Pet Owners - Advice Please...
Discussion
When you go away on holiday, what do you normally do with your pets (assuming you cant take them)? If your local vet offered a service where you can drop them off there and then pick them up from there when you return would you be interested?
While you were away they'd be regularly checked by a vet, get regular exercise and fed well. Would you pay for that? How much would you say was fair?
Just having a few thoughts about this as a business and was wondering if it was a total non starter (I dont have any pets)...
TIA.
While you were away they'd be regularly checked by a vet, get regular exercise and fed well. Would you pay for that? How much would you say was fair?
Just having a few thoughts about this as a business and was wondering if it was a total non starter (I dont have any pets)...
TIA.
Are you the vet? and where would you board the animals?
I'd never leave my dogs or cats unless I have seen where they will spend their days and where they will sleep. I'd also prefer they weren't walked as they are large dogs (dobermans) and I wouldn't trust anyone else to control them, so they would need a large outdoor pen with a sheltered area.
As for the advantage of taking them and leaving them at a vets mine all hate the vets and this would further stress them out.
So the answer for me is to employ a house sitter and although that is expensive, when you have 4 animals it can work out worthwhile.
Sorry to be negative. Good luck.
I'd never leave my dogs or cats unless I have seen where they will spend their days and where they will sleep. I'd also prefer they weren't walked as they are large dogs (dobermans) and I wouldn't trust anyone else to control them, so they would need a large outdoor pen with a sheltered area.
As for the advantage of taking them and leaving them at a vets mine all hate the vets and this would further stress them out.
So the answer for me is to employ a house sitter and although that is expensive, when you have 4 animals it can work out worthwhile.
Sorry to be negative. Good luck.
Think I remember seeing somewhere a company that put you in touch with other pet owners so you would swap pets for a while. No hang on thats not quite right, when you went on holiday your mutt would homestay with someone else. Then when they went on their hols you would look after their mutt. Great idea I think but a huge responibility.
We only board the very occ pet and usually because they have specific medical needs. Vet kennels are not really designed for long term healthy pets. They are hospital kennels most of them are how you see on vet tv shows. The nurses won't have time (if they were dogs) to take them for proper walks etc.
Friends and family usually help me if I need it. Mum and Dad will always have our dog and one of the girls I work with will cat sit for me so I'm lucky that I've never yet needed to consider kennels.
There are quite a few cat sitting services available, which also means your home is ck'd and not left empty.
I think I've misunderstood OP!!
Not really sure why the vet would need to be involved in this service, are the pets actually staying at the vets as well, I'm confused now!
Friends and family usually help me if I need it. Mum and Dad will always have our dog and one of the girls I work with will cat sit for me so I'm lucky that I've never yet needed to consider kennels.
There are quite a few cat sitting services available, which also means your home is ck'd and not left empty.
I think I've misunderstood OP!!
Not really sure why the vet would need to be involved in this service, are the pets actually staying at the vets as well, I'm confused now!
Edited by becksW on Friday 12th March 13:56
Mr Darcy said:
Think I remember seeing somewhere a company that put you in touch with other pet owners so you would swap pets for a while. No hang on thats not quite right, when you went on holiday your mutt would homestay with someone else. Then when they went on their hols you would look after their mutt. Great idea I think but a huge responibility.
It's called 'Barking Mad' (arf). My mother-in-Law pays £20 a day to have her dog boarded in a home environment with other dogs. The host family live on a farm, and the dog loves going there.13th said:
Are you the vet? and where would you board the animals?
I'd never leave my dogs or cats unless I have seen where they will spend their days and where they will sleep. I'd also prefer they weren't walked as they are large dogs (dobermans) and I wouldn't trust anyone else to control them, so they would need a large outdoor pen with a sheltered area.
As for the advantage of taking them and leaving them at a vets mine all hate the vets and this would further stress them out.
So the answer for me is to employ a house sitter and although that is expensive, when you have 4 animals it can work out worthwhile.
Sorry to be negative. Good luck.
No problems - thanks for the excellent feedback...I'd never leave my dogs or cats unless I have seen where they will spend their days and where they will sleep. I'd also prefer they weren't walked as they are large dogs (dobermans) and I wouldn't trust anyone else to control them, so they would need a large outdoor pen with a sheltered area.
As for the advantage of taking them and leaving them at a vets mine all hate the vets and this would further stress them out.
So the answer for me is to employ a house sitter and although that is expensive, when you have 4 animals it can work out worthwhile.
Sorry to be negative. Good luck.
The animals would board within 30/45 mins of the vets & would have to be kennelled seperately I'd think (very, very early stages here....)
I'm not a vet, just related to one....
becksW said:
We only board the very occ pet and usually because they have specific medical needs. Vet kennels are not really designed for long term healthy pets. They are hospital kennels most of them are how you see on vet tv shows. The nurses won't have time (if they were dogs) to take them for proper walks etc.
