Already found your holiday pet care solution?
The holidays are fast approaching. But even though you can’t wait to head off, you still feel a twinge of guilt at the thought of having to part with your pet. We totally understand. However, you’ll be glad to hear that various pet care solutions are available in Luxembourg. A choice that should allow you to find the best option for your dog or cat while respecting their well-being and without breaking your budget.
Last year, Lucile adopted a beautiful British Longhair cat. After only a few months with her new family, the question of the holidays arose...
“Most cats are fine on their own for a few days, as long as they have water and food. But ours is a bit like a dog... He can't stand being alone. I was a bit reluctant to put him in a cattery, as he was only 6 months old. So I looked at all the possibilities that were open to us.”
Friends
Raymond's first holiday
Lucile started by asking her close circle of friends to look after her cat Raymond.
“For two or three days it's fine, but I wouldn't do it for two weeks. It's a lot of work for the friends.”
These constraints include: not being able to leave the windows open so that the cat doesn't get out, providing a space for the litter box, which must also be cleaned daily. Or checking which green plants your friends have, as many of them are toxic to cats. Yucca and ficus are the two best known examples.
Finally, as you probably know, cats are territorial animals, which do not acclimatise easily to changes in location.
“The first time we gave Raymond to our friends, he spent 48 hours under their sofa. And yet, he already knew them, as they often come to the house.”
A touching adoption story
One spring day, Julienne discovered a little ball of hair lurking under the bushes, trembling with fear. A hunting dog barely 6 weeks old, the vet said. He had probably been abandoned.
“He wouldn't have survived if I hadn't taken him in,” explains Julienne. “But I was going on holiday two months later, so I had to give him to a friend who looked after him in my absence.
For almost seven years, Julienne has continued to opt for this pet care system for Jack.
“He was abandoned before he was weaned, which left him traumatized. So I’ve never left him with an animal shelter. A person who knows him well comes to look after him at my home.”
💡 Discover the dog and cat insurance: Reimbursement of the veterinary and vaccination fees, sterilisation costs and much more
Pet-sitters
This is the other option available to you with several possible variations:
- your pet is looked after at the pet-sitter's home (€20 to €30 per day)
- your pet stays at your home and the pet-sitter comes to visit them once or twice a day at your convenience to feed them and play with them (€15 to €20 per visit)
- your pet stays at home and the pet sitter moves in to look after them day and night (€40 to €50)
Lucile had considered this pet-sitter option for her cat.
“The once-a-day visit wasn't enough for Raymond, who really needs company. And I wasn’t really comfortable with the idea of someone moving into my home. Especially as it's also much more expensive, so the holiday budget goes through the roof.”
For those who are interested in this option, there are various websites or applications that put you in touch with pet sitters, including:
Pawshake.lu, one of the most comprehensive platforms for finding a pet-sitter.
These sites allow you to get in touch with people who offer their services. You can see how much experience they have in this activity, what their availability is and above all read the comments of other owners. This should put your mind at rest!
Catteries, kennels, shelters & pet hotels
This is Lucile's (and Raymond's) preferred option.
“Even if I wanted a pet-sitter, when we leave in mid-August, there’s no one left in Luxembourg,” she says.
So she went to visit a cattery recommended by her vet, and it was a great relief.
“There are donkeys, rabbits, horses... it's like an animal paradise! ”
The exceptional setting of the Lassie boarding house in Itzig
With his ultra sociable temperament, Lucile's cat had no trouble making friends. Such as Milou, one of his 5 or 6 room mates.
“I leave with peace of mind, I know that there are carers and competent people who will know what to do if he’s ill," she explains.
Lassie charges around €20 per day for your cat’s stay during the school holidays. And €30 to €35 for a dog, depending on its size.
A selection of pet boarding houses around Luxembourg
- Lassie, in Itzig (6 km from Luxembourg City) https://www.lassie.lu/
- Le 1000 pattes, in Roussy le village in Moselle, France (24 km from Luxembourg City) https://www.le1000pattes.fr/
- Zare-Shlass in Koerich (20 km from Luxembourg City) https://zare-schlass.lu/
- Gwen et Cie in Audun le roman, France (40 km from Luxembourg City) http://www.gwen-et-cie.fr/
🐶 During the school holidays, pet boarding houses are in high demand. To avoid finding yourself without a solution, don't hesitate to find a place as soon as you’ve booked your own holiday.
Finally, if you own a dog, you may be tempted to travel with your pet, as is the case for 74% of French people and 65%* of Germans. This decision is made easier by changing attitudes among hotel owners, who are increasingly catering for pets.
All you have to do is enjoy your holiday!
Source: On-line survey conducted by Research Now SSi between 29 March and 5 April on 4,000 pet owners in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland.
