Talk to your friends who have pets- they may have already gone through this search, and found someone they like. You may even be surprised to find out that one of them *does* pet sitting.

Another good option is to talk to the staff at your vet clinic- I've moved a lot, and have had a lot of success going this route. As a bonus, these folks will usually be brutally honest about any organization that they think is sub-par for their own pets...

I'd be very skeptical, there was a case here where the person didn't go to check on the cats in her care as often as she was supposed to. When she did go back they were dead & she then dumped the bodies...and this was from a pet sitting business. I think I'd have to go with a trusted family member (a fellow animal lover) and I'd be calling every day to check on them.

If anyone wants to read about the sad case, here's the link: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/08/26/nl-cat-claim-826.html

We've had good luck using Craig's List for this. I got about 30 responses and was able to interview for the job. I bill it as house and pet sitting - I won't leave my house empty over a vacation. I pay about $30 a day, and fill the fridge for the sitter. It's always worked out.

With my previous pet, who was a pathologically shy cat who also needed a daily pill, I went with professional cat sitters. I think the benefit of a pro is that you can TELL them exactly what you want to have done and if, god forbid, something goes wrong, it's probably better to have a pro than to have a bad issue between you and a friend/relative/neighbor.

That said, with my new cat (who has to have two daily meals), next time I travel I'll probably hire a pro for the main daytime visit (food, water, litter, playtime, mail, plants, etc.), and ask that they send me regular email updates and/or call me. I'll also have a friend come over in the evening for my cat's dinnertime.

That way the pro will also know someone else will be there checking up, too, which I hope keeps everyone honest.

I've been asked on more than one occasion to watch dogs for people that I only know through the dog park. I think they see how I treat my dog and assume that I will treat their dog the same way (which I do). Either that or I have an honest face.

These arrangements have not included watching their homes (thank goodness).

Luckily for us, my husband and I each have a twenty-something sister still living at home that is more than willing to spend a week living at our place and hanging out with our dog and cat. Not sure what we'll do when they both get self-sustaining jobs and move out...

My boss and friends who travel extensively don't rely on friends or neighbors - they board their animals with their local Veteranarian.

As an owner of a chinchilla, I have a mixed bag when it comes to pet sitting- on the one hand, a chinchilla only needs to be checked on once every day or two, for a run, and their food and water last well.

On the other hand, it was kind-of difficult to find someone who knew the first dang thing about taking care of a chinchilla. I wanted someone who could recognize a potential health problem, and who knows how to safely lift and/or herd a resistant, delicate rodent running wild in the apartment during their free play time.

Thankfully, a friend of mine used to work at a humane society, and is willing to go to a fair amount of trouble to watch our persnikity fuzzball, as long as we trade her back by looking after her psychotic cats when she goes out of town.

But I think my #1 criteria when picking a pet-sitter is seeing how they look after their own pets. she spoiled those cats every which way!

Ask at a doggie daycare place. The one I use allows their employees to pet sit as long as their rates are higher than the daycare charges.

My dog-sitter charges $25 per day so a Friday-Sunday will cost $75.

And since she knows dogs so well, my adorable goldendoodle actually comes home with a new trick to make me laugh.

We have a young dog who requires a lot of attention. While I'm happy to use family members who are used to him and who I can really depend on (giving long walks in Chicago in the winter), with all of us being out of town for the holidays, we are taking him to a highly recommended boarder for a few days.

We took him there for a daycare trial run (free of charge) and I don't think he wanted to come home! They have 24 hour care, with a vet on staff, which makes me feel comforted knowing he'll be well taken care of, should something unexpected arise.

It was cheaper than bringing him along for the holidays and while maybe a little pricier than a craigslist or dog park sitter, I'm willing to spend a few extra bucks for the peace of mind.

You couldn't pay me enough to sit for a cat that needs a daily pill.

http://www.nanceestar.com/CatPill.html

I second the suggestion of asking at your vet clinic. Often, the assistants/vet techs there are looking for an extra source of income and will gladly take on some side work.

If you have a reputable pet rescue/adoption/advocacy program in your area, you can ask them as well. I got a wonderful cat sitter from Kitten Rescue in LA.

I look to close friends, family, and co-workers, particularly the ones who are looking for jobs or in between jobs, or to those that maybe owe me a few favors, and are pet lovers themselves. It's best when they can just come and stay at your house, so your loved ones are in the comfort of their own home. I have sent out e-mails to my friends over facebook too, for recommendations when my regular helpers are busy.

