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GUARANTEED VISITS: Visits are guaranteed ONLY with a signed contract agreement and with full payment. Returning clients may phone or e-mail future bookings and you may send in their payment. We will use the previous contract agreement and update any information with an addendum.      

VISIT TIMES: All visits are usually done between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Morning visits are usually done between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.; mid-day visits are usually done between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; last-day visits are usually done between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

VISITING HOURS:. During a busy time, if you wish to have your pet visited at a later time, we may be able to arrange your visit last. Any requests for visits made before 6 a.m. and after 9 p.m. will receive a $10 CHARGE. Overnight stays are done between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Each sleepover includes a late evening and an early morning feeding and playtime. For the safety of our caregivers, Purrfect Pals reserve the right to not walk after dark or in questionable areas at our discretion. 

SPECIFIC TIMES OF VISITS: We cannot guarantee specific set of visit times; however, we will try our best to accommodate your request. We attempt to get within 2 hours of normal feeding times and we always space at least 5 to 6 hours between visits so the pet's days are active. If you need a specific time of visit for your pet (to administer medication etc.), each specified set of visit will receive a $5 CHARGE.

LENGTH OF VISITS: Pet-sitting visits are about 45 minutes for cats and dogs. Approximately 20 minutes is spent walking and/or playing with your pets and another 10-15 minutes is spent feeding, replenishing water, brushing, and picking up poop. Another 10-15 minutes is spent on your home. If your requirements for your home runs less than the allotted 10-15 minutes, we will apply it towards playtime or walking time. 30 minute pet-sitting visits does not include walking time. Home visits only are approximately 15-20 minutes and all other times for our other services are listed in their description. There may be times that the time lengths for our services may exceed or lag these time-frames.

INTERVIEW AND INSTRUCTIONS: The first complimentary acquaintance visit normally lasts 30-45 minutes. During this visit we get all necessary instructions on the care of your pets. If you feel that additional time is necessary (you need more time spent with your pets, a more supervised complex instruction is needed, or if you feel you need more time to see if we are the right caregiver) we are more than happy to provide you that time but you will be CHARGED at an hourly rate plus mileage fee.

SECURITY: For our pet-sitting visits, as a safety precaution, we will NOT let anyone know that you're away and that Purrfect Pals is there taking care of your pets and home. We will also NOT use any advertisements on our automobile, wear badges or uniforms. However, neighbors WILL ASK who we are. We will try at all possible, to not let them know that you’re away. We will tell them that we are visiting friends of the family. To help avoid this problem or to eliminate any suspicion, if possible, please inform your neighbors or building manager that we will be there upon your absence.

HOUSE KEYS: Provide your caregiver with a workable house key in addition to any garage door openers. Under certain conditions, we may ask for 2 copies of your keys. Out of concern for your pet's safety and needs, we prefer not to leave your keys at the last visit or in any hiding areas. This is a safety precaution. If you are delayed in returning home, we can continue to feed and care for your pets.  If you choose to have us leave your key in any hiding area, WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE for any lost or stolen keys.

ENTRANCE: We DO NOT allow anyone under any condition into your home except for our caregivers and emergency personnel (police, fire, ambulance, alarm company). With proper identification, we will allow only people with written authorized permission from you. Furthermore, please inform Purrfect Pals the names, address and phone numbers of others that have copies of your keys (such as housekeeper, building manager, family member or friend) or if there will be anyone visiting your home during your absence.

AREAS OF YOUR HOME: Inform your caregiver of any off limit areas for your pets and caregiver, such as bedrooms, bathrooms etc., especially if you request overnight visits or live-in stays. Please also let your caregiver know of any problem areas, such as unworkable toilets, leaking sinks etc.

ALARM: If your home has an alarm, please provide your caregiver with all necessary information such as access code, name and phone number of security company, password etc. Please advise your security company of our presence in your home while we are away. For your safety, all access codes are translated into our own coding system. This assures you that your code is safe with us. Some clients may not feel comfortable providing their access code and some security systems can be programmed with a guest code. Call your alarm company to find out if your alarm has this feature.

