Who Cares for your Animals, while you are Away?

[serendipity1499]

Realize this has been discussed before but it has concerned me lately..

 

We leave in 13 days for two weeks & have the same concern about our Pup, Brandy, who is 15 1/2 as others have mentioned before..

 

Kids are out of the house & she is now our Baby.. Doxi's normally don't live past 13 or 14..But the lady who introduced us to Doxi's has one which I care for..

 

Her Pup, Fritz is 16 1/2 & is deaf & blind.. He has to be carried out four times a day to "tinkle" & three times to do his other jobs.. We had him for three weeks while his Mom was away.. Fritz's Mom cares for Brandy, who is deaf, while we are away..

 

I understand what Topsham went through when he mentioned babysitting for Benji, (on another thread) as it's worried me while Fritz was here.. I'm leaving instructions to our Vet for Fritz's Mom who will have "power of attorney" over Brandy while we are away.. She might have to make a decision if Brandy gets sick but we know she is in good hands with her "Aunt Libby" & cousin Fritz.. We already give her heart meds & meds for water on her lungs, but she still is a happy & viable Girl.. Fortunately "Fritz" Mom & DH & I use the same Vet, who is wonderful with our Pups!:)

 

It's so sad when our animals age & become incapacitated..:(

 

Do you worry about your animals when you are cruising?[/size]

[Lizzie68]

I am now in the unhappy position of having no pets, after 40+ years of always having one cat and 2 dogs always - not always the same ones, obviously. We used to have a medley of family or friends, house/pet sitter, kennels or vet. The house & pet sitter worked best for us, as the animals were not uprooted and kept with their regular routines. These days I get my dog fix by taking care of friends' pets - but they come to stay with me for the duration.

 

I have to admit that life is so much easier, and cruise planning less stressful, now I do not have to worry about the pets, but I also have to admit to missing them. Just can't take the heartache of the loss anymore.

[Cruising-along]

For the first time in my life I don't have a pet (I've always had cats)...our last one passed away 4 1/2 years ago, she was 17. I'm just not ready yet to get another, and truthfully it has been easier. I hated leaving our pets behind, but we love to travel. It is easier now, but I do miss having a cat and know I'll have another sooner than later. Our daughter has 2 cats and the neighbor cats think I'm their "auntie" so I guess for now that's enough. :)

 

We are fortunate that we've had the same neighbors for 21 years, and have always traded pet sitting for each other. I did worry when our last cat got elderly and we had to leave, but like you we left instructions and hoped for the best (and worried, of course).

[Cruiser Andi]

I try and vacation during the summer and hire a high schooler to dog sit during the day. I have a couple who I trust to do this. My dad comes over for the evening meal and stays until bedtime. This lets them stay in their own house and they are only alone a few hours.

[Sue from Canada]

I lost my wonderful cat five years ago. I use to have a cat sitter come in 2X a day. The bills can really add up for 14+ cruises.... I hated to leave my cat and she would leave me a little "gift" on the kitchen area mat when I got home to show me her displeasure of being left. I wouldn't even take my suitcase out until the day before leaving as she knew what was in the pipeline.

 

Since I retired three ago I now do cat sitting to get my "cat fix."

[Sundagger]

I've had cats - usually 1 or 2 or 3 - for the past 40 years. When I lived in Santa Fe, I found a "semi-pro" petsitter who I had come in twice a day to do the tasks and play with them. I'm near Minneapolis now and have an occasional housekeeper who also will come to my place a couple times a day to take care the cats.

 

My current cats (sisters) and I are quite attached to each other and I hate to leave them for long, so I've decided on no cruises longer than 10 days. They seem to forgive my absences when they're not long.:D

[ellieanne]

My cat was treated at a feline only vet practice, and we boarded her there when we were away.

 

She would throw temper tantrums when we dropped her off and work herself into a tizzy so it was better she was at the vet when her blood pressure spiked and she decided not to eat.

 

The vets noted in her chart that she was all around better when she was boarded in the hospital rather than in the boarding facilities, so that's where she stayed when we were away.

 

It was easier in the later years of her life, when she needed medication and IV fluids administered twice a day. The vets knew her well and knew her personality quirks.

