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Single Folks, Pets, and Travel

Single Folks, Pets, and Travel

Old Jan 16, 2007, 1:11 pm
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Single Folks, Pets, and Travel

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.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 1:29 pm
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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???
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 1:37 pm
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Originally Posted by shell nyc
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?
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 1:37 pm
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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
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 1:47 pm
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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.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 1:55 pm
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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.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 2:13 pm
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Originally Posted by james318
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 thread.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 2:20 pm
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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!
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 2:22 pm
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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 ^
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 2:52 pm
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I have two chihuahua's and litter box trained them both. With enough food and water, I could leave them alone for days.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 3:42 pm
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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.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 7:50 pm
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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.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 7:59 pm
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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.

Last edited by biggestbopper; Jan 16, 2007 at 8:05 pm
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 8:32 pm
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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.
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Old Jan 16, 2007, 9:06 pm
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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).
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