You love your pet, but what happens when you have to get away for a while and soak in the Caribbean sun? You can’t always take your beloved pet with you on your travels or journeys, and that means that they’ll need to remain home. However, since you won’t be there to take care of them, you’ll need to take some easy steps to make sure that your vacation is as comfortable and safe for your pet as possible.
Hire a Pet Sitter
The best major step you can take to care for your pet while you’re on holiday is to find and hire a great pet sitter. These can be family friends who have known your pet for some time and who might know exactly how you like your home to be set up for your furry friend’s comfort. You can also hire a professional pet sitter who makes it their goal to ensure that your pet has a happy home while you’re away.
No matter what your choice is, there are some key aspects to consider while you’re selecting your pet sitter.
First, make sure that they’ve taken care of your kind of pet before. If you own a rabbit, for instance, you should make sure that the person taking care of them knows how sensitive little bunnies can be, particularly when their owner isn’t around. This familiarity is a great trait to look for even if you have a more common pet like a dog; good dog owners will know how to command a dog properly and provide them with the exercise and activity they need to remain happy while you’re gone.
Secondly, you can check websites or review sites if you decide to hire a professional sitter. These are often great resources for vetting your pet sitter since people who have previously seen their service will be honest about their experience. You can get a good professional sitter this way without having to test them out one by one.
Finally, you should make sure that your pet sitter is comfortable with the amount of communication that you want to maintain for the duration of your holiday. Some of us love to check in every day; others might be more comfortable with a call once a week or so. Whatever the case, you and your pet sitter need to be on the same page in this regard.
You can read more about the ways to care for your pet while you’re on holiday below.
Prepare Your Home
There are all kinds of helpful steps you can take to make sure that your home is ready for your pet sitter.
The first broad step is to make sure that everything is tidy and put away as it should be when you get back. This will act as a helpful template for your sitter when they arrive, so they know how you have your home in your day-to-day.
Obviously, this involves some cleaning on your part. You should remove candies, nuts, or other foods that are out on tables or counters to make sure that there’s no chance your pet will get into those bowls while no one is looking. If you have a dog, it’s a good idea to keep any chew toys outside their box so your dog knows what they’re allowed to play with. Make sure that any medications are locked up, too; dogs, in particular, will eat almost anything they can get their mouths on!
Then do another double-check across the house and make sure that fences and gates are secure, that toilet lids are down, and that your thermostat is at the proper temperature for your pet’s happiness. This will allow the pet sitter to ignore the thermostat and trust that everything is as you want it to be.
You can also set security alarms or light timers to limit the amount of learning your pet sitter has to do when they arrive. This will allow them to totally focus on your pet.
Leave Detailed Instructions
Finally, it’s very important that you leave out detailed instructions for your pet sitter or otherwise go over all possible details beforehand. Even if you’ve talked it out before the day of your departure, having a list or note left behind is a good way to ensure that nothing is forgotten or missed. This is important if you get a professional pet sitter, especially; they probably check on multiple animals in a day and might get instructions mixed up if you haven’t spoken recently!
The kinds of instructions you should leave are pretty universal. Make sure that any off-limits areas are listed and recognized, both for the safety of your pet and your own personal privacy. You can also leave a list of places to check for security purposes, such as windows, doors, or outside gates, and each day request an update to make sure that there haven’t been any breaches in your absence.
The most important instructions to leave are those regarding your pet’s health. Make sure that any medication or health issues are communicated to your pet sitter beforehand, as well as your protocol regarding vet visits and emergency events. You might ask your sitter for some kind of form to authorize medical care. This will allow your sitter to bring your pet to a veterinarian in the event that something goes wrong.
If you’re not sure about something, write it down anyway! There’s no such thing as too few instructions, and whatever helps you achieve peace of mind is worth it in the end.
Conclusion
With all of these steps, you should be secure to travel on holiday and enjoy your time away from home. So long as you have a good pet sitter, you can be sure that your pet is safe and happy, too!
