Leaving your pet with a boarding kennel or a pet sitter

The first decision is not about price, it is about the animal. A sociable dog that enjoys other dogs' company can do well in a good kennel, whereas a cat attached to its territory almost always suffers a move and lives better staying home with someone who visits. Before you compare fees, ask which of the two options reduces your animal's stress, not yours.

Glowing reviews and polished photos tell you nothing about how your animal is treated once the door closes. Vetting has to happen in person, by asking pointed questions and noticing the details nobody puts in the window. A serious facility or sitter welcomes questions calmly; anyone who bristles has already answered one.

• For a kennel, ask to see the actual spaces where the animal will stay, not just the reception: pens, exercise areas, cleanliness and smell say more than any website.
• Check which vaccinations and parasite treatments are required: a place that asks for nothing is exposing your animal to infection.
• Ask the ratio of animals to staff, and who stays on site overnight.
• For a pet sitter, ask about experience with your species, checkable references and any insurance cover.
• Agree how you will be updated: a message with a photo each day is reasonable, silence is not.
• Put fees, included services and any extra charges for medication or visits in writing.

Many kennels require specific vaccination cover, and the timing is not instant: some boosters must be given weeks ahead to be effective. Leave it to the last minute and you risk having no place, or being forced into a worse alternative. Sort the health side out as soon as you fix the travel dates.

1. 1

   Check vaccine dates well ahead

   Confirm that vaccines and parasite control cover the whole absence and beyond. If a booster expires during your holiday, do it before you leave: nobody will do it for you.

2. 2

   Ask which cover the facility demands

   Some kennels require kennel cough vaccination for dogs, which has to be given days ahead to take effect. Get the requirements at the time of booking, not at drop off.

3. 3

   Prepare a copy of the health documents

   Photograph the record book, any passport and the vaccine stickers. Hand over a copy and keep the originals with you: if a question arises, the carer has the data they need immediately.

4. 4

   Write out any current medication unambiguously

   If the animal is on medication, give the name, dose, timing and how to give it. Split the doses by day where you can, so a mistake becomes almost impossible.

5. 5

   Run a short trial before you travel

   A single night at the kennel, or a sitter visit while you are still in town, shows how the animal reacts and leaves time to change plans if something is off.

What you carry in your head is no use to the person staying behind. A written sheet, clear and complete, turns your animal's care into something anyone can follow even without ever having spoken to you. Keep it to a single page, in plain language, and leave a copy somewhere impossible to miss.

1. Feeding: type of food, amounts, times and what must never be given.
2. Medication: drugs, doses, timing and what to do if a dose is missed.
3. Habits: where it sleeps, how many walks it needs, known fears and signs of distress.
4. Health: ongoing conditions, allergies and symptoms that need attention.
5. Contacts: your number, an emergency contact and your usual vet with address.
6. Consent to treatment: up to what cost the sitter or kennel may act without waiting for your approval.

Clear instructions are worth more than anxious pleading: the person minding your animal needs to know what to do, not how much you worry.