WALKING PETS: Each pet-sitting visit includes a walk and this is true of cats on leashes. Unfortunately some pets may fight the leash or do not know how to walk properly. Under these circumstances, we CANNOT continue to walk the pet. Make sure that the leash and collar fits your pet, otherwise they may slip out of a too large collar while being walked.

GROOMING: Although we do provide a light grooming service, we DO NOT provide flea dips, trimming, and nail clipping, or any other personal hygiene not listed in our grooming services due to safety and insurance reasons. If your vacation is lengthy and your pet requires a trip to the groomers, we can accommodate you with our "pet-taxi" service.

ADEQUATE SUPPLIES: Please have everything necessary to care for your pets in one general and visible area. This includes food, treats, utensils, food and water bowls, medications, leash and collar, can opener, paper towels, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, litter, litter scoop, pooper scooper, rags, towels, watering can, broom and dustpan, vacuum etc. A shopping and delivery charge plus the actual cost of supplies will be added to your bill for any shortage of supplies. To avoid these costs, anticipate delays by buying extra food and supplies.

PET BEHAVIOR: Please provide your caregiver with the following information on your pets: favorite hiding places, any fears or any unusual habits your pets may have (destructive behavior when left alone, change in bowel or eating habits), favorite toys, favorite petting area etc. You may want to leave an item of clothing you've recently worn where your pet sleeps to provide a security blanket for your pet.

DESTRUCTION BY PETS: Most damage to property such as furniture and carpets, done by pets are done out of loneliness or boredom. Most owners don't know in advance what will provoke their pets to such action. We make all attempts to limit any destruction by pets of household goods and restrict inappropriate behavior by pets. If, for example, your pet chews on the furniture, we will attempt to remove the attraction. We cannot be responsible for any damage done by your pets. If your pet is prone to chew or scratch, take proper precautions by leaving out "chew toys" and scratching posts or pads.

CLEANLINESS STANDARDS: We have high cleanliness standards and we're concerned about proper hygiene for your pets under our care. Food and water dishes are washed daily and we clean up after all food preparation. Floors in pet areas are kept free of loose food, litter and excessive pet hair. We also wash our hands between each client’s home to help eliminate any risk of the spread of any contagion.

FLEAS: We DO NOT accept jobs in homes with severe flea infestations. Please provide a means of flea control such as sprays, powders, collars and flea combs.

CANNED OR WET FOOD: We don’t recommend leaving canned or wet food out for more than 24 hours. Wet food is not advisable unless consumed during the visit. Any excess food is removed to assure good health of the pet and we wash out wet food containers on every visit to insure cleanliness.

OUTDOOR CATS: If you have a cat who remains outdoors all day and comes in only at night, we CANNOT assure you that we will be able to have your cat indoors at the exact time for our visit. If your cat goes outside and it does not return for the nightly containment, we will put the food and water outside to assure it eats properly. We CANNOT, however, wait for the cat to come home. The caregiver is not responsible for the health and safety of pets that have access to leave the home or the enclosed area. We have no control over anything that may happen to a cat while it’s outside.

THE POOP SCOOP: We pick up any and all excrement on every visit. Your yard, litter box, and any and all "accidents" are removed on each visit. Please provide plastic bags for sanitary disposal of feces and let your caregiver know how you want waste to be disposed of. Unless otherwise instructed we will sift your cat's litter box on every visit and clean out the litter box every seven (7) days. We will be happy to change the litter more often, if so instructed.

EMERGENCY CONTACT: Please provide us with the person you want us to call in case an emergency arises. This person will provide instructions and authorization on what to do with either the pets and/or home. This person can either be you, a relative, a friend, a neighbor etc.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURE: Any visits done on an emergency basis will be CHARGED TIME AND A HALF OF OUR HOURLY RATE PLUS A MILEAGE FEE and will be added to your bill. In the event that a disaster occurs during your absence while we are in charge of your pets we will, if at all humanly possible, do the following:

1. We will check your home, make certain your pets are safe at your residence, and note any damage.
2. If the pets are not safe there, we will take your pets to a secure and safe place. This may be at another home or a kennel or boarding run. (In this event, owners are responsible for any costs incurred at a boarding or kennel facility).
3. After our initial check we will call you at your location.
4. We will let you know by telephone, your pet’s health and your property’s condition and what physical address your pets are now placed, if not in your own home.
5. Be prepared to let us know when you will be able to return and when you can retrieve your pets.
6. If you choose so, we may transport your pet to a close relative or friend, but a CHARGE will be added to your bill. We will keep your pets as close to your neighborhood as possible. If you somehow manage to get home BEFORE we can contact you, please call us and let us know so we can be assured of your pets safety. If you have any questions about this aspect of our service, please feel free to talk to us about it, or make special arrangements with us in advance of your departure.

