Boarding Pets - How much do you spend?

[MomToOne]

1 cat, no medical needs, cats only boarding facility, $18/day. That includes food, but we usually bring our own since they don't have the exact version we use and changing foods upsets our cat's stomach.

We call the owner the "crazy cat lady". Cats have individual cages, but those that get along are allowed out during feeding and cleaning times to interact, climb on massive cat structures, etc. It even has a patio area that has been enclosed with chicken wire, so the cats can get fresh air. Of course, leave it to my cat to be the only one that has ever managed to catch a bird THROUGH THE CHICKEN WIRE.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

We have four dogs (ranging from small to large) and it's about $120 a day (I live in Virginia Beach). We board them in two rooms (two of our dogs don't get along well unsupervised) so we get a discount for the second dog in each room (I think it's $40 for the first dog and then $20 for the second one in each room; We have to provide the food, which I'd rather have them stay on their regular food anyways).

I have tried just about every boarding facility in our area. One of our dogs has separation issues so I really wanted to try and find a place where she didn't drop to the floor and have to be picked up to be taken to the back while she desperately tried to look back to see where we are (which is what she's done pretty much every place except where we currently board them).

I don't mind paying the $120 a day (the average of what it costs around here) if my dogs get to play and exercise. I was really put out by paying that much money, providing food and beds only to have our dogs let out 4- 5 times a day for 5-10 minutes and then locked up at 6 p.m. when they close for the day. One place we paid for the suites that come with the capability to watch them online and I checked in several times throughout the day and they were always in there howling/barking and jumping/trying to get out. It's very common in our area with boarding facilities that if you want your dog to be outside or engaged more than that throughout the day you have to pay for daycare on top of the boarding (another $20-$30 a day per dog).

The place we board them now they are outside (or in the indoor play area or indoor pool area) from right after they eat breakfast until they come in their rooms for dinner and then outside again until 8 p.m. The place posts hundreds of photos on Facebook a day. The people that work there play with them, dress them up, cuddle with them, etc. They always look so happy and worn out.

I feel like it should be a vacation for them too, not punishment or a stressful thing they have to endure.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

$125 for 24 hour care for each dog. Good grief. Usually the older dog goes to grandma's but she can't handle the younger and still hyper bully. It's crazy high but my dogs get anxious and are comfortable there. We avoid it if possible.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I pay $20 a night to a great man who takes her in his house and treats her like royalty. 24:7 love and play. She even sleeps on his bed with him. She loves it there.

 

[nkereina]

We pay $17/night for our pomeranian at his vet's office. They have on-site boarding and are a 24 hour emergency vet, so someone is always on. The price is right for us, and he's able to get all his shots updated and grooming while he's there.

Last year was our first time boarding him and he came home with no voice - the vet said because he was barking so much, he lost his voice! Just a like a human can. It came back in a few days. Anyone else ever experience this with their dog? I cringe at the thought of him sitting there barking so much, but not sure what else can be done - he barks at the sight or sound of another dog instantly!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We have cats and board those. It's 25.00 a cat.

It's not fancy at all (they do get to spend their days roaming the kitty room and playing or they can nap in their cage with comfy bed) but I feel better knowing they are someplace safe while we are gone in case there is a problem at the house.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We pay $17/night for our pomeranian at his vet's office. They have on-site boarding and are a 24 hour emergency vet, so someone is always on. The price is right for us, and he's able to get all his shots updated and grooming while he's there.

Last year was our first time boarding him and he came home with no voice - the vet said because he was barking so much, he lost his voice! Just a like a human can. It came back in a few days. Anyone else ever experience this with their dog? I cringe at the thought of him sitting there barking so much, but not sure what else can be done - he barks at the sight or sound of another dog instantly!

Yup - when we had our dog and would put her in boarding, she would come home with no voice. She would bark at the other dogs alot. I never worried about it since her voice always came back within a couple of days of getting home.

 

[E&Cmom]

We took our cats to a "Cat Inn" this past week while while we were in Hawaii. It was $24/ night for the first cat and $14 for the other so $38/ night. We got the most standard suite that could occupy the 2. When we did the tour, I had a good feeling about the place. It was super clean, each suite has a window in which the cats could look out of and even has heated floor. Lol. The cats seemed good when when we picked them up so If we need then to be boarded again We will be back. In the past, my I laws come and house and cat sit for us but couldn't this time.

