Meowfolk FAQs

1. Start New Client Registration Fill out this form to share basic details along with your service request; we'll check availability and ensure we can help! 2. Book a Meow Meet We’ll send you a link to schedule your complimentary Meow Meet (virtual or in-person), along with our welcome packet, which includes essential policies and service details 3. Complete Onboarding After our meeting, you'll receive our Service Agreement for your review and e-signature. Then you'll recieve a link to activate your Meowfolk Client Portal. Complete your profile to finish onboarding and officially join Meowfolk! 4. Book Your Services Once your portal is complete and the agreement is signed, you can start booking services directly through the portal!

Yes. All new clients must complete New Client Registration and schedule a Meow Meet before booking services. Once your booking request is approved, we’ll send you a welcome packet and a link to schedule your meeting. After the Meow Meet, you can sign our Service Agreement and activate your Meowfolk Client Portal, then you're ready to book! To get started, send us your booking request!

Meow Meets are part of New Client Registration and can be virtual or in-person. If you're booking Overnight Stays, an in-person Meow Meet is required. Available hours: Monday–Friday: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM Saturday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Meetings can be booked up to 60 days in advance with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you need a different time, just email us at catsitting@meowfolk.com. To begin, submit a booking request and we’ll walk you through the next steps!

Our primary service area includes neighborhoods within a 7-mile radius of Richmond Public Library, Main Library (23219). [Meowfolk Service Area Map] We charge a flat $10 travel fee per visit for areas 7-12 miles away, and a case-by-case distance surcharge for areas beyond 12 miles. Some of the 7-mile radius areas we cover include: Bellevue Byrd Park Carytown Church Hill Downtown Fan District Forest Hill Fulton Hill Ginter Park Highland Park Lakeside Malvern Gardens Maymont Monument Ave Park Museum District North Highland Park Rocketts Landing Scott’s Addition Sherwood Park Shockoe Bottom VCU Westover Hills Westhampton Westwood Willow Lawn Windsor Farms General areas up to 12 miles that incur the $10 fee include: Bon Air Chamberlayne Farms Dumbarton Laurel Manchester Mechanicsville (western) Staples Mill Stratford Hills Three Chopt Tuckahoe We do service these areas. They may incur a travel surcharge based on the calculated distance, and will need approval after we check our availibility: Glen Allen (southern) Henrico (western) Innsbrook Short Pump Have questions about your location? Send us a text 804-592-1220, fill out our contact form, or email us at catsitting@meowfolk.com with your location address. We’ll respond within 48 business hours to confirm service availability and any applicable distance surcharge.

You have three options for key management: Keys on file (recommended): We securely store your keys, labeled with a unique ID and no identifying information. This is our preferred method for convenience, security, and cost-effectiveness. Lockbox (yours to keep): You can purchase our programmable lockbox that stays at your home. This allows you to control access and avoid key handoffs. You may choose to display or hide the lockbox as you see fit. Per-visit key pickup and return: You may add a key pickup and return fee to each reservation. This is not recommended for long-term clients. To waive this fee, you can arrange a key handoff at a public location selected by our team and based upon our schedule and availability, but this courtesy is not a guaranteed option.

YES! Meowfolk is fully licensed and bonded by Business Insurers of the Carolinas, and our sitters have had extensive background checks processed by AQUTRAQ. Documentation is available upon request. Rest assured, your cats and home are in professional, safe, and qualified hands!

Our Head Meownager brings years of personal pet ownership and has been professionally pet sitting since 2023. She regularly completes training programs focused on pet health, behavior, and safety. Her training includes: Administering Medications Using Fear Free Strategies Handling Aggressive Cats Caring for Cats and Dogs with Kidney Disease Caring for a Pet with Cancer Caring for Kittens Cat Body Language Cat and Dog Poop 101 Managing Undesirable Behaviors in Cats Pet Care: Cats 101 Recognizing Symptoms of Pain in Cats She is currently completing certification in Pet First Aid & CPCR. At Meowfolk, we stay committed to continued education so your cats are in knowledgeable, capable hands! Want to see our training credentials? Just email us at catsitting@meowfolk.com and we’re happy to share.

We are insured with Business Insurers of the Carolinas since 2024, and documentation is available upon request! Our certificate limits of liability are as follows: Each Occurrence: $1M General Aggregate Limit: $2M Product/Completed Operations Limit: $2M Personal & Advertising Injury Limit: $1M Fire Damage Limit: $300K Medical Payments: $10K Lost Key Endorsement: $2.5K Bond Limit: $10K

Sometimes when sending out or replying to emails, our emails go to your spam inbox. To prevent this and make sure you recieve ALL of our important communications, follow these steps: Step 1: Go to your Gmail account on your browser Step 2: Click the dropdown arrow in the search bar at the top of the screen Step 3: Type in our email address: catsitting@meowfolk.com Step 4: Select 'Never Send It To Spam' & 'Always Mark It As Important.' Step 5: Hit 'Select Filter' and you're done!