I can relate. We have two rambunctious dogs and for a long time it was a real dilemma. We boarded the once or twice but didn't feel good about that-it's certainly not ideal. We had family look after them a few times and while we were appreciative, we never felt entirely comfortable with this either for various reasons. But we made friends with some kind neighbors who also have pets. And they have two young children. So now we just "book" with the neighbors in advance and swap favors. They house and dog-sit for us, we do the same for them, and I babysit here and there for them too, or pick up their kids from school occasionally. It works like a dream and we're really fortunate. I realize this isn't easy to set-up, but if you happen to have an animal loving neighbor--take over a batch of cookies or a bottle of wine and have a "business" meeting with them about pet-sitting and bartering. It might be the beginning of a very fortuitous relationship. Chances are there's a pet-owner in your neighborhood who needs a pet-sitter too. Good luck!

Yeah, this post and comments make me feel a little guilty about just leaving the dog in the backyard (with access to the garage for shelter) and having a friend come by once a day to feed and water. However, I don't feel that guilty. I love my dog, but in the long run, it's just a dog. He's perfectly fine in the backyard -- makes him appreciate the nice house that he gets to sleep in when I'm home all the more.

For my house, I set the alarm and tell a couple of nearby friends that I'll be out of town. If I'm gone long enough, I'll ask the same friend who's feeding the dog in the backyard to grab the papers off the lawn on weekends (only get weekend delivery) and check the mail if it's overflowing. Otherwise, I expect the monitored alarm to do its thing.

Luckily for us, the neighbors on the other side of the wall are friends of ours from high school so we totally trust them with our home and our cat Wednesday. We just can't take trips at the same time!

We have a 5 (almost 6) year old cat, who is playful and loves blankets of any kind. When we are going away, for more than a few days, we leave our kitty in the care of pet friendly friends. If we are only gone for only a day or two, I leave two bowls of food out, one in her normal place, and another around the house somewhere she can find it. She's smart and usually spends her time playing in a pile of blankets anyhow. I suggest asking friends who you can trust in your home alone. That is the best place to start.

i have had the luxury of 1 or more friends living in my same building in the past 2 apartments.

so i make a detailed (borderline obsessive) list of everything that needs to be done (sometimes even watering plants or feeding fish), and ask them to stop by am & pm to hang with the kitties and feed/water them.

has worked out great for both a 2 week summer vacation, and a holiday winter vacation.

of course, i also gave them cash or a gift card or something they really wanted in return, so it was a fair trade for their effort.

the peace of mind of knowing i could have a friend (and familiar face to my cats) taking care of my home was well worth it.

i wouldn't want just any stranger trapsing around my apartment, peeking in drawers and such =P

Ask your friends who have pets. I exchange pet sitting with friends, they watch my dog when I am away, and in-return I do the same for them.

I've had success searching for the local professional pet sitters organization. You can search by Zip to find those who cover your area and see reviews from other users.

I am trying to figure out this exact thing right now.... we need to leave for a month to be overseas with my hubby who works in India. We have 3 cats, 2 insane dogs, a fish and a townhouse. We HAD my hubbys friend living with us, until he met some girl a few weeks back, and moved out overnight one night whole we were out of town. Nice. ANYWAYS, I have set up a dozen interviews with people to house/pet sit. I asked for police checks, references, and will require them to sign a contract stating if anything is missing, seriously damaged, or ruined due to negligence, it gets deducted from their final payment. Also, my brother will check in once a week to make sure everything is going well, and to pay them weekly, after that check is done... We will see how interviewing goes. I am going to pay $200 a week... and maybe a bonus when I get home, if things are as we left them and the pets are happy!

We either leave them with friends that also have dogs or if it's longer than a couple nights, my in-laws stay at our house.
Sounds like you don't have that option though - I would go with the vet recommended pet sitter or ask friends with dogs.

I'm obsessive-compulsive about my pets,
so I wouldn't leave them with just any one.

I take my dog with me, and my cousin, who
lives next door, comes over to feed my cats.

For safety, I turn the electric off at the
switch. I put down enough litter boxes to
last the week, or how ever many days I'll
be gone, and plenty of water/dry food, so
all my cousin has to do is feed them their
canned.

I wouldn't leave my dog behind, but she is
smallish & fits in a bag, and she loves to travel.

I think part of the reason I don't pets of my own is this issue. I often leave for weeks at a time and it is seems too hard to find people every time.

I get my pet fix from being the primary pet and house sitter for my sister and her husband. Since one of the cats is highly neurotic, the fact the animals are all familiar with me makes it easy for all involved.