 

[ChanFO]

It was $13 a day at the vet's last time we boarded our cat, and he hated it so much we decided to leave him at home and hire a sitter to come check on him a few times during our trip at $22 per check-in. All in all, under a hundred dollars either way. He's a silly fluff.

 

[KristiMc]

We pay $33/night where we board our dog. They are a cage-free facility so she gets to run around all day and hang out with the other dogs.

When we got our dog she was 5 years old and had never been crated so it was important for me to find somewhere that she could be out running around.

We are in the Cleveland, OH area.

 

[melissalee]

Yeah it the Bay Area we pay $70- nt for 2 dogs. Grooming and letting them out twice a day is extra. Ends up being $700/6 nights.

 

[bethy]

OP, that is an absolute bargain!

 

[North of Mouse]

Yikes! We don't currently own dogs - haven't for several years as we enjoy traveling a lot as empty nesters - but had 'no' idea how expensive it would be to board them!

 

[TeresaMc]

We use a pet sitting service that comes to our house so the"kids" can stay home. There are 2 of them and they are both vet techs. They come in the morning, lunch time, diner time and bedtime. They charge $15 for 30 minutes and $22for an hour. I pay for 3-30 minute slots and one 60 minute per day. They let them out, play fetch, let them run in the yard, turn on/off lights, bring in mail, water plants, just about anything you want as long as it fits in your time slot. The pick up any messes, feed and water the dogs. Same price no matter how many pets. We have foster dogs so they are ever changing but usually 3 or so. Total $67 a day, kids are in comforts of home, which is important for rescued strays in foster care.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

We hire a "Farm Nanny" for $30/day. She feeds our dogs, cats, bunnies, sheep, chickens and horses. She also takes care of any medical issues (small) and adds chlorine to the pool. She is a bargain!

 

[smitch425]

Yikes! We don't currently own dogs - haven't for several years as we enjoy traveling a lot as empty nesters - but had 'no' idea how expensive it would be to board them!

We have one dog, and she will be the only pet we ever have. She will be 13 this November. As much as I love her, and I will miss her tremendously when she is gone, I will NOT miss the boarding fees. We pay $20/night for the boarding at her vet, plus $1 each time they give her any medications. She currently gets 1/2 a pill twice a day, so $2. They do give her a bath on pick up day, which is nice. We just travel way too much to get another pet in the future. She is very loved and well cared for, but she sure is a costly little munchkin! I can't imagine having more than one dog to pay for. We spend about $750-$1000 per year on boarding. Reading that some of you pay that much per trip is astounding! I can't even imagine!

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

For my gang, I pay-

Cat with diabetes - $28 a night at vet's office

2 healthy cats at locally owned pet inn - $31 a night for both in very large floor to ceiling cage

Dog - $36 a night at doggy day care. He spends all day out playing with day campers.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

We have one dog, and she will be the only pet we ever have. She will be 13 this November. As much as I love her, and I will miss her tremendously when she is gone, I will NOT miss the boarding fees. We pay $20/night for the boarding at her vet, plus $1 each time they give her any medications. She currently gets 1/2 a pill twice a day, so $2. They do give her a bath on pick up day, which is nice. We just travel way too much to get another pet in the future. She is very loved and well cared for, but she sure is a costly little munchkin! I can't imagine having more than one dog to pay for. We spend about $750-$1000 per year on boarding. Reading that some of you pay that much per trip is astounding! I can't even imagine!

My husband and I say the same thing! This year is more travel heavy than most years, but we are traveling 4-5 weeks this year. $4,200 for dog boarding! Rescuing dogs is hard on the wallet . We joke that when we don't have any dogs that's when we won't have any vacations planned .

 

[dakotix]

I guess I didn't articulate my original post well. I meant to say it costs $45 for each dog not for both. So it's $90/ night. If we're feeling guilty enough there is the option for an optional doggy massage for an extra $5 a day lol. Oh well, for us it's the difference of having our dogs live in a crate for a week. At least this way they get their own little room. The staff is great though sometimes I think they coddle some of their uppity customers who know nothing of dog behavior. Once I returned to pick up our dogs and they informed me our red heeler had to have a time-out because he was "face barking" the other kids on the play ground. Our heeler is super friendly but he's a heeler and so he is bred to dominate. They were absolutely correct to remove him but the way they explained it just sounded a little weird.

 

[Grmnshplvr]

We paid $40 a night for two dogs.