Cuddle Paws Co Private Limited ("Cuddle Paws", "we", "us", or "our") is a private limited company incorporated under the laws of India, with its registered office at West Side Shopping Mall, Indira Nagar, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana. We operate a retail pet store and digital commerce platform at www.cuddle-paws.in (the "Platform").

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Platform and all services made available through it. By visiting, registering on, or using the Platform, you confirm that you have read these Terms, understood them, and agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree, please do not access or use the Platform.

These Terms constitute an electronic record under the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with the rules and regulations made thereunder, and do not require any physical, electronic, or digital signature from Cuddle Paws.

Cuddle Paws offers the following services through the Platform:

• Sale of pet care products, including food, treats, accessories, toys, grooming supplies, over-the-counter medicines, and prescription medicines ("Products").
• Facilitation of veterinary teleconsultation services, connecting pet owners with registered veterinary professionals listed on the Platform ("Consultants").
• Grooming, boarding, and in-store veterinary support services, available at our physical store and, where applicable, through the Platform.

The above are collectively referred to as the "Services". The nature, scope, and availability of Services may evolve over time. We reserve the right to add, modify, suspend, or discontinue any Service at any time, with or without prior notice.

To access and use the Platform and Services, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is higher.
• Be legally capable of entering into a binding contract under applicable Indian law.
• Not be a person who has previously been suspended or removed from the Platform by us.
• Not be barred from receiving services under applicable law or any court or regulatory order.

By using the Platform, you represent and warrant that you meet all of the above eligibility requirements. If you are accessing the Platform on behalf of a minor, you represent that you are the parent or legal guardian of that minor and accept these Terms on their behalf.

Certain features of the Platform require you to create an account ("Account"). When registering, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and current information about yourself.
• Keep your account information up to date at all times.
• Maintain the confidentiality of your login credentials and not share them with any third party.
• Notify us immediately at info@cuddle-paws.com if you become aware of any unauthorised access to your Account.
• Accept full responsibility for all activities that occur under your Account.

You may hold only one active Account on the Platform. You may not transfer, sell, or assign your Account to another person. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your Account if we have reasonable grounds to believe that any information you have provided is false, misleading, or incomplete, or if your use of the Platform violates these Terms.

Listings and orders

Product listings on the Platform constitute an invitation to offer, not an offer for sale. By placing an order, you make an offer to purchase the relevant Product(s). We reserve the right to accept or decline any order at our sole discretion, without liability to you. We may also limit order quantities for any Product without prior notice.

Prescription medicines

The Platform lists both over-the-counter and prescription medicines. We hold all licences and registrations required under applicable Indian law. All prescription medicines are dispensed by a registered pharmacist. If you order a prescription medicine, you must provide a valid prescription from a registered veterinary practitioner for the animal concerned, which will be reviewed and approved before processing.

Substitution of a prescribed brand with a therapeutically equivalent brand of the same active ingredient may only occur where: (a) your prescription contains the phrase "Allow substitution"; or (b) the exact prescribed product is unavailable and a valid substitute prescription is obtained from your veterinarian. No substitution will be made without your explicit consent in any other case.

Medical information disclaimer

Nature of the service

Cuddle Paws facilitates connections between pet owners and independent veterinary consultants through the Platform. We act as an intermediary as defined under the Information Technology Act, 2000. We are not a party to the veterinarian-patient relationship and do not provide veterinary services directly.

Consultant credentials

We carry out reasonable checks to verify the credentials of Consultants listed on the Platform. However, you are also encouraged to independently verify a Consultant's qualifications. Where a Consultant is registered outside India, their advice is of an advisory nature only and does not constitute a formal veterinary opinion under Indian law.

Limitations of teleconsultation

You acknowledge and accept that:

• Teleconsultation does not involve physical examination of your pet. Accordingly, the Consultant may not have access to information that would be obtained through in-person examination.
• Any prescription issued following a teleconsultation is based solely on the information and records you provide, and may differ from a prescription issued after a physical examination.
• Teleconsultation is not a substitute for emergency veterinary care. If your pet requires emergency treatment, please consult a local veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately.
• You should use teleconsultation alongside — not as a replacement for — the advice of your pet's regular veterinarian.