In case of death, please inform us as to how you want us to handle the situation. Death is something we don't think about but it may happen while we are in the care of your pets, especially with older pets.

SICK PETS: We do not accept care assignments with sick pets. We firmly believe that sick pets belong under the constant care of a veterinarian. In this case, you may want to seek kenneling or boarding that does provide 24-hour veterinarian care. However, if you have aged, infirm, or pets needing medication, this is not a problem if you discuss with us the special needs of the pet.

If your pet shows any signs of illness (in our opinion) in any way, we will notify you. If you cannot be reached we will leave a message at your contact number. We will then immediately take your pet to your vet, or, if unavailable at the time, our veterinarian (Dr. Roger Kondo, The Honolulu Pet Clinic) for treatment. For health safety reasons, your pets should be current on all immunization.

INJURY TO CAREGIVER: Owners are responsible for paying for any damages from bites and scratches that require medical attention done by the Owner’s animal inflicted upon the caregiver or other people. We reserve the right to refuse any job at any time. If your dog growls or bites at the caregiver or if your pet has been known to be territorial or aggressive, we will ask you to make other arrangements for your pet's care.

JOB SHARING: Many clients like to include neighbors, relatives, and friends with the pet care duties. These well-intentioned actions cause much confusion during shared pet care assignments. The most common problems are overfeeding, unlocked doors, lost keys, or missing some feedings altogether. Because these problems can occur, only under certain conditions will we accept any assignments with shared responsibilities with other people. Most times there will be only one caregiver assigned to each client. However, to accommodate your needs, there may be times when job-sharing between caregivers may occur because of emergencies or time constraints.

RETURNING HOME: Upon your arrival home, please call us to let us know that you arrived back home. If you do not call us, we will assume you were delayed getting back home and we will continue our services until further notification by the owners. If we do make a visit and you are home, you will be CHARGED for that visit.

EARLY RETURNS: If you return early from your trip and you do not notify us to cancel any visits, we will assume nothing and we will continue to make visits. If we visit your home and we find that you are there, you will be CHARGED for that visit to cover costs incurred for time and mileage.

ADDITIONAL VISITS: If you need additional visits while you’re away, we will make every effort to make arrangements. However, if we are overbooked, we will try to accommodate your request but you will be charged TIME AND A HALF FOR EACH VISIT made beyond the contracted visits will be added to your bill.

CANCELLATIONS: With proper notification, there is never a charge for cancellations. Please notify us 5 days in advance if you need to cancel any reservations. If cancellations become a problem we will start charging for each cancellation. Please understand that when you book a date and then cancel, we will not be able to book any other clients that need our services. As a courtesy to Purrfect Pals and our clients, we ask that cancellations be kept at a minimum. After accumulating more than three (3) cancellation and it you cancel less than the 5 days notice required, a $35 CHARGE, $50 for holidays, will be billed to your account. If your cancellation is during our busy months (June, July, August, November, December and January) your deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE but will be CREDITED to your account AND A CANCELLATION CHARGE will be billed to your account.

PAYMENT: All our services require full payment before service starts and all payments guarantee your reservation dates. We accept cash, check or money orders. A $35 CHARGE will be added to your bill for each bounced check. Payments not paid as agreed upon will be charged an interest rate of 2% per month.

HOLIDAY CHARGE: Holiday visits will be charged time and a half for the following holidays: Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.  For example, if the regular visit is $13, the holiday charge is $19.50 (1/2 of $13 is $6.50.  $13 + $6.50 = $19.50).  

CHANGES: Charges, fees, prices and policy changes are subject to change without notice.