Pretend I wrote "dont' have pets of my own".

I have a bird and a dog. The bird I will let friends check on every once in a while and leave with extra food. The dog I just don't feel good about leaving alone - he needs attention and company, and would bark up a storm if left for days with only brief visits! I also seem to not really have friends who have dogs, and I wouldn't ask anyone who didn't own their own dog to host mine. If I had someone who could stay in my apartment, that would work, but I'd feel bad asking anyone to do that for free unless they were between apartments and it would be convenient for them or something. For long trips, I usually plan to have my mom watch my dog, because she adores him and loves any chance she has to spend time with him. For example, I'm going to be in Europe for three weeks this winter, so I planned to drive up to the Bay Area (from LA) to leave my pup with my mom there, and that way I get to visit my family for the holidays before I go traveling and I know my dog (and my mom) will be very happy. In the past though for shorter trips I've used boarding services and just looked for places with really good reviews on yelp or similar sites. I had a great experience with that, though it was pricey ($50/day). Still, I figured it was worth it.

If you're trying to think of which friends to ask, though, think about who you give your spare key to. If you trust someone with a key to your home, likely you trust them to take care of an animal and housesit. Two people have the keys to my apartment, and they would be the people I would ask first to check in on pets/water plants/take in my mail.

I third the suggestion to ask the vet. Sometimes their staff moonlight as pet sitters. Personally, I usually am happiest with taking the dogs to the vet to be boarded and leaving the cat with lots of food and water to be checked in on by a friend. Cats pretty much take care of themselves but can also get themselves in a whole lot of trouble. Just be sure anyone who is checking on them doesn't inadvertently shut them away from their litter box as a friend just told me their pet sitter did over the Thanksgiving holiday. They came home to many "accidents" all over the carpet and upholstery because their two cats couldn't get to their litterbox. If you take pets to the vet to be boarded, take a favorite blanket and whatever treats or toys the helpers are willing to give them.

I have cats (gee, bet you'd have never guessed that!), including one who's diabetic and won't allow anyone but me to give him his insulin shots when he's home. So I usually take him with me when I travel or board him at the vet's (he's more docile there than at home) and get one of the vet techs to come to my house daily ($15/visit) when I'm out of town. It's a pain, yes, but my cats are part of my family. I have friends with dogs, but nobody who's "into" cats, so I stick with the techs.

I used to board my cats. I recommend researching thoroughly anyplace you leave them. Show up unannounced and ask to see the premises. Ask friends for recommendations (or warnings).
Now that I've got a dog too (also cable and a wide screen TV) a grad student stays at the house and takes care of all of them. I pay him about $30 per day and call frequently to see how they are doing. And a friend of mind acts as "backup" if something comes up. This works really well.

ALSO: a good pet sitter will check in daily, even if just by leaving you a voice mail. Unless otherwise specified, I used to call my clients cellphones FROM THEIR HOUSE (using their own landline, if available) with a brief status report so that they would have a record of what time I visited each day.

I use either housecarers.com, mindmyhouse.com or even the couchsurfing.org website to find a free house/cat sitter when I travel for longer periods. I've never had any problems with any of the sitters (though last time I had bad luck with people backing out after agreeing to sit). Couch surfing offers the advantage of previous references you can read through to get some idea of the person's character...it's very clear very quickly if they are flakes, partiers, etc.

In all scenarios, the sitter gets to travel without the expense of lodging, and I get someone who appreciates having a place to stay, and who will love my kitties while I'm gone.

So far it has worked very well for all parties. nice.

If you are on the north side of chicago, I highly suggest www.animaniapetcare.com

She is terrific, loves animals soo much, and was extremely affordable and responsible.

Make sure the pro you hire is bonded and insured. This way if something happens to your house/pet that is their fault, their insurance pays for it. When I had lots of cat friendly people around me, I just asked them to visit and maybe hang out and watch tv at my house for a few evenings. I even had a friend/coworker ask me to let her take care of my cat, she really loved cats. I always brought home a gift or gift certificate for these friends. I currently do not have any pet friendly friends nearby so I hire a professional Pet Sitter. I actually feel less guilty about this as I am not imposing on anyone's goodwill. I do wish they cost less and spent more time with my kitty though.

I am a vet and I do not board my dogs despite that it is free for me. I pay one of the technicians that work at my vet clinic to spend the night with my dogs. So your vet is a great source for qualified pet sitters. Just ask them who they would trust to care their pets. I get my sitter to text me daily pictures of my pets. It tells me when she was there and how my pets are doing. Also, if you are planning on boarding your pet be sure you have made reservations because most boarding facilities book up prior to major holidays.

