Planning for pet care

They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They are furry or hairless. They know their names or are indifferent as to whether they have names. And whether they are warm-blooded or cold-blooded, they warm our hearts. When we plan a trip, one of our primary concerns is that our pets will be cared for, and when we are on a trip, they’re who we worry about.

an overview of Our experiences

During the course of time we have been traveling, we have had a cat, 4 dogs, and a lot of fish and coral aquariums. 

We were fortunate that when we had our cat, we had family who could stop by to offer him company, refill his food and water, and clean his litter.  While I’m not sure if all cats are as successful being cared for that way – ours was good at moderating his own food intake and wouldn’t gorge – we did find it to be a good option for us during trips that were at most 5-6 days in length.

Our extensive fish and coral tanks (compliments of Dustin’s business, Ridgeline Aquatics) can be served by none other than a pet sitter.  We have used a couple of people over the years who were willing to learn to tackle this unique arrangement, and we benefited from having them also water houseplants and our garden in the summer.  One was a personal acquaintance and the other is a small business that does pet sitting.  Before engaging that individual, we checked out online reviews and ratings and ensured we found someone who had been in business long enough to be committed to the work. 

Dogs are another matter altogether.  I suppose certain dogs under certain circumstances could remain at home – perhaps if you have a live-in house-sitter or are gone for a short period of time.  Having 4 dogs and taking trips that are usually 5-12 days in length, that is not a good option for us. 

Whether you have pets staying home or ones you plan to board, below are tips from our experiences over the years that may help you plan appropriately for your pets so that you can travel knowing that they are safe, secure, and well cared for.

Have pets who are staying at home?

• Ensure water is filled and leave an extra bowl of water.

• Place food in an obvious spot. Leave treats close by with instructions on how many should be given.

• If you have cats, clean the litter and leave the necessities for the litter to be cleaned easily (scooper, fresh litter, trash bags).

• Leave instructions for your pet sitter.  Be as concise and clear as possible.  Sometimes people leave lengthy instructions that include the pet’s likes and dislikes.  If buried under that on page two is important information about medicine the pet needs, you risk that not being read.  Key information – food intake, water needs, and medicine – should be immediately evident. 

• Make sure the pet sitter knows how and when to get in touch with you and agree upon a form of contact.  If you are traveling abroad, make sure you will be able to receive calls or text messages.

Have pets you are boarding? tips for selecting where to board them & lessons learned.

• Book this as soon as your trip is determined to ensure your pets have a confirmed place to go.  If your preferred place fills up early, I would recommend checking this before you even book your trip, particularly if you are booking late or during a peak holiday time.

• Consider the option of booking at your vet.  With the exception of one time, we have only boarded our dogs at our vet.  We consider this to be the best option, as long as you have a trusted vet (which presumably you do, if you are a dog owner!).  Why do we think this is best?  The vet already knows your pet, knows your pet’s medical history, is able to intervene should your pet have any medical needs or emergencies, and can take care of any necessary preventative care that is due at the time of your trip to avoid an extra visit. 

  This is not meant to disparage other boarding facilities.  We are certain many of them are highly qualified and reputable.  But we recommend you do your homework before booking anywhere (even at your vet’s office). 

• Our lesson learned: The one time we had to board our dogs elsewhere because we booked the trip too last minute, we did thorough research.  We found various places that, frankly, sometimes seemed like someone just wanted to bring some extra cash in by boarding dogs.  The place we ultimately used had good ratings and seemed more established than many others.  Even so, we did not have a great experience.  When we arrived, the facility seemed like it was not appropriately cleaned and had a strong, pervasive smell of urine.  The owner seemed a little gruff, we did not feel good about leaving our beloved pets, but really had no choice.  When we picked the dogs up, they were incredibly skittish, which was atypical for them, one had a bit of a (small) raw wound, and several of them oddly pooped out what looked like pieces of brick for a few days, which we suspect came from crumbling walls in the runs where they were kept.  Overall, they were fine, but we agreed that we would never take them anywhere other than our vet again and so have planned trips well enough in advance to make sure that they are well cared for.  That gives us the necessary peace of mind when we are traveling.

Have pets you are boarding? tips for preparing.

• Pack your pet’s toys, blankets, or whatever else you want to board them with.  Check to see if the place you’re boarding your pet has any restrictions for what you can send along.

• Pack your pet’s food, including extra.  We have found that while we give our dogs a solid one cup scoop for each meal, others measuring it out may give them heaping scoops and go through the food faster.

• If applicable, pack your pet’s medication and ensure the boarding facility is aware of the dosage and frequency.

• Ensure the boarding facility knows when and how to reach you. This is especially important if you are abroad or somewhere with less than stellar connectivity.

• If not your vet, ensure the boarding facility has your vet’s contact information and knows what action to take should your pet have a medical emergency or concern.

• After boarding your pet, remember to dump out any water bowls so that water doesn’t sit while you’re gone.  Algae infested water bowls are gross, as we have learned through first-hand unintentional experimentation.

• If you have a cat, make sure you dump the litter to avoid coming home to any unpleasant smells!