Pet Boarding
Boarding for your animals
Little Dolittle provides a boarding service for the following animals:
• Amphibian
• Degu
• Ferret
• Gerbil
• Guinea pig
• Hamster
• Insect
• Mouse
• Rat
• Tortoise
Accommodation for boarding
We have a purpose-built outdoor guinea pig/tortoise lodge which is fully insulated for the comfort of your guinea pigs or tortoises. It is heated and has good ventilation. We also provide outdoor runs and space to explore. We also have an indoor space for small animals.
Security/webcams
Our premises (indoor and outdoor) are fully secure and are protected by CCTV. We can provide access to our webcams in our outdoor lodge so that you can view your pet(s) at any time during their stay with us.
Pricing
£5 per night with £2 per additional sharing:
• Guinea pig
• Tortoise
£3 per night with £1 per additional sharing:
• Amphibian
• Degu
• Ferret
• Gerbil
• Hamster
• Mouse
• Rat
£1 per night and no charge for any additional sharing:
• Insect
Inclusive of:
• Feeding and watering
• Cleaning
• Exercise and handling
• Well-being check (does not replace vet's advice)
• Weight check (on arrival and departure)
• Nail trimming (if necessary)
• Administering medication (if necessary)
Grooming for guinea pigs
These are in addition to the grooming which is already included with the boarding package (nail trimming, well-being check, weight check) and are charged at £1.50 per guinea pig, bathing is £5.00 per guinea pig:
• Ear cleaning
• Boar cleaning (male genitals)
• Grease gland cleaning
• Bathing (on vet's recommendation)
Enclosures and equipment
For guinea pigs
Little Dolittle provides:
• Indoor cages/C&C cages
• Outdoor runs
• Substrate (megazorb or bath mats with lots of hay)
• Food bowls
• Water dispensers/bowls
• Fruit, vegetables, hay and wild plants
Customer provides:
• Dry food
• Toys
• Hideouts
• Sturdy pet carrier
For tortoises
Little Dolittle provides:
• Indoor tortoise tables
• Outdoor tortoise runs
• Heating/lighting/thermostat
• Combometer (temperature & humidity)
• Substrate (top soil)
• Food bowls
• Water bowls
• Hideouts
• Fruit, vegetables and wild plants
Customer provides:
• Dry food
• Toys
• Supplements, including calcium powder, cuttlefish, etc (if appropriate)
• Sturdy pet carrier
For other small animals
Little Dolittle provides:
• Fruit, vegetables, hay, natural treats and wild plants
Customer provides:
• Suitable secure enclosure/cage
• Changeable substrate/bedding (wood shavings, shredded paper, etc)
• Food bowl
• Water bowl/dispenser
• Dry/live/frozen food
• Toys/hideouts
• Heating/lighting (if appropriate)
• Supplements, including calcium powder, cuttlefish, etc (if appropriate)
• Sturdy pet carrier
Little Dolittle cannot be held liable for costs relating to damage to cages, vivariums, other animal enclosures, accessories (such as lighting, etc). If lighting or heating provided by the customer stops working then Little Dolittle will do its best to replace the item but the cost must be reimbursed by the owner on their return.
Food
Little Dolittle will supply fresh water, hay, fruit, vegetables and plants but we ask customers to supply a sufficient quantity of their pet’s own dried/frozen/live food (to avoid upset tummies). If Little Dolittle has to buy more dried/frozen/live food then this will be charged to the customer.
Booking
A completed booking form and pet registration form is required for each booking if you are a new customer. If an existing customer requests boarding then unless the information already held by Little Dolittle is confirmed as still correct by the customer, a booking form/pet registration form will need to be completed and submitted to Little Dolittle. Little Dolittle operates a minimum stay of 3 nights.
Reviews
"James at Little Dolittle provides excellent boarding services. The facilities are clean, with good spaces both inside and out. The boarding is secure and safe. His contact and communication from beginning to end was excellent. James stayed in contact throughout our tortoise Stanley's stay. James also provides a health check on collection which is an excellent feature to his boarding. We were also delayed by several hours on our return journey which James accommodated for us at short notice. Stanley was very happy when we collected her and had clearly been well looked after. We cannot recommend Little Dolittle enough and Stanley will definitely be boarding with James again 😀"
- Mrs Godfrey
"Great place to take your pets to be looked after! James is fantastic at caring for our tortoise and takes very good care of him. He is easy to reach and provides updates on how your pet is doing as often as you want! Our tortoise never wants to leave after we’ve dropped him off with James!