I trust no one to care for my little Bonsai while I'm away. He's a handful for those who aren't used to him. But he's the best Jack Russell in the whole world!

My boyfriend's parents are watching my rat this weekend while my mother and I are away for a wedding. We are entrusting our dog and our house to one of the boarders who lives here.

We pet sit our next door neighbors cats and they come and pet sit for ours. One of our cats needs an insulin shot twice per day, so it's a bit more involved for them, but they've always come through for us. We always bring back something nice from our trips for them and their kids.

I wanted to give you a few tips. I used to co-own a pet sitting business a couple of years ago. A professional sitter should be able to provide excellent references. Ask around. We used to have animal hospitals refer clients to us all the time.
When talking to your sitter, be very specific about what you want. The goal of a pet sitter is to keep life as routine as possible for your pets. Your sitter should ask very specific questions. “Does your dog have separation anxiety? Or how often do you change the litterbox?” If staying in your home, “Does your toilet run? Or does your house make strange noises?”
If going with professionals, verify that they are insured and bonded. However, don’t depend on this too much - the only requirement is forking out the $50 - $200 fees. It is a safety net for you, just in case someone decides to steal your jewelry.
The consultation should be free. You should feel completely comfortable with your sitter. I used to provide my clients with a packet of forms - client info, pet info, preparation checklist for them, daily activity list for me, services agreement and a vet services with right to bill form. I also requested a separate alarm code for my business.
All of this is very lengthy in the beginning, but it works great and helps you build a strong relationship with someone that you trust with your home and your pets.

I forgot to mention a site. Pet Sitters International is a great place to start your pet sitter hunt. http://www.petsit.com/locate/

My S.O. always wants to board our 3 dogs, but that cost would be ALOT of extra cost. We lower that cost as much as possible...this is what we've done. Also, don't forget to write a list of what you're willing to spend on emergency care for the dog(read this on A.T.!) or you could be coming back to a really expensive bill if the dog gets hurt.

We've had a friend that we know to be a responsible dog owner to stay at our place with their dog. had a dog party to see how well all the dogs got along.

We've split up the dogs...
-two stayed with his brother that own 2 dogs, and one stayed with his father that doesn't have dogs anymore.
-two stayed in the backyard(lucky we have a huge porch-not just screenroom for protection) and closest family member stopped by daily to see if everything is ok. and one stayed with my mom, sleepover stlye bc she only owned a dog for a very short time.
-we split all 3 up to stay with different family members based on who would take extra care and who could handle the big one.

I always trust Portland Urban Pet Services here in Portland, OR. Brian is super professional, easy-going, reliable, and my dog loves him. I never see her get so excited as when she sees Brian. I highly recommend them.

Urbanpetservices.com

Honestly, if I'm gone for 4 days or less, my cat manages just fine. Exception being during heat waves in the summer. Otherwise, my janitor, with whom I have great relations, goes to feed her. My cat comes from a shelter and was abused, so she's terrified by people and likes her peace. So far, it's worked just fine. Also, I think she recognizes the janitor's steps and maybe smell, and she's the only one she hasn't scratched or bitten yet. ^^;

Professional cat/dog boarding is the way to go in my opinion. Best peace of mind. It's worth the cost.

When I was in my first round of grad school (and single) I did a lot of dog sitting- I stayed in the houses and the dogs got tons of company, feeding on schedule, and lots and lots of walks.

Now, my kitties are very good about being alone. If we are gone for a day or two, we just leave food and a clean litter box. We've paid a little girl (under her father's supervision) to come feed them. The last time we relied on family, and that was a disaster. The family member told us "Well, it was so far and inconvienient" (it was a 15 minute drive, and they agreed!) so we came home to two very hungry, freaked out cats whose litter box was stuffed full.

Never again. It's only going to be boarding at the vet for us.

To clarify, the family member agreed to the pet sitting and to the schedule. In other words, they reneged on the agreement.

I've used friends and family to watch my cats when gone for more than 3 days. My dog goes to my parents to visit. I had a friend watch him once, she took him to her house. The fish just have to tough it out on their own. I like the idea of couch surfers for longer periods of time.

My home is attended only by its security system, and I tell my favorite neighbor when we'll be away. A wonderful pet sitter boards my dogs in her own home. As emergency contact I give her my sister, who referred her to me, lives nearby, and is very experienced with dogs.

