Finding a Pet Sitter: Keeping Your Companions Happy at Home While You’re Gone

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So you’re planning on getting away. Perhaps for a quick weekend break or that dream vacation you’ve been thinking about your whole life. You’ve made your reservations, planned your itinerary, and arranged for your neighbors to check your mail. But before you pack your bags and catch a flight, it’s important to remember to make arrangements for your companion animals so that your vacation is as pleasant for them as it is for you!

Even if you are an experienced traveler and know the basics on how to keep your companion animals safe at home while you are away, please read on for some more good tips.

Most cats and dogs are happiest where they are most comfortable—right in their own homes. If at all possible, arrange for an adult you know personally and trust, such as a relative, close friend, coworker, or neighbor, to care for your animals at home instead of boarding them. It’s best to have the person come to your house at least once prior to your trip to meet and become acquainted with your animal friends.

Another option is to hire a professional sitter, but always screen potential sitters, even those who are bonded, licensed, and insured. If you use a professional sitter, make sure you do the following:

1. Ask for multiple references (including at least one from a veterinarian) and check them. Better yet, ask someone you know who takes excellent care of their animals to recommend a sitter they have experience with and trust. The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (1-800-296-PETS) and Pet Sitters International (336-983-9222) can provide referrals for sitters in your area who have completed animal care courses and adhere to certain guidelines. (These sitters should still be asked to provide references, however.)

2. Call the Better Business Bureau, your local chamber of commerce, and animal protection organizations within 30 miles to ask if they have ever had a complaint about the sitter.

3. Meet the sitter in advance and ask questions about prior training and experience with companion animals and their care.

4. Sign a contract that spells out the sitter’s precise duties but not one that exempts the sitter from liability in the case of your animal’s illness, accident, or death.

5. Make sure that the sitter agrees to check in with you every day, no matter where you are.

6. Leave your telephone numbers, numbers of people to contact in the event of an emergency, and the numbers of your vet and emergency vets taped to the telephone.

7. Have a back-up caretaker lined up in the event that the sitter is unable to get to your house. Leave a spare key with that person and leave his or her phone number with the sitter (and vice versa). Leave out multiple bowls of water in case some disaster prevents anyone from being able to get to your animals. (Dehydration poses a greater threat to animals than starvation.)

If Boarding Is Your Only Option
Boarding your cat at a veterinarian’s office or kennel should only be done as a last resort. As PETA President Ingrid Newkirk notes in her book 250 Ways to Make Your Cat Adore You, “Only sadists would dream of leaving a child in a cage in a hospital, exposed to diseases and the cries of others in distress, and the same goes for kitty.”

If you have absolutely no choice but to board your dog or cat, visit the facility beforehand, while there’s still time to find another kennel if it doesn’t appear to have a safe and friendly environment. Take a tour. Is the facility clean? Are the staff members gentle and kind? Is the kennel air-conditioned? Are the dog runs made of cement? (If so, will your dog be comfortable relieving herself there, or will he or she “hold it” and become extremely uncomfortable out of fear of breaking the rules?) Are the cat condos spacious enough for the cats to move around freely, with different levels to climb and sit on? How many times a day are litter boxes cleaned?

Speak with staff about any concerns that you may have. Ask questions. How many times a day are animals given fresh water and food? Are dogs taken for walks? What about emergency veterinary care? Can a friend drop by to snuggle with your cat or take your pup for a romp at the dog park? How many times a day are the dogs allowed to relieve themselves outdoors?

For a few extra dollars, some kennels offer extras like one-on-one TLC sessions, doggie daycare, or “deluxe” suites with beds, couches, and cat trees.

Look for a kennel that offers lots of space, stimulation such as wildlife documentaries on TV screens, safe toys, supervised play groups for socialized dogs, and, most importantly, caring, responsible employees to make your animal’s stay as comfortable as possible.

Even if you’ve been taking your companion animals to the same kennel for the past few years, why not stop in again for a tour to make sure it’s as good as you remember it.

With a little planning, your animal companions will be safe, sound, and serene while you’re away.

How do you make sure your animal companions are happy and taken care of while you are away? Have you ever used a dog or cat cam to check on your animals when you were away? For more information, including a pet-sitter screening checklist, strategies for coaxing your cat into a carrier, and car-travel safety tips, check out Ingrid Newkirk’s book 250 Ways to Make Your Cat Adore You.