If your question(s) is not answered here please contact us for more information.

Does Animals for Parties have insurance?

Yes - we have Public Liability Insurance up to £5,000,000.  Jon is also CRB checked and First Aid Trained.

Do I need to hire a venue for my event?

Not necessarily - previous customers have been an equal split, some hire village / church halls / function rooms whilst others have had their party at home.

How much space do you need?

A reasonable sized living room is usually sufficient, for home parties we do recommend that you reduce the numbers to allow space for our staff to get amongst the children (unless you're lucky enough to have a village hall sized living room of course!).  For home based parties try to have the chosen room as free from clutter as possible.

Is there a limit to how many we can invite to our party?

Yes - for village hall sized venues we have to limit the numbers to a maximum of 20 otherwise the noise levels can stress the animals. For home parties we would recommend reducing this number, from experience 6 - 12 guests works best (remember to include the birthday boy / girl and any siblings or family attending in this number).

What age group are the parties appropriate for?

We have presented to 3 year olds all the way up to OAP's - the parties really are enjoyable for all.  For 3 - 5 year olds we would suggest reducing the length of the party to approximately 60 minutes due to the children's attention span.  We would not recommend children below the age of 3 to attend parties unless supervised by an adult - this will affect your space available and should be considered in the planning of numbers invited.  The responsibility of ensuring that the youngest children are not running around where the party is taking place rests with you and ultimately the parent or guardian.

How long do the parties last for?

Approximately 90 minutes - we will also need 30 minutes set up time before your party starts, particularly important to bear in mind if you are booking a venue.  For groups of children below the age of 5 we would recommend this being reduced to 60 minutes.

Can I choose which animals you bring?

We cannot guarantee any of the animal's attendance, their welfare comes first.  Visits to the vets / reptiles shedding their skin can mean that we are unable to bring certain animals on any particular day.  However, we can take on board your preferences and do our best to meet these.  If you don't want us to bring certain animals then please let us know (especially if any of the guests have allergies or phobias).

Can I have my party outside?

Unfortunately no - we do need an enclosed venue.

Do I need to provide anything for the party?

We will bring any materials or equipment needed for the event.  We usually get the children to sit on the floor on a protective mat which helps with handling the animals, if any of your guests would be unable to sit on the floor then you could provide them a chair.  We will also need access to an electrical socket for plugging in heat mats for the reptiles.  Access to hand washing facilities will be required for all guests handling the animals after the event.

Will it make a mess?

Obviously animals can have accidents but we provide a protective mat to protect your floor, we will clean up any messes that do occur.

I have pets at home - will they be a distraction?

It depends on what they are - if you have pets contained in cages / tanks up off the floor then no problem.  However we do have to ask that any cats or dogs (or anything else you may have roaming free) be kept in a separate room for the duration of the party.

What should the children wear to the party?

Long sleeves and trousers work best as lots of the animals are placed in the children's laps to hold.  Some of our animals have claws so if the children keep covered up we can avoid any unnecessary scratches.  We will bring towels with us to cover up any bare arms or legs if anyone forgets on the day to avoid them being excluded from handling certain animals.

Do you provide party bags or food?

Due to us transporting animals we can not provide food or drinks for events.  You would be required to provide food yourselves or consider using outside caterers if appropriate.  Animals for Parties do not provide party bags at this stage, however, this is something we are considering for the future.

Can we take video or photos?

Yes for private use you can - flash photography in moderation is not harmful to the animals.  Bear in mind photography of children requires their parent's permission.  You must obtain this in writing when photographing in a public venue.

What would happen if you were unable to attend our event?

It would have to be exceptional circumstances for this to happen i.e. serious illness / injury to Jon or a member of his immediate family.  Since taking over Animals for Parties we have not yet had to cancel or rearrange any event.  We have children ourselves and understand the commitment we have made, letting a child down on their birthday would be avoided at all costs.  Should such circumstances occur we will give you as much notice as physically possible and an alternative date / time can be arranged.