Saturday, 11 July 2009
-
What to Do With Your Pet While on Vacation
Vacations and going away can be (and should be!) all about relaxation. The steps and planning leading up to your trip should eliminate all your stress and worries so you can relax! One of the biggest stressors can be what to do with your cat or dog while you go away. Here are some tips to ensure that your furry best friend is taken care of while you're away.
One option is to bring your pet along with you. This should not be embarked upon lightly (get it? em-BARK-ed? OK, so no more jokes I promise). You should consider your pet-- do they adapt to new places and people well? How will you be getting to your location? Has the pet flown or been on long car rides before? If the pet is coming, make sure to notify your accommodations (including a friend or family member's home) to see if it is pet-friendly. Pets require packing as well-food and water and other comfort items should make it into your suitcase. The pet should also be enclosed and stay in a pet approved traveling case. Usually, dogs make the better traveling companion. Most cats would prefer to be left home.
If you decide to leave your pet home, consider the length of your trip and how the pet will be cared for. Steps should be taken to ensure someone will come over to care for your pet. Even if you are only going for a night, pets should never be left alone. They can become frightened and agitated. Whoever you have come over to care for your pet while you are away should become familiar with your home and your pet before you leave to prevent further anxiety in the pet and pet-sitter.
Another option is to board your animal. Make sure you check out the facilities before you drop off your animal and consider bringing the animal along to become familiar with the location before the trip. The kennel should be clean and safe. I used to board my dog on the weekends in the summer when my family would go boating in Maryland. The people in the kennel came to love Sammy and she loved them-this is an ideal situation, and we never had to worry about her while away. When you drop off your animal, bring along their favorite toys and treats, and perhaps a towel or shirt that smells like you so they don't get lonely.
Preparation is key to making sure both you and your pet have a fantastic, safe and stress free vacation. For more safety tips on traveling with your pet, click here.
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to tripcrazed's Tripcrazed Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in tripcrazed's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (9)
Don't be like the firefighter from Columbus, OH and SHOOT your freaking dogs rather than board them/have someone watch them. That's all I ask...
Oh, also! Just a little FYI/reminder - don't give your pets any sedatives prior to flying! It can cause serious respiratory distress up in the air, which no one will even know about until after the flight since they'll be in cargo, eek!
@whitetrashpoet@xanga - That really happened? How sad!
We are fortunate enough to have relatives who live nearby and love our dog. In fact, sometimes our dog doesn't want to come home from their house! When they are out of town though, it makes it difficult to know what to do. Usually we end up not going somewhere because our dog is unable to stay home alone for more than a few hours. (He's neurotic, but we love him.)
I try to take my dog when I can. He'll sleep and be comfortable where ever we are. I bring him shopping (0n a leash) at outdoor malls that allow animals to get him used to seeing different people all the time.
great tips! i'm considering getting a bird next year and i'm wondering how i'm going to deal with it during school breaks - i have a travel cage ready but i usually go home by plane and i don't know if airlines allow you to carry birds on to planes. would i be stuck traveling by car next year? or would i have to leave my bird in my college town?
@black_lie@xanga - All airlines vary with their rules. Check with your airline prior to your trip just to make sure. I don't see why not. They might charge you extra but they will probably allow you to take your bird on the plane.
yeah. depends on how long the vacation is, if its just two or three days than i leave my doggy at home but if its for weeks or months than i find a dogsitter (usually friends or relatives), petsmart or pet shops. they usually sit for you but i dont know if they accept long vacations/stays.
animals in the house is a great responsibility.We have to take good care of them like our own.By giving food and shelter surely we are giving the best care.i give my dog a pet gate so he can run freely in an area just for him.:)