nutney

I have three beloved pets, a dog and two cats. I think the most difficult part of my upcoming trip will be leaving them behind. I have never been away from them for more than 5 days and, this trip, I will be gone for 3 weeks. They are staying at a pet daycare, where they can play during the day and are kenneled at night. The people who work there are great and, because my dog goes to daycare there during the week, I think everything will go pretty well. It still makes me feel guilty! <BR><BR>Who takes care of your pets while you are gone? Do they tend to retaliate by misbehaving when you get back?

Trish

I fly my dog to my parents farm in Nova Scotia (I live in Georgia) when I'm going to be gone for more than 2 weeks mind you my dog ends up staying at the farm for about 2 to 3 months and loves every minute of it. Otherwise she stays at my friend's house or at her vets, she is always happy to see us but never seems upset that we left her behind. She is probably the most laid back animal I've ever met and adapts to new situations quickly.

marktynernyc

I went to Prague for a week last October and boarded my dog. Three days after I got back I had to fly down to Florida because my mom was having some medical problems - I was in Florida for three weeks. My dog was in a kennel for three weeks. I was very concerned about his well being - was he going to be moody, mischevious, destructive when I got back? I planned my return so i would have an entire weekend to spend with him. He was fine. I also called the kennel numerous times. <BR><BR>When I'm on a trip I have a fiend call the kennel to check on my dog and then email me, which I check from an internet cafe. It gives me peace of mind. <BR><BR>The one thing I recommend to any pet owner is to go by the place you're boarding your pet. One place recommended by an acquaintence was a dump - she had never gone and visited the place - she had no idea what a fire trap the place was. Amazing how non chalant some pet owners are.<BR><BR>One other thing I do - I give the kennel my trip logistics - flight arrivals, hotel's email and phone numbers, an emergency contact, vet's number. I've also come to trust the kennel - after boarding my dog 6 times there.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip - sounds as if your pets will be very well taken care of .

EnglishOne

I'm off for two weeks to USA, the first week I have a friend popping in to feed my cats (I do the same for her when she is away). The second week she is also on holiday, so I have got a 'pet sitter/looker afterer') to come in every day to take care of them.

gluvscats

Hi. I have a pet siter come to my home and take care of my 2 cats and dog. I love animals so much that I opened my in home pet sitting business 2 years ago. I love to give the pets alot of love and hugs.

Dave

We are lucky enough to have a young woman who lives nearby and likes to make a little extra money by staying at our house while we're gone.....<BR><BR>I'd be happy to use a kennel if we didn't have this option, but the cost is much the same, and I just think that my dog would hate &quot;seeing&quot; but not being able to &quot;play&quot; with other dogs...<BR><BR>This way she can stay in her own house, and probably looks at it like a vacation from US!! <BR><BR>Best wishes, Dave

Statia

My husband and I are fortunate enough to have another couple, who are close friends, who keep our two dogs. And we keep theirs when they are gone, as well. All of the dogs feel as if our homes are their &quot;home away from home&quot; and have learned to adjust well to the routine, other than not having as big an appetite when we're gone.<BR><BR>The only downfall is that all four of us can never take a trip together or be gone at the same time since there is no on else to leave all the dogs with. We've had to forego numerous travel plans together because of this.<BR><BR>

Jim_Tardio

I have a dog that I board several times a year for 1 to 3 weeks at a time.<BR><BR>I, too, was concerned about leaving him in the kennel for so long. But I spoke with the vet, and was told that animals don't perceive time like we do. Whether it's 3 days or 3 weeks, it has virtually the same effect on an animal.<BR><BR>My dog is a bit moody after I pick him up, but he's back to normal in a day or two.<BR><BR>I look at it this way...I board the dog for 40 or 50 days a year. The other 300+ days he's got the run of the house.<BR><BR>As you say, it's you who feel guilty...but in reality your animals will be fine.

cmt

I always leave my two dogs boarded in a boarding kennel when I go on vacations. They get along fine. Dogs are adaptable, resilient animals, and mine are happy sociable dogs. <BR><BR>Before choosing a kennel, I ask a lot of questions to determine how much common sense the kennel owners have re dealing with common doggie problems. For example, the last time I did this, I explained that one of my dogs has a sensitive stomach and asked what they'd do if she threw up or had diarrhea. One beautiful kennel with lovely grounds and spiffy new interiors told me that they had a great medicine that they would give right away. Bad answer. Two kennels gave a good answer: At first they would just withhold food for one meal, if it happened only once and was not severe. it it kep happening or was very severe, they would take the dog to the vet. They also mentioned that they have a special food that thye can feed when the dog is recovering from that sort of problem. <BR><BR>I also look at how secure the facility is. The beautiful place I mentioned above had an alarmingly low fence in a corridor that dogs ran thrpough on the way to outdoor exercise areas. I remarked that it didn't look secure. Their answer was that they alway always get the dogs right back when they escape. bad bad answer.<BR><BR>When I get my dogs back they are always fine. If the kennel owners comment on my pets' behavior and their little pesonality quirks and facial expressions ane comical behavior and ways of moving, I can tell whether they are really observant and have been spending time paying attention to my animals. If one of my dogs has a very hoarse muffled bark when we get home, imiknow she has been barking a lot. In one case I stopped using a kennel, which I think was a good kennel, but it was jsut a bit too busy and the constant stimualtion of many mnay other dogs around was stressful to one of my dogs and she had been barking excessively. her laryngitis isn't so bad now that they go to a somewhat smaller quieter kennel.<BR><BR>One little tip: It is best to let your dog see you hand over her leash to the kennel person, who then takes her behind to the kennel area. that shows the dog that you are entrusting her care to this person and that it's OK with you for her to go and that you are not leaving the dog, but she is leaving you, with your approval. If you follow the dog into the kennel to see her &quot;room&quot; it is a wrenching experience for the dog to see you leave. I have tried it both ways with three different dogs, and it really makes a difference.

