Guinea Pig Sitter Peninsula
On the Peninsula, a guinea pig is often the pet that anchors a busy household — the one a kid in San Mateo begged for, the pair that greet a biotech researcher in Foster City after a long day, the little herd that popcorns around a Redwood City living room. Small mammals have a way of becoming the heart of a home while asking for very little on the surface. Underneath, though, they are particular. A guinea pig needs unlimited hay in front of it around the clock, fresh vegetables every day, a steady source of vitamin C its body cannot make on its own, and — most of all — a caretaker who can tell the difference between a pig that is simply napping and a pig that has quietly stopped eating. That last distinction is not a small one, because in a guinea pig, a rabbit, or a chinchilla, a gut that goes silent is a genuine emergency, not a wait-and-see. A generalist sitter who mostly does dogs, however kind, is usually not equipped to weigh a pig on a gram scale, catch the early signs of GI stasis, or syringe critical-care formula into an animal that has gone off its food. That is exactly the gap our Peninsula team was built to fill.
House of Guineas Pet Care is based in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset — the name is no accident, since the whole business grew out of guinea pig care — and our team of exotic pet caretakers travels down the Peninsula to provide in-home visits from Daly City to Redwood City. Your pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, and pocket pets stay in their own enclosures, on their own routines, eating their own hay, while you are away.
Why Peninsula Small-Mammal Pet Parents Choose Us
The Peninsula is full of thoughtful pet parents who do their homework — and the small-mammal community here is especially serious about doing right by animals that are easy to underestimate. What they tell us they need is a sitter who brings real clinical rigor to the job. Here is what sets us apart:
- Veterinary background. Our veterinary-informed team brings backgrounds spanning wildlife rehabilitation to exotic veterinary hospital work, and every caretaker is trained to identify critical health issues early. Our founder previously worked as an exotic veterinary assistant at Bay Area Bird & Exotics Hospital and volunteered with the House Rabbit Society administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines — a clinical standard that shapes how we care for every animal.
- Species specialization. Exotic pets and cats are our whole focus — small mammals above all. That kind of focus is genuinely hard to find on the Peninsula.
- Clinical-grade care. We weigh pets on a gram scale to catch problems before they show, we monitor appetite and output at every visit, and our team can hand-feed and support a pig that has gone off its food while coordinating with your exotic vet — because in a small mammal, those are the numbers that tell you what is really going on.
- Flexible scheduling around Peninsula life. Early-morning visits before an SFO departure, evening feeds after a late CalTrain return, mid-day timing for medications — we build the schedule around your itinerary, not the other way around.
Small Mammals We Care For on the Peninsula
- Guinea pigs — including bonded pairs and whole herds
- Chinchillas
- Ferrets
- Hamsters, rats, and other pocket pets — if it is small and furry, ask us
We also care for rabbits, which have their own particular needs — see our dedicated rabbit sitter in San Mateo and rabbit sitter in Burlingame pages. If your species is not listed, call or text us and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.
What In-Home Small-Mammal Care Involves
Good small-mammal care is quiet, consistent, and detail-driven. At every visit we make sure there is unlimited timothy hay available, because a guinea pig should be grazing on it around the clock. We put out fresh vegetables daily, and for guinea pigs we pay special attention to vitamin C, which they cannot produce themselves. We keep clean water available, spot-clean the enclosure and refresh the fleece liner so your pet stays dry and comfortable, and we weigh each animal to track the trend over time. Most importantly, we watch for the early signs of illness — a guinea pig that has stopped eating is an emergency, and catching it a day early can be the difference that matters.
Peninsula Cities We Serve
Our caretakers travel throughout San Mateo County, with the 101 and 280 corridors putting most of the Peninsula within easy reach:
- Burlingame
- San Mateo
- Foster City
- Redwood City
- Hillsborough
- Millbrae
- Belmont
- San Carlos
- San Bruno
- Daly City and Pacifica
If your town is not on the list, text us — there is a good chance we can reach you.
Pricing for Peninsula Small-Mammal 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
The Peninsula falls in our travel tier, so a surcharge of $15–$25/visit applies depending on distance — cities closer in often see the lower end.
The weekly liner change can quietly take care of itself. Peninsula guinea pig families often set up recurring routine care — weekly or every-other-week visits where their caretaker handles fresh liners, a full hay restock, gram-scale weigh-ins, and a careful nose-to-tail once-over, so your evenings belong to lap time, wheeks, and popcorning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you travel to the Peninsula for guinea pig visits?
Yes. Our team travels from San Francisco down the 101 and 280 corridors to serve Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, Redwood City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, Belmont, San Carlos, San Bruno, Daly City, and Pacifica. A travel surcharge of $15–$25/visit applies depending on distance. Text or call us at 415-484-6493 with your town and dates to book.
Do you care for a bonded pair or a whole herd of guinea pigs?
Herds are welcome — pairs, trios, and full piggy rooms are all in a day's work for our caretakers on the Peninsula. Every pig still gets an individual gram-scale weigh-in and their own appetite-and-output check, because in a group it's easy for one quiet pig to hide a problem. Just walk us through the headcount and setup at your meet-and-greet.
What if my guinea pig stops eating while I'm away?
A guinea pig that has stopped eating is an emergency, and our caretakers are trained to recognize it. We monitor appetite and output at every visit and can hand-feed critical-care formula to a pig in GI stasis while getting it to an exotic vet. Our team's training comes straight from exotic veterinary hospital work, so this is exactly the kind of situation we are prepared for — and we will reach out to you before you land.
How do you coordinate with local exotic vets on the Peninsula?
We know the Peninsula's exotic vet landscape well. Peninsula small-mammal families are often established with All Pets Hospital in San Mateo, Peninsula Pet Hospital in Burlingame, or Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, with Bay Area Bird & Exotics Hospital in San Francisco as the nearest specialty option. During the meet-and-greet we record your preferred vet and emergency contacts. More on the regional network is on our Peninsula exotic veterinarians directory.
How much does a Peninsula guinea pig sitter cost?
A guinea pig visit is mostly hands-on time — hay restock, fresh vegetables with a vitamin C source, a water change, spot-cleaning, and a gram-scale weigh-in — so pricing follows visit length: $85 for 30 minutes, $115 for 60 minutes, and $140–$190 per day for twice-daily care depending on visit length and the number of pets. The Peninsula falls in our travel tier, so a 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 small mammals? Call or text us at 415-484-6493 and we will get a Peninsula meet-and-greet on the calendar. You can also read more about our in-home exotic pet care service, or browse the full FAQ page. New to guinea pigs? Start with our guinea pig care guide. And if you want to keep your pigs dry between spot-cleans, take a look at our handmade guinea pig fleece cage liner.