How pet boardings in Kerala capital come in handy for animal lovers in times of need

Hima Sebastian needed to be away for per week from the town to attend a household perform. It was robust as her pet canine, Luka, a Retriever, likes to be round her. “Usually, while travelling, we put Luka up at a friend’s place if it is for a day or two. But this time it was an extended trip,” she says.

Left with few choices, Hima thought of taking a look at “pet hostels” in Thiruvananthapuram. “It was the first time with Luka and we had to be doubly sure about the decision. We zoomed in on one of the pet stays and took Luka there two days before (our trip) to see if he would familiarise himself with the surroundings and the people. Luckily, he looked comfy. It was such a relief,” says Hima.

Pet boardings in the town usually come in handy for these wanting for an acceptable place to briefly put up their pets in times of need. “Often it is when pet owners face the need to travel or if the household organises any function or event and have visitors. At other times, it may be a death in the family or a hospital situation,” says Parvathy Mohan who runs a pet keep Edaneram at Kudappanakunnu that gives “hostel” amenities for canines, cats and birds. The homeowners are inspired to do a “recce” of types of the power first for their very own evaluation and have an open dialog concerning the pet’s behavioural patterns and meals preferences to make sure the animals really feel cosy through the sojourn.

Software engineer Ashish Benson is somebody who finds pet boarding fairly helpful. An avid traveller, he drops his pet canine, Zoey, a Labrador, at a boarding facility every time he gears as much as hit the street. “I feel it is a handy service as long as the dogs are not put in kennels but rather given freedom,” he factors out.

Echoing Ashish’s sentiments is Karthikeyan G, canine behaviourist and founder of Hands for Paws, a collective that works in direction of the welfare of canines. “Dogs need to be given the freedom to do what they ordinarily like to do. They may want to run, play, dig… they must be made to feel comfortable at boardings,” says Karthikeyan, who runs Parental Dog Training and Boarding at Ooruttambalam. He likens the method to “taking care of a child or perhaps even more.”

Once an proprietor sends his/her pet to a keep, it’s good to maintain themselves posted concerning the animals well-being. “We used to share daily updates on WhatsApp with real-time photos and videos. This way, the clients secure about their pets. Also, it is imperative to create a trustworthy bond between pet boarders and pet owners,” says Arun Chandran who used to run Travancore Pet Stay, Vettamukku, which is now closed owing to the pandemic. A pet lover, Arun from Kozhikode opened the power when he moved to Thiruvananthapuram for civil companies teaching in early 2019.

However, veterinarians suggest sure precautions to be taken to protects the pets’ well being. “A primary factor to watch out for is chances of disease contraction. Generally speaking, timely vaccination is a must and protects the animals to a great extent against a plethora of preventable contagious diseases. Also take boosters on time and go for de-worming for endoparasites. If any skin infections are there, treat them first,” says Dr. Jacob Alexander, Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Thiruvananthapuram Zoo.

It can be good if the canines are socialised and Dr. Jacob factors out that there are socialisation programmes out there. “If the stay is planned in advance, you can condition your pet. Also, apprise the boarding team of the general management regime of your pet and food preferences, including any allergies, so that it is followed to help the animal feel homely about the new place,” he provides.