# About PetGuideCalc

> Who publishes PetGuideCalc, the trust promise behind every recommendation, how evidence is labeled, and how corrections are handled.

## What PetGuideCalc is

PetGuideCalc is a free reference for pet parents and keepers who need calm, verifiable guidance. It publishes husbandry numbers you can verify: calculators, guides, and a curated industry intel feed. Every recommendation is built to be checked: named sources, named author, visible evidence strength.

The site is published as an independent organization. It has no retail arm, no sponsored placements, and no advertising business behind its recommendations.

## The promise

Every page that makes a recommendation keeps this promise, stated once and plainly: “Every recommendation is traceable. Evidence strength is visible. Disagreement is never hidden.”

“Traceable” means you can see who wrote a page and which sources back it. “Evidence strength is visible” means each page shows how strong its evidence is, in plain language before any methodology jargon. “Disagreement is never hidden” means that when credible sources disagree, both positions are quoted and the page states how PetGuideCalc resolved them.

## Who does the work

PetGuideCalc was founded by [Patrick Li](/authors/patrick-li/), who is the site’s independent founder and sole maintainer: he writes the tools and guides and editorially reviews every page. The founder profile states exactly what he is — and what he is not.

Pages that touch animal health carry an explicit activity label. “Editorially reviewed” always means the founder’s own review. Until a verified, named professional reviews a page, health-adjacent pages say so directly with a “no veterinarian has reviewed this page” disclosure, and they can never carry a “Professionally reviewed” label.

## How evidence is labeled

Recommendations show four separate evidence facts. None of them are merged into a percentage, star rating, or single score — a score would imply a precision the evidence does not have.

Who the sources are: the site grades source authority on an S–D scale — veterinary manuals at the top, research and university clinics next, welfare organizations below those. Practitioner-education material is a side mention only, and the lowest tier is never cited.

How directly the evidence applies: a page says whether its evidence comes from the same species, from a closely related context, from another species entirely (extrapolation), or from biological mechanism alone without outcome studies.

How broad the support is: one source, multiple agreeing sources, multiple sources in conflict, or no usable source. A page with no usable source is not published as guidance.

How deep a disagreement runs: sources can differ in emphasis or context, or reach opposite conclusions. When they do, the page quotes the positions verbatim and states how the site resolved them.

## What PetGuideCalc will not publish

Every page sits in one of three safety classes, and the class decides what must appear before the page can publish. General husbandry guidance publishes under the ordinary evidence checks. Health-adjacent educational guidance publishes only with a prominent “no veterinarian has reviewed this page” disclosure when no verified professional has reviewed it. Diagnosis and individualized treatment advice are not published at all unless a verified, named professional reviewer whose scope covers the claim has reviewed the page.

These rules are enforced where the site is built: a page that breaks them fails the build and does not ship. An exception is only valid when it is recorded with a dated, written rationale and approved by the owner — a code change alone cannot lift a gate.

## Corrections and expert input

Anyone can report a problem through the private feedback form on /feedback/ — no account, no claimed status, and an optional reply email. Professionals can additionally submit credentials and review opinions privately; names are published only after identity verification and explicit consent.

Every submission gets a timestamped trail from received to a recorded outcome. Contact details and unneeded verification material are deleted 90 days after a submission is resolved; a short decision record with the personal details removed is kept, so outcomes — including rejected professional feedback — stay on the record.

Material changes and expert input are published in the public [Corrections & Expert Reviews log](/corrections/), and affected pages link back to their entries.

## Editorial independence

Calculator accuracy and source selection are independent of any commercial relationship. PetGuideCalc does not currently participate in any affiliate program. If PetGuideCalc joins one in the future, supported programs may include Amazon Associates and similar pet-product affiliate programs; every product recommendation will be clearly labeled at that time. See the [disclosure policy](/disclosure/) for details.

## Frequently asked questions

**Who is behind this site?**

PetGuideCalc is an independent site founded and maintained by Patrick Li. He is the sole author and editorial reviewer; the founder profile has the verified details of his role and experience.

**Are the pages reviewed by veterinarians?**

Not currently. Pages are written and editorially reviewed by the founder, and health-adjacent pages state plainly that no veterinarian has reviewed them. When a verified professional reviews a page, it will carry a named “Professionally reviewed” label with the reviewer’s credentials.

**How can I verify a recommendation?**

Every tool page names the primary source for its numbers in a “Scientific reference” or “Sources” section, and eat-X guide pages quote every source verbatim with its grade. The full source list is on /sources/.

**How do I report an error or a disagreement?**

Use the feedback form on /feedback/ — it is open to everyone and does not require any claimed status. Accepted material changes appear in the public corrections log with dates and rationale.

## Material corrections affecting this page

### 2026-09-14 — Factual correction (Corrected)

Removed biographical claims the evidence base could not support: reptile and aquarium keeping experience, a 2009 web-development start, and backend-employment details. The founder profile now states only verified facts (software engineer since 2020; two cats; a former hamster and turtle), and the private GitHub repository was removed as a contact route.

Affected pages: [/about/](/about/), [/authors/patrick-li/](/authors/patrick-li/)

Rationale: A public trust profile must not manufacture authority. Only claims with confirmable evidence stay; the previous copy overstated direct animal-keeping experience.

Full log: [Corrections & Expert Reviews](/corrections/)

## Contact

Feedback and corrections: [private feedback form](/feedback/). Editorial contact for citation questions: editorial@petguidecalc.com.

Founder profile: [Patrick Li](/authors/patrick-li/) · Canonical page: https://petguidecalc.com/about/