If you’re planning to go away on a trip, you need to make special accommodations for delicate, prey animal pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

You may choose to have a friend or neighbor watch your pets or you may choose to hire a professional pet sitter. Whether your pets stay in your home or go to the sitter’s, make sure they are familiar with your pets’ routine. Show them IN PERSON exactly what to do, and also write the steps down on paper to leave behind. You can even make a video outlining the care regimen. This is especially important with rabbits since missing a meal can have dire consequences.

Make sure your pet sitter can spend time with your pet at least once every single day you are gone, to see if they will eat and are behaving normally. We’re all busy, so it’s tempting to just drop by, give them food and leave.  If they only stop in once a day and discover nothing has been eaten from the day before, an immediate call to your vet is in order.  A visit twice a day is ideal so that any illness can be detected early.

In addition to leaving detailed instructions on feeding, make sure you have enough food, medications, and any other needed supplies while you are gone.

In case of an emergency, have your veterinarians’ information handy for your pet sitter and write a note to whom it may concern, authorizing your sitter to obtain medical treatment for your pets in your absence.

Some rescue groups have lists of known and trusted pet sitters knowledgeable about your pets’ species. Alternatively, boarding at your vet’s hospital is an option and this way they can be monitored multiple times a day.