Boarding and hotels for dogs and cats: prices per day
Hotel, family boarding or a pet sitter
There are three main options. A pet hotel has premises, staff and sometimes a vet on call. Family boarding means the animal lives in a private person's flat or house and gets more attention. A pet sitter who comes to your home is the third option, with its own page: pet sitting at home. The choice depends on character: a sociable dog usually settles easily, while an old cat will find the change of place harder.
How to find a place through BlaBlaPrice
You write one request: who, for which dates, what conditions are needed. The site checks it and tells you what is missing. Hotels and private boarders reply in the chat: the price per day, where the animal will live, how much it will be walked, whether they will send photos. Reviews are shown beside the offers, and the best-value one is shown first. Only the one you choose sees your contacts. The principle is on the How it works page.
What to put in your request
- Animal — species, breed, weight, age, whether neutered;
- Dates — when you will drop off and collect, or the number of days;
- Number of animals — whether they can live together;
- Conditions — flat, run, a separate room, how many walks;
- Special care — medicines, diet, age, conflicts with other animals;
- City and area;
- Price per day you are ready to pay.
Example: “Husky, 25 kg, 4 years old, spayed, friendly to people and dogs. I need boarding from 1 to 14 August in a flat, not a cage, walks twice a day. Johannesburg. Budget up to R 160 per day.”
How to compare offers
See what the daily price includes: food (yours or theirs), walks, medicines, photos. Ask how many animals are kept at the same time, whether they meet beforehand, what happens if your pet falls ill, and who takes it to the vet then. For dogs, it matters whether there is a fenced area and whether the provider leaves them alone for long. Also ask about vaccination requirements: serious places ask for up-to-date vaccinations and parasite treatment.
Preparation and common mistakes
Do a trial visit or a short stay before a big trip: that way you see how your pet reacts to the place. Bring the vet card with vaccination marks. Give items that smell of home, the usual food and medicines with instructions. A mistake is to hide that the dog is aggressive to other dogs, or not to leave your vet's contact. Another is to search two days before the holidays, when the festival-season dates are already booked: good options are taken in advance. If you need to get the animal there, there is a pet taxi.
