What do you do with your cats/dogs when you go away on vacation? - Page 2

[beanma]

If they can't go with us we have a neighborhood teen or friend come check on them. My older dog really likes to be in his own space. I took him down to my mom's with just me one time and when I left for a few hours to see my dad in the nursing home my mom (who stayed with the dog) said he howled for me. I don't think he'd do well in a kennel setting. He's used to us going out during the day and leaving him at home for several hours, though, so he's happy here even if several hours turns into several days. He's on his own turf. He can be loose in the house fine and just chills and naps. Younger puppy would have to stay here or come with or go to a kennel. She's way too rambunctious to go to a relative's or friend's house even if that was an option for our older guy. So far we haven't taken a vacation w/o her (she's only 7 mo).

[just_lily]

When it was just me and my older dog I had a fantastic kennel I used to take him to. There were indoor/outdoor kennels and the owner used to let the dogs play together. My guy used to spend most of the day doing laps of the buildings with the other dogs that liked to run as much as he did. He would get very excited when we pulled up, and would be completely worn out when I picked him up. The owner lived there (he had the kennels in behind his house on his acreage) and really helped with socialization of my rescue, timid dog. I miss him!!

Ever since I moved and acquired a fiance, baby and second dog, we haven't boarded them. Putting two dogs in a kennel is expensive!! So now we have a friend come and stay when we have to go away. When I gave birth my younger dog was so upset that we were gone that he ate his own bed. Poor guy.

This summer we are taking the whole family camping. Should be interesting.

[samy23]

Thanks for replying everyone! Last summer we went away camping, which was great because we could take the dog with us however this year we are going on vacation with relatives to another country. So obviously we can't take the dog with us and we don't want to miss out on this hopefully great vacation!

So I'm trying to figure out what to do with the dog. I HATE the idea of putting her in the boarding kennel, and I wouldn't feel comfortable having someone move into my home -don't know of anyone who would be able to do that anyway. So the best thing seems to find someone I would trust to take our dog into their home for the 9 days. So far, it's proving difficult to think of someone to ask though. I have 2 people I will ask tomorrow...fingers crossed one will say yes.

[Purple*Lotus]

If we are just going for a weekend we leave them home and have someone check on them once a day.

If we are going away longer, we board them at our vet's office. I know everyone there and plus my parents can come and visit them there, and they always do. I like that aspect. Our one cat is just too needy to be left alone for a long time, she needs human interaction. That is why we do it this way, even though it is expensive.

[I~love~pie]

im very very curious about this also as we are moving 3000 miles away from anyone we know. I have one dog that does not like other dogs and is very shy. and one black lab pup that is well...a bit on the hyper side LOL.
I dont know what to do. Are there places that will take your dog and they wont have interaction with other dogs? Not to mention we are turning their lives UPSIDE DOWN by moving far away.
they have never stayed anywhere but with family. but if we come back to visit they would not be able to come with us.

[mama_daba]

i love pie, you might find a pet sitter someone who you pay to come to your house to check on the animals works best for your dog who has the issues being around other dogs. i have never used one but have heard good things.

the reason for my cats being boarded is that my elderly cat wants to go outside at night and fight raccoons and i worry that she will escape if someone comes to check on her food and my younger cat gets so stressed when we are gone that he develops feline alopexia (sp?). really though i worry so much we for the most part have not had any real vacations. we didn't even do a honeymoon after we got married because i thought i would spend the whole time worried about the cats. that and i had terrible morning sickness.

[Proxi]

We put our lil' guy (an almost two year old Terrier X) in a boarding kennel that operates as a doggie daycare during the day. We have used the same one since he was a puppy except for once. The one time they were booked full for our short notice trip, so Wallace went elsewhere. I picked him up from elsewhere and he was sick (which I understand happens, but I asked the lady if he was showing any signs of sickness that I should watch out for, and she said, "None at all!"). Wallace also was running to me and wasn't super happy but instead anxious to leave : .

When I pick him up from his normal boarding kennel he will run to me, so the normal doggie greet, and then try to run back to the other dogs (usually looking back to make sure I am following him lol!). So I know he loves is there, and he will get excited if we even walk past the road that it is located on.

The weird part was that his normal kennel doesn't look all that professional, and although clean, always seems a bit grungy with employees that aren't all professionally dressed or anything. At the bad kennel the place was super clean and presentable, the employees were dressed all nicely and such.

Also, when I call to check on Wallace at his normal kennel, they always talk about him in a super positive tone. When I called to check at that "bad" kennel, they were like, "Which dog is Wallace again? Oh right, the one that takes extra effort because he has so much energy..." Um yes, have you ever met a terrier? They have more energy than any other breed I know, and yes they can be annoying but isn't that just part of their quirkiness?

