Boarding vs. petsitting

[OverthinkingBun]

Sorry, it’s just thing after thing with my bun lately…

I’m leaving for the holidays to visit family, and am rethinking the care for my bunny.  I was going to leave her in my apartment, in her combo cage/xpen, and have a sitter look in on her each day.  But now that she’s having some health problems (thin, inflammation of the gums, possible mild pneumonia), I am very tempted to have her boarded at the vet hospital that she goes to.  They only board exotics, in a separate room from other animals.  She will have finished her medications by then, but I will be worried about her, and like the idea of her being right there where she can be treated immediately by her regular vet if anything comes up.  This is a bit more expensive, but not a lot more.

The downside is that she will probably have to stay in a cage, and have less exercise and unfamiliar surroundings, with other animals.  She might be afraid of birds.

I don’t want to skip the trip, since I’m very far from my family and it’s been a year since I saw them.  I’m traveling by plane.  What would you do?

[12345ABCDE]

Hm, tough one. I would have said keep her home and have a pet sitter but with her health troubles I think I’d only feel relatively comfortable if the pet sitter was very experienced with bunnies and would know what to look out for. In your situation, I’d opt for boarding. Will you be gone long? It’d be nice to know that she’s in good hands. It’s a shame she won’t get much time out of her cage tho but I suppose the alternative is her possibly becoming poorly at home. So lesser of two evils! Just be sure to spoil her a bit when you get back 🙂

[DanaNM]

Hmm, when I read the title, I thought, “pet sitter of course”, but then I read the situation… and I agree with Sarah, I think I would opt for boarding at the vet, especially since they have a room dedicated to only to exotic animals. That is assuming you like and trust the vet!

I think having them able to monitor her and quickly treat her if needed will give you more peace of mind and will be better for her.

I do think if your sitter was very experienced and was going to be actually staying at your place, or at least monitoring her twice a day, that could be OK too.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[OverthinkingBun]

Thanks, you all! I have the impression that the pet sitter is careful and kind, but not an expert on rabbit health, and she wouldn’t be there frequently enough. I do feel good about the vet clinic, and if nothing else, the logistics of getting care if needed would be so much easier. 

I will definitely spoil her when I get home! Possibly a willow-related present.

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