I tell my sister, who always has my home's key and access code, what will be happening. I promise to reimburse whatever she may spend on emergency vet care. Happily, there've been no emergencies. My dogs play well with the pet sitter's kids and with the other dog boarders. They come home as happy as if they'd away been on vacation.

Cats do well with a sitter coming to spend a little time with them once a day. But I don't like to leave my dogs with so much time alone, and having a sitter who comes and spends the night in your home is really expensive! I'm lucky that my parents live an hour away and I can usually take them out there when I'm going out of town. But when that doesn't work out I board. I feel better knowing my dogs are in a controlled environment (even if it is unfamiliar to them) as opposed to trusting the entire contents of my home to someone I don't know - and paying a hefty price for it.

I'm a petsitter so most people trust their pets with me. That being said I either have a friend stay at my house or I bring the dog to my parents and have someone come drop in on the cat.

Oh, I should note for any of you people who do plan on using petsitters.. make sure they are insured. There are plenty of people out there who moonlight as petsitters, but don't take it seriously. You may find that a petsitting company charges more, but generally they are insured. If not, find a new one.

I used to work at an animal hospital, and many of the girls who worked there, also did pet sitting on the side. You'll be certain to have someone who has knowledge of pet care and access to vets and technicians to get advice from if a problem should arise.

I agree with clumsymelissa, as a professional pet sitter I've experienced that people never regret spending the extra money for a sitter. Some pets do well in kennels but others don't so an in home sitter is ideal.

For every bad story about a pet sitter, there are three bad stories about family, friends or neighbors taking care of their pets. I have many clients who hired me after a a friend or neighbor failed them. Most people aren't prepared for an emergency so a professional pet sitter should be knowledgeable in Pet 1st aid and CPR.

There are several pet sitter finders in addition to PSI. You can go to http://www.petsits.com for a finder as well as the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters: http://www.petsitters.org/ Just enter your zip code.

Good luck! I know it's hard to leave your babies behind!

Dogtown (doggie daycare) in Lexington, KY! The dogs get to play and they are very well taken care of.

My spouse and I went to Montreal for the weekend leaving my younger brother (who was about 16 at the time) to watch our apartment and walk our Golden Retriever. What a mistake! Not only did he call us to let us know that our poor dog had pooped inside by the door ("You have to walk him UNTIL he goes!!"), he also locked himself out of the apartment twice (calling our off-site landlord to let him in), and we also had about $500 worth of garage stuff stolen because he left the door open.

Needless to say we now check the dog into a pet hotel when we go away.

We live in Chicago and have two dogs. When we just had one dog, Oliver (a chihuahua), we would leave him with friends. However, after we got our second dog, Lucy (boxer/pit), we felt that leaving two dogs with friends was too much of an imposition. We found a wonderful kennel based on recommendations and have never looked back. In fact, they now attend doggie day care 2x/week and they LOVE it. They actually pull on their leashes to GET IN! They love playing with the other dogs and they get great exercise.

One word of caution though: I've heard some not-so-great stories about some kennels, so you have to be diligent in seeking out the right one for you and your dogs.

Best of luck!

We bring our cat to the foster home where we picked him up in February. It is associated with the local animal shelter and we donate as much money to the shelter as we would have paid for a cat hotel.

Luckily we have no crime here, so we can just lock the door of our house and leave for several weeks. Our mail will be "stored" until we arrive back home, it's a postal service that costs about 8 Euros per month.

If your animals don't freak out by new surroundings, and you have friends that don't mind, one of the easiest ways is to bring your animal to someone else's house. Of course, some cats in particular will have none of that. Being friendly with neighbors is a good alternative because it is often the convenience factor that makes animal-sitting difficult for even friends or family. Or, since it's over the holidays, you might ask around if anyone is having people come to town who would like a free place to stay in return for pet duty - it often works out well. And fish? Get a timed feeder - they'll be good for a month.

I've done a variety of things. I generally don't worry about my town home. Mail goes in locked community boxes, and I don't subscribe to a paper. My alarm is set, and so am I! My parents live 10 minutes away (gift and a curse), and they love my dog. It was iffy in the beginning, but now they are the default sitters unless we're on a family trip. If it's no more than 2 days, I'll look to my 2 dog owner girlfriends. If it's longer, or over a major holiday, I do have a nice kennel about 30 minutes away that I've used successfully for about $20 a day. They were even good about giving him his meds on one occasion, so I have had a great experience in that regard.

We leave our cat with my boyfriend's parents, and set our lamps on timers.

