Keys, glorious keys. As I provide in-home cat visits, I carry a huge, heavy key ring of client keys. The weight of the keys is not just physical; it’s the weight of trust that my clients have in me to allow me access to their pets and their homes while they are away. I take this trust and responsibility very seriously.

 

Process

I normally receive client keys at the free consultation meeting, along with a non-refundable deposit that is credited back to the client’s upcoming pet sitting balance.

I can also return at a later date to collect keys, if the client hadn’t gotten copies made yet, or wants to go over their cat’s routine again, however as I charge new clients for each additional pre-service visit, normally clients give me keys at the free consultation. Currently, I don’t charge for key return and subsequent key pick ups or key returns, or for picking up new keys if a current client’s locks are changed or if a current client moves within my service area.

 

Key issues I avoid

Some apartment buildings restrict the number of keys each tenant can have, so it’s not always possible to have a spare set of keys. Aside from that, it is a good idea for clients to have a spare set of keys to give me, and even just to have around for themselves. It is stressful coordinating  if I have the client’s only set of keys. I never want the client to be locked out of their own home! Maybe the client is running late, or I am running late (traffic, unpredictability of animals, etc.), and it’s always tricky coordinating the exchange and someone is left waiting for the other person.

I’m sometimes asked to pick up and return keys at concierge desks or from a friend/neighbour, but I’ve just had bad luck with this arrangement. Either the front desk is unmanned for a long time – shift change? lunch? just… no one? – or the building office is only open one or two days per week for a couple of hours. This wastes my time and creates stress because I’m never sure if I’ll actually get the keys so I can get to the cat, or be able to return the keys to the appropriate person.

Some clients ask me to leave their keys under the front mat, in the mail box, or on the kitchen table/counter. No, I do not do this.

A) Someone could see me put your keys under the mat or in the mail box, and once I leave, retrieve them and enter your home.

B) Once I hide them and leave, who do you think has accountability for those keys? I followed your instructions… but if you cannot find the keys, how would you feel and what would you do about it?

C) If I leave your keys inside your home and lock the door behind me, should you be delayed for whatever reason (weather, canceled/missed flights, illness, last-minute change of plans) and need me to return the next day, I won’t be able to get in to care for your cat.

Therefore, I must deliver keys in person.

A number of my clients offer to drop off and pick up their keys at my home, thinking this will be easier for me. It’s not. I appreciate the thoughtful consideration, though! I am not, as I think some clients think, sitting on my couch all day watching Netflix with my cats. My business is full-time, seven days per week, and I do not have time to wait at home when I have a full day of cat visits to do. Places to go, cats to see! Also, I cannot disrupt my family by welcoming visitors early in the morning when we’re getting ready for the day or late in the evening when we’re trying to have family time or get ready for bed.  This is why I offer complimentary key pick up and drop off.

 

Leave your keys with me

Logistically, it is more convenient to leave keys on file with me, and I encourage all of my clients to do this if they plan on using my service again. It’s great for:

• last-minute/emergency/unexpected travel
• if you ever get locked out
• saves time and trouble of continuously scheduling key pick ups and drop offs.

My operating hours are 6:30am-7:30am and 10am-3:30pm daily, which may be difficult to coordinate a good meeting time for some people (working professionals tend to meet me at the 6:30am or 7am or on the weekend). I understand, though, when some clients prefer to have their keys returned after each pet sit. My client’s comfort and safety is very important to me.

The keys

My favourite keys are the vanity keys. Not only do they bring a smile to my face (my favourite has Elvis emblazoned on it), but they are easy to locate on my massive key ring when I’m trying to unlock an outside door in Montreal’s frosty -25 degree Celsius winter weather. My keys are all carefully labeled with no address information, however I am very grateful for those extra few seconds saved by a flashy, gaudy vanity key.

My second favourite keys are the big, heavy Medeco keys, as I have never had problems unlocking and locking those locks. A lot of buildings have old locks with thin keys that are probably copies of copies of copies. I once broke one of those thin keys in my own apartment door years ago – it had to be pried out with needle-nose pliers, and I needed to get yet another thin copy made which also didn’t work very well. One reason I insist on testing keys once I receive them is that a lot of older locks are tricky to unlock and lock. Some have to be jiggled a bit, some you pull the door in as you twist. There could be multiple locks on the door, but the client only wants me to use specific ones. When I am entrusted with caring for a cat, and with aiding in the security of the home, it is essential that I am able to unlock the door to get in and to lock the door once I leave.

No key chains

I use my own key rings and labels. I prefer to leave the client’s own key chains with the client, as I don’t want a precious, sentimental souvenir or gift to get damaged and potentially broken or lost as I carry it around. Plastic easily breaks, metal and other materials can get scratched and scuffed and some key chain charms are large and heavy.

Key security

I am protective of my client keys, and never leave them unattended. Where I go, they go. At my daughter’s gymnastics class, I’ve got a huge key ring stuffed in my pants pocket, as I do not leave them in gym lockers. I don’t leave them unattended in the car, either. Should my car get stolen or broken into, or my bag stolen out of a gym locker, my client keys will be safe with me.