Boarding

If you need to go away for whatever reason and can’t take your beloved pets with you, you may need to have them boarded. This is like a “pet hotel” of sorts and the staff at the boarding facility will ensure that your pet is safely housed, regularly fed, is played with and exercised and more.

What You Need to Know About Pet Boarding

There are two main options when it comes to pet boarding – boarding your pet at your local vet if they offer the service, or boarding your pet at a specialist boarding facility such as a cattery, kennel, or even a facility that is designed for birds or other small animals such as guinea pigs.

Pet boarding can be used for shorter or longer term stays as necessary. Your pet will have their own “room” and you can often have all of your pets sharing a space if you are boarding more than one animal at a time at the same facility. The ability to share the space means that your pets will have each other for company and the boarding process will be much less stressful on them. There are different levels of facilities available from the more basic but still comfortable rooms right through to luxury suites.

Pet boarding facilities provide everything that your pet could need during their stay such as food, treats, exercise, cuddle times, and more as part of their service. If you have a pet that has special needs or you feel better boarding your animal with their own food or bedding, ask the facility if they are willing to accept this. Some are happy to while some prefer not to. Most boarding facilities require your animals to have up to date vaccinations, and many will prefer to accept only desexed pets (as entire pets need to be kept separate to prevent accidents from occurring).

How to Choose a Pet Boarding Facility

If you need to board your pet, you obviously want to make sure that they are going to a high quality facility. You will want to look at the facility’s website or give them a call to see when they are open and to organise a visit to ensure that you are happy with the cleanliness of the facility as well as what they offer. Never send your pets to a dirty boarding facility or to one that you feel is incapable of serving your pet’s needs. A good boarding facility will also have isolation rooms for animals that become sick while they are there so that illness does not spread through the whole place and they will have easy access to a vet at any time of the day.

Pet boarding facilities can book out very quickly, especially in peak periods, so it is well worth calling as far in advance as you can in order to secure your spot. It may feel a bit funny calling 4 months before Christmas but you’ll be glad you did if it means that you get a spot in the boarding facility that you prefer, instead of having to madly rush around looking for an alternative!

Don’t forget to ask about the charges for the pet boarding. What are the charges per day? Will discounts apply for longer stays or for having more than one pet there? Will you get charged a penalty if you are unable to pick your pets up on time (due to flights being delayed etc)? Will there be additional charges if your pet requires medication or for bringing in your own food, toys, and bedding?

In-home Boarding

If your pooch is too precious to board at a kennel for any length of time there are alternatives. In-home dog boarding places your dog in the care of a dog-friendly family home. Holiday care services specialising in pet boarding will typically screen your dog’s minder for your peace of mind, with homes chosen for their suitability and safety. Besides getting to meet the minders in advance you also get to view the pet friendly accommodation before dropping your dog off. Most in-home boarding services will only mind one dog at a time but it is worth checking up on this beforehand. You are then free to enjoy your holiday in the knowledge that your nearest and dearest are getting the attention they deserve.

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