What to pack for your pet's first boarding stay
A short checklist for the first time your cat or dog stays at a pet hotel: documents, food, comfort items, and two things that are easy to forget.
Pepetho team
The first stay is harder on the owner than on the pet. A little preparation the night before removes most of the worry, and it makes drop-off faster for the staff too. Here is a short list for your first booking.
Documents
- Vaccination book. Every pet hotel on Pepetho lists the vaccines it requires, and staff check the book at check-in. A photo on your phone is fine for most; bring the physical book if the listing says so.
- Your booking. It is in the app under Bookings, with the drop-off window and the pet hotel's phone number.
- Vet contact. Name and number of the vet your pet already knows, in case something needs a decision while you are away.
Food and medicine
Bring your pet's usual food, portioned for the whole stay plus one extra day. A sudden change of diet is a common cause of an upset stomach while away from home, and bringing the usual food lets the staff keep the menu unchanged.
If your pet takes medicine, write the dose and the time on a note and hand it over at drop-off. Staff will log each dose in the daily update.
Comfort items
One item that smells like home: a small blanket, a worn T-shirt, or the toy they sleep with. One is enough. Too many items make the room harder to keep clean and rarely help more than one does.
Two things that are easy to forget
The collar tag. Check that the tag has a phone number that will actually be answered during the stay.
The pickup time. Pickup windows are on the listing. Arriving after the window can mean an extra night at the cashier, so set a reminder for the last day.
On the day
Keep drop-off short and calm. A long goodbye tells your pet something is wrong. Hand over the food, the note, and the comfort item, confirm the pickup time, and go. Daily updates from the pet hotel arrive in the app, so you can see how your pet is settling in.