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Columbia-Greene Humane Society
125 Humane-Society Road
Soft Paws By Aaron Clause Your Pet and Vacation Planning As the summer had progressed this year, the shelter received numerous calls from pet owners in the vacation-planning stages regarding boarding fees. Although the shelter doesn’t provide public boarding services anymore (we did before until the inundation of strays and surrenders made the task infeasible), I realized that summer pet watching remains an abundant necessity in our community. It wasn’t until I planned my trip to the Cape that I ran into the same problem firsthand with my dog, two cats, and three kittens. At that point, it was painstakingly obvious that I needed to review my options – and oh-so-cautiously! I know that vacation season has passed us by, but for those of you that are planning for autumn vacations, or even for trips next spring or summer, here’s what I had jotted down on my scribble pad: 1) Leave your pet home alone. PROS: - Pet stays in familiar environment. - Pet’s diet remains the same. - Cost-free tactic. CONS: - STRICT time restrictions. NOTES: Not at all ideal for dogs if your trip will be longer than 8-10 hours. Cats, who are less interested in routine, more able to space their feeding out, and have an indoor bathroom are OK for up to 2 days with a large amount of food and an ample water supply. More than 3 cats would require a second litterbox, as would a 3-day trip. 4 days is too long to go without checking up on them. Make sure your pet has an ID tag and license on his or her collar! 2) In-House Pet Sitting. PROS: - Pet stays in familiar environment. - Pet’s diet remains the same. - Routine remains the same or similar. CONS: - Research time (for a reputation check). - Aggression may be a problem. - Not all sitters are animal-experienced. - Household security at risk. - Cost NOTES: Pet sitting, either by family, friend, or pet sitting organization, is all the same. The person coming into your house must be researched, trusted, and well versed in animal behavior. It must be a reputable and reliable person. DO NOT make others feel obliged to this responsibility – it can adversely affect the quality of care given (and depending on your pet, the quality of your relationships!). If you have someone that regularly visits your dog and knows and handles his or her routines, maybe that’s the person. Get references – at least three – on any pet sitting organization. Leave your veterinarians phone number with your pet sitter. Do not leave pets with aggression or behavior problems with inexperienced handlers. Be sure your pet’s routines are well understood, and make sure that whoever watches your pets counts heads before they leave so no one is locked away! Again, see to it that your pets have on their IDs. 3) Boarding kennel. PROS: - Usually can provide experienced handlers. - Your routines will usually be followed directly. - Security of your home is not compromised. - Your pet is safe and secure up to two weeks (see notes). CONS: - Research time (for a reputation check). - Cost. - Pet is outside of its familiar environment. - Pet’s diet may be irregular unless you bring your own food. - Pet can get depressed from a long stay. NOTES: Know your kennel – get references. Don’t just pick through the yellow pages – get information on kennels through your veterinarian and local shelter. Bring whatever you can to make your dog or cat feel “at home,” especially his or her regular food to avoid gastrointestinal distress. Remember – you are a part of your pets’ routines, too, and they can become upset and scared without you, especially in the first 3-5 days of boarding. Fees increase with the quality of service; average costs are $10 - $20 per day for dogs, slightly less for cats. Take comfort that, after researched and approved, your carefully chosen and well-trusted facility will keep your pet content and safe to the best of their ability. A third time – make sure your pets are wearing IDs! 4) Take your pet with you. PROS: - Pet owner (you) has the best criteria to follow routine. - Security of your home is not compromised. - You will be the one in charge of your pet’s safety and security. - Cost-free. CONS: - Must be aware of local dog laws. - Must take every precaution that your pet doesn’t run away! - Aside from you, pet is outside of its familiar environment. - Pet may get motion sickness. - Difficulty in finding a place to stay that accepts pets. - Your pet will take time away from your vacation. NOTES: Provided that you follow regular routines, your pet may be quite happy to take you on vacation. Utmost caution is imperative in regard to identification and spontaneous meetings with other people and animals. You should create a “vacation ID” with a number you can be reached at during your trip – they’re only about $5.00. Bring water from home to avoid gastrointestinal difficulties. Bring ample cleaning supplies so you don’t get labeled a nuisance and ruin other pets’ chances for future trips. Keep your dog on a leash, and be aware of other laws (such as vaccination requirements) that you may need to carry paperwork for. On a final note, you’re probably wondering what my choice was. Dasha, my faithful 2-year-old spayed female Pitbull, was boarded at a local veterinarian’s office for my 3-day trip. I brought every one of her toys, her blanket, a big bag of her regular food (Purina Hi-Pro), and gave her a teary goodbye. I called to check on her each day (and received terrific reports). She was healthy and happy upon my return. My two cats, Eech (short for Icamani [eech-uh-mah-nee] “walks alongside”) and Goldie with their 3 one-month-old kittens (Crier, Flop and Mask, who were nursing) were left at home with an ample supply of dry food and water and two fresh litter boxes. They were as happy as ever when I returned, and even had food left over. You may have questions regarding tactics for smaller pets like gerbils, hamsters and rabbits, or alternate methods of travel like flight or railway. We’d be happy to give you our best answers! Columbia-Greene Humane Society (518) 828-6044 is open Monday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and Thursday until 7 p.m.
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