ShowMe’s tips on holiday accommodation for pets near Paarl
Taking care of your pets when you go on holiday
The holidays are upon us and many people are planning on going away. It’s all good and well that you go away for a couple of weeks but have you made the necessary arrangements to make sure that your pets are properly cared for while you are away? You won’t leave your children unattended at home without caring for them, why should your animals be any different?
To make sure your pets get the care they deserve, here are a few things to consider.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Ghandi
Boarding Facilities
If you want to put your dog in a boarding facility or kennel while you’re away there are few things you should keep in mind and be on the lookout for:
- Don’t leave it too late. These facilities are often booked up months in advance.
- Take your pet to the vet to make sure their vaccinations are up to date. Also make sure you’ve given them their flea and de-worming treatments.
- When considering boarding facilities, go for an unannounced inspection beforehand. Make sure the kennels are clean, offer safety from other animals, are secure and sheltered from the elements. Also make sure that there is enough staff to look after your pets and that a regular check-up is done to ensure that they are comfortable and safe. Regular exercise is also something that should be considered.
- When booking your pet in, make sure that the facility is aware of any special requirements your pet may have and that they are able to cater to them.
- Leave your vets details in case they need to be contacted or visited in the event of an emergency and inform your vet of the arrangement.
Pet Sitter
If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your pet at a boarding facility with strange animals, then a good alternative is to get a pet sitter that will come and stay with your pets or look in on them a couple of times a day.
This can be a costly option, but don’t be tempted to simply pay your next door neighbour’s teenager to look after your pet. If they haven’t looked after a pet before, they might not be able to give the required attention and care your pet had become accustomed to and might end up neglecting your animal therefore doing more harm than good.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
Contact your Veterinarian or local Pet Shop to get details of pet sitters in our area. Click here for kennels and catteries in the area.
The same precautions must be made as if you were to leave your pet at a boarding kennel. It is also a good idea to ask for a few references. It is advisable that the pet sitter visits your home before you leave, in order for you to see the way your pets react to him or her.
Taking your Pet on Holiday
There are many pet friendly accommodation options available. This sounds like the ideal solution to your problem, but not all pets enjoy travelling and it can cause them a great deal of stress. If this is the option you want to take, please take the following into consideration:
- If you are staying at a hotel or resort, double check in advance that they do allow pets.
- Take your pet on a short road trip before your holiday, to see how they react in the vehicle and to make sure they do not get car sick. If your pet does get motion sickness, quite a few remedies are available, even homeopathic drops. You can also ask your vet to prescribe medication that can keep your pet calm or in extreme cases, have a sedative effect.
- When you are travelling, make sure to stop regularly, so that your pet can have a bit a walk about, drink water etc. This is not only good for the pet, but the driver too.
- If your pet does tend to distract the driver, travel cases are available for your pet to stay in for the duration of the trip.
- If you are flying domestically, your pet will have to be transported in a carrier. If it is an international flight, please check well in advance what the requirements are. You might need a special permit or your pet will have to be quarantined before or after the flight.
Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms – George Eliot
Our pets love us unconditionally and in many cases we are all that they know.
All they ask in return is that we treat them properly, feed them, walk them and love them.
If for some reason we cannot do that, it’s our responsibility to make the best arrangements possible for someone else to do so.
Should you find a lost animal please notify the Paarl SPCA, as well as Drakenstein Animal Rescue. They will assist in networking to find the owners.
An unknown author once said:
My goal in life is to be as good a person my dog already thinks I am.