When going on vacation, pet owners must make arrangements for their animals. This is difficult for many pet owners who worry that their animals will not be well cared for while they are away. Below are some tips that will help you ensure that your pets have what they need so that you can relax and enjoy your time away.
Boarding Facilities
For some pet owners, leaving their pet at a boarding facility is very difficult, but some of these businesses are wonderful and treat your pet like one of the family. How can you find such a place? You just have to know what to look for when shopping around for a place to board your pet.
When visiting, try to stop by unannounced rather than making an appointment. This will give you an idea about how things are run during the day, not just when a potential customer may be stopping in.
If you are boarding a dog, ask how much time they will be spending outside and if there will be any playtime with a staff member.
If you have special feeding requirements for your pet, you will need to ask to make sure the facility is able to accommodate those needs. Also, if you do not want your pet to be allowed to play with other animals being boarded at the facility, you will need to ask if that will be a problem.
The facility should, of course, be relatively clean and the staff should seem as though they genuinely enjoy being around animals.
Asking for references is a great idea. If it is possible, call a few of their past clients to see how they enjoyed the experience of dealing with the boarding facility.
You could also Google the name of the facility to see if there are any hits — good or bad — about anyone’s experiences there.
At Home Care
Another option is to hire someone to provide at-home care for your pets. If you have cats, it may be sufficient to have someone come by once or twice a day to check on the animals, feed them and clean the litter box.
If you have dogs, however, you will need someone who can provide more care. Dogs often do not do well when left alone for extended periods. Having someone stop by a few times a day just to let the dog go outside is really not sufficient care.
Ideally, you would be able to have someone stay at your home while you were gone in order to care for your dogs. If that is not possible, at least try to find someone who can spend several hours a day at your house, providing the dog with plenty of time to exercise as well as some interaction.
Because of the needs of most dogs, it is often a better choice to board them unless you can find someone to stay at your home.
By knowing that your pets are being properly cared for, you will not have to worry about them while you are away. Most boarding facilities will allow you to call and check on your pet, so do that if it will give you additional peace of mind.
Your pets are part of the family, make sure you have taken the necessary steps to provide for their needs while you are away.
