I didn't see any relevant topics to this in a search, but I'll admit I only scanned a few pages. So I apologize if this is a repost.

What do you all you single, frequent flyer, pet lovers do? I have a dog and two cats, and am considering adopting another dog. In the past, family have taken the dog and checked in on the cats, or just stayed at my place with them. With two dogs, it wont be an option to take them to family.

The past two years, I averaged being out of town for 3-4 days, 2-3 weeks out of the month for 11 months. This year, I expect to average 2-3 days, 1 week or less a month, for 12 months.

Do you kennel? Do you have a more supportive group of family or friends? (Mine have done huge things for me and I don't blame them for not watching the dog I have, even if I get a second one...) I have burnt them out the past few years.

The question you may ask is why get another dog? I have a huge heart, a loving home, and am a big animal lover. I've always had two dogs, and lost two last winter. I adopted one then, and am looking for another one. The dog is the exact breed/age that I want. Pretty much all my travel is business travel, so I don't have much of an option to say no.

Simply put, it's hard. I have a 10yr old German Shepherd that has been with me since she was 7wks old. I had no clue then that I would end up in a career with up to 90% travel for months at a time. I've transitioned to a position with much less travel, however much of it is last minute and I, like you, and am in no position to say 'no.' In the past I have sent her back home to live with "grandma and grandpa" for a few months at a time when my schedule was completely hectic, as it seemed more fair than kenneling her for that long. I now live in NYC and have used many different arrangements here: kenneling, doggie daycare, a boarding facility out on Long Island (her little country vacation ;) ), and dog walkers. Unfortunately, none of these are friendly on the wallet...an average of $30-50/day depending on the arrangement.

One thing I have found to help tremendously is to have a roommate who also owns a dog. In this way, we take care of each other's dogs and it doesn't feel like a burden. Really, how much more trouble is it to put down two bowls of food instead of one? And my current roommate is actually a small animal veterinarian...that comes in really handy! While I travel much more than she does, she also gets the apartment to herself quite often (a not-so-insignificant benefit when you're talking cramped NYC apartments.)

So, just as this "Single folks, pets, and travel" life seems to have hit a nice balance, I decided to shake things up a bit and get a new puppy...what was I thinking??? :o

One thing I have found to help tremendously is to have a roommate who also owns a dog. In this way, we take care of each other's dogs and it doesn't feel like a burden. Really, how much more trouble is it to put down two bowls of food instead of one? And my current roommate is actually a small animal veterinarian...that comes in really handy! While I travel much more than she does, she also gets the apartment to herself quite often (a not-so-insignificant benefit when you're talking cramped NYC apartments.)


The roommate situation was perfect... For the first year of travel, I had one. But now all my friends have gone off to get married. Traveling so much, its hard to meet new local folks, especially ones who need roommate. I know I could go with the ad/craigslist type thing, but I am kinda leary about that.

My parents only live 3 miles from me, so it is not too far to come, though they moan and complain when asked. I guess they forget they'll be needing me to take care of them mone day. ;)

My current dog is 14 months, so requires a bit more attention than an older dog. But of course now I want to shake it up and get another puppy. What kind of dog are you getting/did you get?

On longer trips I kennel on shorter trips my wonderful neighbour feeds and checks on my furry kids (the non furry one goes to his Dad) I have two who get along so are company for each other but I wouldn't get another as
1 It's enough of an ask already for my neighbour without pushing my luck
and 2 A new furry kid would take time to integrate with the others and settle in and for now I don't have the time to wait that time out without travelling (as you never know if it'll be a short or long transition). If I could take several months with no travelling at all guaranteed it would be different.
Kids-furry or otherwise don't mix well with travelling so personally I feel less is more-for their sakes. Sure you have a lot of love for your dogs I'm sure but sometimes a traveller isn't the best for the dogs (although great for the traveller assured of a warm welcome when they get home) if absences are regular or prolonged.
YMMV

I have a cat, a somewhat less onerous responsibility than a dog (you can leave a cat for about 48 hours - not that she won't get vindictive if you do it too often).

In Toronto for several years, there was a great pet-sitting service. My regular cat-sitter actually worked part time as a weather reporter, and he fit cat-sitting jobs into his day in between other work. Then, the company went bust - but I was able to track down my weather-reporting cat sitter again. I could leave my cat for up to 2.5 weeks, with visits every other day from the cat sitter.

A few years ago, I took a sabbatical in the UK for a year - back when it had Draconian quarantine laws. There was no way I was going to put my cat in quarantine for 6 months. Luckily, I managed to find a great tenant who needed a furnished apartment for a year (while her husband stayed behind in the city where they'd gone to university - with the furniture and cats). I rented my apartment - and my cat - to her, and she took wonderful care of everything.

