Yes, you love your pets, and you definitely don’t want to see them suffer. But in the event you can’t take them with you on your journey, what would you do?
Leaving your pets uncared for when you’re traveling is definitely uncharacteristic of a pet lover. Not least of all if your pet is an F1b Goldendoodle – those designer dogs love human companionship more than anything else in this world.
But let’s face it; it can be challenging making plans for pets when you have a business/recreational trip ahead of you.
Yes, you love your pets, and you definitely don’t want to see them suffer. But in the event you can’t take them with you on your journey, what would you do?
Perhaps postpone your trip until there’s somebody at home to look after them.
That works if you’re under no pressure to fulfill the obligations of the journey. But if the trip is one you cannot cancel or postpone, then you have no choice but to find a way around your pet care.
Find a capable pet sitter
The first and the best option is to leave your pet in the care of a reputable pet sitter. By “pet sitter,” I don’t mean you have to hire someone. A pet sitter can be a friend who stays nearby, a family member, or a colleague from work.
If you aren't going for long, you should be able to find someone who's willing to come and sit with your pet while you're away.
However, if you can’t find such a person – perhaps because everyone’s busy with their stuff or because you’ll be gone for too long – then you may look to hire a pet sitter from any reputable online websites.
House visits
If you don’t have anyone willing to be your pet sitter and can’t afford the cost of a full-time pet sitter, you can opt for a “house visit pet sitter” instead.
Unlike full-blown pet sitters, house visit pet sitters just come into your home once or twice a day to cater to the needs of your pets, keep their company briefly, take them out for a walk, and then go away.
They are cheaper to hire and make a lot of sense if you have a pet that doesn't mind staying alone overnight.
Swap with your neighbors
If you’re lucky to live around fellow pet lovers, then you may want to consider pet swapping.
Pet swapping is a situation whereby neighbors keep pets with one another or look after one another's pets whenever they're traveling.
If your neighbor is going away for a couple of days, you may either accept their cat into your home or offer to go over each day to spend some time with their cat and vice versa.
Board your pet at a kennel
When you hear "pet kennels," what comes to your mind?
That your pet will be confined into one of those awkward-looking cages, along with several horrible-looking pets?
Well, in truth, such scenarios haven’t entirely gone away.
However, what you’ll mostly find nowadays in most kennels are modern state-of-the-art facilities, which are great for your pet’s staycation.
So, when you’re looking for a kennel for your pet, be sure to look for one that has these sorts of facilities and which is also clean and spacious.
Board your pet with a local vet
When most pet owners hear about the option of boarding their pets with a vet, they tend to think the offer is only available for special needs pets. But this is far from being the case.
There are lots of veterinarians who offer round the clock animal care service. Whether or not your pet has medical issues, you can leave him with a local vet, and you’ll rest assured that he’s in safe hands.
Thanks to the fact that most vets work out of animal hospitals, they have the required facilities needed to take in and care for your pet.
Take to a sitter’s home
Another wonderful alternative is to take your furry friend to the house of a pet sitter. This can be a great option if you’re able to find a reputable sitter’s home within your neighborhood.
When searching for sitters’ home, be sure to look out for homes that have the required facilities and environment your pet needs to thrive.
That way, you can create a home-away-from-home kind of situation for the pet.
