Please print a copy of our policies to keep in your files or email us to request a WORD formatted document

POLICIES

The following policies, including fees, may be changed or updated without prior notice or publication.  Non-compliance with Cathy’s Critter Care (CCC) policies may be cause for termination of current and future services. 
Please print and keep a copy of our policies for review.  If you would like a copy of these policies emailed to you in a more compact, WORD format, please email your request to:  cathy376@gmail.com .  Cathy's Critter Care does not provide every other day service.  All property and pets must be seen once every 24 hours. 
No pet will be “overlooked” for rate calculation purposes, all pets will be cared for at the household.  Cathy's Critter Care reserves the right to refuse service to any persons or pets without explanation.

CONTACTING Cathy's Critter Care: All calls must go through the Cathy's Critter Care office 210-945-8940.  Please use this number to call to check on your pets while you are traveling, for bookings, cancellations, date changes, extensions of care, or any other information you need to give or pass on to your sitter prior to, during and after care.  In order for your services to be covered by the CCC insurance and bonding all communications must be made through the office.  DO NOT CALL YOUR SITTER ON THEIR HOME OR CELL PHONES.  We do not permit our pet sitters to accept calls from clients on their personal cell phones or home phones so to ask them to do so is asking them to break our staff policies.

It is a breach of contract to hire work from a Cathy's Critter Care professional pet sitter "on the side" without going through the office. 

Upon returning home, please call the CCC office.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  Please inform the CCC office of cancellation as soon as possible.  Any cancellation of services (in part or full) after you have received confirmation of your booking dates may be charged a cancellation fee and an office processing fee of $10.00.  Once you have received verbal or emailed confirmation of  your requested dates, you are considered “booked for those dates” and any cancellation will be assessed charges.  The cancellation fee will be calculated as 10% of the total cancelled services amount, or $10.00 whichever is greater.  The office processing fee of $10.00 is charged in addition to the cancellation fee. Any cancellation with less than one week’s notice prior to the start of care for the service agreement will be charged 50% of the total booking.  Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will result in FULL SERVICE CHARGES FOR THE BOOKING.  THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS: All bookings for Thanksgiving and Christmas must be paid for at the time of booking to insure confirmation of care.  Bookings for these high-demand holidays will be filled on a first paid/first booked basis.  All Thanksgiving and Christmas bookings are non-refundable regardless of the notice given for cancellation.  NEW CLIENTS that have received a pre-service visit and cancel prior to the start of their first service will be given a credit on their CCC account for sitting services totaling the amount of cancelled care minus a $20.00 office processing charge.  This credit will be applied to petsitting services completed within 30 days of the date of cancellation only.  If petsitting services are not utilized within 30 days , the total amount/credit will be forfeited.  OVERNIGHT CARE cancellations will be charged a minimum of one night’s charge or 10% of the total service agreement amount whichever is greater.

RETURNING EARLY: If you begin services and return early, the full contract agreement amount will be charged.

PAYMENTS AND SERVICE CHARGES:  Payment is due in the form of a check, Paypal payment or cash prior to the beginning of service.  Electronic bill payments from banks are accepted.  ELECTRONIC BILL PAYMENTS should be submitted for payment at least 10 days prior to the start of services to ensure that payment is received in the office prior to start of services.  Electronic payments received after services have started will be charged a $5.00 handling fee.  NEW CLIENTS will be required to pay for the full amount of services at the pre-service visit.  ESTABLISHED CLIENTS may either mail a check in advance for confirmed services, or leave payment to be picked up on the first visit by your sitter.  If payment is not left for the sitter, please pay via Paypal the day after your departure or mail a check including the $5.00 handling fee. 

Our business address is:
Cathy’s Critter Care
4704 Windy Ridge Trail
Schertz, Texas 781

LATE PAYMENTS: If the total services amount is not paid prior to the start of services, a $5 handling fee will be assessed. Late fees are assessed as follows:   

Payment received within 3 days of return - $5.00 (handling fee only)
Payments late in excess of 3 days will be assessed a $15.00 fee
Payments 14 days past due  will be assessed a late fee of $25.00. 
Payments 30 days past due will be assessed a late fee of $39.00 and may be turned over to professional collections.

RETURNED CHECK FEE = $30.00.  Returned checks must be paid within 3 days after notification of return.  Failure to pay the full amount due plus the returned check fee will result in additional late charges as outlined above and recourse through the District Attorney's Office for Theft by Check.

VISITORS IN HOME  For the safety of our professional sitters and your pets, we will not provide services while other persons may be visiting or residing on the property.  Care for medical recuperation can be provided for the pets of the primary owner convalescing at home.  Please do not ask friends, neighbors or relatives to stop by and check on, or care for the animals or your home during our service agreement dates.  COOP WORKING  Cathy's Critter Care cannot split services for pets with anyone else, professional or non-professional, during the time when you are away from home.

BOOKING A RESERVATION  CCC is a “reservation in advance” service.   While we will make every effort to meet your emergency and last minute needs, we cannot provide “on-call” service consistently.  A two week notice is requested to ensure adequate coverage of your pet care needs. 

Please understand that last minute requests will allow less flexibility in scheduling your requested visit times and preferred sitters
Bookings with less than one week’s notice for start of care are non-refundable once booked.

Late booking service charges:
Less than 1 week notice  - 15% service charge (+) $10.00 office processing charge
Less than 3 days notice - 30% last minute/emergency service charge (+) $10.00 office processing charge

If you are delayed in returning home as scheduled notify the office as soon as possible!  We will make every effort to extend your services as needed.  Each additional visit added with less than 24 hours notice may be charged a flat rate service charge of $10.00 in addition to the normal visit rate.

THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS RESERVATIONS should be made as early as your plans permit.  We accept reservations for these dates up to one year in advance.  Reservations must be booked and paid in full at the time of booking.  Reservations made after the 10th of November for Thanksgiving care and the 10th of December for Christmas care will be charged  a 30% late booking fee (+) $10.00 office processing fee.  Thanksgiving/Christmas reservations made with less than 1 week's notice will be subject to the emergency/last minute holiday service charge of 50% of the total invoice (+) $10.00 office processing fee.

KEY PICK-UP/DROP OFF:  We issue you a new lockbox at the pre service visit for a $20 deposit therefore we do not pick up and drop off keys for each set of services.   The lockbox is to be kept and used on all future services.  Should you ever decide to discontinue service or move, you can return the lockbox to the office in good condition for a $15 refund.  Due to liability issues, we cannot accept jobs with keys left under mats or otherwise hidden

SUPPLY PICK UP  If any supplies are needed for your home or pets (either requested or needed to complete the service adequately), a $15.00 fee per trip plus the cost of supplies will be added to your invoice.  A copy of the receipt will be left for you and should be paid within 3 days of your return to avoid late fees outlined in the “Payments”  section of these policies.

Hourly charges for veterinary trips or other circumstances: $35.00/hour.