BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care

Subject: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Nov 06 - 11:52 AM

So.... we have all these Mudcatters who dash off the festivals, but then we also have a huge number of pet lovers among us. How the heck do YOU make sure Fido or Fluffy gets fed/taken out as needed, and still make it to all the stuff you go away from home for???

What brought it to mind was when someone gave us a plant we should not have-- I will kill it for sure-- and the only people I could think of to give it to were fellow folkies who were visiting. But I didn't-- because I suspect they don't live their lives focused on watering their plants, knowing what I do about their travel schedules.

So what's your strategy?

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: Little Robyn
Date: 06 Nov 06 - 01:36 PM

The next door neighbor feeds our pussycats. It's usually only for a weekend and we feed her cat if she's away for a few days too. Because she's not a folkie, our weekends seldom clash!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: Blowzabella
Date: 06 Nov 06 - 01:41 PM

If I have to go away and can't take the dog, he goes to stay on a farm, up the valley from us - we're VERY lucky - he gets to sleep in the litchen, with his bed beside the Aga - I'm surprised he ever wants to come home to us, actually! Plus he adores Donald, the farmer - who has proper working sheepdogs - mine likes to pretend (doing all the riding on the quad bike stuff) but he'd never hack it as a real farm collie - likes his comforts too much!

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: Scoville
Date: 06 Nov 06 - 01:41 PM

Reputable kennel, or we board with the vet. We don't go away often, though. My dog needs epilepsy medication once a day so I'd rather not leave it to the hands of neighbors. The climate here is prone to being either extremely hot or extremely wet and the dog is long-haired, so I can't leave her outside all weekend. She's also somewhat elderly. I'd rather have her supervised and indoors. She's not crazy about the kennel but they walk her and pet her and talk to her, which she likes much better than being alone.

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: Ebbie
Date: 06 Nov 06 - 02:41 PM

My dog has a standing offer of refuge with some friends who have two of her breed. They visit back and forth in between times.

My cat is welcomed by some other friends who, if I ever gave him up, are on record as being number 1 on the list of potential adopters.

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: number 6
Date: 06 Nov 06 - 05:20 PM

We board our 2 grey's with our vet ... who happens to have a greyhound herself ... in fact she brings her hound in to work when our are boarded there.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: JennyO
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 06:58 AM

We are usually only away for a weekend or a long weekend, so we get somebody (either the neighbours or my son who doesn't live all that far away) to come in and feed and change the water for our two cats. We leave the food in the laundry, which is a separate building from the house, and they have beds in there, so they can come and go at will.

One of the cats, Bella, used to own my son actually, but he lives in a small flat where he can't have pets, so I think he's happy to have an excuse to come and visit her anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 08:24 AM

We try to get a reliable (good word, that) friend to come stay at the house if it's more than a week end. If at all possible, the dogs go with us. Friend comes in and checks on the cats, fills bowls, etc. Kennel is last resort.

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 09:23 AM

We used to wish that somebody would open "Kennels for Kids" so us grown-ups could have an escape occasionally.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: nutty
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 09:50 AM

I have an adult (well almost) son who owes me a LOT of favours.
He repays by dogsitting. If he can't I take them with me.

Fortunately, in the UK, if one festival is fussy about dogs there is usually another somewhere else that isn't.

Guess which one gets my custom.

Subject: RE: BS: Gadabouts' Pet Care
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 11:15 AM

When I had 3 cats that ate dried food only it was easy. Just left huge bowls of dried food and plenty of water and they sorted themselves out for up to a week.
Now have just got a spoilt little puss that likes sachets - so have to sweet talk the neighbours.