NOT Traveling with Your Cat: Fluffy’s Staycation
Last week we covered how to determine whether or not to travel with your cat, and what to do when you do. If you determined that Fluffy is better off at home, congratulate yourself on a wise decision. Most cats–even though they might miss your company–are happier not to join you on your trip.
Which brings us to this week’s series on NOT traveling with your cat.
This week we’ll look at different options for your cat’s staycation. Whether you just leave a pile of kibble and water and let the cats have the house to themselves, hire a catsitter, or opt for boarding, we’ll give you a few tips and tricks to ensure that your cat has as good a time during her staycation as you have on your trip.
And, we’re having a giveaway! PetSmart is sponsoring the prize: an overnight stay plus TLC at one of their pet hotels.
More than half of all pets are left behind when their families travel. PetSmart® knows pet parents want only the best care possible for their loved ones while away, so PetSmart PetsHotel® associates go to great lengths to give pet guests the personal TLC to make them feel right at home.
Here are just a few of the things PetSmart PetsHotel® associates do to keep their clients purring:
You can take a video tour here.
No Request too Great
Rising to these unique requests is just part of what makes a pet’s stay at the PetSmart PetsHotel so special. Whether it’s the spoon-fed care of an affectionate associate or an associate rocking a dog named Mitzi to sleep to her parent’s lullaby over the Bone Booth™ telephone, these are just a few examples of care provided at the PetsHotel. More unique requests fulfilled include:
- Reading articles from the day’s newspaper to a kitty guest at bedtime. This kitty’s pet parents make it a nightly ritual, and the associates at the Overland Park, Kan. PetsHotel happily continue the tradition to help make their guest feel at home.
- Willow Grove, Pa. PetsHotel associates welcoming a shepherd mix who was rescued from a shelter in Israel. This pet guest only understands Hebrew, so his pet parents provided a list of commands in the dog’s native language. The PetsHotel was happy to quickly learn the Hebrew commands, making the guest feel right at home.
- Spending extra time with Georgia, a Hurricane Katrina survivor and very timid, anxious Bloodhound mix. She wasn’t very good at making friends or being away from home, so during her first overnight stay at the PetsHotel in Springfield, Mo., Georgia was scared of her new surroundings and hesitant to eat. Throughout her stay at the PetsHotel, the resident pet trainer worked with Georgia to help her make new friends, learn to enjoy group play and happily eat dinner out of the palm of associates’ hands.
Fun for Everyone
While their families travel, feline guests can relax in private Kitty Cottages with comforts from home and play with trained pet care specialists for exclusive “TLC time.” During a pet’s stay, pets can take calls from their parents on the Bone Booth to check in or just say “mrow!”
Security and Safety
Just like pet parents, PetSmart’s number one priority is the safety, happiness and well-being of pets — that’s why security and safety are cornerstones of the PetsHotel. Upon check-in, pet guests receive personalized I.D. collars. Throughout their stay, guests are supervised 24-hours a day by the watchful eyes of trained caregivers. For extra protection, the PetsHotel has closed-circuit video cameras throughout the hotel in addition to keypad-secured double doorways to the interior. And, with a veterinarian always on call and Banfield® veterinary hospital inside PetSmart, medical help is never far if needed.
Booking Reservations
All cats are welcome at the PetsHotel, provided they have necessary vaccinations (FVRCP and Rabies). Cats stay for $14 per night. A la carte services and upgrades range from $3 to $16. Click here to find a PetsHotel near you.
PRIZE
Winner will receive an overnight stay at a PetSmart PetsHotel, plus TLC time.
HOW TO ENTER THE PETSMART GIVEAWAY
Leave a comment on this post, and on every post in the series. Each comment counts as one entry in the contest. No more than one entry per household for each post. If there are five Staycation posts, you can leave five comments–on on each post– for a total of five entries. We reserve the right to disqualify anyone if it looks like you’re cheating. Comments left prior to 11:59 PT on June 14th will be entered in the drawing. The winner will be drawn at random from all entries.
WINNER ANNOUNCED
The winner will be drawn and announced on Monday, June 15th.
GOT A GOOD BOARDING/CATSITTER STORY?
