How Do YOU Want to Handle Animals in Your Exchange?

November 30, 2010

Well, because this blog is a “work in progress”, my format will continue with the letter “A”. And with a little bit of luck, I will find someone to help me design this blog so future readers will be able to refer back to the different topics which I have written about….

How do you want to handle pets in your search for a Vacation Home Exchange? wikianswers.com. said, “An estimated 63 percent of American households have a pet, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.” I could not easily get a similar number for other parts of the world, although everyone knows how the French love their dogs, as they are often seen in restaurants. And there were many cats all over Greece. I even think there was a family of stray cats at the apartment complex where I stayed in Rome last August. But I doubt there is any correlation between pet owners and those who would want to bring them on an exchange.
You will definitely have the option to say yes or no to “Pets OK” when you sign up for the website you select! It is just one more thing you will need to think about. Of all the inquiries I have had, I think only two people wanted to bring their pets. One woman assured me that her three small dogs were wonderful and would be no trouble to my house, but I opted out.

This is not an exchange story, but a part of my travel history that I want to share. Several years back I had the delightful opportunity to go to Paris for three weeks to “cat sit” for Joan’s wonderful Snagglepuss. He was not to leave the apartment, so I had some early worries about “What if he gets out?” Of course, he never did! He was the perfect housemate. Joan had left a very thorough booklet about his care, so I had everything I needed to be diligent in my responsibilities!

It seems to me that allowing pets that you do not know really adds an unknown dimension to this experience that I wouldn't want to throw into the mix.

Someone had suggested that you try out the Vacation Home Exchange process gradually. That is, arrange an exchange nearby to "try it out". This sounds like a good idea, although I just went to the UK for my first exchange...and that worked very well!

For some reason, I cannot add pictures to this blog. I hope it is a temporary glitch in the blog system, so I will be able to add some visuals!