KENNELS AND
CATTERIES
One of the most common complaints of pet parents is that their dogs are
disruptive or destructive when left alone. Their dogs might urinate, defecate,
bark, howl, chew, dig or try to escape. These animals are usually found to be suffering
from separation anxiety. Escape attempts by dogs with separation anxiety are
often extreme and can result in self-injury and household destruction,
especially around exit points like windows and doors. Dog kennels and catteries offer peace of mind for the
travelling owner. Dogs are fed, let out to play, and while the dog might think
his kennel is a jail, he or she is actually in a safe environment. Cats are
kept in at night and some kennels have TVs for the guests. Stays can be for as
little as one day and for as long as the pet can handle it.
Some kennels are more like Club–Med for pets. Ritzy owners want ritzy
places for their pampered pet to stay. Pet Paradise Resorts in Charlotte USA
offers wrought-iron beds, frames animal photos in the room, charis upholstered
in doggy print, grooming, day spas.
The Club-Med-for-mutts near Charlotte Douglas International Airport is part of a growing trend toward luxury pet boarding - where businesses calling themselves "hotels" and "spas" pamper pooches with everything from golf-cart rides and "Yappy Hour" ice cream to bedtime stories and orthopedic mattresses.
Tuscarora's Country Club for Dogs comes complete with golf carts, as any proper country club should.
PET SITTING
Pet sitting comes in two forms – professional and volunteer. It can also
involve dropping the pet off at a friend’s house. For those who are going to be
relying on a friend to pet sitting there are many things to consider.
Fish, birds, mice, snakes, lizards, rabbits, and guinea pigs aren’t
exactly on the front covers of dog kennel brochures.
For owners
dropping the pet to a friend’s house:
DO:
Choose someone who loves animals as much as you do.
Write a list of instructions, including ailments, dietary requirements,
amounts of food to feed, how long to walk etc.
Bring walking leads, food, blanket, toys from home, things to help the
pet feel at home.
Provide contact numbers.
Do offer to pay or buy a gift. It is less likely the dog sitter will
neglect duties if they don’t feel they are being taken advantage of.
DO:
Respect the owner’s wishes. If something is on the list of things not to
do, it is there for a reason.
Take holiday snaps and burn them to disc or print them out for the owner
to see how much of a good time the animal had.
DON'T:
Neglect your own pets. Pets are very protective of their owners,
especially when it comes to their affection. While you’re ensuring someone else’s
pet is free from separation anxiety, your own might become pick up the habit.
For those opting
for stay at home pet sitting:
Some pets are lucky that they have neighbors who can walk and feed them.
Similar to pet sitting but in most cases the neighbour does this service for free.
Make sure you can 100 per cent trust that person to look after your pet.
Bring back a souvenir for their efforts. Everyone
likes a thank you gift or two.
DON'T:
Leave the place in a mess. It's not up to your friend to clean up after you. They're here to look after your pets, not you.
The nasty
side of pet owners
'Handbag
dogs' are being dumped by their owners in record numbers, reports
the Blue Cross. The poor chihuahua - it's the latest in a long line of
indignities for the world's smallest dog. In 2006, 53 handbag dogs were taken in by Blue Cross
animal centres in Britain; in the past 12 months, this has more than tripled to
191.
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