– by Gillian Crowley –
Vacation plans are pretty well complete and … oh, oh, Fluffy and Brutus are staring suspiciously. What to do about the pets? If a mystery puddle recently appeared by the front door, you might be inclined to think: Kennel, serves ’em right. Usually, though, pet owners are hoping to find other arrangements for their “best friends”. Don’t get me wrong, many boarding facilities are well-run, clean operations with caring staff who will exercise your animals. But if your pets could speak, they’d tell you they’d much rather stay on home turf.
The lucky ones, like us, have dog-loving friends who are only too happy to take our pooch and spoil him rotten. Even so, it takes some advance planning to ensure our schedules coincide and to give Max a couple of short sleepovers to make him comfortable with a different routine. He started out as a traumatized SPCA rescue which makes us unwilling to return him to a similar environment at a kennel.
Another option is to hire an in-house pet minder. House and pet sitters aren’t cheap, but if they have good references they are worth their weight in dog biscuits. If you’re going to be away for weeks or months, try a short-term stay first to help your pet get to know the new person and put your mind at ease. All dogs and cats need sufficient exercise and stimulation which a good sitter will provide. One way to find a trustworthy person is to ask your veterinarian.
Some people are more cavalier about cat care, believing felines can look after themselves. They leave a window open so that the cat can prowl and ask a neighbour’s kid to drop by daily to check on food and water and empty the litterbox. Well, maybe this particular teen is really responsible and actually shows up every day. But what if the cat itself doesn’t reappear? It’s too easy for roaming Fluffy to run into belligerent raccoons or speeding vehicles. The cat usually loses.
Some pet sitters prefer to look after your animal in their own home. Again, preparing the dog or cat is essential. If you visit the caregiver in advance and let them play with or brush your pet, it reassures the animal this is someone you trust. When the pet sitter has animals of her own, it makes sense to introduce yours slowly into the home and observe their interactions before making a decision.
For RV travellers, the question is whether to bring the dog or cat along. Donna says, in her experience, most cats are less stressed left in their home surroundings. If a pet sitter isn’t possible, do some test drives to make sure you aren’t going to be dealing with an agitated or carsick cat. Fluffy will likely try to escape home at the first gas station visit so having her caged or on a harness at stops will prevent a vanishing act.
If you’ve acclimatized your dog to the RV, the trip can be enjoyable as long as you take enough rest stops to stretch his legs and do the necessary. Access to water is vital as a panting, stressed dog can lose a lot of fluid. Snowbirds and summer vacationers have to be vigilant considering that a parked vehicle can heat to boiling hot in mere minutes. Some RV’s can run air conditioning from their generators but others rely on plug in power. The big question is, how much will your pet limit your vacation activities?
Hotel stays with your best furry friend are becoming more the norm. If you can afford the surcharge ($25-$35/night) this is another possibility. I wouldn’t consider it with our rescue Cocker Spaniel who has separation anxiety, but it might work if you’ve got a laid back dog. However, if Blasé Brutus turns into Anxious Andy, you’ll be stuck in the hotel room while your travelling companion enjoys a delicious restaurant meal.
Planning ahead is the secret to a happy pet and a relaxed vacation. Pet personality, available care, cost and length of trip will all factor into your decision. Bon Voyage!
Look for my new column, Pets Patter, in future issues where I’ll introduce you to Max and discuss pet care and pet ownership. Your ideas for topics can be emailed to gillian@seasidemagazine.ca.
