How to Leave Your Pet at Home While Going on Vacation

Are you nervous about going on vacation for the first time without your pets? Although sad, not all places and destinations are pet-friendly, meaning your beloved furry friends will have to learn how to survive on their own for a few days. If you want to make the process as smooth as possible, here are some tips you should consider.

Prepare the pet

Each pet is different and has a unique personality so, while your cat might not mind being left alone for the entire day, dogs might start barking and chewing on everything out of boredom and sadness.

Some pets are naturally more sociable than others so you need to make sure you know exactly what kind of animal you have at home. Affectionate pets or those that suffer from different medical conditions may not deal with separations too well, and this is why you need to prepare them in advance.

Two weeks before your trip, you need to start adjusting your pet’s schedule and get it used to you being away from the house for a longer time. In the first couple of days, you may want to try leaving your animals alone for a couple of hours and increase the amount of time to four hours by the end of the first week.

This will give you enough time to study your pet’s behavior and see exactly how well it deals with loneliness.

Find a suitable pet sitter

If you’re going to be out of town for more than one weekend, your pet will definitely need someone to look after it in your absence. Whether it’s a friend, a relative, or a professional pet sitter, make sure the person who is going to watch over your pets knows what they’re getting themselves into as well.

We suggest you bring the person over to your house a couple of times for them to adjust to your pets in case they don’t already know them. This way, the sitter will learn more about your animal’s preferences and habits and will know what to expect.

Write down all necessary information

It’s important the sitter knows exactly what your pet’s routine is every day. Thus, make sure to provide complete information about your animal’s diet, exercise routine, bathing or grooming products, as well as what remedies to use against ticks, food poisoning or other minor health problems.

You should be as detailed as possible and try to remember everything your pet does on a regular day. Maintaining routine is one of the main steps to reduce stress and help your pet better adjust to its new carers while you’re away on vacations.

Talk to your vet

Before leaving on your journey perhaps it would be best to talk to your veterinarian and see if there are any vaccine shots or treatments due during your departure. The vet might also help you find a sitter if you don’t know one already, and give you general information on how to make your pet’s transition as smooth as possible.

Make sure your pet has enough supplies

Apart from writing down all the information and instructions on how the sitter should handle your pet, it would be best to have some things prepared.

An emergency kit might come in handy if your pet gets cuts or suffers from diarrhea while you’re gone. Think about the food supplies and make sure the animals have enough food and treats to last them throughout your vacation.

Also, stock on anything you think your pet might destroy while you’re gone, and that includes bedding, a new leash for big animals or toys. It’s always better to be prepared.

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