More recently, when I was still single, I took on a project in New Zealand for 8 weeks. I found a friend of a friend who was looking for temporary accommodation, and he moved in and took care of the cat.

Last year, my mother suddenly got very sick - and then died. Mr Canuck and I had to make a couple of sudden, long trips home. We lucked out and friends from work pitched in to take care of our cat. Thankfully, we lived only a 10 minute walk from the office, so someone could come by to visit her during lunch hour. Now, we've found a cat-sitting service (in Paris). It's a hassle to take the keys up to them, but they take good care of the cat when we're both away (for up to 2 weeks at a time). When we can, we try to find friends-of-friends who want to housesit for us - either people who live a long commute away and are happier to live closer to the centre of Paris or people from back home in Canada who want a holiday and free accommodation in Paris and don't mind a little cat hair and having to clean out the kitty litter box.

This has varied over the years.

Usually I had a house and most of my friends were in an apt. They loved the ability to come and use a house (more room) in exchange for taking care of my doggie. At one point my dog went to work with me and when I travelled for them, she just went home with a co-worker and did the office thing until I came back, then back home with me.

When desperate I traded dog-sitting with a neighbour. I got his Roti and he got my Retriever, worked out great for the 4 mos or so we needed it; think it balanced out as well. (I did use a kennel a couple of times, doggie didn't mind at all).

When I ended up dogless, but with a cat, I would leave her alone for up to 4 days at a time. Longer than that a friend would come in and either stay the duration at my place, or just pop in every couple of days, play with her, feed her, litter etc. Worked well. She never ended up needing a kennel, even when I was gone for 2 or 3 weeks.

But now all my friends have gone off to get married. Traveling so much, its hard to meet new local folks, especially ones who need roommate. I know I could go with the ad/craigslist type thing, but I am kinda leary about that.

Ugh....tell me about it...I completely commiserate with all of the above!

What kind of dog are you getting/did you get?

I guess you missed this (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=642282) thread. ;)

It's interesting to see how everyone else manages. I didn't start the thread for advice (though I love reading it) but more to see how others cope. I think I have my situation pretty well balanced, but this puppy ought to throw things for a loop.

My travel schedule will be quite a bit less this year, so I think its a great year to do it. But Kate_Canuck, if you ever need a cat citter for Paris, let me know. ;) I have two cats as well, so I am a pro. I am also always looking for free accomodations in Paris! :D

When I was traveling back and forth to Paris from Seattle, kitty stayed in Paris. Now that I am primarily here in Seattle, when I have to go somewhere, Kitty stays with my parents. They don't seem to mind and he loves it b/c there is another cat and he gets to be out in the yard a lot more. Works out well and all I have to do is buy chocolate for my mom to keep her happy ^

I have two chihuahua's and litter box trained them both. With enough food and water, I could leave them alone for days.

We have friends who housesit for us and take care of our three dogs, which is great. However, at this point, I am VERY hesitant to leave my dog with anyone as he turns 20 this year and is getting fairly frail as you can imagine. I've had this Westie since he was eight weeks old and he is just my pal of all time. He just doesn't do as well without me to completely coddle him, since I think at this point he deserves it. And who is going to want to get up maybe three times a night to take him outside, get him a drink, etc.? It is really tough at this point and believe me I am already sort of wringing my hands about my vacation at the end of May to Europe and my slightly shorter one in March. I'll just have to see how it shakes out at the time, but when we left last year, he was in a very bad, bad way when I got back, but he bounced back with some big time attention from Pops. It is definitely the toughest thing about traveling for me, bar none.

Can totally relate, mattkorey.
Our cat turned 20 last October and my husband hasn't travelled with me since 2003 because she didn't fare at all well back then when we were away for weeks at a time. The problem gets much more difficult when an animal gets more incontinent/senile/sick (fortunately she is very healthy; always been an indoor cat). I have a very understanding husband.

Motel Six has a company policy of being pet friendly (may have something to do with it being a French owned company, France being a land where dogs are permitted, indeed, encouraged to join the party in restaurants).

You can have one dog (or, I think, cat) with you in your room. Not supposed to leave them alone in the room. I know some folks have brought in two small dogs and not had any problems.

Like others here, I wasn't travelling much when I got the dog, but it increased soon after. For several years, it was maybe 3-4 nights/month, and I would impose on friends who had dogs of their own, taking mine over to their place to stay. Luckily, my dog gets along very well with others, mostly because she is so docile. But she's not great with small kids, and my friends all started to breed.

