Adventures in Pet Sitting - Ask Aunt Deb (Week 11)
For obvious reasons, I'm most likely to recommend you hire a pet sitter when you need to leave your pets on their own. There are several situations, however, that call for boarding your pet or having a relative, neighbor, or friend drop in.
Medical conditions are the main reason folks choose to board their pet at a vet's office or kennel. Sometimes medications need to be given on a tight schedule - say every 4 hours - so you'll need someone on hand pretty much full time. That many sitter-visits can get pricey very quickly, whereas boarding/kenneling will likely have a per day rate w/ala carte extras. At least you'll have fixed day rate to compare to in making your decision. I should note, there are sitters who combine their pet duties with house-sitting duties. That may be another option to consider, but again, the pricing can add up fast.
Some pets have severe separation anxiety where they require constant companionship and possibly a calming medication. Others are sensitive to sounds. Fourth of July celebrations see an uptick in business for critters that need sedation during the fireworks displays. Or, in some situations, owners will choose to only board one of their two pets, as I encountered recently. The cat stayed home and the dog got boarded. Why? The cat doesn't do well out of her territory, however, the dog - a Great Dane - would wreck the house left on her own. So the dog gets to go to supervised play dates and the cat gets me dropping in for a chat every other day. Win-win for everyone!
One advantage to boarding is nowadays a lot of the facilities have webcams, so you can check in on your critter long-distance. If the facility doesn't have webcams, ask if someone could at least send pictures and/or text updates. Not only will this give you some peace of mind, but it can also be backup evidence if a situation occurs - like a dog fight in the play area or a cat fight over toys. It happens more often than you'd think, because it usually happens so very quickly. Prevention is always the goal, but there are times when that isn't possible. Better to be prepared to deal with a potential 'aftermath' scenario, if necessary.
The most important steps are to start early and check out several places, if you can - especially around the holidays. They fill up quickly and early. The main things in searching for the best spot are:
Start online and, if at all possible, go in person to inspect the facility. Ask if it's staffed 24/7.
Keep an eye on how the personnel interacts with the animals and the critters' reactions to the people.
Ask about the personnel's qualifications regarding pet care.
Make sure security measures (fences, locks, etc.) are sturdy and complete.
Check that your pet will have plenty of room to stretch out, stand up, and move around. Ask about play/exercise times.
See if they offer a price estimate, including a breakdown of services. Some places charge extra for administering meds, for example.
Some places will have you sign a waiver releasing them from responsibility of injuries. Make sure you read everything they want you to sign!
If boarding is the best decision for your situation, you can make your pet's experience a little more comfortable by doing a couple of things when you drop them off. Bring a favorite blanket or toy. It can be calming as it's 'theirs' and something familiar. It smells like home. You'll want to make sure you send plenty of their regular food and treats along with them, plus written instructions on how much they're allowed.
If you're opting for a non-professional to do pet care duties, you'll need someone reliable and responsible. They have to be aware that this isn't just a 'when I feel like it' situation. Impress upon them the importance of the trust you're placing in them to care for your 'kid'. Like the boarding scenario, it would be advisable to ask for photo and/or text updates of visits. That way you can make sure they're actually showing up and are on schedule - without letting them know, necessarily, that you're checking up on them. Worried 'parents' get a lot of latitude.
So, in either case, you're going to be looking at the overall situation and making the best decision for your critter's needs and what your wallet can tolerate. There's generally an option out there to fit any situation. Sometimes, it just takes a little creative thinking!
Upvote, ReSteem, 
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!Edited to fix title.
I've been lucky to have great friends and neighbors to help out with my cats. Some of my cats need specially prepared food. And they are former feral cats that really are attached to this place. For a longer trip, it really helps my friends to share the effort. Each one gets specific dates on the calendar. That has made it a lot easier to get away for a couple weeks.
It sounds like they grasp the importance of doing a good job. When you're dealing with special needs - whether diet or location - having folks who are equipped to handle it are a very real help. You are indeed lucky to have that kind of support!
So lucky! It's hard to travel when there's special needs pets, that's for sure. It's been over a year-long process to get the cats stable and everything figured out for other people to take on the chore of their food.