I recommend hiring a pet sitters. There are several national organizations that can get you started such as National Assoc. of Pet Sitters. I called 4, narrowed it down to two based on our phone conversations. The questions they ask of you can be as revealing as anything you ask them. Then finally I personally interviewed the last two before making my selection. It may sound like overkill, but I had my last pet sitter for over 9 years before she "retired" after getting married and having 2 kids. It was worth it and I made it clear to the sitters I spoke with that I was really looking for a long term arrangement.

I'm kinda shocked by the 'just an animal' attitude of some people here. If you can't afford (or are not willing to spend $$$ on) all the costs that come with responsible pet ownership, don't take on a pet. They are not just cute furry conveniences to be played with when you aren't travelling.
I'm a foster home for a rescue centre and it makes me sick the number of people who try to hand their animals in just so they can go on holiday. They wouldn't do that with their kids - so why is it OK with their furry family memebrs.
Sorry - rant over.

Thumbs down to LSUgrad. To you it may be just a dog but other people consider their pets a member of the family and will not just leave their dog in the back yard while they are gone. I don't know where you live but your dog could be attacked by coyotes or tormented by neighborhood kids while you are gone. And if he is not used to being outside all the time that is probably a pretty scary experience.

I have also heard of unattended dogs being kidnapped for satanic rituals and scientific testing. I hope nothing like that ever happens to your animal while you just leave him outside.

After a bad experience boarding my dog I'm hoping that I won't have to resort to that again. I'm lucky enough to have a few friends around that I can rely on, although unfortunately as a lot of those are big dog lovers/ rescuers themselves the options are decreasing as all the households turn into 2-3 dog homes! I'm still involved in the rescue I got my dog from so I turn to them for advice first. Also, it's worth talking to your trainer - I found out that I can arrange pet sitting through mine which is great as I know that it's someone who can handle my dog responsibly.

My sister but I was constantly checking on her since she only weighs 20 pounds more than my pup. If you have a vet that you trust that has boarding I highly recommend that for longer periods of time.

>>in the long run, it's just a dog.
If that's how you feel about it, why have a pet at all?

I agree with those who say "find a pet sitter who is insured and bonded." We paid ~$25 per visit, two visits per day, for a trusted pet sitter who took care of our 2 cats and 2 house rabbits for two weeks a couple of years ago. (The rabbits were not yet used to each other and fought if allowed contact, and one of the cats had prescription meds, requiring the two visits per day.) Good professional pet sitters take this stuff in stride, and although it's a bit painful to pay that much, it's kind of a cost of responsible pet ownership to make sure your animals' needs are met.

She turned various lights on and off around the house, brought in the mail, and generally kept an eye on things, as well. She had our email and cell phone (although we were in Egypt, so both were of limited immediate value), and we had her pre-registered with our 24-hour vet clinic as someone authorized to bring our pets in and charge emergency pet care to our account. (We paid her bill, gave her a bonus, and brought her a statuette of Bast from Egypt -- the cat goddess...)

Now we have a friend who can be trusted for short trips, although I wouldn't want to impose on him for more than a couple of days.

>>I am going to pay $200 a week... and maybe a bonus when I get home, if things are as we left them and the pets are happy!
You will be lucky to find someone trustworthy to accept that little money for that many pets. Just so you know.

I work at a vet and many of us do petsitting on the side. Several clients call to see who's available and if no one can do it we always keep a list of placees we recommend and places we do not. If you're looking for a facility check out reviews on yelp, people will always voice their opinions.

i cannootttt imagine leaving my dog in the backyard and HOPING a)someone didnt take him or b)that he'd dig out under the fence and bail. I havent left my dog yet (just got him in august) but I recently dogsat my friend's beagle for a weekend -- he just dropped off the dog, her crate, and some food. easy peasy. it's not "just a dog", sheesh people.

Actually,it really is just a dog, or cat, or fish. It's an animal, quite capable self sufficiency but for our taking them out of their natural habitat.Even if you consider your pet a member of your family, that doesn't change what it is. But, I digress.

