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6 Ways to Keep Your Pet Active While You’re Away

December 10, 2018 by Mary Telesz

a dog with the owner of a pet sitting services company enjoying time outside while the dogs owners are out of townIf you are away on vacation and are planning to leave your pet at home, not only do you have to worry about who’s going to care of them, but you also want to make sure they are entertained and stay active while you’re gone. Perhaps whoever is caring for your pet will be away from your home for long periods of time, so you’ll want to make sure your pet has more things to do than just sleep all day. This is particularly true for younger pets or pets who get anxious when they’re left alone for too long. Below is a list of simple activities or things you can do so your pet stays happy and entertained while you’re enjoying your vacation.

1. Leave The TV On

This is particularly useful for pets who get anxious being home alone because the voices from the TV can trick them into feeling as though they are near people. If set your TV to an animal channel, the sights and sounds of other animals are sure to catch the attention of your pet. There are even some programs that you can find that are designed specifically for dogs. These programs will include the sights and sounds of other dogs so that your dog feels comforted by their presence.

2. Open the Blinds

Many pets like looking at the outside world. Especially if you live in a somewhat busy area, your pet could be entertained for hours just by watching the world go by through a window. If you have to keep your blinds closed because you have a dog who gets excited when people walk by and barks, you could always open the blinds to your backyard or a window facing a less busy area. If you have a cat, you could place a bird feeder near the window so that they can watch the birds come and go.

3. Fill a Hollow Toy With a Treat

Many dogs enjoy peanut butter, so if you take a hollow toy and fill it with peanut butter, it’s likely your dog will be engaged with that toy for hours trying to get out every last bit of the peanut butter. This could easily be adapted for other types of pets depending on their preference of treats.

4. Scavenger Hunt

You can hide treats or toys all throughout your house for your dogs to find and enjoy. If your pet suffers from separation anxiety, this is also something you can do on a regular basis. Every time you leave the house you should leave a small treat for your pet to find. This will allow your pet to develop a positive association with you leaving and hopefully help relieve some of their anxiety.

5. Interactive Toys

a dog playing with a toy that is offered by northern Virginia pet sitting services while its owners are awayInteractive toys are a great way to keep your pet active in your absence. There are tons on the market so you’re sure to find one (or more) that can capture the attention of your pet for hours. These toys can include things like automatic ball launchers that periodically launch balls for your dog to chase. There are also tons of doggy puzzles that you can find to keep your dog engaged and active. Most of them require your dog to solve a puzzle and as a reward, the dog will receive a treat. This is a great way to keep your dog’s mind active as they have to figure out how the puzzle works.

6. Hire Pet Sitting Services

One of the best ways to keep your pet entertained while you’re on vacation is to book a pet sitter. When most people think of pet sitting services, they think about how the pet sitter is going to feed, walk, and care for the pet. However, pet sitters offer much more than that. When your pet sitter comes to your home, they will spend dedicated time with your pet interacting with them and showing them love and affection. You can have your pet sitter stop by your house for 30, 45 or 60 minutes. During this time your sitter can walk your pet, play with them, provide attention and affection, brush them, give them treats, provide fresh food and water, clean litter boxes or cages, and administer any medication that may be necessary. Depending on the needs of your pet, your pet sitting services company could stop by once a day or multiple times a day.

Most people think pet sitting services are only for dogs and cats, but your pet sitter can actually take care of most pets like birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, etc. Your pet sitter will be a trained and certified professional who can treat your pet with exceptional care and love, being sure to keep them active while you’re away. To make sure your pet has the best care and is kept busy while you’re on vacation, be sure to reach out to a pet sitting services company for more information and to book your pet sitter.

Filed Under: Pet Exercise

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
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