Will Your Pet Prefer A Luxury Hotel or Staying at Home?

• Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

Deciding on the best care for your pet while you’re away isn’t always easy, especially when you have many options beyond kennels and vet clinics for boarding your cat or dog.

These days many pet parents want more than a standard kennel boarding option for their pets. They also want to make sure their pets get personalized care, where dogs have fun and cats feel content relaxing. These expectations have transformed the available pet sitting options since the early 2000s.

Now you may come across pet hotels as an alternative to in-home pet care and kennel boarding. But are pet hotels the right fit for your pet? To help you decide, we cover the key differences between the two options. At the end of the day, the right care for your pet depends on their personality and unique needs.

Key Differences Between Pet Hotels vs. In-Home Pet Care

Cost is one of the main differences between pet hotels and in-home pet care. That said, both options come in a range of price points, so the determining factor should be the level of trust and safety you feel.

*Costs do not include holiday prices. Many pet sitters on Rover charge less than $100 per night, but house sitting can get pricey when you’re trying to find a sitter in a metropolitan area, during the holiday season, or for a pet who needs complex care. Some high-end sitters may charge as much as $300 per night.

Pet hotels are best for…

A pet hotel may be a great choice for:

• Social, adaptable dogs
• Dogs who enjoy new experiences
• Dogs who get along well with most people

You may want to consider other options for:

• Cats
• Dogs with separation anxiety
• Dogs who don’t enjoy the company of other animals

House sitting is best for…

House sitting may be the right fit for:

• Shy or anxious dogs
• Senior dogs
• Dogs with complex routines
• Dogs who need regular medication
• Cats

House sitting may be less ideal for:

• Dogs with territorial aggression
• Dogs who dislike having new people in their space

In-home dog boarding is best for…

Boarding in a sitter’s home may work great for:

• Social and adaptable dogs
• Dogs who need more personalized attention than a boarding kennel could provide
• Dogs who don’t like small spaces

However, in-home boarding may not be the right fit for senior dogs who need a special setup for boarding, unless your sitter can accommodate their needs, of course!

Do Pet Hotels or House Sitters Offer a Discount?

Both pet services may offer discounts for special circumstances, which can help you keep costs a bit lower for long-term strays. Pet hotels might offer sibling or multi-night stay packages for a lower rate. Additionally, in-home sitters may provide a length-of-stay discount, too.

You usually won’t get a discount when booking services during the holiday season. In fact, you may even pay a little more.

Aiman Dairabaeva via iStock

Which Service Is Better for Long-Term Pet Care?

If you have to leave home for more than a few weeks, consider how well your pet adjusts in different environments. Pets who adapt quickly may be OK in a boarding facility for long-term care. However, most dogs tend to get stressed when left in a loud, kennel-like environment, which makes in-home boarding or house sitting a more comfortable option.

There is such a thing as “too long” in an unfamiliar environment. With Rover, you can stay local by finding pet sitters in your neighborhood. Being close to familiar walking routes or preferred vet clinics can be ideal for long-term stays.

Frequent travelers may also want to consider the impact of frequent kenneling on their pet. Cats and dogs need time to adjust to a new environment and to decompress when they return. If your pet prefers routine and consistency, this may be a good reason to stick with in-home pet care.

Which Service Provides Better Personalized Attention for Pets?

In general, in-home pet sitters may provide more personalized attention because their business model is built on personalized attention. A sitter who stays in your home doesn’t have to pay attention to multiple animals, so they can just focus on your pet.

Pet hotels do offer personalized care, but you’ll pay extra for one-on-one time, as it typically isn’t part of the hotel’s flat fee.

Benefits of personalized care include:

• Lower risk of stress & anxiety: Dogs who previously lived in shelters may experience less stress with in-home care than pet hotels.
• Familiar routines and environments: Some dogs—and most cats—may need to stick to familiar environments, routines, and people in order to feel relaxed. Regular routines and predictable environments, from consistent routines to cuddle sessions, support overall well-being for both dogs and cats.
• Alerts for subtle pet changes: Someone providing one-on-one attention is more likely to spot small shifts in behavior or health, like hesitation on the stairs or a change in appetite. Early detection may give you the opportunity to get a diagnosis and treatment from your vet sooner.
• Presence as a deterrent: For long vacations, a pet sitter can help with the appearance of someone in the house. A 2022 study found that increased occupancy during COVID-19 decreased attempted burglaries.
• Photo updates and report cards: Whether your pet stays with a sitter or at a well-staffed pet hotel, regular updates, photos, and check-ins help you stay connected. That reassurance lets you relax and focus on travel or life concerns, instead of worrying about your pet.

By now you should have a gut feeling for the type of care and environment your pet prefers when you’re away. The next step is to search and compare different pet sitters and providers to see who is the right match. As you explore your options, remember to keep green and red flags in mind.