 

It could get expensive, especially when she was older and boarded as a "hospital patient," but it was really the best place for her. Early on we left over for a quick 7-day trip with a cat sitter who came in once a day to feed her and clean the litter pan, and when we got home she was vicious, attacking us with the intent to cause pain. When we started boarding her at the vet's office, she would just fuss at us when we got home. All around boarding at the vet was the best option for her and us.

[kazu]

When we just had cats, life was easy as my neighbour would come over and give them their lovings and take care of their daily needs.

 

Now that we have dogs, care is much more complicated. I always let my vet's office know we will be away and take care of any bills (if necessary) while we are away. The terrrible trio head to "Debbie's" - their kennel. They love it there. Marley is enchanted with her horses. She gives them two walks per day along with their treats, attention and they start dancing at the mention of "going to Debbie's". They even have a special area to play where the three of them are together. They know I "will be back" and are very good and content there.

 

If they were left at home, they would be at the door waiting for me to come home. This way, they know the routine and are content.

 

Of course, it all costs $, but it is part of the cost of travelling for us.

[take us away]

My sister has 2 dogs which are both >10 years old, one of which has diabetes so needs 2 shots a day and is also blind but does an amazing job of negotiating thru his world. They do not have 'friendly neighbors (1 hates dogs)', the dogs do not do well in a kennel or a doggie spa, or even at friend's houses so she found a small local company who will come to their house (there is a doggie door) twice a day to feed the dogs, play with them and give the one his shots. The dogs love their caretaker as brings new toys on the 1st day. Not too expensive but this works really well for them so they just factor this into their travel budgeting as previously mentioned.

[DeeniEncinitas]

Paisley is the love of our lives!!! She lives a life of sooooo much love.

She is a cocker spaniel and does everything with us! She has traveled overseas with us, but most of the time stays with her best friend our daughter on our long travels. We never have to worry about her when we are gone for 2 to 3 months at a time! Believe it or not we will skype to talk with our daughter and paisley sees us and will get excited!

Thanks for the thread! It is nice to talk about our dear family members that are furry😀👍

Denise :)

 

PS

She is 6 years old, and healthy. I look forward to many years to come of companionship and travels with her.

Wanted to take her to Nice,France for a month where DH is doing Buisness staying at an apt. Soooo much red tape with France! She will be with our daughter.

Denise:)

[summer slope]

We have a cat, 10 years old. A friend who lives with her family has always moved in when we are away. Both the friend and the cat are happy.

[sammiedawg]

Sadly we have no dogs in our lives right now but boy do I miss my girls. I didn't think I loved animals until we caved to pressure from the kids. We got a puppy and boy did I fall hard. We lost sweet Sammie after a trip with extended family, she had been boarded with a lovely woman who worked for us. The dog was stressed and sick when we picked her up and sadly it was all over a week later. I firmly believe she died of a broken heart as the stress was too much for an old girl.

I cannot deal with the guilt of leaving so we won't get another one anytime soon.

Edited November 3, 2015 by sammiedawg

[3rdGenCunarder]

I grew up with dogs, and we always put them in the kennel when we traveled. It was a good kennel with nice runs. It changed hands, and we're pretty sure they were drugging the dogs to keep them quiet. The dog would come home sort of dopey, but would perk up in a day or two. Mom mentioned it to a friend, who said "Yes, our dog is like that, too!" So we found a new kennel at a vet. Space wasn't as good, but care was better. Funny thing, I told this story to someone recently and she said, "We used that kennel when i was a kid and our dog came home sleepy."

 

My husband and I have had a cat or two for a long time. Cats are much easier than dogs, and when we were both working, it didn't seem fair to have a dog that would be cooped up in the house all day. My parents were our cat carers. Sometimes at their house, sometimes at ours. Fortunately, they leaved only a few miles away. When we traveled with my parents, the cat was boarded or we had a friend come in. One time, our cat was getting old and was a slow/picky eater. A neighbor's son was home from college, and he went to the house twice a day, sat with her and talked to her while she ate. He was a godsend.

