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| Looking for the Right Dog Day Care | |
 If you've in fact decided to enroll your dog in a day care, it's advisable that you case out day cares with the vigilance of a bank robber or the way you would scope out a preschool for your first child. You should take a full tour of each facility you visit, asking plenty of questions each step of the way. You want to place your dog into the hands of a facility you trust. Below are some pointers. 1. Aside from searching online, ask other dog owners for recommendations for places they have used and check with your local pet store, vets (yours and others), and your grooming parlor for references. You can also call the American Boarding Kennel Association for a list of their members. 2. Dog day cares should be clean with minimal odors. It's hard to avoid at least some hint of a doggie smell, but avoid any putrid-smelling place. |
3. Dogs should be well supervised.
Note the dog-to-staff ratio (which should be very low) to make
sure there are enough care givers to provide proper supervision.
4. Make sure each facility you visit allows you to see exactly where your pet will be sleeping and eating. Stay clear of places that refuse to let you visit parts of the facility. 5. Get a feel for the staff. Are
they knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating? |
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Cat Hilton: A Dr. Jane Memoir
In the late 70's, two other vets and I opened up a cat hotel in a suburb of New York State, which we called the Cat Hilton. The Cat Hilton resembled a two family house on a very busy shopping street. It may have been the first of its kind. Our mission was to board, groom and pamper cats. We boarded cats that belonged to typical middle class families as well as for famous people, like Dennis Elliot of the band Foreigner. We designed the place so that it would look and feel like a hotel. We had a retail shop, which was beautifully decorated with the savvy of Ralph Lauren, selling foods, treats, toys and one of a kind gifts. When cat owners wanted to discuss boarding, they were ushered into a waiting room, surrounded by big beams of wood. They sat on an antique couch where they were handed a floor plan so they could decide where their kitties wanted to spend their time. Once they decided where they wanted their kitties to stay, we gave them a key from the classic key ring boxes behind the ancient oak desk. Owners could decide on putting their cats next to the big windows, keeping them on the quiet side of the place (especially for frightened kitties), next to the fish tanks and, of course, next to two little birds. Those rooms were the most expensive. There were plants all over, large windows, soft music playing 24 hours a day, and an automatic system that emitted soothing lavender throughout the day and night. |
Every room had a little bed with a soft fuzzy blanket where they could crawl in and forget the world. They also had toys, water changed twice daily in ceramic dishes, as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We would cook delicious meals for
the cats: braised liver with egg and chopped sirloin steak with
sauce. These meals were selected from the menu we gave the
owners during the check-in process. We also played with them
throughout the day. We had night lights in every corridor. |
April 2006 Issue
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