A Pet Boarding Facility Evaluation Guide
When you have pets, leaving town for a few days can be traumatic. Sometime cats can be left alone for a week or so, but in many cases your pet needs to have personal attention and care during the time you’re away. The key to a happy ending is finding a pet boarding facility that is clean and staffed with people who truly care about animals.
Deciding which boarding facility to go with is not a snap decision. You should not make this call based solely on what is closest to home. Perhaps you have some friends who know of a place that is good. In any event, we’ll go over some things you need to look for. Remember, your pet will be in an unfamiliar environment and attention to their needs will be crucial.
Before hiring a given facility, go visit and get a feel for it in person. It is important not to neglect this step. Look around. Is the facility clean? Is there a foul odor in the air over and above the norm? Do the animals boarding there appear to be happy and healthy? Are they kept in sanitary cages?
When checking out a facility, ask if they require current vaccinations. They should. If they don’t, keep shopping until you find one that does.
It’s pretty common for veterinarians to provide a pet boarding facility as an add-on to their practice. You would think this would be the best choice, but don’t count on it. The boarding is sometime just an afterthought that isn’t given a lot of attention.
Look at it this way. How would your cat enjoy staying in a hospital environment? Vet hospitals are designed to care for sick pets, with the surroundings to match. Your cat is not likely to get much thought or individual attention in a place like this.
Veterinary clinics in general are not set up to do a good job of boarding pets. Their staff is dedicated primarily to attending sick animals, and they are often highly stressed and overworked. Your healthy pet boarding in such a facility is more likely to just be left sitting in a small cage for extended periods.
While checking out various facilities, observe whether the pets are being watched while outdoors. In some places, animals are simply let out to play and are loosely supervised. This is not good. Check the fence wire and gates to make sure they are strong and designed to securely contain the animals.
If you are thinking of boarding a cat at a place that also keeps dogs, make sure these two are kept apart. Each one stresses the other, and it is not a good environment for either. Make sure to find out how often any pet you leave will be fed, exercised, and attended to. There should be a routine or schedule of these activities.
Finally, the one intangible you need to look at. How do the people working at the pet boarding facility work with the pets? This is not an easy job and requires a special person with lots of patience and desire. If the workers seem hurried and stressed with their job, this is probably not the best managed environment for your pet.
Deciding on a place to leave your pets is an important decision. Keep all these things in mind when you make your choice.
Keeping your pets healthy and contented plays a big role in being a kind and responsible pet owner. Stay on top of the latest healthy pet news and pet products.
categories: pet boarding,kennel,veterinarian,veterinary hospital,pets,animals,cats,dogs,home,family
