Mary Allen
Would you like to go on vacation, do you have to go to a cure, or are otherwise prevented and therefore cannot be at home? If your own animal cannot come with you, you should urgently ensure that it is properly cared for during this time.
However, since it is not uncommon for all acquaintances, friends, or relatives to have to work and therefore not be able to look after the animal, pet hotels are an ideal solution. There are now various animal hotels or
Animal boarding houses that carefully take care of their pets during this time. However, due to the large selection, it is not easy to find the right hotel for your pet. In this article, you will learn what you need to pay attention to when choosing the right pet hotel so that your pets are always well while you are away.
The staff
In a boarding kennel, you should definitely get to know the staff. Of course, this includes not only the owners of the pension but also all employees. From the operator to the animal handlers, the individual employees should have the appropriate training. This includes, for example, training as an animal keeper or dog trainer. In addition, it is important that they treat the animals sensibly and do not shy away from handling potentially heavy animals.
You should have the operator of the animal pension show you a certificate of competence according to § 11 of the Animal Welfare Act. This proves to you that the owner of the animal hotel has the basic knowledge of animal husbandry or the keeping of dogs, cats, and the like. Depending on which legal basis is to be observed in the federal state, only people who have such a certificate of competence may, for example, run a kennel.
Behavior towards customers
You should definitely go and see the animal hotel in advance. You should therefore not even consider guesthouses that do not allow pet owners to visit them. Reputable animal hotels will not refuse you this desire for a tour or for getting to know each other. Even if you turn up unannounced, tours or viewings are usually not a problem with professional providers. Of course, in these situations, everything should be neat and tidy. So it is not possible for you to get an unadulterated insight into the everyday life of the hotel.
Sufficient space must be available
Animals not only need space in their home but also when they have to be accommodated in a pet hotel for a certain period of time. It doesn’t matter whether you want to take care of a dog, a cat or a small rodent. All animals in the hotel should be able to romp and roam freely. In addition, you should make sure that not only the area but also the kennels are big enough. Of course, the animals must also be optimally cared for. This also includes an appropriate employment opportunity, which is adapted to the natural needs of the animal. So it is important that your animal is not isolated in the boarding house, but is given sufficient exercise and is ideally cared for by the staff working there. So it is a fact that games and other activities are very important especially for dogs and cats so that they don’t get bored. Because the pain of separation from the owner should never be underestimated here either. Small animals, on the other hand, should be given a completely independent and separate area, which is still large enough and also offers employment opportunities.
The care of the animals
When it comes to caring for animals, it doesn’t matter whether you put a dog, cat, or rat in an animal boarding facility. All animals must have access to fresh water at all times and sufficient animal feed. You should always make sure that the respective feed is always individually tailored to the animal species. So it is important that the nutritional requirements of the animals are ideally covered.
If your darling is used to special food, you should be given the opportunity to give it to the animal boarding house for the time being. This is not an uncommon situation, especially in dogs. This is because nowadays many dogs can react very sensitively to a change in diet. Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems are often the result and can be directly avoided by giving the normally fed food. If your animal needs special medication, you must bring it with you when registering or handing over the pet so that it can continue to be administered as usual.
Of course, not only the physical well-being of your animal should be taken into account. The mental well-being of the animals also plays an important role. Make sure that your darling can take his favorite cuddly toy, a large blanket, or his favorite toy with him. This way your fur nose can get used to the new situation better. In addition, it is also important that your animals have the opportunity to retreat to sleep in peace.
Cleanliness and hygiene in the animal boarding facility
It is a part of the terms and conditions of most boarding kennels to require that the animals to be taken in are already fully housebroken. This fact undoubtedly plays an important role in cleanliness and hygiene in the animal hotel. In addition, animals do not feel comfortable in dirty and bad-smelling environments.
For this reason, when you first get to know them, you should definitely ensure good cleanliness and hygiene inside as well as in the enclosures. So don’t forget that hygiene and cleanliness are very important for the health of your animals. In this way, diseases can also be prevented when several animals meet. Furthermore, cleanliness and hygiene in terms of parasite infestation also play an important role.
The health guidelines of a pet hotel
Many boarding kennels often have strict health guidelines. This means, for example, that they only accept animals that have been vaccinated and protected against parasitic infestations. Dogs must also be able to show that they have been dewormed. In some animal hotels, this also includes protection against ticks and fleas. The most common vaccinations that a dog must show include distemper, hepatitis, rabies, kennel cough, leptospirosis, and parvovirus. For cats, the required vaccinations also include rabies, feline distemper, and leukosis. For rodents, the requirements are very different. However, most pet hotels require vaccination against myxomatosis and RHD. If you make sure that these health guidelines are an admission criterion in your chosen kennel, you should shortlist them.
The prices of the animal hotel
Of course, prices also play an important role. Reputable companies can also be recognized by their prices. While the high prices tend to indicate clear usury, prices that are too low can of course also indicate a lack of care for the animals. The daily rates for dogs, cats, and the like vary, depending on how intensively your animal needs to be cared for and whether or not you give the food with you upon arrival.
For dogs, the price is usually up to €20. Some pensions offer worthwhile discounts when providing their own food, where the price is reduced by half. For cats, there are already prices for an average of eight euros a day. These refer to full board, so that in addition to the accommodation of the velvet paws, the food and the cat litter and the care of the animal are included in the price. The prices for the accommodation and food for rodents vary and are between three and ten euros per day. Of course, accommodation, food, and bedding for the cages are also included in the price.
Criteria for a pet hotel at a glance:
- the staff should be trained accordingly;
- Visits should be announced and unannounced possible;
- Both the area and the cages or kennels must be large enough;
- Animals must have constant access to fresh water and food;
- a certificate of competence should be available from the owner;
- strict health guidelines in the form of vaccinations etc. should be observed;
- the price level has to be right;
- the guesthouse should take into account special fresco habits, illnesses, etc.;
- Cleanliness and hygiene must be observed;
- the animals must be moved sufficiently;
- there should always be enough employment opportunities for the animals;
- petting and caring for animals should not be neglected.
Conclusion
Animal hotels are ideal for accommodating your four-legged friend during your absence. However, not every pet hotel is the same, so you should make sure to choose a reputable pet boarding house. You can find these quickly using the factors above, so you should definitely not make this decision without thinking about it. If all the criteria are met by a provider, then of course there is nothing to stop your four-legged friend from staying in such a guesthouse.