Marin Exotic Pet Sitter
For years, Marin County exotic pet parents have had to choose between the wrong options. Board your rabbits at a dog-and-cat kennel that has never weighed a guinea pig. Drive a bearded dragon up to Santa Rosa or across the bridge to the East Bay. Or hand your parrot to a neighbor and hope the millet and the misting schedule survive the week. Marin is one of the most affluent, pet-loving counties in California, and yet there has been no dedicated in-home sitter who actually specializes in exotics. That has changed — House of Guineas now has a caretaker based right here in Marin.
We are San Francisco’s exotic pet care company, and our Marin caretaker lives in Central Marin and covers the county from there. That means your rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles, and birds stay in their own enclosures, on their own routines, cared for by someone who knows the difference between a healthy gut sound and the silence of GI stasis — and because we are based in the county, there is little to no bridge-toll-style travel surcharge to reach you.
Why Marin Exotic Pet Owners Choose Our Team
- A caretaker who actually lives in Marin. No crossing the Golden Gate on a schedule. They can reach most of the county quickly, which keeps visits flexible and travel costs low.
- Veterinary background. Our veterinary-informed team has backgrounds spanning wildlife rehabilitation to exotic veterinary hospital work, and our founder previously volunteered with the House Rabbit Society administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines. Every caretaker on our team, in Marin and beyond, is trained under that same clinical lens.
- Species specialization. Exotic pets and cats are our whole focus — rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, reptiles, and birds. That kind of focus is almost impossible to find north of the bridge.
- Clinical-grade care. We can syringe-feed a rabbit in stasis, weigh a guinea pig on a gram scale, check a reptile enclosure’s humidity and UVB, and catch the early signs of a crop problem in a parrot — and we know where the nearest exotic vets are if something goes wrong.
Exotic Species We Care For in Marin
Marin is a county of families, gardens, and space — which means a lot of rabbits, guinea pigs, and aviary birds. We lead with the species Marin actually keeps:
- Small mammals — rabbits (including bonded pairs and trios), guinea pigs, chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, rats
- Birds — parrots, cockatiels, conures, budgies, lovebirds, finches
- Reptiles — bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, ball pythons and other non-venomous snakes, turtles and tortoises
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.
Marin Towns We Serve
Our Central Marin base puts most of the county within an easy drive. We provide in-home exotic pet care across:
- San Rafael — the county seat and Marin’s largest city
- Mill Valley — and the Tamalpais Valley
- Larkspur and Corte Madera — our home turf
- San Anselmo, Ross, Fairfax and the Ross Valley
- Kentfield and Greenbrae
- Sausalito, Tiburon and Belvedere — the southern-Marin waterfront
- Novato and the northern county (by arrangement)
If your town is not listed, text us your address and we will confirm coverage.
Pricing for Marin 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
Here is the part that surprises people: because our caretaker is based in Central Marin rather than crossing the bridge from the city, most of Marin falls in our no-surcharge to $15/visit range — far less than the distance from San Francisco would suggest. Text us your address and dates and we will confirm your exact rate. You can read more about what is included on our in-home exotic pet care page.
Because our caretaker lives right here in Central Marin, standing routine care visits are easy to keep on the calendar — weekly or every-other-week, with the enclosure deep-clean, weigh-ins, and a gentle nose-to-tail check all handled — so evenings with your little ones, anywhere in the county, are for floor time and hand-feeding from start to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you actually cover Marin County, or drive over from the city?
We genuinely cover Marin. Our caretaker is based in Central Marin and lives in the county, so there is no bridge crossing built into your visit schedule. That is what lets us keep travel costs low and offer flexible morning and evening timing across San Rafael, Mill Valley, Larkspur, Corte Madera, San Anselmo, and the surrounding towns.
Is there a travel surcharge to reach Marin?
Much less than you would expect. Because our caretaker is based in Central Marin, most of the county falls in our no-surcharge to $15/visit range, depending on how far you are from our Marin base. Only the far north of the county approaches our standard $25/visit distance tier. Text us your address for an exact figure.
Can you care for snakes in Marin?
Yes. Marin is not subject to San Francisco's snake restrictions, so we care for ball pythons and other non-venomous snakes here, along with bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, and turtles and tortoises. Share your feeding and temperature schedule at the meet-and-greet and we will follow it exactly.
What if my rabbit or guinea pig needs medication while I'm away?
Medication is part of our standard service. Every member of our team is trained in oral syringe feeding and topical applications, to standards drawn from real clinical experience — including our founder's past volunteer work administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines with the House Rabbit Society. If your pet is on a complex protocol, walk us through it at the meet-and-greet and we will match the timing precisely.
Can I board my exotic pet instead of booking in-home visits?
For most Marin families, in-home visits are the better fit — your little one stays in their own space, on their own routine, and it is our most available service. We do offer a limited amount of boarding at $75 per night, hosted personally by members of our team in their San Francisco homes and occasionally by a Marin caretaker, but space is limited and books up early, so reach out well ahead if you think you will need it. When in doubt, start with in-home visits.
Ready to lock in coverage 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 limited boarding option, or browse the full FAQ page. New guinea pig or rabbit parents in Marin will want our guinea pig care guide and rabbit care guide.