Traveling with Pets for the Holidays | GUEST POST | Fetch Petsitting NW Atlanta

There are several ways for pet owners to handle their pets and travel for the holidays.  They can take the pets with them.

Unless you have a small pet, this is better for people who are driving to their destination.  You don’t want to fly with a pet that won’t fit in its cage under the seat.  More and more places are allowing guests to bring pets with them.  If you want to travel with your pet, for not only the holidays, but for vacation, the site www.bringfido.com has an extensive list of pet friendly places to stay.

Vet offices have been a popular place for people to board dogs over holidays.  More specialized boarding facilities have been opened.  These places usually have larger pens for the dogs and specialized services that you can pay extra for.

There is another option available.  And that’s leaving the pets at home, and having someone come into your home to take care of them.

If you’ve never used a pet sitter before, it can be unnerving to let a stranger into your home to take care of your pets.  That’s why it’s important to interview them before hand.  Make sure you ask for and check their references.  Google the company and see what kind of on-line presence they have and make sure they are a legitimate company.  Make sure they are insured and bonded and show you a copy of that.  You can also check their legitimacy by asking to see their business license.  Make sure you meet the sitter who will be in your home.

There are many great reasons to hire a professional pet sitter when you’re gone.   First of all it’s great to have someone come in to your home.  They can turn lights on and off, pick up mail and newspapers and even water plants.  If something’s not right they can fix it or let you know about it so you can get it fixed.  Plus your pet gets to stay in the environment they are comfortable in.  They get to sleep in their bed or their favorite spot on the couch.  They get to eat the food they are used to eating at the time they are used to in the same bowl they are used to.  This reduces the anxiety on your pet.   The sitter will give your pet attention and play time.  Even the most standoffish cats begin to miss the human contact after a few days.  I’ve become best friends with some cats that became lonely when they realized I was not only feeding them, but was happy to scratch their ears or let them play with the toy mouse.  The sitter should update you with texts or emails to let you know what’s going on.  Pictures and even videos are a nice touch as well.

Traveling during the holidays is very stressful.  There’s traffic on the roads because of the volume of folks out there.  Everyone is in a hurry to get where they’re going.  The weather can be bad and that causes delays on the highways and at airports and this increases anxiety and frustration.  The best thing you can get for your pet over the holidays is good care.  Pet owners can relax and enjoy the time with friends and family, knowing that their pets are being cared for by a responsible professional and are doing fine in a comfortable, familiar environment.

Fetch! Pet Care provides pet sitting, dog walking and cat care services for Roswell, East Cobb, Marietta and Woodstock, GA.  You can follow regular entries in my blog at www.mikespettales.com.