 

After Mom died, Dad always did cat care at his house. He didn't want a cat full time, but he loved have a visitor. He taught our last cat to sit up and beg for treats. She was a Maine Coon, very smart and very entertaining.

 

Now Dad has passed, the cat had to be put down, and we've been catless for a year and a half. I think I'm ready to get another cat (will adopt, not buy), but now I'll have to find a good sitter. I keep looking at planned travels and think "when we get home I'll look for a cat," but there's always something else distracting me.

[WeLoveCruising]

I have two Goldens that are family. We've struggled over the years with the right thing to do for them. The vet boards them, and we certainly feel they are safe there, but for trips longer than a few days we worry about them being too bored, in too small a place.

 

Ideally I would love an arrangement as some of you have described, where someone stays in my home and watches it as well as our pets. I just haven't found the right person.

 

We do have a local pet training business that boards, along with doggie daycare, so we use them. So far it's worked out well, although definitely a bit pricey.

 

The trainer shares photos and videos with us while we're away. Here are my two Goldens, Milo and Lucy, on a walk while being boarded.

 

Edited November 3, 2015 by WeLoveCruising

[sppunk]

We have a wonderful woman who comes daily to check in on Pixel (our cat). She'll email us reports and spend time sitting with Pixel and all that.

 

We also have Dropcam (read now: Nest Cams) throughout the house we can check in on when away.

[dogo88]

We have a pet sitter that we have used for many years. She takes care of the babies and they love her. Sometimes I think they like her more than us. Did the kennel thing years ago and too stressful for both the babies and us. Funny thing is the pet sitter costs about what a kennel would and she stays in the house. So it's a win - win for all of us.

 

Dan

[Hflors]

We are worrying about our upcoming trip (home for the holidays with family) luckily our vet also has a kennel. He is well taken care of but now that he is really getting up there its going to be very hard to leave him. He doesn't travel well at all. He howls as soon as we put him in the truck. 18 hours of that is more than we can take, besides we will be moving from place to place visiting four different people in 10 days.

 

I do worry that something will happen to him when we are gone and we will get "that" call.

When he leaves us I have already told dh that this is it. No more animals. I have loved the animals we have had over the years, but it is a commitment and at our age they might outlive us.

[idiebabe]

We have two rescue German Shepherds. We're very lucky that my Daughter lives two blocks from us. She has four cats so can't watch Jerry Lee and Maggie at her house. Her Husband sleeps at my house while we are gone and my Daughter will come mid-morning before going to work and then again in the late afternoon to feed them and put them out again, etc.

 

If we all go away together, then we have no choice but to board them. We have a nice Kennel where they have a unit large enough where they can stay together and they have access to their own fenced-in area to go in and out of during the day. We refer to it as the Neptune Suite! We don't like to put them in and only do so when we have to and for no longer than a week.

 

As long as we have our "kids" we won't plan Cruises where we are away more than 3 weeks or so!

[durangoscots]

I have 3 dogs ... all fairly young. I live in Colorado, but I drive my dogs out to California and board them at a kennel located near some good friends. The friends have "power of attorney" for them while I am gone. The dogs love this kennel.... we drive up and they pull me in, rush to "their" spot and never look back. If that kennel ever changes hands I am not sure what I would do. It adds a huge amount to my travel costs since I usually take longer cruises but I just figure it in. I keep in touch with the kennel through email. So far so good.

 

Susan

[solocanadian]

My next door neighbour comes in twice a day to look after my 2 cat's needs. She will spend time with them in the morning and evening as well. However next cruise my friend is travelling with me. We will both have to rely on a couple of other people to look after our furry babies.

[BellBoys]

You may want to ask if any of the staff at your veterinary office does side work as pet sitters. We are very lucky in that we have an elderly pug and a needy cat who prefer to be at home and would not do well boarding. Vet staff typically do what they do because they have a love of animals and certainly not for the pay as its customarily a low paying job.

