What do Easter, graduation, hayfever and summer travel plans have in common? They’re all things that happen in the spring. If you’re not fortunate enough to have friends or family to look after your furry, feathered or scaled friends, pet care can be costly and hard to find. Starting the process early is essential in finding care you and your pets will be comfortable with. Whether you prefer to board your pets at a kennel or hire a sitter, start your selection by asking for recommendations from other pet owners. Your vet may also be able to make a recommendation. Peruse the company’s website and check references—and not just the references posted on the site. Use public rating sites like Yelp to get a bigger picture.
Interview questions for a pet sitter:
· What is your training? A veterinary technician or someone with some type of degree in animal care is preferable.
· How long have you been pet sitting? Follow this up by asking for confirmation. Who was their first client or how did they get started?
· Are you bonded and insured? This step protects you if the sitter has an accident or damages your property while you’re gone.
· Do you provide a contract? A contract should show you the exact list of services being provided.
· How many pets to you take care of at a time? A busy pet sitter might seem like one who is good at their job, but if they’re too busy your pets might not get the attention they need.
· Are you skilled in taking care of my type of pets? Rodents, birds, reptiles and other less common creatures may need special care. Just because someone is experienced with dogs doesn’t mean they will be great with chickens.
Tips for choosing a kennel:
· Make an appointment to visit the facility. Does it look and smell clean? Are you seeing positive interactions between the staff and the animals? Trust your gut, if it doesn’t look like the right place for your pets, it’s not.
· What is the hiring criteria for the staff? Is any sort of specialized training or on-site education required?
· Ask about the feeding schedule. Will they provide food and treats similarly to the way you do at home or do they adhere to a strict “one size feeds all” schedule?
· What happens in case of an emergency? If staff doesn’t know what to do in case of a natural disaster or if a pet gets sick, the facility may not be up to grade.
· Visit a second time—unannounced. Once you’ve narrowed down your selections, give the facilities at the top of your list a pop-in visit. If they don’t welcome surprise visitors, there may be something to hide.
· Prepare your pets for a visit. Start with short stays and build up to longer ones. Both you and your pets will feel better if everyone has the chance to get used to boarding before you take that long trip out of town.
· Once you find a kennel you and your pets both like, stay in practice. Even if you’re not going on vacation, keep your pets in the habit of boarding by making a reservation once or twice a year.
Living with pets impacts every part of a person’s life—mostly for the better! But travel is one of the true challenges of sharing life with animals. If you need to leave your pets for any reason, don’t feel guilty. With the right care they can still have fun without you.
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