When it comes to making sure that your pets are well cared for in your absence, you have two main choices (other than asking friends or family). You can choose to host them in dog kennels, or you can look for a pet sitting & boarding service in Bel Air that can either board them in their own home or provide multiple visits at your home to ensure all their needs are being met. Here are a few comparisons between the services to help you make your choice.
Familiarity
With a pet sitter, your cat or dog can enjoy all the comforts of home instead of the often noisy, strange environment of a kennel. Boarding a pet is also taking them to a new environment, but with repeat visits, they quickly become used to it. The familiarity of a well-known (and loved!) pet sitter and the same environment can help them feel much less stress, which is even more important for pets with separation anxiety. Even if you use the services of the same kennel time and time again, your pet might have a different room or kennel attendant each time, making it harder for them to form that familiarity.
Bespoke routine and food
Large kennels will house quite a few animals at any one time. While many do take into consideration individual needs for medication and other essential needs, it can be harder to convince them to provide the routine your pet is used to or the food that you specifically want them to eat. A dog sitting & boarding service has a much easier time of making sure your dog is taken care of the way you want them to be.
Trust
There are plenty of good and trustworthy kennels that truly care for the animals that they take in. However, since they have larger teams of multiple staff members, you might not know if your pet is going to constantly be under the care of the more trustworthy employees or if a new addition might not be as deserving of your faith. With a pet sitting & boarding service, the buck stops with one person alone, so establishing that personal sense of trust is essential for business.
Exposure to other pets
Some pets have behavioral issues, which mean that sharing a space with other pets could lead to some scraps and scrapes. With pet sitting & boarding, there’s no need to worry about which strangers your dog is coming into contact with. Furthermore, some cats and dogs may have health issues that impact their immune system and could make direct contact with pets from uncontrolled environments dangerous, in which cases kennels are a no-go.
Security for the home
It’s not a benefit you might immediately think of, but with pet sitting, you also have the peace-of-mind knowing that someone is checking in on your home. This makes your home look “lived in” while you’re away, which lowers the risk of your home being targeted while you’re away. There's also the added benefit of having someone to take out your trash, water your plants, and bring in your mail or packages.
If you’ve been convinced that pet sitting & boarding is the more cost-effective, convenient, and caring choice (that’s also much more pleasant for your pets), get in touch with me, Your Pet AuPair, the next time you need some TLC for your pet while you're away.