That, and my travel increased. My current job is often 3-4 nights/week, weekly, for a few months in a row. But I always did not want to "kennel" her; as a previously owned SPCA rescue, I know once before her family had dropped her in a place like that and never come back.

So for a while, I was using a boarding place that was up on a farm north of town, with open play (all the dogs together as a pack). And now, I board her at a doggie day care place conveniently located between home and the airport. So she's out with other dogs for several hours during the day, even if she doesn't play much as she's gotten old. I can tell she doesn't mind it there, since I can drive up and open the car door, and she'll jump out and walk right up to the front door (don't try that at the vet's!).

I also restrict my travel because of her. I tell out of town clients that if a gig will last over two months, then I need to work 1 week out of every 3 remotely, from home.

I have taken her with me on business trips and stayed over weekends a couple of times. Two weeks in Chicago when I first got her; and 10 weeks in Salt Lake 2 winters ago. I agree, even among hotels that "allow dogs", it's hard to find one that allows them in the room unattended and unkenneled.

Although married, we both like travelling. We usually had friends house sit or friends of friends whom we paid.

Recently we ran out of options, and I posted on FT. MapleLeaf was one of the kind souls who house sat for us and looked after our two boys (and one cat).

I have managed to find college students -- responsible ones, so the house has never been trashed -- who are eager for an easy way to earn some extra money and I pay for them to move in and stay with my very sociable kitty if I'm gone for more than a couple of nights. Helps keep the house protected, too. It adds to the travel costs, of course, but I like knowing that my baby is being cared for and is not lonely & sad.

Get a petsitter.

Ask around, including at your vet's. Post an ad on Craigs List and check out http://www.petsitters.org/ for registered petsitters, although there are many that aren't.

Added bonus of petsitters-housesitters: They'll pick up your mail and make your house look lived-in while you're gone, too.

When I had a cat and was single, I would have a pet sitting service come in once a day, and they would also pick up the mail. It's an okay, but not ideal arrangement; my cat started getting sick and they really did not notice. It's also not inexpensive. Still, cats are a lot easier than dogs. With our dog, we are lucky to have family that will stay at our house most of the time when we are gone. Our dog is a very beta (pretty much omega!) dog, so she hates going to the kennel, even though we take her to a fancy, open play, nice place. She just doesn't like being around other dogs at all, so it's better if we can arrange for someone to come here. We've been wanting to take her on a trip, but a lot of hotels do charge a premium for pets...for example, some Ritz Carltons will allow small dogs, but when we inquired at one, it was an addition 125-150 a night to bring your dog.

when i lived in boston and had my dog, i would pay the super's daughter the same that i would have paid a kennel. along with feeding and fresh water, she would walk him in the mornings and evenings and this way barney would be at home and with someone he knew (and they got along great)

now living in sf with 2 katz (it was recently 3 but sadly i digress) i have the pleasure of goalie-parents and a terrific landlord who will take care of my girls (shelby and slapshot).

Luckily I have been able to bring my dog on a few trips with me. He's small enough to fit in what I would consider a large carry-on sized carrier under the seat. Then I arrange for friends to help me watch after him when I get to the destination if necessary.

Ideally, I have a friend just stay at my home with him while I am gone if I am unable to bring him with me.

Cheers,

Adrian

One of the advantages of living in the big city...pet-sitting and dog-walking services abound. I currently have two cats, and as most have mentioned, cats can be left alone for a few days without problems. But...one of mine is sick and requires medicine, so I use a great pet sitter who's also a vet tech at my veterinarian's office. It gives me peace of mind because I know she can a) administer meds with confidence, b) be on the lookout for any signs my sick one is having problems, and c) get him to the vet if something does happen. But I also have a few pet-loving friends who are more than willing to stop in every day or so, which help supplement the people-time my pets have (and keeps me from running up a huge bill with the pet sitter). And keeping them at home minimizes the stress.

For longer trips, my sick cat boards with my one of my vets who's an internal medicine specialist. He has a small, quiet practice, and only boards cats. I think it minimizes the stress on my cat (my "regular" vet boards both cats and dogs, and is a lot busier/more hectic). At the specialist's office, they'll let him out of the cage to walk around. My healthy cat will then stay at home (with visits from friends/pet sitter) or go to a friend's house. (He likes dogs, so it's easy to farm him out *g*).

I love animals...they're great, non-judgmental companions. But I always have them in mind when I'm planning travel or actually on a trip. It's hard to leave them.

I have put off going on vacations to stay home with my poodles. I prefer to be with them. I do understand!

