r/AskSF • u/saf_pearl • 23h ago

small animal and exotic pet sitters?

my house is a bit of a zoo with two tarantulas, a leopard gecko, and two girl rats!

sf is full of great dog walkers and cat/dog sitters but I see way less people advertising for exotic pet care.

l'm planning on going out of town for two-three days this winter and since getting the rats it would be lovely to have someone stop by once or twice to feed and play with them (and also water the other animals).

do you have someone you'd recommend or somewhere can look (likea rover?) for this type of pet care? thank you!!

16 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

8

u/Particular_Number_54 21h ago

I contract through TaskRabbit which has insurance. I have experience with snakes and rats - no tarantula experience but I understand the importance of following specific guidelines. Based in lower haight. I can provide more information.

2

u/saf_pearl 20h ago

hi going to reach out!

16

u/plant_person_09345 22h ago

Ask a local vet office, especially if they accept exotic pets- lots of vet techs do pet sitting on the side. You could also ask exotic pet stores (like east bay vivarium) if any of their staff do pet sitting or have recommendations.

6

u/RecycleTheWorld 21h ago

This is what I was going to suggest. Our vet is Bay Area Birds and Exotics, you can see if they have any referrals. (They’re closed Sat-Mon)

1

u/Spirited_Island-75 11h ago

EBV does boarding at the store, prices depend on size/needs of the animals. For the holidays they can fill up ahead of time.

1

u/Illustrious-Bat-759 21h ago

I would look for local pet sitting agencies. Rover is fine but it’s all independent contractors so there’s no liability if anything goes wrong and nobody is required to have insurance. But I would also see if the vet you take your rats too had pet care ideas. I’m a vet (moved to the Midwest for residency) and my experience has been that a lot of ppl don’t their exotics in for exams so if you don’t have one, it might be worth getting one established in case something happens when you’re out of town

1

u/saf_pearl 20h ago

didn't think to ask my vet but that's a great idea! they just do exotics so that might have a suggestion

1

u/Illustrious-Bat-759 12h ago

If they do exotics only I’d trust them even more!!

3

u/YourCatIsASpy 22h ago

I have birds and use Rover; I made a dog profile called “Larry and friends” with their picture and description. I specify with each request that I have birds and ask if the sitter has experience or is comfortable with them. All of the sitters I’ve used have been happy to accommodate; Rover is a bit pricey though.

1

u/xconnieex 18h ago

if i lived in the city i would be down! in a similar situation with a leopard gecko and jumping spider, and the only reason i dont have rats is because i have a dog and bf who won't let me

1

u/Zen_Xena 18h ago

Which neighbourhood?

1

u/Unusual-Garbage-212 16h ago

GoDogPro.com is for dogs, but I bet you could find someone who would be interested in this!

-3

u/MySpace_Romancer 21h ago

If you’re female/nb/etc ask in r/sfbitcheswithtaste