How do you manage going away from home for a few days?

[RedDrgn]

We're lucky in that we are very close to two of our neighbors, both of which are animal people. We all have keys to each others homes and house/pet-sit for each other whenever someone is away or an emergency crops up. It's a system that has been working perfectly for 5 years now, thankfully.

 

[speckledhen]

In my minds eye, no one is able to care for my animals the way that I do. That being said I am married to a 'traveling woman' so I had to find a workable solution. We hire a pet caretaker who has an emergency back up person. It is somewhat expensive, but is the only solution that I could come up with. Without her I could never leave home. I've tried the neighborhood kid, friend, relative routine - they did not work out.

Well, it doesn't matter anyway. We live on a shoestring so no way there is $$$ to hire someone or to take a trip in today's economy if we even had the desire (which I don't). I can't stand crowds or traffic, and usually shun people in general.

 

[sourland]

Given the option, I too would shun crowds, traffic and people.

 

[erinszoo]

We don't spend $$ on vacation ... at least as little as possible. Our getaways include camping, usually in national forests (they're the cheapest and quietest) and anything free we can find to do wherever. But getting away from everyday life is almost a necessity for us as we are caretakers for elderly people and we're dealing with the aftermath of being foster parents, two years of unemployment, dealing with my parents cancer, adopting a child ... neighbors from h e double hockey sticks ... an autistic child ... the list just goes on and on. Destressing isn't an option if we want to be alive for much longer.

We found a neighbor girl who will be a senior next year that is in 4H and FFA and shows several kinds of animals. She used to be in my girl scout troop so I know she'll be reliable ... even if she doesn't take care of my animals as well as I would.

 

[theoldchick]

I have friends who are experienced pet sitters. Even so, with the price of gas, I paid the sitter and the pet sitting expense was added into the cost of vacation. You might want to try a short run vacation and see how the animal care taker does. And there is always the cell phone. Call when you are worried.

 

[speckledhen]

I have friends who are experienced pet sitters. Even so, with the price of gas, I paid the sitter and the pet sitting expense was added into the cost of vacation. You might want to try a short run vacation and see how the animal care taker does. And there is always the cell phone. Call when you are worried.

Folks just don't understand that I don't want to go anywhere. I can't imagine spending several hundred dollars on something and having nothing tangible to show for it, which is why we never traveled anywhere. Doesn't even sound like fun to me. In fact, it would be an extra stress, not a stress reliever. Plus, don't own a cell phone, either. Wow, I guess I really do prefer the company of chickens to just about anything, including family.

 

[2Old2Crow]

I only post this because it's a situation that occurs all too often. Even trustworthy 4H'ers et al, get together in their social groups and talk about what they are doing. One kid hears you're gonna be gone for a week or so, and that information gets passed around. By the time you get home, you've been ransacked. I would never post such information on any forum or in a newsletter either. Bad minded folks surf these information services daily.

Hope this helps.

 

[aaabirdman]

isn't there any relative you have, or family member that would be willing to take care of them?

 

[theoldchick]

Folks just don't understand that I don't want to go anywhere. I can't imagine spending several hundred dollars on something and having nothing tangible to show for it, which is why we never traveled anywhere. Doesn't even sound like fun to me. In fact, it would be an extra stress, not a stress reliever. Plus, don't own a cell phone, either. Wow, I guess I really do prefer the company of chickens to just about anything, including family.

I hear ya! My idea of a perfect vacation is cavorting with my animals while taking pictures all day long.

However, when my mother died, and my usual petsitters were already booked, and I was hell bent for leather to bury her, I had to try an 'unknown'. She did great. She was a fellow horse person who had never officially pet-sitted before. She gave me daily updates. And to be perfectly honest this was the first time in my life I used a cell phone. Since I'm left handed, I some how kept hanging up on her! Dang thing kept jumping out of my hand and those tiny buttons are worthless for dialing. Got my mom buried, and all my pets survived. Unfortunately, that particular cell phone did not.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm sorry about your mother. I understand that a situation may arise where you have no choice but to find someone to watch the flock for a few days.