Just in time for National Love Your Pet Day, we’re talking pets!
Our pets are like family to us, and it makes sense that we bring them on vacation sometimes. If you’re embarking to a location by house swapping, there are a few things you need to consider before bringing Fido or Fluffy with you.
Photo used under Creative Commons from Flickr user boblinsdell
Make Sure Pets Are Allowed
First things first, make sure you’re actually permitted to bring your pet to the house exchange property. If you’re participating in an exchange with a member of The Vacation Exchange Network, then you want to make sure you have chosen a property that welcomes pets. Many of the members will state “well-behaved pets welcome,” however, if the listing doesn’t state this, please check if pets are allowed. It will ensure both you and the vacation home owner have a great house swapping experience.
Be Prepared
Once you’ve decided to bring Fido or Fluffy with you for your vacation home swapping, you need to make a few preparations. You should make sure you have plenty of food on hand, plus you might want to bring comfort items, such as your pet’s blanket or toys. If you have a cat, a Feliway or other natural diffusers can make your pet more calm in an unfamiliar place. When it comes to food, consider bringing enough food to last your entire trip, plus enough for one more day. If your pet eats food that is prescription, doubling is up smart, just in case of an emergency during your travels. With cats, never forget litter or litter boxes!
Consider the Water
Vets say that a different type of water can make your pet sick to their stomach, so you may consider bottling your tapwater for your pet to drink while on vacation during a house exchange. If you’re going out of the country or to a new state, you may find that the water taste differently. If you notice it, your pet will too!
Remember ID
We don’t like to think the worst, but what if your pet were somehow lost while you were traveling or on a house exchange? You should make sure your pet is well-identified, with a collar with your name, cell phone number, and maybe even email. If you adopted your pet from an animal shelter, it may be microchipped, so check with your vet. A microchipped animal can be scanned at nearly at vet, animal hospital or shelter. You may also want to bring a copy of your pet’s records in case they need to visit a vet while the two of you are home swapping. A recent picture on your smartphone is always recommended as well. Some pet owners even make a “pet passport,” which is a journal to hold all of their pet’s information for travel.
Follow the Rules When House Swapping with a Pet
On a house exchange, you should ask the homeowner if there’s any guidelines for pets. Do they not want pets in a certain area of the home? Are pets allowed on the furniture? Home swapping with pets is easy when you respect the rules of the homeowner.
Are you ready to learn more about house exchange, with or without a pet? The Vacation Exchange Network is full of vacation home owners who love home swapping with people just like you! Find a new destination for you and your furry friend today at our website. Please visit The Vacation Exchange Network’s site to join our home swap network, to learn more about how home exchanges work, or see all of our properties at great destinations all over the world. You can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!
