Belmont Exotic Pet Sitter
Belmont is one of those Peninsula towns that quietly runs on a commuter rhythm. Tucked into the hilly, wooded folds of San Mateo County between San Mateo and San Carlos, it is full of professionals who spend their weeks on the Caltrain corridor, the 101, and the 280 — and whose weekends and vacations depend on someone reliable holding down the home front. When that home front includes a bonded pair of rabbits, a bearded dragon on a strict UVB schedule, or a conure who needs his evening millet, the question that surfaces the night before a trip is always the same: who is going to take care of the exotics? Conventional boarding kennels are built for dogs and cats, and most pet sitters have never weighed a guinea pig on a gram scale. That is the gap our team fills.
House of Guineas Pet Care is based in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset, and our team of exotic pet caretakers travels down the Peninsula to provide in-home care for Belmont households. From the homes climbing toward Water Dog Lake to the Carlmont neighborhoods near the high school, and the quiet streets off Ralston Avenue, we come to your pets so they can stay in their own enclosures, on their own routines, while you are away.
Why Belmont Exotic Pet Owners Choose Our Team
Belmont is a town full of people who think carefully and plan ahead — engineers, clinicians, educators, and students and faculty connected to Notre Dame de Namur University. What exotic pet parents here tell us they need is a sitter who brings the same rigor to animal care that they bring to their own work — and the same gentleness they show their little ones at home. Here is what sets us apart:
- Veterinary-informed care. Our team’s backgrounds span wildlife rehabilitation to exotic veterinary hospital work — including our founder, Alexandria, who previously volunteered with the House Rabbit Society administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines. Every member of our team is trained under that same clinical lens.
- Species specialization. Exotic pets and cats are our whole focus — rabbits, rodents, reptiles, and birds. That kind of focus is genuinely hard to find on the Peninsula.
- Clinical-grade care. We can syringe-feed a GI stasis rabbit, weigh a guinea pig on a gram scale, check a reptile enclosure’s humidity, and recognize the early signs of a crop issue in a parrot. We also know the local exotic vet landscape, so if something seems off while you are in another time zone, we know where to turn — see our San Mateo Peninsula exotic veterinarians directory.
- Flexible scheduling. Early-morning visits before a commute or a flight, evening visits after a long day, and mid-day medication timing — we build the schedule around your itinerary, not the other way around.
Exotic Species We Care For in Belmont
- Small mammals — rabbits (including bonded pairs and trios), guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, rats
- Reptiles — bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, ball pythons and other non-venomous snakes, turtles and tortoises
- Birds — parrots, cockatiels, conures, budgies, lovebirds, finches
If your species is not listed, call or text us — if we have not handled it, we will tell you honestly and usually point you to someone who has.
How It Works in Belmont
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 Belmont pet parents, this usually lands on a weekend or an after-work window that fits the Caltrain schedule, since so many residents are commuting up and down the line during the week.
Once you book, we schedule visits around your travel itinerary. Most exotic pets do well with twice-daily visits — morning and evening — so the rabbits get a fresh salad before the day starts and the reptile enclosure gets a proper lights-out check 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.
Belmont Areas We Serve
Belmont’s terrain is part of the charm and part of the logistics — the wooded hills west of El Camino Real climb toward Water Dog Lake, while the flatter neighborhoods sit closer to the Caltrain station and the 101. Our team covers the full city, including the Carlmont area near the high school, the residential streets off Ralston Avenue, the hillside homes up toward the open-space preserve, and the pockets near the San Mateo and San Carlos borders. Whether you are tucked up a steep wooded lane or a few blocks from El Camino, we can reach you.
Pricing for Belmont Visits
- 30-minute visits start at $85
- 60-minute visits start at $115
- Twice-daily care runs $140–$190/day depending on visit length and number of pets
Belmont is in our Peninsula service tier, so a travel surcharge of $15–$25/visit applies, depending on distance from our Inner Sunset base. Text us your address and dates and we will confirm your rate. You can read more about what is included on our in-home exotic pet care page.
Routine care makes the trip to Belmont, too. Between school runs and those winding canyon-hill commutes, weekly cage day has a way of slipping — so we offer standing weekly or every-other-week routine care visits, where their caretaker takes on the enclosure deep-clean, hay restock, weigh-ins, and a gentle health check, and you keep the cuddles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really travel to Belmont for exotic pet care?
Yes. Our team travels from San Francisco down to Belmont via the 101 and 280 corridors. Belmont sits in the heart of the Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos, and in-home exotic care here is a regular part of our route.
What kinds of exotic pets do you care for in Belmont?
Guinea pigs are our namesake, and they are in good company: we also care for rabbits (bonded pairs and trios included), chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, and rats; reptiles from bearded dragons and geckos to turtles, tortoises, and non-venomous snakes such as ball pythons — legal to keep here in Belmont's canyon hills; and birds ranging from finches and budgies to conures, cockatiels, lovebirds, and parrots. Cats are welcome on the roster as well, and many Belmont households pair one with the exotics. New guinea pig owners can start with our guinea pig care guide.
What if my exotic pet needs medication while I'm traveling?
Medication administration is part of our standard service. Every caretaker on our team is trained in oral syringe feeding, topical applications, nebulizer treatments, and subcutaneous injections, with training grounded in real clinical experience — our founder previously administered subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines as a House Rabbit Society volunteer. If your pet is on a complex protocol, share it during the meet-and-greet and we will match the schedule exactly.
Can I board my exotic pet instead of booking in-home visits in Belmont?
You can. Boarding runs $75 per night in the San Francisco homes of our team members, who host each stay personally — a straightforward drive up the 280 from Belmont. Spots are limited, so reserve early, and plan to bring your pet's usual enclosure and supplies. Full details are on the boarding page.
How much does a Belmont exotic pet sitter cost?
Most Belmont pet parents book twice-daily care, which runs $140–$190 per day depending on visit length and the number of pets; booked on their own, 30-minute visits start at $85 and 60-minute visits at $115. Since our caretakers travel from San Francisco to Belmont's wooded hillside streets, a travel surcharge of $15–$25/visit applies, depending on distance. Text us at 415-484-6493 with your address and dates for a firm quote.
Ready to line up care for your next trip? Call or text us at 415-484-6493 and we will get a meet-and-greet on the calendar. You can also read more about our in-home exotic pet care service, our boarding option hosted by members of our team in their San Francisco homes, or browse the full FAQ page. Still getting set up with a vet? Our San Mateo Peninsula exotic veterinarians directory is a good place to start, and new guinea pig parents in Belmont will want our guinea pig care guide.