I don't think LSUGrad intends to be neglectful, but I think she's going anti-overindulgent -and-fraught-with -worry, which is what I AM reading from some posters here. I have a girl friend with 2 dogs who live in her garage. They come in her home when she's there to attend to them. Otherwise, the garage is warm, and she has more control over any messes they make than she would inside the house. Many of us keep our dogs in kennels/crates all day so as to protect them, and our homes. Some of our pets are alone for 8-12 hours a day if you work, commute, have a life after work at all. Should she really be verbally "shot" for realizing that providing him with room to exercise, regular meals, and a warm dry place to stay in her absence is sufficient? If you have the kind of work/life balance that allows your dogs 3 walks a day, and energy for you to constantly stimulate them when you get home, or kids to fill that gap in, then cool. If you have the support system or funds to feed and house an individual for weeks in your absence so your dog has a "companion", that's great too. But there are plenty of dogs who are adapting to and feeling well loved with less stimulation and hovering. Some even prefer it.

I haven't had to ask anyone to watch my dogs yet because my husband and I haven't traveled together yet.

However, friends of mine have often asked me to dogsit, catsit, and bring in mail.

I think asking a trusted, responsible and easygoing friend is the best thing to do.

Oh and I agree with LSUGrad. I think my dogs would be just fine with a nice backyard and garage, assuming that the weather isn't too cold and that the neighborhood was safe.

It's actually probably better than leaving them indoors, where they couldn't run around as much.

A dear neighbor, may she rest in peace, had boarded her little dog at her vet's kennel. Unfortunately, Hurricane Andrew came close by while she was out of town. In the chaos, her dog escaped the kennel and never was found. My neighbor wasn't consoled by the vet's insurance. That was a rare complication, and ordinarily a vet's kennel should be OK. A microchip wouldn't hurt, though.

My dogs aren't wild animals, not even an outdoor breed. They have no natural habitat. If they were left outside for days, at best they'd make an increasingly dreadful racket. My neighbors would make the police intervene, as would I. I don't know what the police would do to stop such noise in this quiet suburb, and I'll never find out that way.

We have had a neighbor, our former building security guard/friend, and a pet sitting service that was recommended by the animal shelter we adopted them from. Before we used the pet sitting service we interviewed them and checked references.

On the rare occasion that we're both out of town, we have another couple in our apartment building that also has two cats. We've watched their cats, and they've watched ours. It's a great arrangement and usually one couple will take the other out to dinner or for drinks as thanks.

Our vet, who we absolutely love, also offers boarding services. It would of course cost a bit more, but if the need ever arose, that's an option I would be comfortable with.

If you decide to go the vet tech route, please don't assume that just because they work at the vet's that they actually care about your animals. Be sure to get references. My family has had the worst luck with negligence with vet techs as pet sitters. Problems ranged from not showing up at all (leaving us w/ starving animals) to not putting our geriatric dog who is incapable of walking in a straight line on a leash or carrying him when taking him out (as repeatedly instructed) and allowing him to fall into a freezing cold pool.

I forgot one sad story. My brother boarded his elderly dog at a kennel whne he traveled for work. The dog had bad hips and other issues, and at some point, could not stand. Nobody noticed, even when his food, which was out of reach, wasn't eaten. Nobody played with him to notice, nobody cleaned the pen to notice, nobody wondered why he wasn't eating. He died.

It's like day care for children -- check on them, make sure you feel clear what kind of care and attention your pet is going to get. I assume not all kennels are as bad as this, but my brother entrusted his companion to them and it was tragic. (Maybe the dog's health issues meant he wasn't long for the world anyhow, but nobody TRIED to help him, so we will never know.)

I wonder why people who have casual attitudes about their pet's wellbeing -- "It's 'Just' a dog, cat, whatever" want to have pets in the first place. Animals aren't disposible toys. They HAVE been removed from their natural environment (too long ago to comfortably return) so they are totally dependent on us. If you don't feel the weight of that responsibility, maybe you shouldn't have animals in your care. Just my opinion -- and that of the ASPCA.

SherryBinNH, Well put, and timely in the face of rising numbers of "foreclosure" pets abandoned by their owners in the homes and yards left behind. I don't know a worse way to die than how too many of those dogs and cats are dying, unnecessarily and through no fault of their own. Even killing them by injection seems kinder to me.

My husband and I have had a variety of house/petsitters over the years - all people we have known - with good and not so good results (but never terrible, just little things like our housesitter's boyfriend wearing my husband's clothes - yikes!). For the last several years, my parents would move in and take care of our four small dogs, but after my father died last year, we felt it was too much to ask my mom to do it on her own. Now, a woman who I work with moves in. I trust her completely. We pay what we think is fair and well, and leave prepared dinners for her (she does not cook and my husband is a great cook). We used to leave my parents wine too, but she doesn't drink. We invite her over for dinner now and again so that the dogs stay familiar with her and also just because she is a nice person!

I think this really depends on the personality and needs of your pets.

