Tips for Preparing Your Dog or Cat for Boarding

Leaving a pet in a boarding facility can be equally difficult for the pet and its owner. With a little bit of the right preparation, it is easy to prepare a pet for boarding. Pets understand situations better than what owners imagine them to be capable of. It is, therefore, important to prepare a pet keeping its instincts in mind, before boarding it for a longer duration. The following tips will shed more light on how best a pet can be trained when it is left in kennel or cattery.

Spend a lot of time and try to get the pet tired before leaving it in a boarding facility

Pets tend to become hyper when in strange surroundings. A reasonably tired pet may fall asleep quickly, thereby saving it from unnecessary trauma. As it slowly wakes up to new surroundings, the shock is considerably lessened, with a gradual acclimatization. This makes it easier for the pet to get more and more comfortable with the new location and the sights and sounds of other dogs or cats. Therefore, it is essential that a pet is not taken to a kennel or cattery when it is full of energy.

Vaccination and medication

Vaccines take some time before they are effective. All boarding facilities accept pets that are vaccinated and free from disease. This is to prevent outbreaks among other pets. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that your pet is fully vaccinated. In the event, that your pet is not vaccinated, it is best to ensure that the facility has a full time vet who will vaccinate and/or provide medication to the pet if necessary. It is always best to leave the pet when it is in good health. The combined effect of bad health and stress can cause its condition to deteriorate significantly.

Get your pets to mingle before boarding

A pet that has not come into regular contact with others of its species may find it tough in a new place brimming with pets. It would be a good idea to gently get your pet to socialize with before you drop it off. The alternative would be to request for separate accommodation, giving more time for it to get accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of its new co-inhabitants. As it gets curious, it is likely to venture out and socialize with other pets.

Choose a facility that will offer security to your pet, where pets of different temperament are segregated accordingly. Prior to leaving a pet at a kennel or cattery, ensure that the pet’s ID in the form of a tag or microchip is updated. This will help the handlers get in touch if and when needed.