Pacifica Exotic Pet Sitter
Pacifica is where the Peninsula meets the sea. A short drive down Highway 1 from San Francisco, it is a string of beach-town neighborhoods tucked between the coastal hills and the Pacific, wrapped in the kind of thick coastal fog that rolls in off Rockaway and Linda Mar and settles for days. It is a family town — surfers heading out at dawn, kids walking to school in Sharp Park and Vallemar, households where the pets are very much part of the family. And in a lot of those homes, the pet in question is a pair of guinea pigs who popcorn at breakfast, a house rabbit with the run of the living room, a bearded dragon on a strict UVB schedule, or a cockatiel who expects his evening millet. When one of those families is headed out of town, 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 because Pacifica sits just down the coast on Highway 1 — a straight shot past Devil’s Slide’s northern edge and the San Bruno Mountain foothills — our team of exotic pet caretakers is only a short trip away when we come to provide in-home care. From the homes above Rockaway Beach to the flatter streets of Linda Mar, and from Sharp Park over toward Fairmont and Vallemar, we come to your pets so they can stay in their own enclosures, on their own routines, while you are away.
Why Pacifica Exotic Pet Owners Choose Our Team
Pacifica is a town full of people who care deeply about their animals and want them looked after the right way — parents juggling school schedules, coastal commuters heading up Highway 1 into the city, and longtime residents who have raised a whole menagerie of small pets on the same foggy block. What pet parents here tell us they need is a sitter who brings real, clinical rigor to a guinea pig or a rabbit — someone who already knows these animals inside and out. Here is what sets us apart:
- Veterinary background. Our veterinary-informed team brings backgrounds spanning wildlife rehabilitation to exotic veterinary hospital work, and every pet caretaker is trained under the same clinical lens. Our founder previously worked as an exotic veterinary assistant and volunteered with the House Rabbit Society, administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines.
- Species specialization. Exotic pets and cats are our whole focus — guinea pigs, rabbits, other small mammals, reptiles, and birds. That kind of focus is genuinely hard to find on the coast.
- 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 Francisco Bay Area exotic veterinarians directory.
- Flexible scheduling. Early-morning visits before a surf session 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 Pacifica
- Small mammals — guinea pigs (singles, pairs, and herds), rabbits (including bonded pairs and trios), 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 Pacifica
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 Pacifica families, this usually lands on a weekend or an after-work window, since so many residents are commuting up Highway 1 into the city or juggling school runs 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 guinea pigs 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.
Pacifica Areas We Serve
Pacifica is famously foggy and spread out along the coast, and each of its neighborhoods has its own character — that is part of the charm and part of the logistics. Our team covers the full city, including Linda Mar and the homes near the beach and the Pacifica Pier, Rockaway Beach, Sharp Park, Vallemar, Fairmont, and the hillside streets that climb up off Highway 1. From the flats near Linda Mar Beach to the fog-wrapped lanes tucked into the coastal hills, we can reach you.
Pricing for Pacifica 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
Because Pacifica sits just down the coast from San Francisco on Highway 1, it is a short trip for our SF-based team, so a travel surcharge of $15–$25/visit applies, depending on distance. 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 comes down the coast to Pacifica, too. For families who would rather spend a foggy Saturday at Linda Mar Beach than elbow-deep in an enclosure, we offer standing weekly or every-other-week routine care visits — their caretaker covers the deep-clean, hay restock, weigh-ins, and a gentle health check, keeping your little ones’ coastal setup fresh in every season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really travel to Pacifica for exotic pet care?
Yes. Our team is based in San Francisco's Inner Sunset, and Pacifica sits just down the coast on Highway 1, so it is a short trip for us. In-home exotic care in Pacifica is a regular part of our route.
What kinds of exotic pets do you care for in Pacifica?
Everything from the guinea pigs popcorning in a Linda Mar living room to the cockatiel watching the fog roll in. We care for guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, and rats, with cats happily added to the same visit. Reptile families are welcome too — bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, turtles, tortoises, and, since Pacifica sits outside San Francisco's snake rules, ball pythons and other non-venomous snakes. For the bird flock: parrots, cockatiels, conures, budgies, lovebirds, and finches. New guinea pig parents can start with our guinea pig care guide.
What if my exotic pet needs medication while I'm traveling?
Medication is part of our standard care. Our team is trained in oral syringe feeding, topical applications, nebulizer treatments, and subcutaneous injections — training built on real clinical experience, including our founder's past volunteer work administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines with the House Rabbit Society. If your little one is on a complex protocol, walk us through it at the meet-and-greet and we will match the schedule exactly.
Can I board my exotic pet instead of booking in-home visits in Pacifica?
We do — a small number of spots, hosted personally by members of our team in their San Francisco homes, at $75 per night. Pacifica families just bring the usual enclosure and supplies along for the drive up Highway 1. Full details are on the boarding page.
How much does a Pacifica exotic pet sitter cost?
Pricing on the coast matches the rest of our route: $85 for a 30-minute visit, $115 for a full hour, and $140–$190 per day for twice-daily care, depending on visit length and the number of pets. Because Highway 1 is part of the trip, a travel surcharge of $15–$25/visit applies depending on distance. From Linda Mar to Sharp Park, text us at 415-484-6493 with your address and dates and we will confirm your rate.
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 boarding option hosted personally 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 Francisco Bay Area exotic veterinarians directory is a good place to start, and new guinea pig parents in Pacifica will want our guinea pig care guide.