Should You Choose Pet Sitting or Boarding for Pets in Miami? 

Pet sitting vs. boarding in Miami

The excitement of Spring break and a well-deserved vacation is around the corner! Your tickets are printed, bathing suits are packed, and sunscreen already applied, but what are you forgetting? Looking down you see your furry friend smiling and wagging their tail at you, leash in mouth, begging to join the adventure.  Unfortunately, your pooch pal can’t always join and your happy cat would never leave the house anyway, which leads to the question: what are the options for pet care in Miami?

Miami’s Pet Care Choices

Pet owners used to immediately think of asking a friend or family member to care for a pet when going away. However, excellent alternative pet care options have cropped up as the pet industry expands. Pet hotels with luxurious and cozy spaces for your pet have become available. In-home pet care has become popular with pet parents as well. With so many options, how do you choose the best one for your pet’s particular needs and personality? On top of considering your pet’s preferences, it’s also important to research the company, facility, or pet sitter you’ll be choosing to care for your furry family member.  All will have different training, staff, and environments for play and comfort. We’ve compiled some things to think about when deciding on the best care options for your pet. Read on and let us know what you think!

Miami Kennel and Pet Hotels Pros and Cons:

It can be a time-consuming process to research facilities or a find a kennel location close to you. Keep in mind references from friends, as well as features for each facilities. We’ve found the following to be true about kennels in general:

Pros:

• Kennels provide efficient care for your pet, typically with supervised staff
• Many kennels have a daily playtime with others where you can choose from individual or group play sessions, which helps if your dog is not socialized or can be unpredictable around others.
• Your pup might make lasting friendships there
• Kennels typically run on a schedule so your dog will have consistency

Possible Cons:

• It can be an uninviting atmosphere with cold cement floors and not much time spent out of crates.
• Taking your dog or cat to a new space can cause the body stress which can materialize as loss of appetite, diarrhea, or vomiting, not to mention depression
• Emphasis on quantity means cleanliness is a must; being around more dogs unfortunately can expose your dog to disease
• You have to pack for your dog’s stay and drive him over in Miami traffic
• Leaving their home can be upsetting to  your pets if they have separation anxiety or are used to sleeping with their human.

More upscale pet hotels and day cares that double as boarding facilities have popped up around Miami recently, which can offer a better alternative to kennels. These facilities sometimes offer individual rooms and more comfortable beds, as well as ample playtime. However, there are often upwards of 25 dogs in one space, which can be very stressful for your pets, especially in an unfamiliar, temporary space. More dogs means a greater potential for fights, transmission of illnesses, and potentially forming bad habits without proper supervision during play.

In-Home Pet Sitting Pros and Cons:

Pet Sitting consists of a pet sitter caring for your pet in the comfort of your home, abiding by your pet’s specific feeding schedule, giving potty breaks, one-one exercise, playtime, and TLC. They can stop in throughout the day or stay the night. Other questions might arise such as, who is going to feed the fish? Who will take out the trash? How secure will the house be while I’m away? Your worries are answered! Here are the benefits of a professional pet sitter:

• Security! Someone in your home discourages curious intruders.
• Less stress for your beloved pets, who stay in their familiar and safe environment causing less discomfort.
• Convenience: No need to pack for another. Leaving food, leash, toys at home.  
• Doubles as a house sitter: household chores such as watering plants, collection of newspaper, etc. will be tended to.
• Care for multiple pets: dogs, cats, fish and birds.
• Cost can vary depending on services requested. Typically lower than boarding.
• Trusted Resource.  Many sitters are bonded and insured (may have special pet training or certifications as well).

Possible Cons:

• You may be concerned about letting a new sitter into your home
• You have to vet your pet sitter very carefully, making sure they have the proper licensing, insurance, experience, and great references 
• Does your pet sitting company use employees or independent contractors?
• Solo pet sitters may not have a back-up if they fall ill.

It’s important to know what kind of services each pet sitting company or individual pet sitter provides and how committed they are to their profession. With Equipaws Pet Services, you can choose from a variety of in-home care options: we have in home pet care where you can choose, mix, and match a 30-minute pet sitting session (or longer) with overnight stays in your home, or you can opt for simple pet sits.

Our company is bonded and insured and has chosen to have employees instead of independent contractors to ensure our staff is trained to our high standards. We also work as a pet sitting team in each area, so if one pet sitter can’t make it there is always someone to back them up. All staff has received Pet Tech CPR training and have been through thorough background checks. Wherever you are, sipping a tasty mojito on the beach or hitting the snowy slopes, Equipaws professional pet sitters can be trusted to take care of your fur friends while you are away!

If you’re traveling on vacation, going away for work, or have a long trip away, your pooch or kitten may need special attention for food needs, potty breaks and companionship. So do you choose a pet sitter or kennel? You decide!

If you’ve made up your mind that pet sitting is the way to go for your pets, we can help! To learn more about how we can help you with pet sitting out our pet sitting service page, contact us directly, or call us at 305-794-3733.

Frankie Berti

A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.