How Much Do You Charge?
There is a registration charge of £13.50. This covers the time taken to come and meet you and your cats, collect and check your keys, complete the necessary paperwork, and familiarise ourselves with your home security/alarm system. The registration visit usually takes about an hour, including travel time.
(This charge is refunded after 10 calls have been made within a 12 month period, or is waived for customers who want more than 10 calls in their first booking. )
The Standard Rate is £13.50 per call, calling between the hours of 10am and 4pm.
This is applicable on most days of the year, including most weekends.
We charge a Premium Rate of £17.50 on only 23 days of the year. These are:
- Easter Bank Holiday ( Good Friday to Easter Monday inc )
- May Bank Holiday Weekends (Saturday - Monday inc )
- August Bank Holiday Weekend ( Saturday to Monday inc)
- The Festive Season ( 24th December to 2nd January inc )
Please remember that WEEKEND bookings must be made by NOON on Wednesdays.
How Long Do You Stay?
This depends on your cat. Some cats who are shy prefer a shorter visit, whilst they assess the caller and work out whether to be friends or not. Bolder cats or kittens will want to have a cuddle on the sofa. Other cats reserve their affection for Mum or Dad, and very much see us as the "hired help", there only to service their immediate needs!
It’s down to the individual cat to make his/her own decision, and we respect that: after all, its their home, not ours!
Do you change litter trays?
Yes! Of course! Please make sure that you leave plenty of litter, a litter-scoop, bags for disposal and cleaning equipment - including a dustpan and brush - for around the tray area. If your cat normally goes out, and you’ve decided to keep him or her inside whilst you are away (see below) please leave lots of litter, as people frequently under-estimate the amount their cat actually uses!
How much notice do I need to give?
As much as possible
During peak times - Easter, Bank Holidays, the months of July and August, and Christmas and New Year, we usually get fully booked weeks in advance, and over the Feative Season, when we’re always fully booked with a waiting list by the first week of December, we close the office from 20th December - 3rd January so that we can concentrate on the cats.
For quieter times of the year, a minimum of 3 working days notice is needed - so weekend bookings need to be made by Wednesdays.
If you haven’t yet registered, we usually need at least a fortnight’s notice for us to arrange a registration visit at a mutually convenient time.
How Secure Will My Home Be?
As secure as you leave it! We are very thorough in engaging all locks and security systems, and will alternate lights, curtains, radios etc if requested to give the appearance of your property being occupied.
We can bring in milk and Organic Box deliveries if you’ve forgotten to cancel them, remove post and leaflets from the letterbox and hallway, and return dustbins to their proper location after emptying.
We make our visits as discreetly as possible, and DO NOT use sign written vehicles, as we don’t want to advertise to the casual observer that you are away from home!
What happens to my keys at the end of a booking?
We never, EVER, drop keys into your letterbox at the end of a booking.
The set of keys you give us should be a spare set - not currently in use by another family member.
Please email or call to let us know of your safe return, and we will drop your keys back in to you as soon as we’re next in your area.
If you prefer that we hold your keys for next time, for our mutual convenience, we are happy to do so, and have secure facilities.
Please bear in mind, though that we are not a key-holding service! If you lock yourself out at the weekend or the evening, you will NOT be able to contact us!
We strongly recommend that you always leave a further spare set of keys with a local or reliable friend, or in your desk at work if your office has 24-hour security.
What Happens If My Cat Becomes Unwell?
We will take the cat to his or her own vet, or to the nearest vet in an emergency, and contact you immediately on the number you have provided.
As all the local surgeries know Cat Calls Ltd, we will either arrange for the Vet to invoice you on your return, or settle the bill immediately on your behalf. You can then reimburse us on your return.
Should I Leave The Cat Flap Open?
Locking the catflap and providing a litter tray ensures total peace of mind for you, and also prevents other cats intruding.
However, your cat may resent having his/her freedom curtailed, and take his frustration out on you - or the furniture!
Again, as with all things feline, we must respect the cat's individuality!
Please see above re: "Litter Trays" if you decide to keep your otherwise outdoor cat inside.
Do You Water Plants?
Yes! Please group all houseplants together and leave full written instructions regarding them. There's no extra charge for this. However, you DO need to leave a note to remind us of this on each booking.
If you want gardens, window boxes or garden plants watering, then this is charged at £2 per day to cover the time taken in filling and emptying watering cans and moving hosepipes around.
Ok, You've Persuaded Me! How Do I Book?
Just send an email to catcalls@btconnect.com - it's as easy as that!
We need to know where you are, and when you'll be away, and if you have any other specific queries not answered in this website.
Then we'll arrange a suitable time for Jane to come and meet you and the cats, fill out the paperwork and collect your keys. We try and arrange new customer registrations on a weekday evening, after you’re home from work.
There is a charge of £13.50 for the registration visit, to cover the time taken, but your tenth call is done for free, so if you are booking more than 10 days you will not be asked to pay this charge.
Once you are registered and "in the system" any further bookings can be made by sending an email. If you decide you want us to hold your keys securely, we can do so: If you would rather have your keys returned to you after your booking, please bear in mind that you will need to send/deliver them to us AT LEAST three working days before the start of any future booking.
Please also bear in mind that the office is CLOSED in the evenings and at weekends, so allow plenty of notice for any bookings or queries.
We prefer to take bookings by email as this ensures that all details and dates are accurate, and prefer not to deal with telephone messages as one of out team-members is slightly hard of hearing, and messages left using mobile phones are often of very poor sound quality.
