Now that Summer break has come to an end, more people are returning to offices and kids are back in school, pets are being left alone for longer periods of time. Preparing your pet to be home alone and reinforcing the positives of quiet time alone, will prevent separation anxiety and stress. Pets are adaptable!  They do not all have “separation anxiety” the moment we leave them. With time to get used to their new routine and these tips, your pet will adjust. Introduce the new routine & ease in.  If your pet is used to sleeping in with you and waking up slowly, start setting you ..read more

Summer is here and so are the 90+ degree days! When temperatures are above 90 degrees, Alexandria Pet Care modifies dog walking visits to keep your pets safe, and adds A/C checks to our pet sitting visits for cats, birds, rabbits and other indoor pets we visit. Our visits always remain the same length in time (if you’ve chosen a 20 minute visit, your pet will have a 20 minute visit – not shorter because of the heat), and we do all we can to keep your pets comfortably cool. Our Team’s Modifications For Heat, Heat Index, and Air Quality Caution Days: For dog walks, we will seek out shady areas ..read more

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been 3 million new U.S. pets purchased or adopted. Many of these pets have been impacted by their lack of contact during periods of isolation. Particularly puppies that missed the developmental window between 6-20 weeks to learn how to interact with humans. For our pre-pandemic furry family members, the sudden change in routine has caused stress and anxiety.  We have witnessed a 50% increase in pets that struggle with emotional regulation. Most pets are more sensitive to external factors, including us!  Trends we’ve seen through 2021-2022 Dog ..read more

We’re here for you, 7 days a week when you need us.    Pet appointments are 365 days a year, 7 am to 10 pm.    For existing clients, we can schedule your services 3 days in advance or more (or under 48 hours with a $30 Squeeze Me In fee.)   For new clients, we can schedule services after you’re registered for your online account and meet your neighborhood team on a Zoom video call. We offer a variety of services and plans to meet your needs.   Weekday Dog Walking Visits Whether you are working in the office or from home these days, we are happy to help get yo ..read more

What do you need to know? We follow every client’s personalized instructions.  So, our services are only as good as the information you give us and the expectations you share with us. Here’s the low down on what’s expected of you & the summarized version of what’s in your client agreement when you sign up for services.  Contactless Services Due to covid, we’re only serving empty homes for pet sitting and only providing 100% contactless dog walking.  During dog walks, any household members at home or working from home must stay on a separate level from us, and if within sigh ..read more

Alexandria Pet Care offers a free, no obligation consultation at no charge. No strings.  No charge.  We think it’s important for you to meet who’ll be coming in your home, get to know us, and see if we are the right fit. We conduct consultations via Zoom video meetings and they take around 20 minutes.  During your consultation Team introductions – You will meet the professionals who will be visiting your pet(s) & hear a bit more about their animal careers and background working with pets. We work in small neighborhood teams and you will meet yours during the consultation ..read more

The Fall season is right around the corner, we promise, the heat will relent soon! The changing of seasons brings some unique health threats to your much-loved pets. The experts at Alexandria Pet Care want to share these tips to keep your pets safe.  Chrysanthemums or “Mums” are a common Fall flower. While they are a great way to add some color to your landscaping or interior décor, they are extremely toxic to cats & dogs. They should be kept out of paws’ reach! And if you suspect ingestion, contact your vet immediately. Signs of ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, increased saliva ..read more

Wow! Lately we have seen a bunch of destructive dog tendencies from otherwise-sweet and well-behaved well-adjusted dogs:  tearing up doggy beds, chewing up pillows, digging in the sofa… you can imagine! Not fun for pet owners to come home to, clean up, or try try to figure out and avoid in the future.    Well….   Alexandria Pet Care’s TIPS to the rescue to help you out!  We have seen these tendencies and worked with dogs (and owners) before to solve them.  All day long when the house is quiet – when people are out on errands or at work, kids are at scho ..read more

Are you introducing a new cat into your home, but are unsure about how your other cat(s) will react? Oftentimes, they will become best buds, but it does take a few tricks to get them comfortable with one another. If you introduce them too quickly or don’t give them the time and space to get properly acclimated, it could be a recipe for a rough relationship. If cats meet face to face right away, you might see an unpleasant side of your cat that you didn’t know they had, or simply a display of fear and protectiveness.  They might react in a number of ways, from just sniffing or staring at ..read more

Before we tell you about the greatest low-commitment trend, we should mention the myriad of ways that you or someone you know can help homeless animals whenever you have the opportunity. We have several local options to give your time, your love, or even your home, to help the homeless pet population. You could volunteer at your local Alexandria, Arlington, or Fairfax County animal shelter, work with a rescue organization to drive pets to our area from other states or to staff their adoption events, or visit a rescue organization facility like King Street Cats or Tails High to socialize with c ..read more