Going away

[Angry_Platy]

Well, not exactly storage

The fish will be fine for 5 days though I will be getting an auto feeder for the fry tank.

The cat will be fine since she is happy as long as she gets to sleep all day and eat when she wants.

The dog is a different story. I spent most of yesterday going to places looking at possible dog accommodation. None of them fit my criteria. My criteria - some warmth (it will be winter), constant access to grassy area, access to undercover protection, some carpeted area to sleep on, being allowed to eat his own food (not the stuff they supply) and being allowed his own toys and bedding.....

Not too much, or so I thought.....

One place was freezing cold. Like I was wearing two layers of clothing and was shivering. Another place wouldn't allow him any toys or bedding. Another one had no grass access, only one of them had a carpeted area and all but one didn't allow him to have his own food (unless he had a vet cetificate stating certain allergies and even then we would have to pay more)...I mean HELLO!! We provide his own food yet we have to pay more for the privilege.

I know its only 5 nights but he is SUCH a spoilt dog. I mean, he sleeps in our bed with the electric blanket on. He likes scratching in the grass. He likes his toys and would be lost without them.

Am I asking too much? This going away business is too stressful, simply because of the animals. I am allready having nightmares about all my fish being dead when I get back.

 

[Bloo]

No, you really are not asking too much at all ! I think it's only right and see no problem whatsoever that you should want to take your own food, toys and blankets for him. I used to work in a cattery and that was quite the norm in fact. And we certainly didn't charge more (but not less either).
As an alternative, have you thought of a dog sitter ? Not one that comes to your house, but one where your dogs goes to stay in the sitter's house ? It usually costs the same as a kennel would and I think that's a great option if available. Have you tried asking your vet for recommendations ? Or speak to the vet nurses - they often know better
Good luck in finding what you are looking for - it must be out there !

 

[Angry_Platy]

Thanks for making me feel I am not expecting too much

I have friends with dogs who I would trust with my dog but I don't want to put them in a bad position by asking them. My dog is very well socialised with other dogs, animals, children and people so I am sure he'd be no trouble but still.....

I will look for doggy sitter services. I did look at having someone coming here to look after him but unless they were prepared to stay here nights as well it wouldn't be any point since he is very much an inside dog (he is inside whenever we are).....

Thanks for the advice

 

[GSD]

It took me MONTHS ot find the perfect kennel for my dogs im soooo picky
my kennel is called Tarril and it has

2 hours grass access a day
he eats his own food
can play with my other dog
gets a free groming session
brushed everyday
10 min cuddle session
an indoor heated kennel where he can have his blanket (wont go without it)
and he is allowed his teddy
and an outforr run thingso he can go in or out
cost a bomb though but he is worth it

 

[boozybears]

Hey Chook! No.. you're definetly NOT asking too much. I can't believe the conditions of those kennels. I just got back from a 4 day conference away. Quite unexpectedly my husband also had to work away from home the same week so I went through the same stress with my pup (who is also as spoiled as they come ) Luckily we found a friend who was all to happy to look after her.. and all he wanted was a case of beer in return. I'd ask your friends. The worst they'll do is say no.. but i'll bet they've all been in the same situation and will gladly look after him.

Good luck!!

 

[MegTheFish]

didn't allow him to have his own food (unless he had a vet cetificate stating certain allergies and even then we would have to pay more)...I mean HELLO!!

Are you kidding? Thats pathetic. You can't just change a dogs diet that suddenly. It should be done over a course of days/weeks, I think thats really bizzare. What if you dog doesn't like it and your dog doesn't eat the whole time your gone? Or what if that certain food doesn't agree with your dogs stomach and he gets sick? I mean..come on people. If you own a dog kennel you should atleast know this. And you pay more if you supply your own dog food? PISH. They're probably giving the dogs cheap stuff too...LoL. Ok, my little rant is over. Sorry )
Anyways, I agree with everybody else, you are definetly not asking too much.

 

[gaya]

Meg, that's what happened with my dog when we went on vacation (she's gone now as that was many years ago) but she didn't eat the entire time we were gone!