Whether it’s a cautionary tale or a funny story, tell it to me. If it’s a good one and we feature it on The Cat’s Meow, you’ll get five extra entries in the contest.
WHAT ABOUT THE ROAD TRIP CONTEST?
You can still enter that contest (no more than one entry per post per household) until June 20th. The winner will be announced on June 21st. Click here for details.
It would depend on the destination as to whether I would rather go along or stay home I guess. More than likely none of us will go on vacation including my pawrents as we have nobody to take care of me and my brothers like we would need. It sure was interesting reading all this though.
Too bad there aren’t any of these places in Wisconsin. Hmmmm, maybe Mommie should start one?
I think these places are great! I used one when we went on vacation last year, and our cat was happy and clean when we picked her up. She probably wanted to stay longer…
Meows WISHES there was a PetSmart hotel nearby! There are NONE in our area of CT.
I do StayCations at the Cat Clinic -…………..sigh………
There are quite a few Petsmart Hotels near us and they are all really nice. I’ve actually walked and been really impressed and that’s rare for somewhere I’m going to leave my pets. lol
Ashley has stayed in one and did great. Daisy (our dog) has stayed but also enjoys day camp there where she can play with the other dogs. I’ve always been happy because when we walk in they all know us yell, “Daisy!!”
We are going away in July but have decided to try a petsitter. Daisy is on a special food trial and I’m worried at a kennel she will accidently be given the wrong food. Less chance of that at home:)
I only stay at Pet Camp Cat Safari in San Francisco
http://www.petcamp.com/cat-safari/safari-gardens.html
cuzza it’s like da Ritz Carlton fur Meowsters
A hotel, just for us????? Mom, you never told us! What do you mean, you don’t get to, we don’t get to?
Wow, we want to stay there! That sounds like so much fun, and we see in the picture that there might be holes to go back and forth between all the kitty condos if everyone’s from the same family. That would be ideal for us, as we love to visit with our family!
Wow, talk about being PAMPERED!! Which, of course, is what we should be. Humans don’t even get that much service when they go to hotels! I think Mistress applied for a front desk job at a place similar to that PetsHotel thing. What a great job that would be!
What fun … I could plan a trip to Dallas just for the heck of it and my babies could stay in PetsHotel! That would be purrfect fun. I had no idea PetSmart had hotels, how cool is that? They need one in Tyler TX
Are there really kitties who enjoy staying in hotels without their pawrents? We prefer to travel with our humans, but if that isn’t possible, we’d rather stay at home with a petsitter stopping by to check on us. I think we’d be scairt to stay in an unfamiliar place without our mommy to comfort us.
This is the only way I could ever leave my baby behind. He typically drives with us, and we stay at LaQuinta and they always treat him like a rock star. I haven’t tried the PetsHotel yet, but I would…especially after reading this. Thanks.
These look good and there is one near where we live so mum will have to check it out.
A few years ago mum had to travel for business for 2 weeks. Our neighbours watched Sassy and Xena but Strangelove and Jester were on meds so mum boarded them at the vets. She checked 1st with her boss to make sure the cost would be covered but he misunderstood how much it was and when she submitted the $500+ bill in her expenses he nearly fell off his chair. MOL!
PetSmart doesn’t have hotels in Canada, just the stores. When Alaidh was alive, I would take her along (and before that, when Sammie was alive, they would stay with a friend or someone would come in and feed them for me.) Abbie and Heidi, however, went to “Cat Utopia”. I’m not sure they wanted to come home afterwards! http://www.catutopia.ca/
The PetsHotel looks like a great idea, though!
We’ve thought about trying this with our kitties. Opus would have a great time but I’m afraid Sylar would have a nervous breakdown!
[...] NOT Traveling with Your Cat: Fluffy’s Staycation [...]
I wish there were one closer. I would like a place to board my kitties for short vacations. For long we bring to my moms
[...] NOT Traveling with Your Cat: Fluffy’s Staycation [...]
[...] NOT Traveling with Your Cat: Fluffy’s Staycation [...]
[...] NOT Traveling with Your Cat: Fluffy’s Staycation [...]