Holidays??

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Romily

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Hello

We have a whole load of animals:

1 rabbit
4 cats
13 guineas (+ foster pigs on occasion)

I am just wondering what other multiple animal owners do with their darlings when they are on holiday? The last time we went away we only had one cat and a rabbit and we put them in boarding places which were lovely however it would cost a fortune to put all of ours in.

Family have offered before but now that we have so many they are no longer keen! My Oh is not worrying that we will never get to travel again!
 
I don't know what we'll do with our 7 piggies next time we want to go away. With just two (how it started rolleyes) I think we could have taken them, cage and all, to my OH parents, however with 7 over 3 cages, I don't think that'll be a possibility! I would like chickens too, but I can sort of see the worry on my OH face.

Do you have someone who could house sit for you?
 
I don't go on holiday, because I have loads too, 3 dogs, 5 cats, 5 guinea pigs and 4 rabbits, and will probably get more! I used to put the dogs in kennels, and get a neighbour to feed the cats and pigs, but then I got so many more, and I have baby rabbits too, and they all need cleaning out and everything. I don't know any smallie boarding around here.

Also it's too stressful and I'd be worried about them too much.

The last time I went on holiday with my family I was missing my cats so much, and was pretty miserable until I got to feed some ferals :)
 
I would happily never go away but my OH is keen to travel and moans we will never be able to go now because of the animals.

We don't have any friends who are animal lovers so no one to house sit.
 
I have 3 boys and I'm lucky my mum is piggy savvy so she usually pigsits for me, I would hate to leave them in boarding :(
 
This is a major worry for me this year! I've got 3 cats and 6 pigs. My mum usually comes over twice a day to feed the cats, so they should be fine. But she's not cavy savvy, can't even pick them up - so I would be worried sick in case any of them took ill while I was away. Plus it would be far too much work for her to clean everything twice a day.

Last year I only had 3 pigs in a ferplast 140, (they had unlimited floortime during the day) so I just took the cage to a trusted piggy friend. As it turned out, she was an absolute star as my Honey had toothy problems while I was away and had to be syringe fed for 2 out of the 3 weeks. If I'd left them with my mum, Honey would probably have died as she would never have managed to feed her.

This year is much trickier as my 6 pigs live free range in the spare room and are never shut in a cage. So there's no way I could put the 6 of them in a cage and take them anywhere and I don't know anyone that I trust enough and would be willing or able to look after them. I foolishly didn't think of this until after I took on my 3 new girls! Anyone got any suggestions?

Romily, whereabouts in Scotland are you? I would happily look after your brood, only problem is I can't drive!
 
I'm happy to look after small pets and feed cats if that helps anybody?
 
Holiday ? Oh yeah I remember them ..... its too much hassle now that Ive got 5 piggies, 2 degus, 3 aquariums, 2 dogs and a hedgehog ... I used to go camping and take the dogs with me but I dont think I could take all these guys .....lol ... so gave up holidays a few years ago ...... can still do day trips out though.:))
 
Well I run a rescue and i pay someone a few doors down to look after them. She is very trust worthy and is at college doing an animal care course. She is in her early 20 and still lives at home so the money is good for her. However it costs a fortune.

We are going for 2 weeks in the summer and it's costing me £220. This is not includin the cattery which is another £100. (I don't like people in the house when away)

My mum and a friend have any pigs/buns that need special care.
I agree with Sokal it is very stressful and if it wasn't for my hubby I wouldnt bother either!
 
Do you know anyone you can get to house sit so they don't have to go any where. Last time we went away for the weekend we got my friends 19 year old to house sit for 3 nights and she knows what she's doing. She also rang me twice with worries about piggies but it was fine and she got work experience lol.

Is this an options for you?
 
For weekends I try to bring mine, it's a reason I only have three...

We're going on a three week vacation to NZ this winter and during that time they will be at the rescue who has a boarding service, but it's gonna be a lot of money... I'm glad all of it goes to the rescue, though :)
 
we would love to go away but with running a rescue its would be hard,i do have a friend kidsgrovecaviemad,that could poss help with the guineas and maybe my step son could live in my house for a week,to look after the dog and bunnys and rats?/{:|

mmmMMMMmmmm
think ive just opened up some options for me rolleyes:)):(|)
 
Holidays are really important for us, we are going to Skiathos for two weeks this year, I love the Greek Islands. We had some hols when we were first married, but for about the middle 15 years we were unable to go away with OH having his own business and mum coming to live with us, me as her main carer. So now all circumstances have changed, we are making up for lost time.
I have 10 pigs of my own (how did that happen?), Up to 10 fosters, cat and dog.
Dog goes to live on a farm for a week with my vet nurse who boards 3 dogs at a time and comes back filthy but happy.
Neighbour and daughter come in to cat.
Daughter and her partner come in to look after and clean out pigs. I try to 'run down' the number of fosters before hols, but doesn't always work. Any poorlies, preggies and skinny/pal, will go to live with my daughter and her guineas for special care.
I am counting the days, I love my holidays. x
 
Do you not have a neighbor or anyone you trust enough to give a house key to?