smueller

<BR>We have three small dogs (Boston Terriers) and that seems to be the number at which the price for a professional house sitter is comparable to a kennel. For two dogs, a kennel would be less expensive. For four dogs, a kennel would be more expensive. If you can find a college student that you can trust, the price for a house sitter would probably be even more reasonable. It is getting harder to find house sitters that will spend the night.<BR><BR>The most difficult aspect of finding a suitable house sitter is trust. I'm not referring to the possibility that they might burgalize your house or have wild parties there, but, rather, that you can trust them to take loving care of your pets. A house sitter that can be trusted to provide responsible care for our pets is something that we don't mind spending a little extra money on.<BR><BR>We have learned to trust our house sitter over the past two years and know that she will not leave the gate open so the dogs can get out of the yard, etc. This assurance is worth $40 per day. We could spend half that and have our neighbors daughter watch the dogs, but we would rather pay the additional amount and not have our trips burdened by the extra worry.

kaudrey

Hi nutney,<BR><BR>I know how you feel. I have a pet sitter for when I am away to come watch after my 2 cats. When I was in England for 2 weeks a few months ago, I was torn between my love for the country and how much I wanted to see my &quot;kids&quot;. <BR><BR>And they showed me so much affection when I got home, I think they missed me just as much!<BR><BR>Karen

maitaitom

Both of our cats are &quot;Rescue Cats&quot; and rule our house. We actually take them to a Cat Hotel (only in California). We found out that Jay Leno brings his cat to the same place, only his cat has a cage with (please sit down now) a television that has The Animal Planet on consistently. Our cats told us they didn't want a TV in their cage unless it was showing The Playboy Channel. It costs us too much money to board them there, but the peace of mind we have more than offsets the cost.

cigalechanta

my dog has been going for years to a place called pooch palace and he enjoys it they have play time, nap time and furniture they can jump on. Lasy year he had to stay there on a trial basis overnight because of his blindness and the onset of Alzheimers(Canine cognitive syndrome) They said he remembered where his bed was and got along ok, so we were able to go on our trip to France again without worry about him.

Shanna

Hi, Nutney. Thanks for the opportunity for us to talk about our PETS!! And fun to read about everyone and their animals. CMT, you have some good ideas about checking out the kennels. My two cats, Vicuna Mango Llama (called Mango and aka Rusty) and the Princess Kiwi are left either with their vet or with our sitter, Deni. Deni works for the vet and knows our animals well, and she has lots of animals herself. And she sits for the vet's animals, so she's very reliable when it comes to any care they may need. She has me sign an authorization for her to contract for emergency care. I don't like to leave my cats at home for long stretches because they are so people-oriented, and I'm nervous about break-ins which are more likely to occur if someone is able to discern after several days that I'm not home. Also, when I leave them at home, they have to spend most of their time alone even tho' Deni visits twice a day and stays for a while, brushes them and plays with them. At the kennel they have people talking to them all day and come home in a good mood. In fact, every time I call the vet, whoever answers says how much they love having my cats stay - Mango is such a friendly, lovable cat. They can walk around with him and he never runs or hisses or gets scared. Kiwi, the little sister cat, was whiney and scared when I first got her, but now she reaches her paw out of the cage and waves. The last visit, the vet tech told me how much happier Kiwi has become. When they come home, Kiwi rolls around and flirts until I brush her and spin her around on the floor a bit. Mango first checks out the house and yard, then eats, and he always wants to spend the first night in my bed which he never does otherwise. He lets me know how much he missed me by being very snuggly when he first gets back. Then he goes back on the porch. I hate taking them to the vet because it's such a wrenching thing - for ME! - to leave them. If I take them the day before a trip, the house seems so empty and still, I just can't hardly stand it. I also usually pick them up a toy if I go overseas - but they weren't much impressed with the little French mousies I brought back last time.

Scarlett

Pup has gone to the same sitter since he was 6 months old. She has three bichons and when he first came to her house, they were all the same size. But he is a standard Poodle, so now he is quite a bit larger than the bichons, but there is no convincing him that he is not also a bichon, running through the house, barking and playing with his tiny little pals.<BR>This lady keeps one dog at a time in her house. We have to book her months in advance, but it is worth knowing he is happy and well taken care of. She has a large yard that is fenced and she likes to walk Pup, cause he is so cute<BR>Although all of this is wonderful and we know he is well loved and cared for, I hate leaving him behind and miss him every day when we are away~

cigalechanta

I love these posts, especially at these bad days. I bought my dog a red leather collar with silver hearts at a leather craft shop while in the Dordogne. I would love to have bought him a pup I saw...lol

Madison

I have 3 cats, all rescues of course. I really don't like to disrupt their lifestyle in any way so I have a cat sitter take care of them in their own environment.<BR><BR>A few years back I did volunteer work for an animal organization that rescues animals from the shelters and I saw how some of these reputable vet offices took care of the boarded animals. Wasn't happy at all.

Scarlett

Lol, mimi,<BR>I often wish that I could bring home a puppy for my PUP~

Quark

I have a very good friend who always takes my yorkie when i go away. We live in a fairly small NYC apt. and he has a big house in the country with other dogs and cats, which in her mind become 2nd class citizens when she gets there. she's always a little aloof for a day or two when she gets home- after giving us abundant kisses. I can't tell if she's mad because she had to come home or mad because we left her.

JenniferW

Since my 10 year old persian cat is easily traumatized I leave her at home and a friend will come by to give her food and water. Everyone is happier that way.