Happy Holidays! Are you planning to travel over the next few weeks? If you have a dog or cat, it likely won’t be difficult to find a kennel or petsitter. However, this can be tricky for those with exotic pets. A local Eau Claire, WI vet discusses hiring a petsitter for exotics below.
Look For A Kennel
Not all kennels will take exotics. However, it’s worth your while to look around for one that does. Exotics all have their own unique needs. Many also have very specific care requirements. Keeping your pet in capable hands is your best option!
Leave Instructions
Ideally, you’d want someone who is familiar with the type of pet you have. Unfortunately, with exotics, that may not be possible. If your petsitter has never had a bird before, you won’t have time to teach them every little thing about Polly’s care. Print out the most relevant information, such as unsafe foods, signs of sickness, household hazards, do’s and don’ts, and instructions for feeding or grooming. Also, be sure to provide both your vet’s number and an emergency number for you.
Divvy Up Food
Finding a petsitter can get more complicated if you have a pet that eats live bugs. Your best sister may want nothing to do with handling moving insects! If you can find someone willing to feed your lizard cockroaches, you may have scored a jackpot. It may help to portion out food and medicine in advance, with the dates written on each package.
Consider Arrangements
Depending on the size of your pet and how viable transporting their habitat is, it may be easiest for you to bring your animal companion to your sitter’s home. Consider getting a secondary or travel cage. This can be smaller than your furry pal’s normal cage, though you don’t want it to be so small that they are uncomfortable.
Have A Backup. And A Backup Backup
As the saying says, sometimes the best laid plans go to waste. Be prepared with a Plan B in case something comes up and your original petsitter is unable to care for your furred, feathered, or scaled pal. It’s not a bad idea to have a Plan C, either.
All of us here at All Paws Animal Hospital, your Eau Claire, WI pet clinic, wish you a wonderful holiday season. Please feel free to contact us anytime!