We want to make the booking process as simple as possible! Our New Client Registration walks you through the entire process, including an introduction to our Time to Pet software. This software can be accessed on your computer online or downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to use on your smartphone. Check out the help articles (client portal or client app) for step-by-step guides on requesting new services, changing or canceling services, and sending a general message to Meowfolk. If you're a new client needing assistance, just send us an email at catsitting@meowfolk.com. We’ll gladly spend extra time helping you set up your client portal during the registration process. For returning clients needing a bit of help, simply message us through the client portal, and we’ll follow up to assist you with your booking. We can schedule and invoice you for services on our end. Please note: Booking requests made via text, email, or social media will not be added to our calendar or confirmed.

For general inquiries, email us at meow@meowfolk.com. We reply within 48 business hours. For urgent or last-minute sits starting within 1 week, call or text 804-592-1220 Office hours (for calls, emails, and booking assistance): Monday - Friday: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM Saturday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM If your pets are currently in our care, you have 24/7 phone support during your scheduled visit window.

To keep everything organized and accurate, we only accept booking requests through your Meowfolk Client Portal. Requests sent by text, email, or social media will not be added to our calendar or confirmed. If you need help, just email us and we’ll be happy to assist.

We don’t have a public calendar, but we’re happy to check availability for you! New clients can start by completing a booking request, and we’ll guide you through the next steps. Current clients can submit a booking request through the client portal. We’ll get back to you within 48 hours to confirm your dates. Send us a quick email if you need any help!

January 1-5 - New Year’s holiday January - MLK Day February - Presidents’ Day March 7-17 - Spring Break I March 27-April 7 - Spring Break II April - Easter May - Mother's Day May - Memorial Day June - Father’s Day June 19 - Juneteenth July 4 - Independence Day September - Labor Day October - Indigenous Peoples' Day November - Election Day November 11 - Veterans Day November 23-30 - Thanksgiving holiday December 15-31 - Christmas holiday The $10 holiday fee applies to each date of the reservation if it includes a date or holiday listed above. Some holiday dates vary per calendar year.

We accept the following payment methods for all services: ACH transfers and e-checks (preferred) Credit and debit cards Cash Payment is due within 3 days of your invoice to reserve your booking dates. You’re also welcome to leave a tip through your invoice, cash, or our tip jar! It’s never expected, but always appreciated.

We understand that plans change! If you need to cancel, we’ll place a credit on your account to use toward future bookings within one year. To cancel, submit your request through the client portal. Cancellations sent by text, phone, or social media will not be processed. Once we receive your cancellation, you’ll get an email confirmation and your credit will be applied. Please note: We do not offer credit or refunds for cancellations made within 14 days of your first scheduled visit, or for early returns home after service has started.

We do not offer cat boarding services at this time and will announce if this ever changes in the future!

While Meowfolk is a cat-focused service, we understand some feline friends share their homes with other pets. Our Head Meownager has experience caring for dogs, reptiles, and other small animals, and we’re happy to consider multi-species households on a case-by-case basis. If your cats live with other pets who also need care, please fill out our New Client Interest Form and include these details in the appropriate section. We’ll review everything and get back to you with a personalized quote if approved.

Sometimes! While we mainly provide care during our standard hours, after-hours visits may be available with approval and a small fee. Standard Sitting Hours: Weekdays: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Weekends: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM Overnights: 10:00 PM – 6:00 AM After-Hours (by request only): Weekdays: 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM Weekends: 6:00 AM – 10:00 AM $5 per visit, approval required Emergency Start Fee: For services starting within 7 days of your request $10 one-time fee, approval required We can’t guarantee availability outside our posted hours, but feel free to ask -- if we can fit you in, we will! Our service hours may expand in the future, and we’ll keep clients updated.

We use a timeslot system to keep our schedule organized and flexible for all the cats in our care. Here’s how it works: When you book a visit, you’ll choose a timeslot. Your sitter will arrive and finish the visit within that window. For example, if you book a 30-minute visit in the 10:00 AM–12:00 PM slot, your sitter will arrive and complete the visit sometime within that range. Available Timeslots: After Hours: Weekdays: 6:00 AM–8:00 AM Weekends: 6:00 AM–10:00 AM Daytime (Weekends Only): Morning: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM Afternoon: 12:00 PM–2:00 PM Late Afternoon: 2:00 PM–5:00 PM Evening (Daily): Evening: 5:00 PM–8:00 PM Late Evening: 8:00 PM–10:00 PM Overnight: 10:00 PM–6:00 AM We’re not able to guarantee exact arrival times (like 9:30 AM sharp), as we plan routes based on travel and care needs. If your cat requires time-sensitive care or medication, we’ll gladly prioritize your visit to meet those needs.

In your Client Portal, you’ll get a “purr-report” after each visit with: Visit summary with notes on your cat’s mood/activities 2–6 photos (with videos texted to you, if available) We text or call if we have any questions, but generally reserve calls for emergencies

For the safety of your pets and to ensure we’re covered by our insurance and bonding, we cannot offer pet sitting services if there are other people (e.g., house guests, family members, or roommates) present during the service. The main reasons for this policy include: 1. Insurance & Bonding: Our insurance only covers services when Meowfolk staff are in the home 2. Safety & Security: We want your pets to be cared for in a secure, distraction-free environment 3. Consistency of Care: Our services are designed to be routine and predictable, and others in the home can unfortunately disrupt this If you’re expecting guests or others will be in the home during the sitting, please let us know so we can adjust the booking accordingly!