Redwood City Exotic Pet Sitter
Redwood City has a wider mix of exotic pet owners than most Peninsula cities — it’s the kind of town where a Caltrain commuter heading to a biotech job in South SF and a longtime Roosevelt-area family with three rabbits and a tortoise might live two blocks apart. What ties them together is a need that conventional pet care doesn’t address: someone who can actually handle exotics while they’re traveling, working long days, or covering kids’ weekend events. House of Guineas exists to fill that gap on the Peninsula.
We’re based in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset, and our team of exotic pet specialists travels down the 101 and 280 corridors to provide in-home care for Redwood City households. Our founder, Alexandria, is an exotic veterinary assistant who volunteers with the House Rabbit Society administering RHDV2 vaccinations. Every specialist on our team is trained under that same clinical lens.
Why Redwood City Exotic Pet Owners Choose Our Team
Redwood City sits in a tricky spot for exotic pet owners — far enough from a 24/7 exotic ER that catching things early really matters, but close enough to multiple specialty hospitals (Adobe in Los Altos, All Pets in San Mateo) that good vet care is reachable when needed. A sitter who knows that landscape is a different category than one who doesn’t. Here’s what we bring:
- Veterinary background. Alexandria’s clinical training at Bay Area Bird and Exotics Hospital and her ongoing House Rabbit Society work means we approach every visit with proper exotic protocols.
- Species specialization. We don’t sit dogs and cats as our primary service. Exotics are the focus — rabbits, rodents, reptiles, and birds. That focus is hard to find on the Peninsula.
- Clinical-grade care. Syringe-feeding a GI stasis rabbit, weighing a guinea pig on a gram scale, checking a reptile’s enclosure humidity, recognizing crop issues in a bird — these are everyday skills, not stretches.
- Local vet awareness. When something goes sideways, we know which Peninsula vets handle exotics and which to skip. See our Peninsula exotic vet directory for the full list.
- Flexible scheduling. Early-morning visits before a Caltrain commute, late-evening visits after a long day, mid-day medication windows — we build the schedule around your reality.
Exotic Species We Care For in Redwood City
- Small mammals — rabbits (including bonded pairs and trios), guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, rats, degus, hedgehogs
- Reptiles — bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, ball pythons and other non-venomous snakes, turtles and tortoises
- Birds — cockatiels, parakeets, conures, parrotlets, lovebirds, finches, and most companion parrots
If your species isn’t listed, call or text us — if we haven’t handled it, we’ll tell you honestly and usually point you to someone who has.
How It Works in Redwood City
We start with a free meet-and-greet at your home — a real-time walkthrough of feeding routines, enclosure setup, medication schedules, and your pet’s quirks. For Redwood City clients, this usually fits a weekend or after-work window that works around Caltrain schedules and family rhythms.
Once you book, we schedule visits around your travel itinerary. Most exotic pets do well with twice-daily visits — morning and evening — so you can get a fresh salad into the rabbits before work and a proper lights-out check on the reptile enclosure after dinner. We send photo and video updates from every visit, plus written notes on appetite, output, and behavior. If something seems off, we reach out before you land or before you leave the office.
Redwood City Neighborhoods We Serve
- Roosevelt
- Mt. Carmel
- Farm Hill
- Emerald Hills
- Friendly Acres
- Centennial
- Stambaugh-Heller
- Edgewood Park
- Eagle Hill
- Palm Park
We also cover homes near Sequoia High School, the Caltrain corridor for commuters, and the stretch toward the Atherton border. If you’re up in Emerald Hills or near Edgewood Park, we’ve got you.
Pricing for Redwood City Visits
- 30-minute visits start at $85
- 60-minute visits start at $115
- Routine twice-daily care runs $140–$190/day depending on visit length and number of pets
Redwood City is in our Peninsula service tier, which means a travel surcharge applies. The exact surcharge depends on our specialists’ availability and your specific location within Redwood City. Text us your address and dates for a firm quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really travel to Redwood City for exotic pet care?
Yes. Our team comes from San Francisco via the 101 and 280 corridors. Redwood City is one of our growing service areas, and we have steady clients across Roosevelt, Farm Hill, and Emerald Hills.
What if my exotic pet needs medication while I'm traveling?
Medication administration is part of our standard service. Our specialists are trained in oral syringe feeding, subcutaneous fluids (with vet direction), topical applications, and nebulizer treatments. Share your protocol at the meet-and-greet and we'll match the schedule exactly. For signs that something is escalating, see our guide on signs your guinea pig needs a vet and our exotic pet emergency signs resource.
Can I board my exotic pet with you instead of in-home sitting?
Yes. Boarding is hosted at our founder's San Francisco home — it is not a Peninsula drop-off — but Redwood City clients are welcome to make the drive up. Boarding runs $75 per night, your pet gets their own room with soothing music, and we ask that you bring their usual enclosure and supplies. Details on the boarding page.
How much does a Redwood City exotic pet sitter cost?
30-minute visits start at $85 and 60-minute visits at $115, with routine twice-daily care ranging from $140–$190 per day depending on visit length and number of pets. Redwood City is in our Peninsula tier, so a travel surcharge applies — the exact amount varies depending on our specialists' availability and your location within Redwood City. Text us your address and dates for a firm quote.
Ready to lock in coverage for your next trip? Call or text us at 415-484-6493 to set up a free meet-and-greet. You can also read about our in-home exotic pet care service, browse the FAQ page, or look through our Peninsula exotic veterinarian directory if you’re still getting set up with a local exotic vet.