Plans for your dream vacation are all set. You’ve chosen a great location, booked yourself in the swankiest hotel you could find and you’re counting down the days before you get to let loose and enjoy some well-deserved fun. This last but oh-so important detail has you stumped and you just can’t bring yourself to make a final decision. You love your little cuddle buddy so much and wish you had the option of taking her with you, but you can’t. Should you choose in home pet care or should you send your precious companion at a nearby kennel or boarding facility? What should you do? Which option is ideal for your best friend?
A Straight Answer
At-home pet care is a better solution for your pet than a kennel or boarding facility. This is almost always true for cats and dogs, as well as other pets such as birds and reptiles. While boarding is often used, at-home pet care has emerged as a better solution since it allows your beloved to remain in the familiar environment she is most used to and in a place where she feels comfortable and is safest.
Before you decide, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of both options:
The Pros of At-Home Pet Care:
- Staying at home keeps your pet comfortable
- Maintaining a normal routine helps relieve anxiety while you are away
- Being in a safe and secure environment keeps your pet at ease
- Focused attention from their Pet Care Provider while playing and exercising reminds them they are loved and cared for
The Cons of At-Home Pet Care
- Your pet may miss you
- Prices may be a bit higher
As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons here. And if you bring on the right dog walker or pet sitter, your pet may not even miss you! If you have security cameras in your home or a pet sitter who is willing to video chat with you, you can even peek in and even say hello to your love bug every day that you are away.
The Pros of Pet Boarding
- Daily costs may be lower
- Your dog might enjoy making new friends at a boarding facility
The Cons of Pet Boarding
- Adjusting to a new environment, scents, sights and sounds which may be frightening to them
- Exposure to airborne diseases, such as kennel cough and canine influenza
- Possibility that your dog may be picked on by an alpha dog, possibly causing physical or psychological harm and high vet bills
- Lack of attention or quality of environment they are used to
- Increased stress or anxiety from a bad boarding experience
- Desire to escape from the new environment may cause your pet to run away and become lost
Weighing Your Options
So, on the one hand, you have a scenario where, besides missing you, not much changes in your pet’s life. On the other hand, with boarding, there are more than a few serious risks involved. Being creatures of habit and pretty big on having a territory of their own, most pets will appreciate staying at home without you as opposed to going to a strange environment without you.
Our Full Disclosure
Clearly, we have a bit of a bias here, but it’s not just because we offer superior pet sitting and dog walking services. We started Fetch! Pet Care because we honestly believe that there’s no place like home for pets and we want them to feel as happy, safe and comfortable as possible. There simply is no better way to care for your pet when you have to hit the road!
The Stress-Free Option
Your pet has as much difficulty as you do when you are away. There is a distinct difference between leaving her at a strange place and leaving her at home, however. As leaving her at home creates less stress and supports her comfort, we hope that you will agree that at-home pet care is always better than boarding.