You’ve got some pets. The following advice is about dogs or cats. You have to go away. It might be business or a hospital stay or of course it could be a holiday. What is going to happen to your best friend?

The best advice is to have someone who knows your dog or cat stay in the house. This is fine but not always easy to arrange. So if you are facing an absence from man’s best friend it is best to try to accustom your dog or cat to a boarding kennel. What both dog and cat need is a secure area, a warm bed, regular feeding, space for exercise and regular contact with caring staff members.

What we often suggest to clients is book your pet in for one or two days and if they don’t settle we shall tell you. Most dogs and cats settle in well and by 8.00pm our kennels are silent as most of our guests are sleeping. What really gives us a buzz is that a large majority of dogs coming back to our kennels for a second or subsequent visit come in wagging their tails and show signs of excitement at returning to the kennels. Cats are less demonstrative but after a short time will be curled up in a warm bed.

Dogs and cats are not daft. They remember that they have been here before and that after a few days you come back and take them home, and meanwhile they can enjoy the excitement of seeing other dogs and cats but from the safety of their own secure space.

Balls and toys and a comfort blanket that smells of home all help, and often we find a couple of dogs will play together without any disputes over toy or ball ownership.

The best result is to have your pet used to coming to the kennels until they start to see it as an extension to home, but with a bit of extra excitement.