Would love to have  a few pictures a week of house/reptiles/cat while we are away. We have a 4 bedroom house with an alarm, and an indoor/outdoor feline. Our reptile room houses 5 geckos, 1 bearded dragon, and 2 small (8 lbs or so) boa constrictors. Pet care will include feeding Momo (orange cat) twice a day.  He gets a 1/4 cup of dry kibble in his dish twice a day. Letting him out during the day and bringing him in at night.  1/2 can of wet food twice a week is appreciated. Reptile room UVA and heat lamps are kept on a timer, no need to do anything with them.

Bearded Dragon: Maximus - Inspect cage daily for any needed cleaning.  Feed about 10-15 crickets a week along with some cut up bits of apple, collard greens, bok choy or grapes 2-3 times a week.  He enjoys a little soak in a shallow water dish a few times a week.

Boa Constrictors: Inspect cage daily. Make sure there is water. Feed small mice once a week. Mice kept in freezer, defrost in warm water for 30-40 minutes, then feed with tongs.

3 Gecko tanks: Fill and check water daily, inspect cages for any dead crickets.  Feeding is 2 crickets per gecko and shake with vitamins for dusting before feeding to the geckos every 5 days. Feeder cricket container: make sure there are water gels and kibble in a bowl. Sometimes substitute for food/fish flakes, or a carrot.

House care will include vacuuming once a week for cat hair and any stray crickets.  Picking up the mail daily, opening windows and closing windows at night, and light rotation inside the house.  Taking out the trash bins on Wednesday, and bringing them back into the garage Thursday.  Water 5 indoor plants once a week. Possible small grocery shopping of veggies and fruit for the reptiles.

Base rate of $50/day for 2 checks per day of water, light and curtain rotation, feeding cat/letting him out and getting him inside. Allotted 1 hour for each visit per day. On days that needed cage cleaning and garbage pick-up, plant watering would take up to 3 hours on 1 or 2 days during the week.  Each additional hour billed at $25.00.  For the 2 weeks base cost 14 days x $50/day = $700. 
Phil paid me 50% before leaving.  Each day I logged my hours there and texted him my total hours that day and a photo of the reptile room or Momo on my lap.  My fist time cleaning the cages took longer than anticipated (I had to locate the spare tanks, and cleaning supplies and correct bedding for each tank, and get the cricket loader).  The next week was easier, and cleaning/vacuuming was done twice a week. Total hours upon return was 35 hours, so total was $875. Phil paid the balance of $525 upon their return.

Kavi & Susan, Bahama Vacation - "Abby" & the Tuxedoes, Walnut Creek CA

We are looking for a live-in home and pet sitter for our 3 year old spaniel and 2 older cats. We are taking a 12 day vacation with friends & family in the Bahamas.  We would like a daily pictures sent of our cats and dog. We want our house to be lived in and enjoyed with our pets so they don’t feel abandoned.  All the animals are both indoor and outdoor. They will all try to sleep with you at night. Abigail (Abby) the Cocker Spaniel is very energetic and loves walks to nearby Arbolado Park and longer walks once a week to the Lime Ridge Open space.  She can happily run about 3-5 miles a day and walk 5-8 miles once or twice a week. Our 2 cats (tuxedo females) Tina & Maria are both 12 years old. They love to play with the feathers on a stick at night. Water bowls are both inside the kitchen and outside on the patio. Food bowls are inside.  Abby gets fed in the kitchen and Tina and Maria get fed in the bedroom with the door closed or Abby will eat their food also. The cats prefer to stay in most of the day, but like to go out in the afternoon and come back inside at night. They love the couch and window perch during the day.  Abby likes to be wherever you are. She will watch you when you eat and follow you to the bathroom and sleep on the foot of the bed at night. Feeding: Abby gets 1 cup of kibble 3 times a day.  Mix in 1 cup of ground beef at nighttime serving. Tina and Maria get fed twice a day, morning and night in the bedroom of 1 can of cat food split between them on separate plates. Covered liter boxes are located in the bathroom and outside the gate. Bags are in the garage.  

House: 2 hanging plants inside to be watered on Saturday.  Garbage goes out on Monday. Yard pick up for Abby should be done daily. Mail should be picked up daily as well as the newspaper.  Vacuuming every few days for the cat hair. Please enjoy the fruits, bread and any other foods that will go bad in our absence.

Since I was living there and not commuting and I was set-up on their Wifi so I could do some computer work as well.  I chalked it up to roughly $50/day + $30 extra on the days I took Abby for long hikes about 3-4 hours twice a week.  Total was set at $690.00.  Kavi paid 1/3 down before leaving and the balance was paid within a week of when they returned.  Daily text photos were sent between 10am to 6pm, since they are 3 hours ahead in the Bahamas.  Susan sent me a few gorgeous photos of tropics and beach.  I sent daily photos of whatever cats were hanging out with me, or at playtime, and when Abby & I were on a fun hike.