Mans best friend is his pet. Pet owners spend to the extent of $72 Billion dollars a year on their pets. Yes, you heard that right I said B for Billion!
But our pets aren’t just fluffy cute cats and dogs. People find love in all kinds of animal friends. Cuddles could be a 23 foot Burmese python that weighs 200 pounds. Fluffy could be a 100 pound Sulcata tortoise ready for a romp around the local park.
So what do you do in this situation when you want to get away and travel around the world? Well, luckily I have experience in this subject. I am a mommy to two South American Red Footed tortoises named Mina and Sherman and I have traveled the globe.
Pet Sitter
First things first, you need to find a reliable person to watch your baby while out of town. Owning an exotic pet can make this difficult. I am lucky enough to have friends and family who are not squeamish about watching two cold-blooded buddies while I’m traveling. This is the best outcome when traveling. You have someone you know and can rely on.
If not, don’t fret, you can still enjoy the great outdoors. If you do not have anyone that you know to pet sit the next best thing is a pet sitting service right at your house. Some animals are difficult to transport from place to place. An easy way to find one is through an internet search. Depending on where you live there are usually multiple services to choose from.
I found a pet sitting website that you can enter your information and search through filters for your type of pet. It’s called Petsitter.com. I have never used the service so I can not say whether it is reliable but it could be worth a try.
You could also search for local businesses that offer exotic pet services. I found one in my city of Chicago that does boarding. I would not recommend taking your exotic animal to a boarding facility. The reason is how fragile exotic animals are. Any change in their habitat or surroundings and they could go into a shock which weakens their immune systems. When this happens they are more prone to many illnesses. If you have a cold blooded animal any change to their climate temperature could end in illness or even death. Bottom line is if you can afford someone to come to your home to care for them do it.
What To Leave
Once you find a reliable person or service to watch your pet, you will need to leave detailed instructions on the care of your pet. Some people do not understand that a turtle and a tortoise are two different animals, one of which can not swim.
My boyfriend almost drowned my tortoise when I first met him. It was not his fault; he did not understand that tortoises are different from turtles. (Luckily she’s okay). Don’t let this happen to you. Cover all of your bases, don’t assume people know anything about your pet. Educate them on what to do and what not to do.
Leave a list:
- Include how to’s.
- Feeding schedules and what to feed them, don’t forget watering schedules.
- Habitat must do’s, how it should be cleaned, temperature and humidity levels.
- Animal individual needs. Example: if you have a snake and he is shedding what to do. Or if your animal requires special soaking or washing outside of the habitat.
- In case of emergency leave a family members information and the name and phone number of a vet that can assist your type of animal.
Leave out extra feeding and water bowls next to your list. Another important thing to do is meal prep for your pet. Make it easy for your sitter by preparing your pets food needs while you are gone. If you have an animal that requires live food have enough at home for the time you are gone. When I meal prep for the tortoises I cut up their favorite fruits and vegetables and put each portion in a different Tupperware container with a sticky note for when to feed.
Also leave out all the cleaning products that your sitter might need while you are gone. Don’t forget to leave extra bedding if your animal requires it.
Before You Leave
Now that you have your plans for who will watch your pet and you have your list ready for the sitter, here are a few before you leave things to consider.
Clean the habitat before you leave. Depending on how long you will be gone it is best to clean your pets habitat before you depart. You do not want to leave a filthy habitat for your sitter or your pet. They will already be under stress without their owner present. Make sure you leave them with a nice clean cage to live in the while you are gone.
I also recommend getting an indoor security camera. It is a good precaution to have for you and your pet. While you are traveling, you can virtually check up on your precious family member to make sure they are doing okay. It is a peace of mind that is important. There is nothing like a bad case of anxiety to ruin a vacation. This is an inexpensive way to feel more connected to your pet while traveling. A top-rated security camera which offers both night and day settings and works with your smart home is the M Morvelli. Link for you below.
Another great thing to get before you leave is a lockbox. I used one when I went for my two-week trip to Peru. It worked like a charm. I could put the house key in there for easy entry and exit for my pet sitter. I didn’t have to worry about meeting up before to give him the key or hiding it somewhere not safe like under a mat. Here is the one I picked up online.
Having a pet brings joy and meaning, so does traveling. Don’t let having an exotic pet stop you from traveling. It is something that can be easy to work through if you take the proper precautions before your departure. Do your research and plan. You and your pet will be happy you did. Just remember my travel friends, we are in this together.
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