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Professional Farm and Pet Sitting

Farm and Pet Sitting Overview

Farm and pet sitting is when a professional pet sitter comes to your home or farm while you are away and takes care of your pets and farm animals. I offer a full-range farm and pet sitting services in the State College area and throughout Centre County. This page offers an overview of those services, including the types of pets I care for and service rates. If there’s something specific your home pet or farm animal needs that isn’t described here, please contact me and I'd be happy to explore your needs.

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Key Features of Farm and Pet Sitting Services

  • Pets are happier and experience less stress

  • Diet and exercise routines are uninterrupted

  • Travel stress is eliminated

  • Exposure to illness is minimized

  • Untrained or unwilling friends/family/neighbors need not be asked for a favor

  • You won't have to wonder if your friend actually performed the "drop in"

  • You’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your pet is being cared for by a professional

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Farm and pet sitting can also include home services such as watering plants and bringing in your mail

Types of Clients We Serve

We offer service to almost any type of pet or farm animal you may have.

Indoor pets we service include:

  • Dogs and cats

  • Small mammals - guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, gerbils, ferrets, etc.

  • Reptiles - lizards, dragons, turtles, snakes, etc. (non venomous only)

  • Birds - parrots, parakeets, finches, etc.

  • Fresh and salt water aquariums

 

Farm animals we service include:

  • Horses - specialize in horse care

  • All other hoof stock - cows, goats, donkeys, pigs, sheep, llamas etc.

  • Fowl - chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, etc.

  • Outdoor caged small mammals - rabbits, ferrets, etc.

  • Barn cats and kenneled dogs

Services

Animal Care Services During Visits

  • Visual wellness exam

  • Food preparation, feeding and watering

  • Turning out, bringing in, potty breaks, yard time, etc.

  • Scooping litter boxes, cage cleaning, mucking stalls, etc.

  • Enrichment play and exercise activities

  • Dog walking and/or fetch in the yard

  • Cleaning up accidents

  • Cleaning water bowls/buckets and food bowls/buckets

  • Affection, petting, snuggling or just sitting with them

  • Pool time for dogs, including towel drying

  • Tropical aquarium feeding, testing water, maintenance consulting

  • Administering supplements and/or medications

  • Changing bandages

 

See the Horse Care page for specialized horse services outside of general feeding and turning out visits.

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Additional Home Services Offered During Visit as Requested:

  • Bringing in the mail/newspapers

  • Watering plants

  • Trash and recycling to and from the curb

  • Replenish bird feeders

  • Open/close curtains/blinds

  • Alternating lights

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Services We Do Not Offer:

  • Overnights at your home or farm

  • Long-term daily dog walking, called "dailys"

Rates, Timing and Frequency

Farm and pet sitting rates are based on the length of time at the sitting visit (key in to key out), not by the type of services performed nor the number of animals needing care. 

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Rates within 10 miles, one way radius from my home:

  • 30-minute visit - $30​

  • 45 minute visit - $35

  • 1-hour visit - $45

Rates 10-20 miles, one way radius from my home:

  • 30-minute visit - $35

  • 45 minute visit - $45

  • 1-hour visit - $55

Rates 20-30 miles, one way radius from my home

  • 30-minute visit - $50

  • 45 minute visit - $60

  • 1-hour visit - $70

Surcharges

  • Federal holidays - +$10/visit

  • Key return - $15- $25 - I recommend you instead purchase a combination lock box for your door key which you can install on your door handle.

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Timing & Frequency Recommendations:

  • Loose dogs in your home - minimum three 30-minute visits/day

  • Crated dogs in your home - minimum 4 visits per day and maximum for 3 days only (no crated puppies)

  • Indoor caged animals, aquariums - minimum one 30-minute visit/day

  • Cats and hobby farms - minimum one 30-minute visit every day (negotiable due to range of circumstances)​​

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Each request has unique circumstances and the timing and frequency minimums will be evaluated on a case by case basis. 

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Helpful tip: A feeding routine which you can complete in 30 minutes will always take a pet sitter, who is unfamiliar with the routine and location of items, longer to do. If you can not do it in less than 30 minutes, the pet sitter will need a 45-minute visit and rate, at least for the first few times as she familiarizes herself with the routine. 

What's the Process?

Make an Inquiry

1. Call or text 814-321-5977

Email joanna@mountainpetsitting.com

Or complete an online service inquiry by clicking on the CONTACT button.

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2. Check for my availability. Farm and pet sitting can be as short as one visit or multiple days or weeks. You may book for services up to 6 months in advance. First time clients with last minute requests are more difficult to be offered (but not impossible) due to the meet and greet process described below. 

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3. Discuss/disclose initial information about your sitting needs as described in the sections above.

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4. Determine whether we are a good fit for scheduling a one-time complimentary meet and greet at your home or farm. 

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The Meet and Greet

A farm or pet sitting meet and greet can take anywhere from 20-60 minutes, time-dependent on the complexity of your needs, scheduled at your house or farm and accomplishes several objectives:

  1. You and I meet and any questions we may each have gets addressed.

  2. I meet your pets and/or farm animals and you show me the tasks/routine needed and location of supplies.

  3. If we agree the meet and greet went well, then I provide you with the sitting service agreement for you to complete/sign/return in order to book services. The agreement is completed once and updated annually.

  4. Once the agreement is finalized with all required documents, the sitting services are booked and I'll look forward to serving you and your pets!

  5. A 30-minute meet and greet within the 10 mile radius is complementary, and that includes up to one hour for a complex farm. A meet and greet charge will be invoiced if your home or farm 11-30 miles away ($30-35 depending on distance).

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