HOW TO HIRE · PETS

How to hire a small animal sitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to small animal care. Here is what to ask and write down.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a small animal sitter in five steps

  1. Find experienceWith rabbits, guinea pigs or the animals you keep.
  2. Write the routineFood, hay, water, cleaning, run time.
  3. Agree visitsDaily at least; twice for some.
  4. List warning signsNot eating, no droppings, hunched — and your vet.
  5. Sort keys and updatesMessages after each visit.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

A small animal sitter visiting your home needs no licence in any UK nation. The animal licensing schemes cover businesses that house other people's animals; Defra's guidance for England names sitters and walkers working in the owner's home as outside them.

Ask for references from regular clients and meet before the first booking. gov.uk →

Boarding small animals is not licensed

The boarding laws cover cats and dogs only: England's 2018 Regulations, and the 1963 Act in Wales and Scotland, which defines an animal as a dog or cat. A sitter who boards rabbits or guinea pigs at home needs no licence.

If your pets would stay at the sitter's, visit and check the hutches and runs. legislation.gov.uk →

Animal welfare law

The welfare law follows the animal, not the owner. In England and Wales the Animal Welfare Act 2006 treats anyone in charge of an animal, even for a day, as responsible for its needs; Scotland's Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and Northern Ireland's Welfare of Animals Act 2011 impose the same kind of duty on a small animal sitter.

Ask for their emergency plan and which vet they would call for your pets. legislation.gov.uk →

Insurance

There is no compulsory insurance for a small animal sitter. A professional will carry public liability and cover for the animals they look after, and can tell you the insurer's name and what happens if your pets is injured.

Ask for a copy of the insurance schedule.

VAT

Looking after rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals is standard-rated at 20%, hutch cleaning included. Over the £90,000 registration threshold a trader has to charge VAT and show it separately, next to its VAT number.

Ask for the VAT number, and whether the price per visit for your hutches includes the 20%. gov.uk →

“Have you looked after small animals like mine?”

A good answer: Specific experience.

“What does each small animal visit include?”

A good answer: Food, hay, water, spot clean, run time, health check.

“Would the small animal sitter spot a rabbit that has stopped eating?”

A good answer: Yes — and call the vet quickly.

“Will you secure the hutch and run against foxes?”

A good answer: Yes, every visit.

“Can you give medication?”

A good answer: If shown, recorded each time.

“Are you insured as a small animal sitter?”

A good answer: Yes, with keys covered.

“Who covers if you are ill?”

A good answer: A named backup.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends the hutches — the sitter you met, or cover staff, employed or subcontracted
  • Price per visit
  • Number of animals and hutches
  • Cleaning and run time
  • Holiday rates and cancellation
  • The VAT number, and VAT on the small animal visits as its own line

Walk away if

  • No experience with rabbits or guinea pigs
  • Hutches left unsecured
  • No questions about diet
  • No insurance
LOW
£10
TYPICAL
£14
HIGH
£20

What a small animal sitter costs: £10–£20 per visit

Small animal care is priced per visit, by the number of animals, hutch cleaning, outdoor runs and medication. Small Animal Care price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Small animal sitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. MeetThe sitter meets the animals and learns the routine.
  2. HandoverKeys, food, hay and vet details.
  3. VisitsFeeding, hay, water and spot cleaning.
  4. Health checkEach animal checked every visit.
  5. ReturnNotes and keys handed back.

Hay
The main food for rabbits and guinea pigs.
Spot clean
Removing soiled bedding between full cleans.
Gut stasis
A dangerous slowdown in a rabbit's digestion.
Run
The outdoor exercise area.
Bonded pair
Two animals kept together.
Care sheet
Your written routine.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the animalsEating, droppings and behaviour normal.
Read the notesAnything unusual.
Get keys backAll copies.
Tell others how it wentA short, specific review is the most useful kind. If it went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first.

STEP 1Tell the sitter, in writingSay what went wrong with the small animal care and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2Make-it-right, then reviewA rating below four stars for this small animal sitter opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the sitter hears about it first, we chase it, and the review follows.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplineThere is no licensing body for a small animal sitter. If the sitter will not put things right, the consumer helpline for your nation can refer it to Trading Standards — Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4The court, as a last stepFor a small animal sitter dispute that will not settle, the small claims route covers up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland; the court fee depends on the amount claimed.

Hiring a small animal sitter: questions people ask

No. No licence applies in any UK nation; boarding licences cover cats and dogs only.

None is compulsory; public liability, animal care and key cover are normal.

Yes, while in charge; welfare law requires their needs to be met.

£10–£20 per visit, typically around £14. The small animal care price guide explains what moves the figure; enter your postcode above for prices from small animal sitters near you.

At least daily; a rabbit that stops eating needs a vet quickly.

Tell the sitter in writing. Reasonable care and skill is still owed under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in pets

How to hire: Bird CareHow to hire: Reptile CareHow to hire: Pet BoardingHow to hire: Pet SittingHow to hire: House Sitting with PetsHow to hire: Cat SittingHow to hire: Mobile VetHow to hire: Nail ClippingAll 701 hiring guides →

Small animal sitters near you

Small animal sitters in LondonSmall animal sitters in ManchesterSmall animal sitters in BirminghamSmall animal sitters in GlasgowSmall animal sitters in BelfastAll small animal sitters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk (Defra) — dog day care licensing guidance
  2. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 3 — responsibility for animals
  3. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9 — duty to ensure welfare
  4. Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, section 24
  5. Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, section 9
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963, section 5
  8. Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, schedule 1
  9. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  10. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  11. nidirect — small claims process
  12. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register