Your responsibilities

When using teleconsultation services, you agree to:

• Provide honest, accurate, and complete information about your pet's condition, medical history, and any ongoing treatments.
• Have available any relevant records, prior prescriptions, and reports for reference during the consultation.
• Consult your local veterinarian before abandoning or modifying any existing treatment plan.
• Assume full responsibility for the risks inherent in the limitations of remote consultation.

You agree that misrepresentation or omission of information during a teleconsultation is your responsibility. You agree to indemnify Cuddle Paws and its affiliates against all claims arising from such misrepresentation.

No endorsement of Consultants

Cuddle Paws does not endorse, recommend, or guarantee the quality of any specific Consultant. User-generated ratings are the views of individual users and are not verified or endorsed by us. We are not liable for any breach of confidentiality, negligence, or misconduct by a Consultant.

By using the Platform, you agree not to:

• Upload, post, or transmit content that is unlawful, harmful, defamatory, abusive, obscene, invasive of privacy, or otherwise objectionable.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
• Violate any applicable law, regulation, or court order.
• Infringe the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other legal rights of any third party.
• Send unsolicited commercial communications, spam, or chain letters.
• Use any automated means — including bots, scrapers, or spiders — to access, monitor, or copy content from the Platform.
• Transmit viruses, malware, or any other malicious or harmful code.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform or its underlying systems.
• Use the Platform to build a competing product or service, or to benchmark against a competing service.
• Engage in any activity that disrupts, interferes with, or imposes an unreasonable burden on the Platform's infrastructure.
• Facilitate or encourage any third party to do any of the foregoing.

Pricing

All prices displayed on the Platform are in Indian Rupees (INR) and include applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. We reserve the right to modify prices at any time. In the event of a pricing error, we reserve the right to cancel the affected order and notify you accordingly.

Payment

Payment for Products and Services must be made through the payment methods available on the Platform at the time of purchase. By providing payment details, you represent that you are authorised to use the payment method and that it has sufficient funds or credit available.

All transactions are processed by a third-party payment gateway. Cuddle Paws does not store your payment card details, CVV numbers, or banking credentials. We are not liable for failed or incomplete transactions resulting from insufficient funds, incorrect details, expired cards, technical failures, or other causes beyond our control.

Shipping, cancellations, and refunds

Additional shipping charges may apply to certain orders. Cancellations and refunds are governed by the cancellation and refund policies published on the Platform, incorporated into these Terms by reference. For payment queries, contact us at info@cuddle-paws.com.

Cuddle Paws partners with third-party logistics providers to deliver Products. By placing an order, you acknowledge and agree that:

• A tentative delivery timeline will be provided at order confirmation. Actual delivery may vary due to logistics disruptions, adverse weather, public disturbances, or other circumstances beyond our control.
• You are responsible for providing accurate, complete delivery information. We are not liable for failed or delayed delivery resulting from incorrect or incomplete information supplied by you.
• You will receive a unique shipment tracking number once your order is dispatched, which can be used to monitor delivery status on the Platform or the logistics partner's app or website.
• Title and risk in Products pass to you upon delivery to the specified delivery address.
• Our logistics partner is authorised to collect payment on our behalf for cash-on-delivery orders.
• We reserve the right to determine which areas are serviceable at any given time and to decline delivery to certain locations.

All content on the Platform — including text, graphics, logos, icons, images, audio clips, data compilations, and software ("Content") — and all trademarks, service marks, and brand elements ("Marks") are the exclusive property of Cuddle Paws Co Private Limited or its licensors.

You are granted a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free licence to access and use the Platform and its Content for personal, non-commercial purposes only, subject to these Terms. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, or otherwise exploit any Content or Marks without our prior written consent.

