Pet care while you’re away on vacay

If you’re planning a vacation away from your San Francisco apartment this summer, finding an affordable and caring caretaker for your pet is just one more part of the planning process. You’ll enjoy your trip so much more knowing that you don’t have to worry about Fido and Fluffy’s well being, and that they’ll be happy and excited to see you when you return home.

Of course, the ideal solution to leaving your pets while you’re away is to have a house sitter stay at your home with them. If you don’t have a friend who specializes in sideline housesitting and animal care – and you probably do, ask around and you’ll probably find a personal recommendation from your social network.

If not, you can certainly hire a housesitter. There are plenty advertising their services on social websites, but you should certainly check their references and meet them in person before agreeing to hire them. You might also use a service, which dispatches sitters to clients and is sure to be a reliable way to go. There are San Francisco housesitters that specialize in cats, will work for free (assuming your house is nice enough), and  will walk your dog as many miles as you request.

Of course, there’s also the option of boarding your pet at a central location, where they’ll have the chance to play with other animals and a little vacation of their own. They’ll also spend some time in a kennel while they’re being boarded, so make sure you know how your pet will react to this scenario.

A few recommended pet boarders in the San Francisco Bay Area include:

Pet Camp, which has a wide variety of social options for the discriminating San Francisco pet. Your dog can be playing all day with other dogs of his/her own size at the camp’s on site dog park or be social for only part of the day. They are guaranteed to have a good time and you won’t have to worry about whether or not they’re getting enough exercise.

A cage free boarding option is available at the SF Hound Lounge, which also asks that you help make your pet comfortable by bringing along their own food. A socialization visit is required in advance of any boarding to make sure that your pet is well trained and behaved.

Knowing that San Francisco pet owners can be obsessive about how their four-legged friends are doing, Fog City Dogs has webcams set up so that you can watch your pet play while you’re away. If you’re doing this, though, knock it off! Go enjoy your vacation and know that you’ve provided the best care for your pet possible until you return.