By Jen Newton
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.
Deciding which boarding facility to go with is not a snap decision. You should not make this call based solely on what is closest to home. Perhaps you have some friends who know of a place that is good. In any event, we'll go over some things you need to look for. Remember, your pet will be in an unfamiliar environment and attention to their needs will be crucial.
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.
Occasionally, veterinary hospitals set up an in-house pet boarding facility for the convenience of their customers. On the surface, one would consider this to be the best option, since it would be near medical care should it be needed. However, there are other things to think about here.
Consider this from your pet's perspective. If you were a cat or dog, how would you feel hanging out in a human hospital for a few days? Hospitals are what they are. They are places for sick and recovering pets. Your pet is probably will not have much fun staying in a veterinary hospital while you are away, nor are they likely to get the care and exercise they need.
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.
If you are boarding a cat, they should be contained in an area that is separated well from the dogs. Few things can stress out a normal cat worse than around the clock barking and howling! If you will be boarding a dog, be certain to find out how he will be cared for. How often will he be fed? Will he have regular outdoor play time? Will they give him his own healthy dog food that you bring from home?
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.
Deciding on a place to leave your pets is an important decision. Keep all these things in mind when you make your choice.
Deciding which boarding facility to go with is not a snap decision. You should not make this call based solely on what is closest to home. Perhaps you have some friends who know of a place that is good. In any event, we'll go over some things you need to look for. Remember, your pet will be in an unfamiliar environment and attention to their needs will be crucial.
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.
Occasionally, veterinary hospitals set up an in-house pet boarding facility for the convenience of their customers. On the surface, one would consider this to be the best option, since it would be near medical care should it be needed. However, there are other things to think about here.
Consider this from your pet's perspective. If you were a cat or dog, how would you feel hanging out in a human hospital for a few days? Hospitals are what they are. They are places for sick and recovering pets. Your pet is probably will not have much fun staying in a veterinary hospital while you are away, nor are they likely to get the care and exercise they need.
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.
If you are boarding a cat, they should be contained in an area that is separated well from the dogs. Few things can stress out a normal cat worse than around the clock barking and howling! If you will be boarding a dog, be certain to find out how he will be cared for. How often will he be fed? Will he have regular outdoor play time? Will they give him his own healthy dog food that you bring from home?
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.
Deciding on a place to leave your pets is an important decision. Keep all these things in mind when you make your choice.
About the Author:
Keeping your pets healthy and contented plays a big role in being a caring and responsible pet owner. Stay on top of the latest healthy pet news and pet products.
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