What to do with the animals when you go away

Do you want to go away for the holiday, but you cannot take your pets along?

Remember that leaving your pet, especially a dog, alone and unattended for longer than a day is a bad idea.

Besides leaving out enough food and water, pets also need attention and reassurance.

Here are some solutions to your problem:

Ask a neighbour or friend

You can ask a neighbour or a friend whom you trust with your animals and your house, to feed your pets and look in on them when you are away.

Although your animals are in their home environment, they might be neglected if the person you commandeered for the job, is unreliable.

Ask a pet-sitter

Pet-sitters are people who will babysit your beloved pets for a fee.

Although this sounds like a costly ordeal, you will have peace of mind, especially if the sitter is willing to stay in your house while you are away.

You might not like the idea of a stranger in your home, but this will cause the least stress on your animals.  They remain in a known environment, will get the necessary attention and the sitter will immediately know if your animal is unwell.

The movement at your home is a bonus to keep burglars away.

Many senior citizens in old-age homes are not allowed to keep a pet and will jump at the chance to give love and attention to an animal as well as get a change of scenery while earning a little extra to add to their pension.

Students also often advertise their pet-sitting services.

The best advice is to arrange a meeting with the potential sitter and also see how the person interacts with your animals before you hire them.

Alternatively, you can take your animals to the sitter’s home, although this is not recommended.

If the animal does not know the sitter and the surroundings are foreign, it will get anxious or depressed.  Dogs and cats will try to find their way back home.

Boarding options

If you consider placing your animals in a kennel while you are on holiday, choose a reputable boarding house where you know your pets will be fed and regularly exercised.

However, kennels in smaller towns are few and far between.  A good option is to contact your nearest SPCA where there are often boarding options.

Keep in mind that most kennels do not cater for pets other than cats and dogs.