San Mateo Exotic Pet Sitter
San Mateo sits right at the center of the Peninsula — the kind of city where a biotech researcher in Bay Meadows, a CalTrain commuter near B Street, and a retiree off Alameda de las Pulgas might all share one thing: a rabbit, a flock of cockatiels, or a bearded dragon who needs someone who actually knows what they’re doing. With roughly 100,000 residents spread across neighborhoods as varied as Aragon’s quiet streets and the newer mixed-use blocks of Bay Meadows, San Mateo’s exotic pet owners deserve more than a generalist sitter filling in between dog walks. Our team of exotic pet specialists travels out from our San Francisco base to provide in-home visits grounded in clinical experience — the same approach our founder, Alexandria, brings to her volunteer work administering subcutaneous RHDV vaccines at the House Rabbit Society. When you leave for a week of conferences in Boston or a weekend up at Tahoe, you want someone who can spot the early signs of GI stasis or recognize that your ball python’s humidity has drifted below range. That’s the standard we bring to every San Mateo visit.
What Makes Our San Mateo Exotic Pet Care Different
We’re not a generalist sitter who happens to take the occasional rabbit. Exotic pets are the entire practice — and every specialist on our team is trained with that focus in mind.
- Veterinary background — Alexandria trained and worked at an exotic veterinary hospital and continues to volunteer as a medical assistant with the House Rabbit Society, and our team is built around that clinical foundation.
- Species specialization — From prey-species body language in rabbits and guinea pigs to UVB and basking-gradient management for reptiles, we’ve worked hands-on with the species we care for. No guessing.
- Clinical-grade care in your home — We can administer oral medications, monitor incisions and surgical recovery, handle Critical Care syringe feeds, and coordinate directly with your exotic vet if something changes while you’re away.
- Flexible scheduling around Peninsula life — San Mateo residents’ schedules are all over the map — early CalTrain departures, late-evening returns from SFO, weekend trips to Santa Cruz. Our visit windows flex to match that rhythm.
Exotic Species We Care For in San Mateo
Our team regularly cares for:
- Small mammals — rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, rats, mice, and hedgehogs
- Reptiles — bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, ball pythons, corn snakes, turtles, and tortoises
- Birds — parrots, cockatiels, conures, budgies, lovebirds, and finches
- Other exotics — tarantulas, hermit crabs, and amphibians on request
If your species isn’t listed, send us a message — there’s a good chance someone on the team has worked with them.
How Our San Mateo Visits Work
Meet-and-greet first. Before your first booking, one of our specialists comes to your San Mateo home for a free consultation. We meet your pets, review their feeding routines, supplement schedules, enclosure setup (enclosure temps, humidity, lighting cycles for reptiles; hay type and pellet ratios for rabbits and guinea pigs), and note emergency contacts and your preferred exotic vet.
Scheduling around your trip. Whether you’re headed to SFO from the San Mateo CalTrain station for a two-day work trip or driving down to LA for two weeks, we build a visit schedule that fits. Most clients book twice-daily visits for rabbits, guinea pigs, and ferrets; once-daily works for many reptiles and low-maintenance small mammals.
Daily visits. Each visit covers fresh food and water, targeted species-specific husbandry (hay top-up, hay rack refresh, salad prep, thawed feeders for snakes, misting enclosures, temperature and humidity checks), litter box or substrate spot cleaning, medication administration if needed, out-of-cage time where appropriate, and a photo update before we lock up.
Species-specific care, not a checklist. A 45-minute visit with a pair of bonded rabbits in Baywood Park looks very different from a visit with a bearded dragon in a Bay Meadows townhouse or a cockatiel in a Hayward Park apartment — and we plan accordingly.
Neighborhoods We Cover in San Mateo
Our team travels throughout San Mateo, including:
- Aragon
- Baywood Park
- Bay Meadows
- Beresford
- Borel
- Central San Mateo / Downtown (B Street & 3rd Ave corridor)
- Hayward Park
- Hillsdale
- North Central
- San Mateo Park
- Shoreview
- Sugarloaf
With access from both Highway 101 and Highway 92, plus the San Mateo CalTrain station, our specialists can reach most of the city efficiently — whether you’re a few blocks from Central Park or closer to the eucalyptus groves and shoreline at Coyote Point.
Pricing for San Mateo In-Home Visits
Our base rates are straightforward:
- 30-minute visits start at $85
- 60-minute visits start at $115
- Routine 2x/day care ranges from $140–$190/day depending on species, number of pets, and visit length
San Mateo falls within our Peninsula service tier. Travel surcharge varies depending on our specialists’ availability and your specific location within San Mateo — clients near Hillsdale Mall or downtown off the 101/92 junction often see lower surcharges than more distant pockets. Call or text us at 415-484-6493 for a quote specific to your address and pet lineup.
If you’d prefer drop-off boarding instead of in-home visits, our boarding service is hosted separately at Alexandria’s San Francisco location — San Mateo clients are welcome to drop off any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you travel to San Mateo for exotic pet visits?
Yes. San Mateo is part of our active Peninsula service area — our team of exotic pet specialists travels down from San Francisco via the 101 and 280 corridors to cover neighborhoods from Aragon and Baywood Park through Hillsdale, Bay Meadows, Hayward Park, and Shoreview. Travel surcharge varies depending on our specialists' availability and your specific location within San Mateo. Text or call us at 415-484-6493 for a custom quote.
I live in a Bay Meadows / Hayward Park / Hillsdale apartment — can you still come?
Absolutely. Apartments, condos, and townhomes across Bay Meadows, Hayward Park, Hillsdale, and the rest of San Mateo are completely fine. We'll just need building access instructions — a fob, a door code, a lockbox, a concierge, or a leasing-office handoff all work. We'll confirm the entry procedure during the meet-and-greet so there are no surprises on day one of your trip.
How do you coordinate with local exotic vets in San Mateo?
We know the Peninsula's exotic vet landscape well. Many of our San Mateo clients are established with All Pets Hospital in San Mateo, Peninsula Pet Hospital in Burlingame, or Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos. During the meet-and-greet we record your preferred vet, authorization preferences, and emergency contacts. If something comes up mid-trip, we communicate directly with the clinic and keep you in the loop. More on the broader regional network is on our Bay Area exotic veterinarians page.
What species of exotic pets have you cared for in San Mateo?
Across San Mateo clients we've cared for rabbits (single and bonded pairs), guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, ball pythons, corn snakes, turtles, tortoises, parrots, cockatiels, conures, and budgies. If you'd like to see more detail on what species-specific care looks like, our guinea pig care guide and Bay Area rabbit care guide are good starting points.
What does in-home exotic pet sitting in San Mateo cost?
30-minute visits start at $85 and 60-minute visits start at $115. Most clients booking routine twice-daily care fall between $140 and $190 per day depending on species, number of pets, and visit length. San Mateo is in our Peninsula service tier, so travel surcharge varies depending on our specialists' availability and your specific location within San Mateo. Reach out with your neighborhood and pet list for an exact quote.
Ready to set up care? Call or text us at 415-484-6493 and we’ll schedule a free San Mateo meet-and-greet. You can also read more about our in-home exotic pet care services or browse our full exotic pet care FAQs.