Pet boarding

Boarding may be considered during holidays, business travel, hospitalization, moving home or any other period when you cannot provide your pet’s daily care yourself.

This option involves a temporary change of environment. It is therefore important to consider whether it suits your pet’s temperament, routine and individual needs.

With boarding, the pet stays at the professional’s facility or boarding location. With in-home care, someone looks after the pet in its usual environment. Home visits involve scheduled visits without a permanent presence.

There is no single solution suitable for every pet. Some adapt easily to a new environment, while others are more sensitive to changes in place, people or routine.

Accepted pets depend on each facility. Some specialize in dogs or cats, while others may accommodate rabbits, small mammals, birds or other animals.

For species with particular housing, temperature, feeding or handling requirements, check that the facility genuinely has the necessary experience and equipment.

Where possible, visiting beforehand allows you to see where pets are accommodated, meet the people who care for them and ask questions before the stay.

Look at general cleanliness, facility security, resting areas, ventilation, exercise arrangements and how the animals currently staying there are monitored.

The pet should have accommodation appropriate to its species, size and needs. In particular, it should be able to rest comfortably and move normally within its allocated space.

Ask how rest periods are organized and whether the pet has somewhere it can move away from activity when needed.

Ask about staff presence, monitoring frequency and arrangements outside active periods. A boarding service should be able to notice significant changes in behavior, appetite or general condition and know how to respond.

Also ask how important information about each pet is recorded and communicated between the people responsible for its care.

Boarding facilities do not all manage contact between animals in the same way. Some provide shared activities or spaces, while others favor separate care.

If pets are allowed to interact, ask how compatibility is assessed, how interactions are supervised and how animals can be separated if necessary.

A boarding stay inevitably changes some of a pet’s familiar routines. Providing information about usual schedules, food, rest, activities and preferences can help the professional provide more individualized care.

You can also ask whether familiar items may be brought when appropriate and permitted by the facility.

Before boarding, clearly explain what your pet eats, usual quantities, feeding times and any dietary requirements. Ask whether the facility provides food or whether you should bring your pet’s usual diet.

If your pet follows a particular diet recommended by a veterinarian, provide precise instructions and confirm that the boarding facility can follow them.

Ask how each day is organized and what activities are provided according to the species and individual pet. An active dog does not have the same needs as a cat, rabbit or another boarded animal.

The duration and type of activity should be adaptable to the pet’s age, temperament, physical condition and usual routine.

If your pet has never stayed at the facility, ask whether an introductory meeting, visit or possibly a short stay can be arranged before a longer absence.

This also allows the professional to gather information about your pet and indicate whether their boarding setup appears compatible with its needs.

Prepare useful information about your pet’s identity, routine, diet, behavior, known sensitivities, current medication and relevant contact details.

Also mention situations requiring particular attention, such as fear of certain noises, difficulties around other animals, escape behavior, handling difficulties or anything else the professional should know.

If your pet receives medication, confirm before booking whether the facility can administer it and under what conditions. Provide the necessary instructions and medication in appropriate packaging.

For an older pet, a recovering animal or one with particular health needs, explain the situation before confirming the stay to ensure the facility can provide appropriate care.

Ask what procedure is followed if your pet becomes ill, is injured or shows a concerning change while you are away. The boarding service should know who to contact and how veterinary care can be obtained when necessary.

Leave your contact details, those of a trusted person who can be reached while you are away and, where relevant, the details of your pet’s usual veterinarian.

Ask well in advance about the health requirements set by the boarding facility. These may depend on the animals accepted, the facility’s organization and locally applicable requirements.

If you have concerns about your pet’s health or appropriate preventive measures before boarding, ask your veterinarian for advice.

If receiving updates about your pet is important to you, ask before booking what the facility provides, such as messages, photos, reports or contact only if a problem occurs.

Clarifying this before departure avoids expecting a level of communication that is not normally part of the facility’s service.

Compare facilities according to accepted pets, environment, staff experience, monitoring, activities, feeding arrangements, separation options and ability to accommodate individual needs.

A professional should also be able to clearly answer questions about the stay, schedules, admission conditions, prices and procedures in case of an incident.

Before booking, ask what is included in the price. Food, activities, walks, special care, medication administration or other services may be included or charged separately depending on the facility.

Also check arrival and departure times, possible additional charges and the conditions for cancellation or changes to the booking.

Requirements applying to pet boarding and care businesses may vary according to country, territory, species accommodated and type of facility. Depending on location, particular qualifications, registrations, insurance, authorizations or accommodation standards may be required.

Before leaving your pet, you can ask the professional which requirements apply to their activity and check the relevant requirements for your area.

Prousty & Co allows you to search for boarding facilities and professionals offering temporary accommodation for pets.

Review profiles and contact facilities to check accepted pets, availability, accommodation conditions, available services and the information required before booking.