If you are one of those pet parents who haven’t left your pets at home while you travel, then you are not alone. A feeling of guilt and separation anxiety, the worry about your pet’s physical and mental health, concerns about whether they will eat enough, or fear about them running/flying away in search of you, are not uncommon. Instead of stressing about them while you are far away, read the six tips for pet care while on a vacation listed here:

Decide what type of care suits your pet
Where you want your pet while you are traveling is the first decision you must make. Decide this depending on how many days you will be gone, and what kind of services are available for your pets in the area you live in. If it is going to be a short trip away, then leaving your pets in the houses of neighbors, friends, or family is an option. Alternately, they could take care of them in your own home, in an environment that is familiar with your pet. It will cause less stress for them. If you are planning to travel for a longer duration, then consider leaving your pet with house pet-sitters who will stay with your pet in your home while you are gone. If this is not a viable option, then leave your pet at a boarding kennel, at exclusive pet hotels, at a trained pet-sitters house, or the veterinarian’s clinic.

Prepare for the separation well before the trip
Preparing your dog for separation from you while you work or travel starts right from day one when you bring them home as a pup. Proper toilet training, crate training, teaching socializing etiquette, and being well-mannered and easy to manage with new people and other pets depends on their upbringing from the beginning.

Update ID tags and medical records
Make sure your pet has the correct ID tag on it with its name, your name, home address, and contact phone numbers clearly mentioned on it. Also, be on schedule with its vaccinations and update the medical records with the latest information. It is especially useful in times of emergencies when you travel without your pet, and leave them in the care of someone else.

Use technology to stay in touch
Enroll your pet in an online forum that helps connect him with you with the help of his ID tag in case he gets lost. With modern technology, anyone who finds your pet and is looking to reunite him with you can send you messages online through multiple platforms. So keep that channel open and current.

Leave detailed care instructions
When you travel and leave your pet in the care of someone else, be it a relative, a professional caretaker, or a friend, it is pertinent that you leave detailed instructions for everything concerning your pet. How much food they should have, how many times a day they should be fed, how many times they must be let out to walk, poop, or play, what kind of treats they can be fed, what foods they are allergic to, what their daily medications are, all these are practical instructions the pet sitter must be made aware of.