San Bruno Exotic Pet Sitter
San Bruno is a San Mateo County city that keeps a lot of quiet momentum. Sitting just south of the San Francisco county line at the foot of San Bruno Mountain, it is a town of tight residential grids, hillside neighborhoods, and families whose weeks run on the rhythm of SFO, the tech campuses to the south, and the Caltrain and BART lines that thread through the middle of it. A lot of San Bruno households also happen to be small-mammal households — homes where a bonded pair of guinea pigs squeals for breakfast, a rabbit gets her morning salad, or a pair of rats waits for evening lap time. 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 San Bruno sits just down the Peninsula — a short trip south on the 101 or 280 — our team of exotic pet caretakers is only a quick drive away when we come to provide in-home care. From the homes climbing toward the Crestmoor and Rollingwood neighborhoods to the Portola Highlands above the city, and from the streets near the old Tanforan area over toward the Caltrain and BART stations, we come to your pets so they can stay in their own enclosures, on their own routines, while you are away.
Why San Bruno Exotic Pet Owners Choose Our Team
San Bruno is a town full of people who think carefully and plan ahead — airport and airline staff, tech workers, longtime families who have kept the same block for generations. 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 lives. Here is what sets us apart:
- Veterinary background. Our veterinary-informed team brings backgrounds spanning wildlife rehabilitation to exotic veterinary hospital work, and every member is trained under the same clinical lens. Our founder, Alexandria, previously worked as an exotic veterinary assistant and volunteered with the House Rabbit Society, administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines.
- Small-mammal experts. Guinea pigs and rabbits are the heart of what we do — this is literally the House of Guineas. We know how to spot the early signs of trouble in a prey animal that instinctively hides illness. 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 an airport shift 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 San Bruno
- Small mammals — guinea pigs (including bonded 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 San Bruno
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 San Bruno pet parents, this usually lands on a weekend or an after-work window, since so many residents are commuting to SFO, up into the city, or down the Peninsula during the week, whether by BART, Caltrain, or the 101 and 280.
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.
San Bruno Areas We Serve
San Bruno stretches from the flats near the old Tanforan area up into the hills below San Bruno Mountain State Park, and its neighborhoods each have their own character — that is part of the charm and part of the logistics. Our team covers the full city, including Crestmoor, Rollingwood, the Portola Highlands up on the ridge, and the residential streets around the Caltrain and BART stations. From the homes tucked into the hillsides below the mountain to the blocks close to SFO, we can reach you. Whether you are up a steep hillside lane or down on the flats near El Camino Real, we will be there.
Pricing for San Bruno 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
San Bruno sits in San Mateo County, a short trip down the 101 or 280 from our SF base, 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 stops in San Bruno, too. With so many San Bruno families commuting up the 280 or working shifts around SFO, we offer standing weekly or every-other-week routine care visits — their caretaker looks after the enclosure deep-clean, hay restock, weigh-ins, and a gentle health check, so the hours you do have at home belong entirely to your little ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really travel to San Bruno for exotic pet care?
Yes. Our team is based in San Francisco's Inner Sunset, and San Bruno sits just down the Peninsula in San Mateo County, a short trip south on the 101 or 280. In-home exotic care in San Bruno is a regular part of our route.
What kinds of exotic pets do you care for in San Bruno?
Guinea pigs and rabbits are the heart of the house — it is in our name — and we also care for chinchillas, ferrets, hamsters, rats, and the cats who share the household. On the reptile side, San Bruno's spot outside San Francisco city limits means ball pythons are fully legal here, and we care for them along with other non-venomous snakes, bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, turtles, and tortoises. Birds round out the roster: 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 needs never bump a booking into specialty territory with us. Every caretaker handles oral syringe feeding, topical applications, subcutaneous injections, and nebulizer treatments as part of a standard visit — training that grew out of our founder's earlier work administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines with the House Rabbit Society. If your household runs on SFO shift schedules, we can time doses to the hour; just walk us through the protocol at the meet-and-greet.
Can I board my exotic pet instead of booking in-home visits in San Bruno?
Yes. Boarding happens in San Francisco, hosted personally by members of our team in their homes, and since San Bruno is just a short trip up the Peninsula, it is an easy drive. Boarding runs $75 per night, your pet settles into their own room with soothing music, and we ask that you bring their usual enclosure and supplies. Full details are on the boarding page.
How much does a San Bruno exotic pet sitter cost?
Whether you are working early shifts near SFO or commuting down the 280, the rates stay simple: $85 for a 30-minute visit, $115 for 60 minutes, and $140–$190 per day for twice-daily care depending on visit length and the number of pets. 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 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 Mateo Peninsula exotic veterinarians directory is a good place to start, and new guinea pig parents in San Bruno will want our guinea pig care guide.