Any feedback or suggestions you provide about the Platform or Services are entirely voluntary. We may use such feedback freely and without any obligation or compensation to you.

If you believe that content on the Platform infringes your copyright, submit a written notice to info@cuddle-paws.com containing the following:

1. Your full name, postal address, telephone number, and email address.
2. A description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed.
3. A description of the allegedly infringing material and its location on the Platform.
4. Evidence that you are the rights holder or authorised agent of the rights holder.
5. A statement of good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorised by the rights holder.
6. An undertaking that you will initiate infringement proceedings in a competent court within 21 days of submitting this notice.
7. A declaration, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate.
8. Your electronic or physical signature.

Notices that do not meet all of the above requirements may not be acted upon. Where a user is found to be a repeat infringer, we may terminate their access to the Platform.

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, or external resources. Such links are provided for convenience only and do not constitute our endorsement of, or affiliation with, those third parties. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, availability, or privacy practices of any third-party platform.

With respect to teleconsultation services, Cuddle Paws acts solely as an intermediary. Content uploaded or shared by Consultants or other users is their sole responsibility. We do not monitor all third-party content, though we reserve the right to remove content that violates these Terms or applicable law.

The Platform and all Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

• The Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.
• Product or Service descriptions are complete, accurate, or current at all times.
• The results of using any Service will meet your expectations.

We are not liable for harm to any animal arising from the use of any Product or Service. You assume sole responsibility for decisions made based on information or advice obtained through the Platform.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Indian law:

• Cuddle Paws and its affiliates, officers, employees, agents, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunities, arising from your use of the Platform or Services.
• Our total cumulative liability to you for any claims under or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the amount you paid to us in the 30 days immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
• Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for fraud, death, or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

The limitations in this section reflect an agreed allocation of risk between you and Cuddle Paws and are a fundamental element of the basis of our agreement.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Cuddle Paws Co Private Limited and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from or relating to:

• Any breach of these Terms or any Platform policy by you.
• Any misrepresentation of information provided by you on or through the Platform.
• Your use or misuse of the Platform or Services.
• Any violation of applicable law or the rights of a third party by you.

These Terms remain in effect until terminated. You may close your Account and cease using the Platform at any time by writing to us at info@cuddle-paws.com.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your Account or restrict your access to the Platform at any time, at our sole discretion, where we have reason to believe you have breached these Terms or applicable law. Where reasonably practicable, we will provide 24 hours' prior written notice of termination.

Upon termination, your licence to use the Platform ceases immediately. We may delete content or data associated with your Account, subject to retention obligations under applicable law. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination — including intellectual property, disclaimers, liability limitations, and indemnification — will remain in effect.

By registering on the Platform or using our Services, you authorise Cuddle Paws to contact you via email, SMS, WhatsApp, or telephone for transactional communications and, where you have opted in, for promotional offers and updates.

You may opt out of non-transactional marketing communications at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any marketing email, or by writing to us at info@cuddle-paws.com. Even after opting out, we will continue to send transactional communications such as order confirmations, delivery updates, and security notices.

By registering with us, you acknowledge that you may receive communications from Cuddle Paws even if your mobile number is registered under India's DND / DNC / NCPR scheme, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Force majeure

Cuddle Paws shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations arising from causes beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government orders, power failures, strikes, or internet service disruptions.

Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible, without affecting the enforceability of any other provision.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms on any occasion does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorised representative of Cuddle Paws.

Assignment

Cuddle Paws may assign or transfer its rights and obligations under these Terms to any third party at any time without notice to you. You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent.

Entire agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other platform policies published from time to time, constitute the entire agreement between you and Cuddle Paws with respect to your use of the Platform, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

Changes to these terms

We reserve the right to update or amend these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on the Platform. The updated Terms take effect from the date of publication. Your continued use of the Platform after that date constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules made thereunder, we have designated a Grievance Redressal Officer to address complaints arising from the use of the Platform or these Terms.