Pet Sitter / Dog Hotel: Which is Best While You're Away
Pet owners have an important decision to consider if they can’t take their fur-babies with them, who will look after them? With the busy holiday season coming up, friends and family volunteering to take care of our pets become few and far between so the choices we usually have are whether to employ a pet sitter or whether to put our lovely pets into boarding.
Both options present advantages and disadvantages which need to be weighed to find the right choice for you and your pet. Here are the pros and cons for both to help you choose what will suit you and your pets best.
Pet Sitter Pros:
Environment: Adjusting to a new group of people and a new environment suddenly can be a stressful factor on your pet. Hiring a pet sitter allows your animals to stay in the place they feel the most comfortable with all their favourite toys, their bed, and any other small comforts they enjoy about home.
Routine: Pets, especially young pets, are very much like toddlers in that a routine is important to keep them happy. Puppies which haven’t been fully house trained need their routine adhered to so all your training isn’t lost while you’re away.
Attention: This isn’t to say that boarding facilities will neglect your pet’s need for love and affection, but they often have multiple animals boarding at any given time. A pet sitter will be able to play with your animals and give them the affection they need as well as take them on walks.
Extra Services: Pet sitters often offer additional services when they come to look after your pets. They will be able to water your houseplants and garden, bring any mail in so your post box doesn’t overflow with holiday specials flyers, turn security lights on and off to deter any would-be burglars, and open and close your curtains to maintain the appearance of someone being there.
Pet Health: If your animals have a particular diet or need any medication administered, a pet sitter will be able to ensure that these are seen to while you’re away. On top of this, the chances of your animals contracting a contagious disease are minimal if they’re looked after in your home as kennels and boarding facilities can be home to fleas, intestinal worms, kennel cough and more.
Different Species: Not everyone is limited to dogs and cats as pets. For many, exotic animals such as reptiles, fish, birds, rodents, and even tarantulas are loved members of the family which will require their own specialised love and care. While most boarding facilities are limited to caring for dogs, cats, and sometimes birds, pet sitters will usually list the types of animals they’re comfortable caring for. Many are also eager to learn how to care for new species to help build their pet sitting skill set.
Pet Sitter Cons:
Price: All the above-mentioned benefits to hiring a pet sitter while you’re away has a bill to match. Pet sitters, especially those from a well known and reliable agency, are far more expensive than boarding.
Your Pet: If your pets are not comfortable with new people or show any signs of aggression, a pet sitter may not be the best option.
Boarding Pros:
Price: Pet boarding facilities are often far cheaper than pet sitters. This doesn’t mean that your pet will be in bad hands as boarding facilities will make sure to take care of your animal's needs.
Emergency Care: Most boarding facilities will have an onsite vet or a vet on call to come in and take care of any medical emergency that may happen. Checking your pets in for boarding will give you peace of mind in knowing that your pet will be well looked after should anything go wrong.
Boarding Cons:
Disease: As mentioned above, boarding facilities often play host to numerous contagions. This isn’t the fault of the boarding facility, but one pet which hasn’t been properly de-wormed or vaccinated can infect an entire kennel putting your pet at risk and potentially costing thousands in vets bills.
Attention: Kennels will take in numerous animals at a time which all need to be fed, walked, and cleaned up after. This may result in your pet not receiving the attention they’re used to and you may have to pay more for special attention, play time, and additional walks.
Diets: Some pet boarders may not be able to follow the dietary requirements of your pet. Not all pets eat dry, low-grade kibble and this is usually the diet given to dogs and cats in boarding.
When it comes down to your decision, your choice should depend on what you and your pets require while you’re away as well as what your pet care budget is.
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12 Oct 2018
Author Lillian Rencken