[levar]

If it's not too late, start asking around to others with dogs to see if they can watch your dog, then you watch theirs later, etc.

We had 2 cats and 2 dogs, now down to 1 dog. We left the cats home alone, or had a neighbor check on them if time was long. We've had family house-sit, we've had friends house-sit, we've had family and friends dog-sit, and we've used kennels. Depends on the situation. For 3-6 week trips there is NO way we can afford a kennel, so we ask family and friends to usually 'take turns' over time so no one person is over asked. Usually the family and friends have pets of their own that we pet-sit when they're in need.

It *has* taken us years to build up this very nice network, I admit. But at first, we'd ask neighbors with pets, to 'swap' pet sitting, and even better if you can find them - ask a teenager! We've found LOTS of pet-sitters in teenagers who want pets but their parents say no. So they 'borrow' ours for a while. :-)

[rhiOrion]

We leave our cat home. We let him stay up to two nights alone with no one checking on him. He'd WAY prefer that to having to get in the car and go somewhere strange. He sleeps most of the time anyhow. Any more than two nights and I have someone come check on him and at least make sure that he has food and water, and give him a few minutes of play time with one of those rope on a stick with feathers at the end type of things.

The dog either goes with us, or stays with family. My parents have two dogs and my sister has two dogs... Maya LOVES other dogs, so she's perfectly content to go to one of their houses.

I have worked at both a "pet spa" that was next door (and owned by) a vet clinic, as well as at a vet clinic that did boarding.

Here are a few tips and things to ask before you choose to board your pet.

1. The number one most important thing is to tour the kennel yourself. Does the fenced-in area look secure? Are things relatively clean (give a little leeway here, accidents happen quickly, and might have happened between them coming to take you for your tour, and you actually getting back there)?

2. Do they walk dogs individually or as a group? On leash or off? What do they do to prevent dog fights if they let dogs out together? How often do they walk the dogs and for how long?

3. Do they have cages or runs? Cages might work fine for a teacup poodle, but you'd be amazed at the dogs people would leave with us when I worked at the vet (where we only had cages)... they'd bring huge labs that couldn't even stand up straight in the cage.

4. If you're going to board a cat, tour the cat area. Is it quiet? The sound of barking dogs can be terrifying for a cat. What is the view? An outside window with birds and squirrels? Do they offer playtimes, if your cat would even enjoy such a thing? If your cat is a mover and a shaker, are there things to explore in the cages/cat condos?

5. Will they let you leave your own blankets and toys? (note, don't leave anything you're overly attached to, things get lost ALL.THE.TIME. Put your name on it if you can!)

6. If the kennel is not connected to a vet office, what is their protocol for accidents and illnesses?

There a ton more things, but these are some of the things that having worked in kennels I would always do/ask before leaving my beloved pet with someone!

[PGTlatte]

We hire a petsitter for our three dogs. She comes comes twice a day for at least 30 minutes each visit. But when we had a very old dog who needed more frequent visits, she came 4x a day. She is expensive....it's about $500 for us to go away for a week. But so is boarding three dogs, and having her come here is so much less stressful for the dogs, and for us. She also takes care of our house while we are gone....brings in the mail, waters the plants...and we feel more secure having someone checking on our house every day while we are gone. We don't feel comfortable asking a friend or neighbor to take care of our dogs. We would rather trust them to someone who does it as a business, who has been doing it for many years, who has great references....and who is up to handling the situation if one of them gets sick and needs to go to the vet, cleaning up accidents, etc.

[montlake]

We have a dog and couple of cats. Cats stay home alone. Dog spends the nights at his nana's house and she drops him back at our house during the day when she is working. He gets to spend time in his own surroundings and with his cats and then also gets to spend the night cuddled with a person in bed. (So spoiled).

[MaWhit]

Most trips I take the 3 dogs with me. If it isn't feasible, I wither leave them home and have someone check on them or they stay with a friend.

I leave the many cats at home with caregivers coming to check in on them, and I take whichever ones need daily care to foster homes, and the most dire cases come with me.

I've never boarded any of them.

[bluey]

The cats stay home and my mom comes and visits them daily. The dog either comes with, or stays with mil. She has a dog as well, so they just play themselves into doggie comas. Works out well.

My mom would take the dog gladly she loves him (and really misses her little dog) but dad doesn't like indoor pets at all. So that's a no go. He likes dogs, he's even fond of Oz, at my house.. not over at their place