Pet or animal?

Richard Pashley

Richard Pashley

Junior Guinea Pig
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Recently I hear people talk about animals they keep as pets, while others not interested just refer to them as animals. I appreciate my piggies are animals but mean more using the term pet. For example, I'm going on holiday soon and I have two choices. A family member who will see them just as animals to look after them doing the bare minimum or second pay for lodgings knowing they will be treated as pets. Which would you choose and does it make a difference? (Rhetorical question, but you can comment if you wish). I'm also faced with comments like why waste your money to pay for someone to look after them! I know In getting a little philosophical.
Anyway, what are your views?
And what do you do with your pets while on holiday?
 
The people I would leave my piggies with wouldn’t see them as just any ol’ animal. I would leave them with my sisters and would trust whole heartedly they would be looked after properly :nod:. If you haven’t got anyone like that in your family, maybe it is best to pay someone but you wouldn’t be able to trust them 100% either in my view. Difficult one depending on your circumstances suppose.
 
We used to leave my piggies with my in-laws whenever we go on our holidays. They do take care of them very good. But recently, we opted to put the piggies in a boarding for small animals that I fully trust. My in-laws are already old and we don't want to stress them. They usually get worried about the piggies getting sick in their care. So off my piggies to a knowledgeable boarding place.
 
I leave mine in my mums care and she will come in twice a day to look after them as she lives local (she also may choose to stay at our house while we are away). However, if I didn't have my mum for this I would pay for boarding no problem. Knowing how quick piggies can get ill and go downhill I wouldn't risk it with someone who has no interest
 
My neighbour comes in to look after mine and she used to breed piggies so knows all about them so I don't need to leave a list of instructions. If she is away I have a friend around the corner who is happy to look after them (with a list of instructions!).
 
My dilemma is the family member is my in-laws and they are old and have trouble kneeling down. The thing is my partner thinks Ill be wasting money and they are her parents. I guess I'll have to leave loads of instructions and hope they will be ok while we're away. The trouble is they are in an outside hutch and if one slipped out they will struggle. Anyway I appreciate your comments and it is interesting when we view them as pets as we tend to look after them more.
 
Richard Pashley said:
Recently I hear people talk about animals they keep as pets, while others not interested just refer to them as animals. I appreciate my piggies are animals but mean more using the term pet. For example, I'm going on holiday soon and I have two choices. A family member who will see them just as animals to look after them doing the bare minimum or second pay for lodgings knowing they will be treated as pets. Which would you choose and does it make a difference? (Rhetorical question, but you can comment if you wish). I'm also faced with comments like why waste your money to pay for someone to look after them! I know In getting a little philosophical.
Anyway, what are your views?
And what do you do with your pets while on holiday?
Click to expand...
We have a similar dilema- we have a local guinea pig sitter (but she also has dogs which worries me a bit!) but my elderly mother really wants to look after the piggies when we go away for 4 days in august. My mother will love them and talk to them more (and probably overfeed them!) but she wont cope with floor time. She'd be upset if she thought we didnt trust her to look after them though... but actually I dont really like leaving my piggies with anyone!
 
Spending money on boarding your piggies is certainly not wasting money as long as the boarding place is caring for them properly. Given the circumstances I would be booking them for boarding instead.
 
The thing is having a pet that causes relationship problems which to be fair is more of having clashing points of view. I have no worries about paying for boarding which would cost about £120 for one week for two pigs in sperate accommodation, does that sound reasonable? It looks to be a caring one as they only deal with small pets. I even don't think my in-laws won't be upset if they didn't but my partner will and then I won't enjoy the holiday. So do I pay and face the repercussions or given in is what I'm asking myself.
 
Our neighbour will be attending to Tom whilst we are away, she comes in anyway to our cats and it turns out she loves guinea pigs and is quite happy to look after him too :)
 
I have a lovely friend who is willing to come in twice a day to feed them and clean the cage when necessary.
If she’s not available we have new neighbours who used to keep guinea pigs.
If these options were not available I would pay for boarding.

In the case where it could cause stress in your relationship as you are only away for 4 days it could be a good idea to let your in-laws look after them.
Then you can see how they coped and how they felt about it.
 
He'll soon forget the boarding price when you are away on holiday!
 
What a great question and debate.

I go with the option I trust the most. I don't always think boarding is the best and like to check out boarding before hand but also I wouldn't leave them to just anyone in my family to look after.

My mom will often feed the piggies if we are away for a few nights, I wouldn't expect her to pick up on health issues that weren't obvious though... She does however care deeply about all pets and after showing her the ropes a few times she knows what hays to feed, veggies etc... Luckily we have some close friends who we met on forum many years ago and we look after each others piggies.

I think what you are doing and visiting boarding before hand will give you peace of mind, I also think you raise excellent points about one slipping out the hutch if your relatives cant kneel down.

Your seem a very conscientious piggy slave from our interactions on the forum, I know you will choose the best for your piggies while you are away :)
 
Thank you everyone for your posts. :)
I'll make sure to update when I've made my decision and how things got on when I get back from my holidays in a few weeks.
 
When we go away our piggies stay at the Guinea Collected Small Animal Boarding in Manchester. I completely trust them to care for them in the same way that we would. They have 7 gorgeous guinea pigs of there own and know far more about caring for them than i do (as a relatively newbie owner).
 
YvonneBlue said:
When we go away our piggies stay at the Guinea Collected Small Animal Boarding in Manchester. I completely trust them to care for them in the same way that we would. They have 7 gorgeous guinea pigs of there own and know far more about caring for them than i do (as a relatively newbie owner).
Click to expand...
Same place I use. 😉😉
 
Richard Pashley said:
Recently I hear people talk about animals they keep as pets, while others not interested just refer to them as animals. I appreciate my piggies are animals but mean more using the term pet. For example, I'm going on holiday soon and I have two choices. A family member who will see them just as animals to look after them doing the bare minimum or second pay for lodgings knowing they will be treated as pets. Which would you choose and does it make a difference? (Rhetorical question, but you can comment if you wish). I'm also faced with comments like why waste your money to pay for someone to look after them! I know In getting a little philosophical.
Anyway, what are your views?
And what do you do with your pets while on holiday?
Click to expand...

You might find this guide here helpful: Tips For Organising Your Holiday Absence

I use a mix of a reliable pet sitter coming once daily to feed my many piggies (twice daily at need in hot weather) since my neighbour has moved away while I board my medical and frailer piggies with a very piggy savvy friend who uses the same vet as I do (I have fostered piggies in return). That has worked out well for me over the last 5 years.
 
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