I have 2 cats. One is very high strung and does not do well with strangers. The other couldn't care less about anything as long as the food is there.

After many unsuccessful experiences with pet sitters, we now board the cats. The cost is comparable to a sitter, but the peace of mind is priceless.

That said, boarding facilities are not created equal. The vet usually keeps animals in cages -- which may be fine for some pets, but does not work for others.

We are fortunate to have a cat boarding facility in our area which allows cats to roam freely throughout the house, and in some protected outdoor areas as well. Here's a link:

http://www.bestlittlecathouse.com/

I urge you to look beyond the vet as a boarding option. Find out what else is out there; you might be surprised. And as I said, this cost about the same as a pet sitter.

Lots of good suggestions. If none of them work, check and see if any of your friends employ a nanny, sitter, or cleaner. These people are already trusted to enter homes, so should be more trustworthy when it comes to pets.

My dog goes to day care occasionally, and he loves it there. It's run by reliable, professional people who are all dog lovers. He also boards there when we leave town - and while he does not love boarding as much, he is always eager and excited to go to the daycare so I think he is in very good hands. It's very cute how he is SUPER excited to see everyone who works there.

Our cats can handle a couple of days alone, but usually a friend checks up on them.

We take our Golden Doodle with us whenever we can. She's so social I can't imagine leaving her in the backyard or a garage and just having someone check on her once in a while.

If a family member can't take her in, I happily pay one of the great staff members at doggie daycare.

We went for years without having a pet because of our work schedules and got our first dog when I started working at home.

I sound like a dork, but I like pet sitting. A friend was a military reporter and I loveeeeddd taking care of her pets (shout out to Scout (RIP), Boo Kitty and Hop-a-long-Cassadog, still alive and cute as ever). I have a bunny and it is hard to find sitters who understand um, bunnies are fun ^_^
I think asking friends is always a good bet and besides animals REALLY have a great sense about people. It's good to have the person over and see their reaction.

I'm a pet sitter for The Pet Staff in Los Angeles. Everyone who works for the company goes through background checks and an interview and training. The company is also fully bonded and insured. I have a cat of my own so when I go out of town I have one of my fellow pet sitters take care of her. It works out well!

I don't know about kennels over there, but over here, each enclosure has a live webcam so you can check on your pet 24 hours a day. I imagine that would go a long way to easing anxiety.

Places we've lived before we just hired a cat sitter--usually through out vet (several have been vet techs and could deal with health issues). Right now, we trade off with neighbors on both sides--I sit their cats and they sit ours. Works out really well--but we live in a very close neighborhood.

Oh, and in our case, the vet techs we hired really did care about the pets--they were as good to them as we are. They cats loved when, for example, Donnie came into the house--ran up to him for pets etc.

I do agree that you need to check references and such. Our pets deserve the best we can give.

For short times away (< 1 week), a friend of mine and her husband who live nearby feed, water, and play with our two cats. We were lucky since they offered to do this (I would've felt awkward asking them out of the blue), and we already knew that our cats liked them because they've been over for dinner at our place many times.

For longer trips, we book our cats into a cattery. The facilities are impeccable and the staff are really caring - and it's not all that expensive. The cats always come home in the pet taxi happy and smelling great from their complimentary grooming session!

As everyone knows, dogs and cats are different, so their vacation care is going to vary also.
For me, a cat owner, it has worked best to do cat sitting trades with trusted friends, who are also cat owners. My two cats are not the variety to be left with large bowls of food during extended weekends either, unlike my last kitty (rip). But my cats don't need a house sitter to stay there either. I do ask that they get a daily visit, as well as daily litter scooping.

I also only pet sit for friends that I know well.

I do dog sit for my old boss, this includes house sitting as well. I've known their dog since it was a puppy. As well as dog/house sitting for my current boss, and another neighbor across the street. They all pay me, usually 25/day, plus a bottle of wine ;)

Dogs, like many domesticated animals, seem to really thrive on routine, so I can't see leaving a dog in the yard while one is away on a trip, unless that is its regular pattern. Also, this can't possibly be a reasonable solution in a city, but maybe somewhere more suburban or rural? (or in a place where the weather is extreme, or if the breed is not hardy.) There are also plenty of domesticated species that are not quite capable of self sufficiency at all.

Every city I've lived in has miraculously had a doggy daycare that my dog just loves going to. He will run in and leave me without saying goodbye, which make me completely happy (after I, of course, get over my "what am I, chopped liver?" moment). Try a daycare...your dog will tell you whether its a good one or not :)