Chook, why would a sitter have to sleep over? Would he get lonely? If you can find someone who you can trust in your home that would seem like less of a pain for him.

 

[Angry_Platy]

Thanks peeps for the suggestions

Mac and Gizmo are now booked into their home away from home. We decided on leaving them at the local vet which has very good boarding facilities. The dogs get anywhere between 3-8 hours of grass access each day, the building is air conditioned, they can bring their own food, toys and bedding. They can be fed twice a day without having to pay extra. We can pay extra for dedicated one-on-one playtime (walk for the dog and cuddles for the cat). For the dogs, there is underfloor heating and you can take as many toys/bedding etc as will fit in the enclosure!!!

Gizmo has been booked into a "penthouse" suite and Mac into a large "run"....large runs are recommended for dogs between 25 and 50kg (Mac is 9kg)

All up, including 5 nights accommodation, playtime each day for each animal.....= $188. Which is about the same as all the places around here charge.

My animals are SOOOO spoilt. But I still feel bad and get sad thinking of leaving them. At least this place has been recommended by a few peeps and is our vet...so the people there know the animals. A plus if they are feeling lost

 

[Kiarra]

That sounds like a perfect setup!

I would never leave a dog at a kennel again. My first dog, before she died, came back from one of the best kennels locally, that we'd used before without trouble, with kennel cough, fleas, and obvious bite marks (she was a Cocker Spaniel, and the sweetest thing ever with ALL critters, so I KNOW she didn't instigate whatever fight she was obviously in). Now, if we have to leave a dog, they go to an indoor place with furniture just for the pets. Costs a fortune, but she always came back to us healthy, without added visitors, and not looking like someone had just beaten her or yelled at her (which, to her, was really the same thing). You just can't trust so many kennels these days, no matter how nice they look on the outside. Come to think of it, that first kennel insisted on using their own food, too, and my cat (that went with the dog), hardly ate a single thing the whole week. She was thin when we took her in, but she looked near-dead when we brought her home, and they had the nerve to complain that, when she (out of starvation), tried to eat their food, she was puking it up on them.

You're really much better off with vet offices (if they'll take them!) or pampered pooch type deals where they're treated like a member of the caretaker's own family, or, better yet, in the home of a trusted friend who knows animals pretty well.

 

[Angry_Platy]

One of the people I work with that suggested this place is VERY fussy. She has a pedigree cat (burmese I think) that she paid $500 for....she is VERY happy leaving her cat there for 2 weeks and he is no worse off when she picks him up.

Another thing I liked was that I could inspect at any time. Meaning, I didn't have to make an appointment. It made me wonder with the other places who insisted on an appointment if they kept the kennels that dirty that people wouldn't want to be shown through them. Also when I visited one of them, they were very sure to make sure I didn't "wander" into the larger dog area. They wouldn't let me pay extra to have a larger space for my dog...which i have done at the vet. I paid $10 extra for 5 nights of a medium enclosure. They also told me that if the place isn't booked out over the period my dog is there that he will be upgraded to the large enclosure at no extra cost. We are allowed to leave instructions as to feed time, how much food to give, how to feed it (in bowl or other), as opposed to other places who required me to have a medical certificate to even bring their own food. I mean, its like they see it as a hassle to give him HIS food when we are allready paying for him to be there in the first place!!!

Don't get me wrong, I will still be stressing, but I guess thats part of having 4-legged animals as children

 

[Bloo]

That sounds like the best option so far by far ! I'm glad you got it sorted B)

The cattery I worked at also used to be attached to the vets (it was another building altogether though on the grounds). It was good as they vet nurses could always keep an eye on the animals and pick up on stuff a whole lot quicker than I think would happen at most kennels. Most cats are fine to leave at home and be fed by friends / neighbours once or twice a day. Though personally I'd worry if it was an out-door cat and there wasn't someone to make absolutely sure that he was perfectly fine every day
But dogs are not quite the same. Some animals become quite distressed when they see the bags being packed, and start fretting that you might not come back. That's when the trouble start.....
Animals always get stressed going into a kennel and I would just not put mine in one - but luckily I have other options.

Enjoy your holiday (break) and rest assured that all will be fine