Before one of my brothers moved in to her house, my mum used to give a spare key to a neighbor so she could feed our cat.

I know it's a bit different in your case because you have so many but don't you have a friend or someone who you can have come over a few times a day or even house-sit while you're away?

With the amount of furries that you have...I think a house-sitter would be easier. It would probably make you feel a bit better as you'd know they'd have company all day.
 
I am glad I am not the only one who feels its such hard work to organise holidays, Thankfully AP has said he will have Elvis for me if we go, otherwise we would have no chance.
I have to ask my mom who is 77 to come and stay to be with the dogs and cats and other two pigs and my neighbour helps out,I only ever go for 4 days I always think if something bad happened then they would survive that long on there own.
I wouldn't bother but with three kids they want a holiday.
 
I'll be leaving my dog with my OH gran and the cats will be fed by my brother who lives with us at the moment...as for gp's I intend to put daily food rations into sandwich bags and carriers for daily hay requirements and just write a set of instructions. I dont imagine my brother will clean them out, but I will do it the night before we leave and I'll do it when we come bk. They have a two level hutch so if he does feel brave about cleaning them out, he doesnt even need to touch them, just usher them into the downstairs part while he cleans the top.

I'm hoping my poorly boy will have finished his meds and be all furry again by then, if not, I'm not going
 
Ours have been a nightmare to organise this year. Hamsters are the most difficult, 4 are going to my parents, 2 to Ross' parents though they are away the first night but it turns out we can give them their veg and sit with them while they run in their balls as is the day before we actually go away. Other 3 hamsters are going into boarding but because they are in separate cages it is costing 80 odd quid. The piggies are going to my friend's house to free range in her conservatory. It's where her piggies always lived and so does not get hot.

Next year will look into a house sitter though.

We have a few occasions coming up too where we will need to be away for one night but will ask my parents if they can sit with them for the evening as they have just done that for my sister's cats.
 
For our honeymoon we sent 3 pigs to my cousin and 4 to a friend but getting them there was a nightmare! we now have 10 and are going away for 4 days to a rock festival but my in laws are coming to stay which is really good, only thing is will have to spend all next weekend deep cleaning our bedroom so I don't feel embarrased! :red
 
I've had a dog for 14 years and haven't went anywhere he can't go! That's why we got a static caravan. Now I have 2 new rabbits. I take the dog wherever I go and pay a rabbit sitter to call twice per day for half and hour each time. When my piggies arrive, they will stay in the house and I'll get the sitter to give them food etc. I'm never away for more than 2-3 nights. Or the piggies could come too!
 
With my menagerie, my Mum moves in and deals with everything for me. She can't drive but I have a pet taxi on standby in case she needs to get them to the vet.

Only trouble is, we're having a family holiday to Devon next year and everyone is going - Mum naturally wants to come too so I'm going to lose my pet sitter.

So if there's anyone in Kent that is Cat, Bunny, Piggie, Chipmunk, Hamster, Gerbil, Fish and Bearded Dragon savvy, please will they get in touch :))
 
I have 4 guinea pigs, 2 gerbils, 1 cat and 3 goldfish. We go away quite a lot of weekends as we visit our family in Nottingham very often. I am lucky in the fact that my neighbour comes in a feeds the gerbils and goldfish and we bring the guinea pigs and cat with us (the guinea pigs have their own hutch at my parents). My neighbour also looks after my piggies if I wish but when we go to Nottingham, I prefer to take them with us.

When we go anywhere else, the same neighbour looks after the piggies, gerbils and fish and the cat goes in to boarding. We are going away for a week in July and the piggies shall be going in to boarding for the first time. Only because my neighbours are elderly and I would rather them not clean the pigs out and put them in their run so I will just feel better knowing they are in boarding.
 
i am going away for 2 nights this weekend, I am thinking would it be ok if I leave my gp's in an indoor run 4 x 4 with a wooden house inside full of lots of hay, plus 2 hay racks full of fresh hay for them and two bottles of water all this given plus fresh veg at Friday tea-time and I will be back early sunday morning to feed them fresh veg and give lots of cuddles and obviously clean out..

If I was going away Friday morning till sunday evening, obviously I would make other arrangements but am thinking for just saturday they won't have any fresh veg but they will have lots of dry food left?
 
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