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Helpful information on House and Pet Sitting in Spain and around the world.

Pet Care or Pet Sitters - the Facts to Help You Choose

Helpful information on House and Pet Sitting in Spain and around the world. Do you own a pet? Many of us do. We love their companionship, affection and the bond that forms between us as we grow to know each other. Yet we worry about how to care for them, and how to pay for pet care or pet sitters, especially if we travel.

Moreover, most of us take the issue of petcare and well-being very seriously regardless of the cost and planning required to ensure things go smoothly during our time together, and indeed our time apart.

Pets are a responsibility we take on in full knowledge of the costs, the time commitment and all that comes with the ownership of a pet. And unlike our human family, pets rarely travel well.

Helpful information on House and Pet Sitting in Spain and around the world.

What can we do? Do we stay at home?

Keep our holidays pet friendly, local to home and seek out appropriate accommodation and facilities? Possibly, but that is not always practical especially if we need to fly,or travel across Europe unexpectedly.

Here are some Facts and Considerations

Before deciding on who looks after your fur, finned or feathered family consider the following:

1. Choice – Today the internet shows us the wide choice of options readily available. It also ‘enables’ some of those choices through technology and onlinematching facilities. The general services are:

Helpful information on House and Pet Sitting in Spain and around the world. Luxury Pet Hotels & Spas– There are a number of such pet care facilities appearing, and they offer your pet the height of luxury care with a price tag to match.

Helpful information on House and Pet Sitting in Spain and around the world. Kennels and Catteries – considered the traditional and a reliable option, they allow you to inspect the premises to view the housing and pet care before you commit to the provider and pay a deposit for your booking. There are many well run and popular kennels and catteries available.

Helpful information on House and Pet Sitting in Spain and around the world. Housesitters and Petsitters at your own home–you can find sitters through online networks:

Professionals - Sometimes you can find professionals to come into your home and take a briefing on how to care for your pets while you are away.

Amateurs - You can be introduced to amateur house sitters and petsitters who also offer their services. This is a Free option, it is considered an exchange of services, a collaboration, you offer Free accommodation in exchange for care of your pets and your home.

2. Separation Anxiety and Pet Illness–leaving your pets in an environment that is not their home can cause some pets to suffer separation anxiety.

• Some are more prone to suffer than others. Look for ways to minimise any anxiety.

• Make an active and thoughtful decision about what is the best choice for your individual pet and their personality to avoid pet and human anxiety.

3. Costs – considering the economic climate and the value of relative items, the growing costs of pet care can be a concern. How much should you spend on pet care, and how much will your budget tolerate?What if you have regular trips planned for work or returning to family? It becomes harder to budget for the full range of options.

4. Scheduling and timing for pet care – how far in advance can you book your pet care? Can you guarantee the same slot every year?

Luxury Pet Hotels & Spas

One end of the spectrum offers luxury, a trend begun in North America, luxury pet hotels for cats and dogs, while their owners go on holiday. There is usually a small and loyal following for each luxury pet hotel. You may remember an article about the first luxury hotel in the UK in 2012, reported in the Mail on Sunday as ‘Liz Jones pet visit to Britain’s luxury spa hotel for dogs’. She asked –

“It has four-poster beds and even a plasma TV. But could Britains first luxury spa hotel for dogs (in Essex, naturally) cope with my room-wrecking rascal of a mutt?” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2203916/Liz-Jones-pet-visit-Essex-Britains-luxury-spa-hotel-dogs.html

There are some very smart hotels for pets today, with the ultimate in grooming and spa treatments, enabling pet owners to leave home knowing their pets are very well catered for and will want for nothing.

Despite Harrods Pet Kingdom closing after 79 years trading as pet crèche and superstore to the wealthy in March of this year, Knightsbridge pet spas are putting their best paw forward, offering facials with exotic essences, wash and fluff drys and reiki healing.

The pet will receive the best treatment that money can buy, in the care of pet professionalsand offered foods at a luxurious price. While this is not for everyone’s pocket, it pleases many pet owners to ensure their pets are receiving the very best treatment while they too are enjoying themselves on holiday.

• Scheduling - Book well ahead of your dates - The key thing to remember is that you must book well ahead of time, especially in peak holiday seasons.

• Costs - Expensive pet accommodation - Cost is often a prohibitive factor so worth bearing in mind as an additional cost to your own holiday.

Kennels and catteries

Some people argue passionately, the case for kennels and catteries. A well run establishmentcan be a comfortable reliable place that will keep your pet secure, happy and entertained while they are no doubt pining your absence.

As the concerned owner, you know the meals will be regular, and no doubt they will generally be as described in the brochure. And once you are booked in it is a reliable option.It is good to try out the facility for a few days or a weekend in order to familiarise the pet with their new location before you leave them there for a long holiday. While there is bound to be a range of options for you, the challenges with this option can be related to securing a booking

• Scheduling - Book well ahead of your dates especiallyfor the peak holiday periods like Christmas or August.

• Costs – while prices vary you will no doubt be paying for their accommodation, food and care while resident in kennels. The price will be published and there will be no surprises.

Helpful information on House and Pet Sitting in Spain and around the world.

Housesitters and Petsitters

Inviting a petsitter or housesitter into your home to care for your pets can have many advantages. It offers the least disruption for your pet, they can maintain their routines in their own home.

According to Vet Matthew Bayliss, BVSc. MRCVS

“Both cats and dogs are creatures of habit – and if anything changes in their day-to-day routine, they can become quite stressed…A great way to establish trust between the sitter and your pet is to run a meet and greet, and get them playing together!” https://www.housesitmatch.com/blog/vet-matthew-bayliss-says-relax-cat-it-s-only-a-sitter/

This can minimise separation anxiety which afflicts a lot of pets, especially those of a nervous disposition. Staying at home is particularly beneficial for younger, older or more nervous pets. They often cope better with the owner’s absence by staying at home in familiar surroundings rather than moving to a new location in an unfamiliar environment with people and other animals that they simply don’t know or recognise.

There are online networks that allow you to register your requirements for free. Some specialise in pet experienced sitters, either professional or amateur, so be sure to look out for them.

If you have special requirements don’t hesitate to contact the network to see if they cater to your particular needs. One of the great advantages is that these are often free or moderately priced options. Some sitters are happy to pet sit for free in exchange for accommodation. To register use either the introductory free trial, or you will be asked for a moderate annual fee to join the network.

• Scheduling – give yourself plenty of opportunity to find a good selection of sitters by posting your date requirements at least a couple of months in advance. There is often flexibility with online sitters joining all the time and increasing capacity.

• Costs – Free or moderate joining costs of membership. Care of pets at home can also be free in this mostly collaborative arrangement. Most networks offer a choice of professional and amateur petsitters. Professionals will charge. You can negotiate and agree on the rate and time commitment.

The most important considerations are first the health and well-being of your pet, the impact on your budget, and of course the happiness of all concerned including yourself. Your anxiety is as important as that of your pets’. Find a solution that you feel is appropriate, and affordable for your situation. Then both you and the pet can relax and enjoy your holiday.