 

Our sitter stays with them for as long as we are away, anywhere from 3 to 21 days. If the animals need to go to the vet its perfect as she takes them with her to work and they are the office mascot for the day! She texts or emails updates/photos of them daily and as she is staying at our home brings in the mail and lets of know if anything is amiss. We pay her $50 per day which is a few dollars more than a kennel fee but we get so much more peace of mind knowing that Guinness and Mazie are comfortable in their own home and well cared for. We know she loves certain foods and juices and keep that well stocked for her as well.

[InTheWASide]

We have a wonderful woman who comes daily to check in on Pixel (our cat).

 

Great name :D

[LindaM]

We have a favorite kennel, after trying different ones over a 40 year period. They have a vidio cam, where we can watch them play, or in their own kennel. Last year, Maddie was the office dog during playtime, because she was more interested in hanging with adults. Sadly, we have only on dog this year, but it was a blessing that Maddie went before being boarded this time. Actually, I never thought she would still be alive when we made these plans. I'm glad she was taken before being boarded. Penny will be fine....she is quite good at being an "only dog", and they do have playtime 3X/day at the kennel.

[CowPrincess]

When we had two dogs we kenneled them with our vet, in a special kennel, where the one who loved to escape could not see the doors to outside. So she had no opportunity to "plot" ;) That used to cost so much, we truly could have paid for an inside cabin for them to join us on our cruises.

 

For a few years we didn't travel at all, in part because of an elderly kitty who needed a lot of care. It was just so much easier to stay home and take care of the kitty ourselves.

 

Now, for our current low-maintenance cat, we trade pet care with trusted friends.

Edited November 3, 2015 by CowPrincess

[serendipity1499]

Wow! Thank you all for answering my question? I'm amazed there are so many responses.. This morning, Brandy did not eat her breakfast even with a bit of yougurt (sp?), & that worries me..S he does this once in a while, but does seem to go to it later in the day.. But come 6:p.m. she is anxious to have her dinner.. She can tell time!:)

 

 

Sadly we have no dogs in our lives right now but boy do I miss my girls. I didn't think I loved animals until we caved to pressure from the kids. We got a puppy and boy did I fall hard. We lost sweet Sammie after a trip with extended family, she had been boarded with a lovely woman who worked for us. The dog was stressed and sick when we picked her up and sadly it was all over a week later. I firmly believe she died of a broken heart as the stress was too much for an old girl.

I cannot deal with the guilt of leaving so we won't get another one anytime soon.

 

Sammie I feel your pain & I've been saying the same thing, but our best Friends who travel with us lost their wonderful Sheltie several years ago & their breeder found another 5 year old Sheltie, who needed a home..She was already housebroken & well trained as she was a retired show dog.. She has ben a delight to our Friends.. If I could find an older Doxi who needed a home, I might do the same thing.. When I was single I had cats & would love to have a cat, to keep my PUP company.. But DH is terribly allergic to cats, so we only have a dog..

 

We are worrying about our upcoming trip (home for the holidays with family) luckily our vet also has a kennel. He is well taken care of but now that he is really getting up there its going to be very hard to leave him. He doesn't travel well at all. He howls as soon as we put him in the truck. 18 hours of that is more than we can take, besides we will be moving from place to place visiting four different people in 10 days.

 

I do worry that something will happen to him when we are gone and we will get "that" call.

When he leaves us I have already told dh that this is it. No more animals. I have loved the animals we have had over the years, but it is a commitment and at our age they might outlive us.

 

Also understand your concern, but Brandy loves her "Auntie" & Fritz & we know that she will do the right thing for our precious Girl..

 

Yes, its a possibility that another dog will outlive us, but we also know she will have a good home to go to..

 

Brandy is a bad car traveler too & begins to cry if we are on the road too long.. Only time she doesn't cry is when we are on our way to school..When I get my badge & her badge out, she seems to know the little children will love her to death when they are reading to her..We stopped going up to see the kids near Ocala, just for that reason.. Now the kids come down to Cape Coral to see us.. Much better that way.. Also trust our Vet who is well known & liked in our town..

 

Please keep the replies coming folks - love your pictures!

 

Have a good day & Thanks Again.for all your wonderful stories.:)

P.S. The suitcase came out this morning & I'm beginning to pack, maybe Brandy understands this..

Edited November 3, 2015 by serendipity1499