Boarding your pet when you are out of town can be the safest option for ensuring that your animal is kept safe and happy. Unfortunately, it is common for those that will be boarding their pet for the first time to feel a great sense of stress at the thought of leaving their animals at one of these facilities. In order to help you and your pet be as prepared as possible, you must be sure you are considering a few factors as you are making your preliminary plans for boarding your pet.

Quality Of The Facility

Many pet boarding facilities will offer potential clients the opportunity to tour the facility before they commit to boarding their animal there. During this tour, you will be able to see the kennels and pet runs that will be available. Additionally, you will be able to observe the staff interacting with the animals. These tours will usually be fairly short, and they can help reassure you about the conditions your pet will experience while you are away. If you are considering inspecting several different boarding facilities, you should take notes about what you see in the center so that you will be able to thoroughly compare the various boarding services.

Vaccinations For Your Pet

It is important to be mindful of the fact that pet boarding facilities will require any animals that will be using the service to be fully vaccinated. Additionally, you should be aware that some pet vaccinations will need several days or longer between them to achieve maximum effectiveness. For this reason, you should have your pet's shots updated at least several weeks before they will need to be boarded. This will allow for plenty of tie in the event that your animal is particularly behind on their vaccinations. After you pet receives these shots, you should make sure to retain the paperwork that you receive from your veterinarian as the boarding facility may require these documents as proof of the animal being vaccinated.

Comfort Items That Should Be Included

Being separated from you can be very stressful for your animal. While some separation anxiety is unavoidable, you can easily help to minimize this source of stress. More precisely, you can do this by including your pet's favorite toy and something with your scent on it. Prior to deciding on the items you will take, you should check with the pet boarding facility to see what they recommend and if there are any prohibited items.