Booking Pet Care for Holidays and Travel in Washington, DC

Holiday trips start earlier than you think

Thanksgiving, the winter holidays and New Year's are when many households in Brookland, Woodridge, Edgewood and Mount Rainier travel at the same time. Pet sitters have only so many hours in a day, so holiday dates often fill first. The simplest habit: contact a sitter as soon as your flights or train tickets are booked, not the week before.

Decide what kind of care your pet needs before you call. Our guide to drop-in visits vs overnight pet sitting helps you choose between visits and a sitter who stays in your home, and our guide to in-home pet sitting vs boarding compares home care with a facility. Holiday walks and holiday cat-sitting visits have their own rates, listed on our rates page.

If you are tempted to ask a friend or relative instead, our post on when dog sitting is a better choice than asking friends or family looks at why holiday favors often fall through, since your friends may be traveling too.

The meet-and-greet comes before the trip

Every new Danny's Pet Care client schedules a meet-and-greet through our client forms before visits are booked. Our dog sitting page calls it a free consultation. It is the time for the sitter to meet your pet, see your home and go over your instructions while you are still there to answer questions.

The forms include a Client Contract and a Petsitting Form. The Petsitting Form asks for your contact details, your pet's description, medical condition and favorite toys, your vet's name and contact details, any special instructions, and your consent to give treats and to take your pet to your vet in an emergency. Once your booking is approved, you can pay online through our Services page. Settle keys at the same time: key return and duplication options are on our rates page, and a spare key with a trusted neighbor gives you a backup if anything goes wrong.

Our office hours are Monday to Friday 9 am to 8 pm and Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, and the office is closed Sunday. Plan your call or email for a weekday if you can, and reach out through our contact page well before the holiday rush.

What to leave out for your sitter

A sitter works faster and more safely when everything is in one place. Our post on what to put in your pet sitter's instructions covers the written part. Before you leave, also set out:

• Food and treats for the whole trip, plus extra in case you come home late.
• Medicine in its labeled containers, with the schedule your vet gave you.
• Leash, harness and waste bags by the door, or litter, a scoop and bags for cats.
• The carrier, out and easy to reach, in case your pet needs a vet.
• Cleaning supplies and paper towels for accidents.
• A note on house quirks: a sticky lock, the thermostat, which door the dog may slip out of, trash day.
• Building details for apartments: front desk, fob or elevator rules for pets.
• Your vet, the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital, and a local backup contact.

Holiday hazards to put away before you go

Holiday homes are full of things pets should not eat. The ASPCA's Thanksgiving tips warn that onions and garlic, common in holiday dishes, can be toxic to pets, that poultry bones can be a choking hazard, and that raw yeast dough can expand in the stomach. It says desserts with the sweetener xylitol can cause low blood sugar, liver damage or even death, and that chocolate is a major hazard.

Decorations matter too. The ASPCA's holiday safety tips say many lilies found in holiday bouquets are highly toxic and can cause kidney failure in cats, that mistletoe and holly can cause stomach upset and heart problems, and that poinsettias can cause mild to moderate stomach irritation. It also warns about tinsel, which can block a pet's digestive tract, tree water, unattended candles, wires, batteries, breakable ornaments, and snow globes made with ethylene glycol, the same chemical used in antifreeze.

Before you leave, clear leftovers into a lidded trash can, take food gifts out from under the tree, and move plants and decorations out of reach. Our guide to foods and plants toxic to dogs and cats has the longer list.

Guests, deliveries and noise

Tell your sitter who else may come to the house: a house guest, a neighbor checking the mail, a cleaner. The ASPCA asks hosts to remind guests to keep medication out of pets' reach, ideally in a closed cabinet rather than a bag or suitcase. A sitter can bring in mail and packages so they do not pile up on the stoop, as our post on cat sitting and house sitting in DC describes.

New Year's Eve can be loud in the city. The ASPCA says loud music, fireworks, poppers and noisemakers can scare pets, and suggests a safe space such as an interior room where your pet can retreat. Show your sitter that room, and ask for extra care at the door on noisy nights.

If your flight is delayed or your pet comes along

Holiday travel slips. Before you leave, agree with your sitter on how you will reach each other and how to add a visit or a night if your return is delayed. Text or call as soon as you know about a delay, not when you land. Leaving extra food and medicine at home gives everyone room to adjust. Our guide to a pet emergency plan while you are away covers what to set up in case your pet gets sick.

Some owners take their pets along. The ASPCA says travel can be highly stressful for you and your pet. It recommends a microchip and a collar tag with your contact details, a secured crate or carrier in the car, and never leaving your pet alone in a parked car. If you cross state lines, the ASPCA says to bring your pet's rabies record and ask your vet whether a health certificate is needed. If your pet will stay home, start with our pet sitting page.