This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Booking Summer Pet Care: How To Avoid Last Minute Panic

You want to enjoy your vacation, not worry about what's going on back at home with your pets. And you don't want to be in a last minute scramble trying to line up someone to check on your pets just days before you go away. Many people wait too long to look into booking pet care for when they are away and it can lead to a very stressful situation both for the pet parents and the Pet Sitter who is enlisted at the last minute to step in and help out.

You can avoid this by following these tips:

Plan your trips well in advance whenever you can

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is especially important if you are going away at the same time as everyone else (holiday weeks/weekends, school vacations and summer time).  Contacting your Pet Sitter up to six months in advance for these super busy times is a good idea and not at all premature, even if it’s just with tentative dates.  Be sure to check in about 5-6 weeks before your trip to confirm that the Pet Sitter has you on the schedule and it’s still a “go”. Just in case for some reason they’ve dropped the ball or their own personal availability has changed (and if it did, they should have let you know!) you are leaving yourself enough of a window of time to line something else up. Booking for off-peak times should still happen with as much advance notice as possible, but reasonably a minimum of 2-3 weeks, unless it’s a real emergency.  A good Pet Sitter will do anything they can to help you out in a true emergency.

When planning a trip include the price of pet care in your trip’s budget

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When you first contact the Pet Sitter they should at least be able to give you a ballpark price of what the fee will be based on their rates, and then if they need to tweak it as the dates get closer based on specific departure and return dates and times as you firm things up, the amount should still be pretty close. Put this money aside so that you have it to pay the Pet Sitter before you leave.  Coming back having spent too much on the trip and then not having money for the Pet Sitter is a big no-no and it does happen! I actually require that clients leave payment for me at the home prior to their departure so that I can just take it with me on the last visit rather than have to wait to get paid until after the clients are back.

Be sure to check with your Pet Sitter before you book

If you have a good reliable Pet Sitter you definitely want to make sure they will be around and able to help you. If it turns out they’ll be away too (what??!! They are getting time off??!!), either consider other dates or make sure you line up someone else before finalizing your trip plans.  The checklist when booking your trip should include reserving pet care at the same time. Plane tickets, hotel, rental car, Pet Sitter or vacation house rental dates/Pet Sitter.

Establish a relationship with at least one local professional Pet Sitter

Even if most of the time you can have a friend, neighbor or family member help you out, you should meet and get set up with a local Professional. You never know when that one time everyone’s “un-availability” will converge and you will be stuck! My suggestion is that anyone with a pet should develop a relationship with not one but two local professional Pet Sitters that will know their home, their pets and the routine and be able to step in on a moment’s notice in case there is ever some kind of last minute emergency.

Always make sure that you have a back-up Plan B

This is vitally important just in case something happens with the Pet Sitter at the last minute. They’re human, they have their own personal lives with family deaths, health crises and heaven knows what else that can come up. You want to be sure that if something happens with your Pet Sitter or Pet Sitting Service (it can even happen with a larger company that has multiple employees, believe me, I’ve gotten plenty of last minute clients that way!) after you’ve already left town there is someone that knows you and your pets who can step in and help out in an emergency.  Be sure they have a key and all pertinent instructions regarding care, feeding and routine. 

Be specific when asking the Pet Sitter for what you want

Know your pet’s schedule. Be able to concisely tell the Pet Sitter when you are leaving (date, time) and when you are due home (again date and time) and how many visits per day you need each day that you are gone, starting with the timing of a first visit on the day you leave and ending with the timing of a last visit the day you get home.  Be specific in being able to tell your Pet Sitter what you need from them.  Base it on what’s best for the pets, not on pricing.  Cutting dogs down to fewer visits to save some money isn’t fair to the dog, especially if you’re going out of town for more than a couple of days.  It’s not just about them getting out and fed, it’s about them getting lonely.

How To Determine What You Need

Most cats are fine with one visit a day, unless they have special feeding needs or need medication such as insulin or heart medication twice a day. Dogs vary depending on their age and capability to “hold it”.  Most adult dogs are okay with three visits a day, although four is not overkill. Many times my clients will have the pups on a schedule for early morning visit, mid-day, dinner time and later evening/bedtime. Many dogs are just fine with a morning, mid-day and evening visit. You know your pet, so decide what works best. Some Pet Sitters can come stay at your home overnight (like I do) and some are able to take your dogs to their homes to board them (I don’t do this). Some dogs are nervous wrecks going to new places and really should stay home to avoid stress and anxiety while others are more adaptable and would prefer to go to a boarding situation rather than stay home alone.  Again, know your dog. An elderly dog should not be sent to a boarding kennel, they really are just better off at home in familiar surroundings, while an energetic young puppy may do better going to a sleep-away-camp type place that can get him lots of play time and socialization rather than staying home alone in a crate for hours at a time.

Enjoy your vacation knowing that your pets and home are in good hands and you ironed it all out in advance!

Quick Summary:

*Have an established on-going relationship with at least one local Pet Sitter

*Know your pets’ needs and schedule, book care according to what’s best for them

*Book and budget pet care at the same time you book and budget the trip

*Have a back-up plan, just in case (family friend, neighbor, relative, other pet sitting service)

*Confirm dates with your Pet Sitter far enough in advance that you still have time to make alternate plans if things have changed for them

*Be organized!  It’s easiest for a busy and in-demand Pet Sitter to help clients who can communicate clearly what they need and when they need it and who look ahead and plan well in advance.

 

(Deirdre Curran is a local Dog Walker/Pet Sitter in Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester.  You can visit her web site at: www.curranspets.com)




We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?