The Meet & Greet is the most important 30 minutes in our entire relationship. It's where I get to know your pets, you get to ask the questions you'd want to ask any caretaker, and we both decide whether this is going to be a good fit.
It's also a friendly visit. There's no pressure, no hard sell, and you're under no obligation to book anything afterward.
Here's what I'd think about as a first-time client.
Before I arrive
Have everyone home if you can. Spouse, partner, roommates, and especially the pets. I want to see the pets in their normal state, with their normal humans. If a pet is going to bark at me, it's better to know that on day one.
Tidy a path, not the whole house. Clear me a spot at the kitchen table so we can sit and talk. The rest of the house I'll see for what it is — and that's the point.
Have your trip dates in mind, even loosely. If you already know when you might travel, I can check the calendar in real time and we can pencil in dates while I'm there.
Make a short "want to ask" list. Anything that's been on your mind. I'd rather you ask me five questions you weren't sure about than nod politely and wonder later.
What we'll do together
I usually run the visit in this order, but it's flexible.
- Greet the pets first. Treats if they're allowed, slow approach, let them come to me. About 5 minutes.
- Sit down at the kitchen table. I'll take notes. Names, ages, breeds, any health stuff, any quirks, feeding schedule, walking schedule, medications, vet info.
- Walk through the house. Where the food lives, where the leashes hang, where the meds are, where the trash bag and supplies are, where I'd sleep if you booked an overnight, where the spare key is. This is the bit that pays off most later.
- Talk through the booking. Dates, deposits, communication preferences, photo updates, payment.
- Answer your questions. Anything I haven't covered.
Questions I think are smart to ask
Not because I'm fishing for compliments — because if you ever hire someone else, these are the questions I'd want you to ask them too.
- What happens if my pet has a medical emergency while I'm out of town?
- How do you handle medications, and have you done injections / pills / drops before?
- How often do you send updates, and what do they look like?
- Are you insured? Bonded?
- What's your backup plan if you get sick during my trip?
- Do you stay at the house the entire night, or just sleep there?
- What's your cancellation and rescheduling policy?
- How do you handle keys and house access after the stay?
You should hear clear, specific answers to all of these. If anything is fuzzy, ask a follow-up.
Things to show me
If you can walk me to these in person rather than just describe them, I'll remember them better:
- Where the food is and how much per meal.
- Where the leashes, harnesses, and poop bags live.
- Where the meds are and how they're administered.
- Where the towels for muddy paws are.
- Where the cleaning supplies are (in case of an accident).
- Where the trash bags and recycling bin are.
- Where the laundry happens if I need to wash a blanket.
- Where the thermostat is and how you like it set.
- The spare key location, alarm code, gate code, and Wi-Fi password.
- Anything quirky about the house — sticky doors, finicky locks, the porch light that flickers.
What happens afterward
You'll get an email from me with the Meet & Greet recap, the all-in quote for any dates we discussed, and the deposit instructions if you'd like to book.
There's no rush. Some people book on the spot. Some people sit on it for a week and email back. Both are completely normal.
If after the visit you decide we're not the right fit — for any reason at all — that's also completely fine. The Meet & Greet exists exactly so that nobody has to commit until both sides feel good about it.
That's the whole checklist. The short version: be home, have your pets out, have your dates loosely in mind, and ask anything that's on your list. The rest takes care of itself.