What Happens To Your Pet When You Go On Vacation?

We're baaaack! Back from vacation.

We took the 4th of July week off to spend time with family visiting from out-of-town. We had a wonderful time, and we did it at home. We didn't travel, just did tons of things here.

One thing I was grateful for was that we didn't have to worry about our pets. We were here all the time and could care for them. But, in my randomness of thoughts about what to write about today, I began thinking about what people do with their pets while on vacation. This is always a dilemma in our household, It's a tough decision.  First there's Riley the black lab. Riley is 11-years old now, but still full of life. Then there's Stewart the cat. Stewart is 11 also, but very healthy and full of spunk.

So here is what happens in the Rent household.  If  we're out-of-town for any length of time, we board Riley.  We want him to have good care and we know Riley will be looked after by experienced animal lovers, and we can enjoy our vacation because he will be cared for properly.

As for Steward, we always use a pet sitter, as in our kids. Our kids are grown and probably won't be on the same vacation we are on, so they tend the cat, check on him each day making sure he has food and the litter is cleaned. (Yuck)  Actually, pet sitters can be friends, relatives or even a professional service.

Here's a good suggestion though. Make sure your pet is familiar with the friend or service. It make it much less stressful on your pet, and the sitter.  Oh, and make sure you compensate your pet sitter—even if they're a close relative—and maybe even bring them a souvenir from your trip, we do.

Here is one more option, bring them along. If you feel uncomfortable leaving your pet at home, it can sometimes be possible to bring your pet on vacation with you. We have never done this, but there are hotels and motels that are pet friendly. Better be sure your pet is a good traveler. If you owned our dog, Riley, you'd have to be prepared for constant whining. Ugh!

Happy vacation!