Friends and family usually help me if I need it. Mum and Dad will always have our dog and one of the girls I work with will cat sit for me so I'm lucky that I've never yet needed to consider kennels.
There are quite a few cat sitting services available, which also means your home is ck'd and not left empty.
I think I've misunderstood OP!!
Not really sure why the vet would need to be involved in this service, are the pets actually staying at the vets as well, I'm confused now!
The animals wouldnt stay at the surgery - they'd be transported 30/45 mins away to a much larger kennel facility. One of the practice vets would visit the facility once a day to run his/her eye over the animals.Friends and family usually help me if I need it. Mum and Dad will always have our dog and one of the girls I work with will cat sit for me so I'm lucky that I've never yet needed to consider kennels.
There are quite a few cat sitting services available, which also means your home is ck'd and not left empty.
I think I've misunderstood OP!!
Not really sure why the vet would need to be involved in this service, are the pets actually staying at the vets as well, I'm confused now!
Edited by becksW on Friday 12th March 13:56
SGirl said:
Dogs and cats are easy enough to find boarding for. I'd imagine people would be interested if anyone were to offer boarding for other kinds of pets as well. I certainly would be - it's a PITA trying to find someone to look after guinea pigs!
My idea would be covering all domestic pets - from rats to snakes....anything that lives (legally) with is owner normally...st_files said:
becksW said:
We only board the very occ pet and usually because they have specific medical needs. Vet kennels are not really designed for long term healthy pets. They are hospital kennels most of them are how you see on vet tv shows. The nurses won't have time (if they were dogs) to take them for proper walks etc.
Friends and family usually help me if I need it. Mum and Dad will always have our dog and one of the girls I work with will cat sit for me so I'm lucky that I've never yet needed to consider kennels.
There are quite a few cat sitting services available, which also means your home is ck'd and not left empty.
I think I've misunderstood OP!!
Not really sure why the vet would need to be involved in this service, are the pets actually staying at the vets as well, I'm confused now!
The animals wouldnt stay at the surgery - they'd be transported 30/45 mins away to a much larger kennel facility. One of the practice vets would visit the facility once a day to run his/her eye over the animals.Friends and family usually help me if I need it. Mum and Dad will always have our dog and one of the girls I work with will cat sit for me so I'm lucky that I've never yet needed to consider kennels.
There are quite a few cat sitting services available, which also means your home is ck'd and not left empty.
I think I've misunderstood OP!!
Not really sure why the vet would need to be involved in this service, are the pets actually staying at the vets as well, I'm confused now!
Edited by becksW on Friday 12th March 13:56
Would a vet at the practice have time to visit every day, I don't think many would.
I think personally I'd prefer to drop my pet off at the kennels myself rather than making the pet have 2 drop off points but that's my personal feeling, some may find it useful esp if they live close to the vets and transport is an issue.
you want to see where the animals will be staying, that is what drives the decision, who owns the place, is it a business where the staff look like they care?
The daily visit from the vet is for what? Is the vet you mention going to drive every day the distance you describe for a once over look, sound about 3 hours work every day...
The daily visit from the vet is for what? Is the vet you mention going to drive every day the distance you describe for a once over look, sound about 3 hours work every day...
All kennels/catteries we've used require you to leave your vet's contact details, and they will call out the vet should it be required.
So I'm not sure where your value-add comes from, other than a quick pre-emptive scan from a vet once a day on healthy animals...
Ahhhm oot.
Or would 90% for a tenner be of interest?
So I'm not sure where your value-add comes from, other than a quick pre-emptive scan from a vet once a day on healthy animals...
Ahhhm oot.
Or would 90% for a tenner be of interest?
The other half found a perfect service called "Barking Mad" (there's a fair few others in the same vein). The house your dog with another pet owning family who have been vetted for suitability. The dog loves it to be honest and its only a bit more expensive than using a kennels- where the dog ALWAYS came back smelling of wee and was never keen on going in the first place.
30-45 minutes away? That's a long way indeed, certainly further away than every cattery I've ever used. Not sure I'd be happy about that. Nor do I see the point - how large would your transport costs be - you'll need to pass these on to the customer. Kerching!
It would just be a large kennel/cattery with a vet visiting every day, no? Well... if the animals are ill then the owner of the cattery calls your vet anyway. But with a vet visit every day - how long will they take to inspect all these animals? Will it take all day for them? Who pays for that? The customer? Kerching!
Sorry, it's an absolutely ridiculous idea. So let me tell you where I am. Ah'm oot.
It would just be a large kennel/cattery with a vet visiting every day, no? Well... if the animals are ill then the owner of the cattery calls your vet anyway. But with a vet visit every day - how long will they take to inspect all these animals? Will it take all day for them? Who pays for that? The customer? Kerching!
Sorry, it's an absolutely ridiculous idea. So let me tell you where I am. Ah'm oot.
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