Boarding Fanny During Our Trip

As you can see, Fanny took over the suitcase as soon as I brought it out.  This happens every time.  I bet you have had the same reaction from your cats.  They are either on top or inside. And they don't want to be moved.

Well, we decided to take a little trip to the Palm Springs area for some R&R. First trip we have taken in almost 2 years.

Fanny has become so used to us being at home, especially since I retired.  She howls when my husband leaves to go on an errand.  She goes to the door and makes these ungodly sounds.  It sounds like someone is being killed.

So boarding was our only option if we were leaving.  If you remember from my previous post, we gave the boarding thing a trial run.  It went fine.

This time we left her on Sunday and picked her up on Thursday. She did not want to come out of her little dwelling when Bill went to pick her up.  She hissed, growled and swatted at him. She was pissed. After about 10 minutes, Bill was able to get his hand close enough for her to get his scent.  Then he was able to pick her up.😾

We had requested their daily "cuddle time" but they told us they weren't charging us for that because she had no interest in being cuddled.😿

They had monitored and kept a log of her food & water intake and use of litter box. And her weight stayed constant. Everything was good.

Once we got her home she seemed fine.  She had to check everything out to make sure nothing had changed while she was away.🙀

Then the fun began.  Diarrhea and vomiting. This lasted for about 24 hrs.  I was aware that this is normal after boarding.  The stress is the cause. 

Anyway, we handled the inconvenience.  Thank goodness for my Bissell Spotbot Pet machine. 

It has been a lifesaver.  Especially when our other cat (CC) was at end of life.  She was having accidents everywhere.  This is our 2nd Spotbot.  We had the other one for many years and wore it out.  I had an extended warranty on it and Bissell replaced it. Cool.

Anyway, Fanny is back to normal. Shadowing Bill and no more digestive issues....at least for now.

I'd love to hear from y'all.  Tell us how your cat (or dog) reacts to you going on trips.

Until next time.....Meow!

Fanny's Overnight Adventure

We think it's time for us to get away. Due to my back surgeries and the pandemic, we have pretty much been locked up way too long.  Planning a short trip to Palm Springs.  The only thing that was worrying us was leaving Fanny home alone with just my brother in law coming to feed her a few times a day.  She tends to howl and scream if she gets anxious.  The neighbors may not appreciate that.

So we decided to give her a one night trial run at a local Kennel/Spa.  The staff had suggested this because that lets Fanny see even if she has to stay there we will come back.  And we haven't abandoned her.

We just got the basic "room" for the one night.  It included a cozy little bed, carpet, litter box, food and water.  We also asked to have her nails clipped (which they called a pedicure) and some cuddle time. What I liked is that we got to choose a window view.  

Fanny is on a special diet and they tried to accommodate her feeding times as much as possible.  I brought her food (wet and dry) from home along with a couple toys.

She didn't seem too stressed.  The staff was kind and gentle with her and they allowed me to help put her in the room so it wouldn't be so traumatic. No growling.

Everything seemed fine when we went to pick her up the next morning.  She was in the bed and turned her head as soon as she heard my voice.  As the staff member went to place her in the carrier there was one little growl.

She seemed fine when we got home.  She walked around and made sure nothing had changed while she was gone.  Then she went to her water fountain.

I think she will be fine while we go on our little trip. She will be there 4 or 5 nights. Another important thing for me was that this facility has someone on property 24 hrs a day. And they will send you photos if you ask. They weigh the pet daily to make sure they maintain their weight and they monitor their food intake.

She seemed relaxed when we brought her home.

I would really recommend investigating places before you board your animals. Read comments on sites like Yelp.

Once we had boarded our cats at a well known pet store. They used very small cages and they placed both cats in one cage. When we picked them up our cats were filthy and totally freaked out.

I'll let everyone know how the trip goes and how Fanny does on her little vacation.

Let me know your experiences with boarding pets!