As every pet owner knows a planned trip for you and your family means you also need to plan for your pets. Whether you look for pet and housesitters to move and look after everything with a site like ours or you find a kennels or cattery you need to ensure certain steps are taken and managed while you are away. Managing the pet care means healthy and happy pets while you are away and on your return. Whether that means visiting a cat daily to feed and water and clean the cat litter box, or having housesitters in to care for all your animals.

Secure Your Pets Before You Travel With These Simple Steps

Having a pet is such a wonderful experience. However, one of the most difficult things can be leaving our pets behind when we go travelling. It is really important to make sure that your pets are safe and secure before your travel so that they can have a happy and healthy time while you are away. Different pets require different things to look after themselves, so it is vital that you consider your pet’s needs before you go travelling.

In this article, we will explain the simple steps you need to take to secure your pets before you travel.

Make Sure Your Pets Have Access To Food And Water

This is the most important thing that you need to make sure of when you go traveling. If you have a dog or a cat and you are planning to go away for an extended period of time then you will need to get someone to come round to your home to feed your pet. Many people have tried just leaving their cat or dog enough food to last them for a week but what usually happens is that they just eat it all on the first day, vomit and poop all over the house and then go hungry for a week. 

Ask a neighbour or a friend or family member who lives close by to come round once a day to give your pet food and fresh water. They can check that it’s OK and keep in touch to let you know all is well. Better still, find a housesitter to care for them in their home. There are other pets that less frequent feeding. Turtles for example only need to be fed every other day. There are some really great feeders now or fish, turtles and other aquatic animals that work on a timer so all you have to do is fill them up before you leave and set the timer to release food whenever your pets need it.

Provide Your Pets A Clean Environment

Whilst you are away travelling you are not going to be able to clean your pets or your house. So you will need to find a way to keep their environment clean until you come back. This is where housesitters can be a great help. If you have fish or turtles, then make sure that you clean their tank out just before you leave. In addition, install a powerful filter to keep the water clean while you are away. When you return you can clean it out again.

Likewise, if you have a hamster, rabbit or guinea pig, clean out their house the day before you travel. Guinea Pig HQ shares that in this way, you can clean it out again on your return. Your pet will remain healthy and happy.

Manage your litter boxes

If you are leaving a dog or cat behind while you travel, then it is going to be more difficult to keep the environment clean. Cats are easier to manage than dogs because you can leave them a litter box to use.  Housesitters caring for dogs should be given instructions to pick up the poop from the garden to keep it safe and clean.

There are some great easy to use cat litter boxes that are self-cleaning, so that whilst you are away, your cat can do its business but won’t stink out your house. Make sure to litter train your cat. Then you won’t come home to a horrible mess that you will have to clean up. It’s so important that your cat feels comfortable using their litter box. Early training is important. So introduce it at least a few days before you go travelling so that you know it will use it.

Book Your Pet Into A Kennel Or Cattery

If you are going away for an extended period of time and you cannot find anyone who can come and look after your pet, another really great option is to put them into a specialized kennel or cattery whilst you are away. This will ensure that they are well fed and looked after. Then they won’t destroy or mess up your home. It can be a heart-wrenching thing to leave your pet behind. This is whether you choose a housesitter or at a kennel or cattery.  And it is such a great feeling to see how happy they are to welcome you when you collect them. If you are a frequent traveller, find a highly rated place local to you.  Try and use the same one so that your pets become accustomed to it.

Leaving your pet behind while you travel is never easy. It is so important to take the right steps to make sure they are ok while you are away. Sort out your pet’s food and water arrangements before you leave. Always make sure they have some way to go to the toilet. If you are away for an extended period of time, consider the benefits of booking them into a specialized kennel.