It can be difficult for pet owners to leave their pet home when they go on vacation—even more so when you have a small pet like a guinea pig.
Luckily enough, you can take your furry friend along with you. Just be extra careful in keeping them comfortable when you do.
If you decide to leave it behind, put significant thought into who their caretaker will be.
Be sure that they’re up to the task. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when leaving your guinea pig home during vacation.
Take Them with You if You Can
For most people, their pets are part of their families.
Thus, you may also want to take your furry friend along with you when you travel.
That said, your guinea pig with you on vacation can be a risk. Thus, take good care that it stays happy, comfortable, and healthy throughout the process.
Keep the following things in mind if you do plan on taking your little pet with you.
Check if Your Accommodation Allows Pets Beforehand
You don’t want to take your little cavy along with you and find out your hotel doesn’t allow pets.
This will potentially ruin your vacation and harm your pet.
You’ll then have to look into alternate pet-friendly accommodations or find someplace else to keep it. It’s best to be prepared from the start.
Get a Good-Quality Travelling Cage or Cat Carrier
If your pet is allowed to stay with you at the hotel, be sure to prepare well for the journey.
This includes investing in a good-quality traveling cage for your pet. You won’t have to worry about it getting out of your control this way.
The cage – or cat carrier if one is unavailable – should be comfortable for your pet.
Line it with padding in order to keep your pet safe from any unexpected bumps or jerks on your way.
Feed Your Pet on Your Journey
Giving treats to your pet will help keep it calm and relaxed on the journey. Moving out of the home can be a stressful endeavor.
That’s why you need to keep it happy at regular intervals of your ride.
In addition to this, feed it treats with high water content like fruits to help it stay hydrated.
If you have the opportunity to give it its water bottle, then do that too. Your pet needs to stay comfortable during the ride.
It will prevent it from getting stressed or from falling sick.
Ask a Friend to Help You Out
You will need someone to look after your pet when you’re not home. The person you ask must be someone you can trust enough with the keys to your home.
They also have to be good with caring for pets in general.
Don’t rely on someone with no prior pet-care experience or if they’re generally irresponsible.
Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The good news is that it isn’t much work so many won’t reject your request. Also, don’t leave it to the last minute to find a pet-sitter.
Make a list of potential people and ask your best choice. You can always ask them again if they were good to your pet during your vacation.
Find someone good and you’ll be able to travel without worrying about how your furry pet is getting along.
Find a Familiar Face for Your Pet’s Temporary Caretaker
You don’t want to stress your pet by having a stranger look after it.
Guinea pigs do remember faces and having someone it doesn’t recognize watch over it will stress it out.
That’s why it is preferable you choose a friend or family member to be its caretaker. They should have interacted with it in the past to make this work.
If you can’t have someone who has interacted with your guinea pig, that’s okay. You can ask a new face to do so a few weeks prior to your vacation.
Have them feed your little pet treats to gain a trusting bond with them.
Have someone who it knows take care of it.
Your guinea pig will be a lot more comfortable and relaxed in your absence that way.
Find Someone Who is Willing to Come to Your Home Every Day
It is better for your pet’s health if it stays at your home while you’re out. Ask your friend if they can visit your home to care for it.
A new environment can be stressful for your guinea pig. That’s why it’s not ideal to have your friend keep it at their place when caring for it.
This will increase their work, but it will be more beneficial for your small pet.
This will also eliminate any chance of it being put into a dirty environment.
Not everyone keeps a clean home, and your friend might be one of those people that don’t.
A dirty environment can increase your pet’s susceptibility to illnesses. In such a case, it is preferable that your pet stays in the environment you’ve created for it at home.
Create a Schedule for Your Friend that is Easy to Follow
Pets tend to stick to the feeding patterns that you set for them.
They can get irritable and vocal when they don’t get the treats at the time of the day they’re expecting to.
Tell your friend what that schedule is so that there are no changes in their routine.
This would mean that you have to know exactly when you give what to your pet. A few weeks before you leave, make a note of the feeding patterns for your pet.
Also, note your guinea pig’s activity routines for the day.
This will help you be sure about your pet’s routine each day. Share the schedule you make with your friend so that the little cavy’s day is disrupted as little as possible.
Label All the Food Items
Label all food containers to ensure that your schedule is easy to follow. You don’t want your pet to be fed the wrong thing at the wrong time.
This will disrupt its routine and can cause it to be agitated or stressed. It is also a way of making your friend’s work easier.
This can also make them willing to do this for you again.
Maintain a Uniform External Environment
You also have to ensure that the only difference in your home’s environment is your absence.
A change in your guinea pig’s external environment can cause stress.
In your schedule, add the times at which they should leave your blinds open for natural light.
Also, instruct your friend what time they should switch the lights off for your pet to get some sleep.
Inform Your Friend What they Should Do in an Emergency
Your pet’s temporary caretaker should know what to do if things go wrong for the piggy.
Include emergency phone numbers and addresses in the schedule you provide them. Tell them beforehand where the vet’s office is.
They should know how to get there if they have to rush your pet there.
Leaving a small pet behind can make a pet-owner paranoid or generally worried. You can help feel a lot more comfortable if you prepare well.
Don’t leave anything to chance when it comes to keeping your piggy safe and happy.
Use a Camera to Monitor Your Pet
It’s best if you don’t leave the entire responsibility onto your friend for your pet’s care. You can install a pet-monitor camera in your room.
The camera allows you to see everything from your mobile phone. This way, you can watch over it and interact with it every now and then.
You can also use it to observe any unusual behaviors or visible symptoms of an illness. You know your guinea pig better than anyone else does.
This means that you’ll be the first to notice if something is wrong.
This way, you can catch an issue sooner than you would if you waited to see it after you got back.
Last Few Words
It is normal to be worried about leaving your small pet home when you go for vacation.
A pet is like family and its safety and comfort are a top priority. However, you can rest easy if you take the necessary steps to ensure your guinea pig is okay alone.
Having a responsible and trustworthy friend as its caretaker can help you and your pet relax.
Do your part by giving them everything they’d need beforehand. Inform them on what to do and when to do it.
Your pet will stay calm with the least amount of change in its environment.
You can also say hi to your furry friend by installing an affordable pet-monitor camera or over a video call.
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