Pet Sitters

We have someone come to the house because with a dog, three cats, and fish it is easier. Our dog doesn't really like to be around other dogs, so a kennel environment is stressful for her. Also if we are going to be gone more than a couple of days the cats need care and crating and taking them somewhere is never fun (one gets carsick and one is extremely stressed in the car). The fish tanks also usually need water added or a little food if it more than a couple of days so it is just easier to keep everyone in their home environment and have a pet sitter come to them.

Our crew is much happier this way and the cost is about the same or a little cheaper with 4 pets. It also gives our dog one on one time with someone and plenty of time to run and play in the yard. It also means your house is getting checked on, plants watered if needed, etc.

I have worked in a vet with a kennel and also a summer at a regular kennel. We had a lot of regulars and they loved coming and raced you to get to the back and into their home for their stay. All the dogs got outside time three times a day, fed one to three times a day and got treats. If we were slow at the vet everyone got extra playtime. The main downside was the small inside place. There are some kennels that are really nice and are as close to home as you can get with social time, swimming, long walks, etc.

Have a fun trip!

We always use a pet sitter instead of kenneling or animal hotels! So much better - and usually cheaper too!

We have used a pet sitter and it worked well for our dogs. We used a licensed, bonded company we found through recommendations. It was convenient since we didn't have to bag/label food for each dog and transport them to and from the kennel according to the kennel's schedule. Plus one dog was blind and didn't do well in unfamiliar settings so leaving him at home was best. We had a huge aquarium at the time and it was nice to know the fish were being looked after too - fed and water refills. Good luck.

Oh, one other thing. The cost was about the same for us between a good quality kennel and a pet sitter. That would be the only other influential consideration in my opinion.

I've never used a kennel. Actually, I've typically used my babysitters. Plenty of nice teens in the area.

We have two dogs and two cats, so it's just not financially feasible for us to kennel them all (and why would you want to?). So, we usually hire someone to come stay at our house while we're gone. We pay them $20/day and sometimes leave them a stocked fridge of food. That seems to do it. I've never hired someone I don't know for these jobs. We live in a college down and usually I get referrals, or a lot of times your vet's office has a tech that will pet sit for you. It's easier to find someone if you don't want them to stay over night, but we always like to have someone come live at our house. Our animals are happier that way and I just check in with the sitter periodically to make sure they're all doing fine.

If you ask around, there's bound to be someone who knows a college student or another person who would like the money and doesn't mind staying. Most college kids live in a tiny dorm or apartment and would relish being in a real house for a while. We even had some friends before we moved who brought their whole family over to our house and moved in while we were on vacation because we had a larger house than they did and it was nice to have more space. They were our pets' temporary family. :)

Good luck! Your animals will thank you!

Hilary

My niece loves animals and is a pet sitter but not sure if she goes to St. Louis. I'll ask her. She's so good with animals and sits all over her area.