A person who has to travel for their work and continues to get dogs (very high maintenance) and cats (low maintenance) has a problem that they themselves create, therefore whatever the expense for sitters is an expense that must be incurred. Hire a sitter or pay someone to keep the pet.

I've got two dogs - a German Shepherd and a Golden Retriever/Husky mix (I think). Both are about 10. The dogs also have a cat, about 14.

I usually have a domestic trip of 3-5 days every month, plus a few 6-7 day international trips annually. I've been doing this for going on three years now.

I can usually manage to bribe friends to house sit. One friend of mine was happy to watch them for about a year as he was going through a divorce and had moved back in with his parents. Not that I'm recommending you start breaking up marriages to get a dog sitter. :D

The 53" TV plus a stocked refrigerator and liquor cabinet also help.

If I can't arrange a house sitter, I kennel the dogs and have someone drop in to check on the cat. I notice the OP is DTW based. There is a good kennel just north of DTW - Britt's Bow Wow - on Ecorse just west of Merriman. It is six minutes from their parking to the McNamara garage. They actually take care of pets in transit for NW. I can drop the dogs at 8:00 when they open and still make an 8:50 flight (although it is very close). They are open until 9pm, so it is usually easy to pick them up on my return. It does get expensive at around $18 per dog per night. The dogs don't seem to mind and are always exhausted when I get home. They also take cats, but I've only taken the dogs.

If you go the house sitter route, make sure your yard is secure - very secure. My shepherd has always been an escape artist. Somehow they got the gate open last year and ended up being picked up by the local police and spent the night in the basement of the police department. Thankfully my dogs will go to anyone so they have always been found when lost. The animal control officer told me it is very common for dogs to take off when their owners are not home. Also make sure they have ID and are licensed. I had neglected to get the license done and got lucky with a warning - I think she took pity on me for being up all night trying to locate my dogs from 600 miles away.

Getting a second dog will increase your bills, but dogs are pack animals and will be happier with a companion around all day.

I guess I need to start cleaning the house as I am outbound this weekend and have a sitter.

A person who has to travel for their work and continues to get dogs (very high maintenance) and cats (low maintenance) has a problem that they themselves create, therefore whatever the expense for sitters is an expense that must be incurred. Hire a sitter or pay someone to keep the pet.
:confused: :confused:
I don't think I've seen anyone here complaining about expense... Mostly it seems like folks who have found ways to accommodate their love of their pets and their need or desire to travel. Not sure what the issue is with this "self-created problem." :confused:

I totally understand what you are going through. When my 16 year old cat passed last year I tried to talk myself out of any new pets, because I travel so much and I felt guilty for them and imposing on friends. After a month I had to get pets I was going nuts with no living creatures at home when Iam home. I got 2 cats. I realize also that they have great lives in my home even if I am not always here.

As for their care, I gave up on the friends feeding them mess and got a professional cat sitter. She stops in daily (she does dogs also and those she visits more often) and she feeds them, cleans up as needed (including litterbox) plays with them and just gives them great care. She was recommended by my vet, and was a vet tech so she also can watch for health problems while I am gone. She is well worth the cost.

Only thing that really irks me is that people can take out cost of child care pre-tax, I should be able to do the same for my pet care!!!

It does get expensive at around $18 per dog per night.

Ah, the good ol' days before moving to NYC. Now it's a bargain that I've found a dogwalker who lives in my building who will watch my older dog for only $30/nt (since she can't go on long walks, just out to do her business at the curb.)

Only thing that really irks me is that people can take out cost of child care pre-tax, I should be able to do the same for my pet care!!!

Agreed!! And if only I could add my dogs as dependents on my health insurance...I would gladly pay the "family plan" rate to get $10 prescriptions!

I do agree that adopting animals while knowing I am going to travel is my decision, and I deal with it and don't complain.

I would LOVE to see employers offer componsation to employees with kids that must travel that have few options. It's not simple enough to say "well, then they just shouldn't travel or find a new job!" as sometimes these jobs are the pathway to growth and moving into roles that may not require much travel. These days, you can't put your career on hold for 18 years and expect to maintain it.

In a perfect world, pets would be accepted as kids! Between food, school, boarding, they should be a deductable expense if you don't have kids. :)

I have my situation well covered. I have a friend that is going through a divorce that stays at my house while I am gone, and my parents when I am home. A full time roommate again would be a nice option, but I don't like the generic house sitter route. It's a shame, but that is just me. It is great reading what other folks do!

I'd be interested to know if drbond is an animal lover.

I don't have pets, but would love to get one. But, with job travel I know I won't have time for one - so my decision is not to have a pet.