Planning a Holiday

With summer just around the corner, many of us are starting to plan ahead for our trips away. Besides the usual passport and holiday clothes checks, many pet owners will have to ask ‘what am I going to do with my pets?’ If you plan on going away for more than a few days, then Animal Friends has all the advice you need.

 

What are the options?

When going away, you really have two options; in-house care, or boarding facilities. In-house care can mean either someone coming to your house each day or several times per week or you can take your pet to a family member’s house (or a friend) to have them care for your pet. Both of these options are valid, but should be considered carefully in terms of your pet’s requirements and personality.

 

In-House Care

With in-house care, make sure that the person you’re leaving your pet with knows the animal and is comfortable around them – a nervous carer may be taken advantage of by a smart pet, or may be bullied by the animal. Also, make sure the animal is okay with the carer, as you don’t want a shy animal becoming frightened or nervously aggressive around someone they do not know. Ensure that both animal and carer are used to each other’s presence, and if possible that the carer knows the little idiosyncrasies or ‘behavioural quirks’ that your animal may have, such as how it lets you know it’s hungry, how it may behave when frightened or upset – if the carer doesn’t know about these, then try to list them. Anything you can do to make it easier for the carer will help both sides once you are gone.

You should also make sure that your pet is going to be comfortable wherever it stays. The best way to test this is by using a ‘trial weekend’ or even just a night, where either your animal stays at the friend/family member’s house, with its bed and toys etc. to keep things familiar, or where you stay out for the night/weekend and have a friend care for your animal at your home. These trial runs can be used to see how your pet will react to your absence and whether the carer will be able to cope, but also whether the pet is comfortable in someone else’s home or with a different carer in your home.

 

Boarding Facilities

Choosing to house your animal in a boarding facility may be a tricky option. If it is unused to being away from you for longer periods of time, or is shy around new people or other animals, then this option may cause unnecessary stress and upset your pet. Always check a kennel/cattery before committing to this decision, and check for overall cleanliness and the other animals – this will not only ensure you know the kennel/cattery is a good choice, but can also put to rest any worries you may have about your pet.

Again, with this option it is best if you can take your pet to the boarding facility and see how your pet reacts. If it is not bothered by the presence of strangers or other animals, and reacts well, then it may be worth doing a trial run to see how it will react without you there. Should the trial run be a success, then you can continue to plan ahead with the safe knowledge your pet will have somewhere to stay.

 

If you’re having trouble finding a suitable place for your dog to stay while you are away, then perhaps you can consider going on holiday to somewhere that takes animals; there are plenty of animal friendly campsites around, and it is always worth asking whether a hotel will take your pet. If this is not an option for you, then perhaps it is best not to take a holiday this year, at least until you can arrange proper homing for your pet – this will mean you can have a secure sense of mind while you are away in the knowledge that you have found the best carer possible for your pet.

Finally, remember you’ll need a good level of pet insurance for your pet while you are away in case an accident does happen – if you’ve splashed out on a holiday, you don’t want to pay an unexpected amount for vet bills as well. Did you know that if your pet has a pet passport and is covered by Animal Friends Insurance, you can receive £2000 overseas emergency cover; Animal Friends Insurance offers a wide range of comprehensive cover suited for any needs, so phone us on 0845 55 70 300 and ask how we can help your animal friend today.