Would highly recommend and you can be assured that your little pets are in good care and safe hands!"
- Mr Tam
"My guinea pigs have boarded here for a few years now. I always feel that they are safe and well looked after. James also made me aware that one of my guinea pigs had very long front teeth during a health check. This meant I was able to react quickly and get the right treatment. I wouldn't leave them anywhere else!"
- Ms Bateman
"James had my 3 female guinea pigs for a week while we were abroad. I suffer from bad anxiety when it comes to leaving my girls. James messaged me as frequently as I liked with updates on them. He provided necessary health checks and trimmed their nails. I could really tell how passionate he was about his work and that he truly loves these animals the way we as owners do. It takes a lot for me to trust someone with my babies and I trust James wholeheartedly. What a fantastic little business! Highly recommend and will be using again in the future. Thank you James. 6 stars!"
- Ms Slack
"James offers a fantastic service and great carer for your Guinea pigs while you’re away. The whole process is very professional and personal. When I booked my boys in I had forms to fill out to provide full information on both of them which really assured me they would be cared for above and beyond. I chose to be updated everyday and received photos of them enjoying their stay. While they were staying they received a health check and nail clipping. 10/10 and our boys will definitely be back for another holiday. Thank you x"
- Mrs Austerberry
"Absolutely fantastic service. Little Dolittle looked after our Giant African Land Snails whilst we went on holiday, with so much care! Little Dolittle also gave us some great advice on future care of our snails. Will definitely use again!"
- Ms Taffe
"James looked after our 2 rats Willow & Mable for 2 weeks. He sent my daughter daily updates and pictures keeping us informed of how they were doing. James is super knowledgeable when it comes to small animals I was really impressed. Thank you for taking good care of our fur babies. We will definitely use you again"
- Ms Evans
"I would highly recommend Little Dolittle as a boarding service, especially for rats. I left my 2 ratties for 2 weeks and could not be happier with the service I got. It's always daunting to leave rats with someone else as they require more attention and care, but I felt completely safe and happy having James looking after them. I received regular updates with photos and videos, James made sure to contact me with any queries or concerns, he made them foraging toys, they had plenty of free roam time and cuddles, and were well looked after! Thank you, James, you've been brilliant and I would be more than happy to leave my ratties with you again.
- Ms Fairfield
"What an amazing service, our two guinea pigs were so well looked after, when I collected them, they we're relaxed and happy. A fantastic service, second to none. James is a lovely man, very kind and knowledgeable. Highly, highly recommended. Fantastic service from the initial booking, right through to collecting our guinea pigs after their boarding. James is friendly, extremely knowledgeable and caring. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Little Dolittle....5* service, gold standard"
- Ms Trinder & Crick
“A big 'Thank You' to James for taking great care of our old tortoise Alice for the last 2 weeks. James has great knowledge of all the pets he boards and he keeps you informed with messages and videos while your pet is in his care. I have no reservations in recommending Little Dolittle as a safe and caring home for your animals while you are away. You can rest assured that they will be given the best care possible. Thanks again ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
- Mr Jaffary
“Hammy had a wonderful holiday, he found a new BFF in the form of James and came back after a detailed health check and nail clip. He now continues on environmentally enhanced substrate, wonderful for his older feet and daily boredom busters with treats hidden in his cardboard rolls. His future holidays are already booked!”
- Mrs Cook
“James delivers an excellent and tailor made pet sitting service. He researched our tortoises’ needs and made us and them feel welcome. He gave regular updates and on picking up the torts, he had completed a health check for each animal. I would say James provides a service that is above and beyond what you get from other similar sitting services in the area. We have booked in again already!”
- Mrs Keeling
“If you’re looking for rodent boarding, I would highly recommend choosing Little Dolittle! James is incredibly knowledgeable and his passion for animals shines through. He looked after our 2 dwarf hamsters whilst we were away, and we were incredibly happy with the services. Thank you so much”
- Ms Smith
“Just collected my two boys Percy and George from their boarding and they've have had a fantastic time with James. They have been truly spoilt and well looked after, wellbeing checks done and nails trimmed. Couldn't have asked for anymore. Thank you James, they will definitely be coming again. Would highly recommend Little Dolittle”
- Mrs Cardall
"James is very professional and absolutely loves everything he does which really shows in the care and enthusiasm he has for the animals he is looking after. Our three rats were very happy and we were given daily updates, videos and reassurances. I would be very happy to recommend Little Dolittle to anyone wanting the best care for their pets. We will be repeat customers for sure. In fact we wouldn't want our pets anywhere else."
- Mrs Mcnulty