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Every pet parent has to consider whether to take their furry friend along, call on a friend for help or invest a bit of money in a pet kennel during vacation. Knowing how each option works and the costs involved can help you make the best decision for you and your dog or cat.
If you leave your pet at home, you’ll need to find a trusted person to care for your much-loved dog or cat while you’re away. You could recruit a few different people for the task.
If you want to save money, ask someone that you know and trust closely to look after your pet and fill up their food and water. However, realize that caring for your pet is no small ask, and don’t get offended if that person declines.
If you don’t want to ask a friend, see if any pet owner groups meet up in your area where you can meet likeminded pet owners. Some groups will arrange pet-sitting if you agree to watch other people’s pets in exchange.
If you know someone who wouldn’t mind a small retreat of their own, you could ask a friend, neighbor or college student you know to house-sit for you. You can have them take care of the pet and other small tasks like watering the plants and bringing in the mail. In exchange, you might offer some cash or free meals while they’re helping you.
You can always hire a professional pet sitter, but you’ll have to fork out some cash. You can thumb through a number of websites with pet-sitters listed. If possible, make sure the sitters have background checks and high customer ratings, and meet the sitter ahead of time to see how your pet reacts to them.
Boarding kennels typically cost anywhere from $20 to $50 per night or even more for luxury stays at pet hotels. Not all kennels are the same, so you should personally tour the space where your pet will stay. You want to find a kennel that’s clean, odor-free and includes ample roaming space. Also, you’ll need your pet’s up-to-date vaccinations and treatment records before dropping them off, including a recent kennel cough vaccination.
Yes, your pet insurance policy can still pay out whether you or a friend or family member takes your furry friend to the vet. If someone else is taking your pet, simply ask them to get a copy of the vet bill or have the vet email it to you. That way you can send the bill to your insurance company as proof for your vet expenses.
This works because most policies won’t pay the vet directly, requiring you to submit receipts and get reimbursed after the visit.
You can buy pet insurance if you’re planning to use it after your vacation ends or if you’re a regular traveler. Pet insurance may not benefit you as much if you want it just during your vacation, though doing so can offer extra peace of mind.
Most pet policies have waiting periods, typically a few days for accidents and a few weeks for illnesses. For certain ongoing conditions like hip dysplasia, you may have to wait several months before using the coverage, and conditions that your pet already has are excluded.
Your actions may depend on how serious your pet’s condition is, but you have two main choices:
After you find someone to look after your dog or cat, make sure that person is equipped with everything they need for your pet’s care. Provide the caretaker with:
A boarding kennel may have some of these items, such as a bed, so contact the kennel ahead about what to bring.
If you leave your pet at someone’s home, take a few steps to ensure a seamless experience for everyone:
If you know friends or neighbors willing to help you for free or for a small payment, you can save money on your pet’s care without taking them along on vacation. Otherwise, you can find a variety of pet kennels or sitters for hire to give your dog or cat some tender-loving care while you’re away. Either way, a pet insurance policy could help you pay for unexpected medical bills while you’re gone and when you return.
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