When you have pets, leaving town for a few days can be traumatic. Sometime cats can be left alone for a week or so, but in many cases your pet needs to have personal attention and care during the time you're away. The key to a happy ending is finding a pet boarding facility that is clean and staffed with people who truly care about animals.
All in all, picking a place to board your pet is a serious decision. Unless you know someone personally or have decent referrals, it's hard to know where to go. The best choice is a place where you know your pet will be well taken care of and content. Since many house pets tend to do poorly in strange surroundings, finding a place that will meet their needs and keep them reasonably happy is especially challenging.
Don't board your pet anywhere until you have personally visited and observed the conditions there. Some boarding facilities are filthy, poorly run, and represent a health hazard for your pet. Take some time to check out the cleanliness and general appearance of the operation.
When checking out a facility, ask if they require current vaccinations. They should. If they don't, keep shopping until you find one that does.
It's pretty common for veterinarians to provide a pet boarding facility as an add-on to their practice. You would think this would be the best choice, but don't count on it. The boarding is sometime just an afterthought that isn't given a lot of attention.
Think about how your dog would feel staying in a regular hospital. Hospitals are great for what they do - taking care of sick and injured pets. However, it can be a depressing environment for a healthy animal and they aren't likely to get more than minimal care in such a facility.
Veterinary clinics in general are not set up to do a good job of boarding pets. Their staff is dedicated primarily to attending sick animals, and they are often highly stressed and overworked. Your healthy pet boarding in such a facility is more likely to just be left sitting in a small cage for extended periods.
While you are visiting different facilities, see if the animals are monitored and kept safe and secure while exercising or playing outdoors. They should not be left in any enclosed area without supervision for long periods of time. Observe all fencing and make sure it looks secure, with no holes or "easy to dig out" places at the bottom.
A couple of notes regarding boarding cats and dogs. Cats should be kept in a separate area from dogs. Having barking dogs nearby will stress your cat out totally and is not recommended. For all animals, check to see what sort of schedule they will be on. How often will they be fed? Will there be frequent exercise and play time? Can you provide your pet's own food for them?
One last thing to consider when visiting and evaluating a pet boarding facility - watch the staff and see how they interact with the animals. To do this job well, one must love animals and have a tremendous amount of patience with them. Not everyone is gifted with this ability. If the people working directly with the pets are impatient and unfriendly with them while you're there, think of how they must act when you leave.
Take enough time to visit different places and evaluate your options. Pick the one you feel will best serve your pet's needs while you are away. - 29895
All in all, picking a place to board your pet is a serious decision. Unless you know someone personally or have decent referrals, it's hard to know where to go. The best choice is a place where you know your pet will be well taken care of and content. Since many house pets tend to do poorly in strange surroundings, finding a place that will meet their needs and keep them reasonably happy is especially challenging.
Don't board your pet anywhere until you have personally visited and observed the conditions there. Some boarding facilities are filthy, poorly run, and represent a health hazard for your pet. Take some time to check out the cleanliness and general appearance of the operation.
When checking out a facility, ask if they require current vaccinations. They should. If they don't, keep shopping until you find one that does.
It's pretty common for veterinarians to provide a pet boarding facility as an add-on to their practice. You would think this would be the best choice, but don't count on it. The boarding is sometime just an afterthought that isn't given a lot of attention.
Think about how your dog would feel staying in a regular hospital. Hospitals are great for what they do - taking care of sick and injured pets. However, it can be a depressing environment for a healthy animal and they aren't likely to get more than minimal care in such a facility.
Veterinary clinics in general are not set up to do a good job of boarding pets. Their staff is dedicated primarily to attending sick animals, and they are often highly stressed and overworked. Your healthy pet boarding in such a facility is more likely to just be left sitting in a small cage for extended periods.
While you are visiting different facilities, see if the animals are monitored and kept safe and secure while exercising or playing outdoors. They should not be left in any enclosed area without supervision for long periods of time. Observe all fencing and make sure it looks secure, with no holes or "easy to dig out" places at the bottom.
A couple of notes regarding boarding cats and dogs. Cats should be kept in a separate area from dogs. Having barking dogs nearby will stress your cat out totally and is not recommended. For all animals, check to see what sort of schedule they will be on. How often will they be fed? Will there be frequent exercise and play time? Can you provide your pet's own food for them?
One last thing to consider when visiting and evaluating a pet boarding facility - watch the staff and see how they interact with the animals. To do this job well, one must love animals and have a tremendous amount of patience with them. Not everyone is gifted with this ability. If the people working directly with the pets are impatient and unfriendly with them while you're there, think of how they must act when you leave.
Take enough time to visit different places and evaluate your options. Pick the one you feel will best serve your pet's needs while you are away. - 29895
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