going home for the holidays...without gizmo :'(

[Luci]

so i've finally come to the decision that i will fly home to el paso for christmas.

for a few months ive been debating on what to do. more than anything, i wanted to see gizmo on christmas morning and take pics with him and my sandie (a 7yr old schnauzer terrier). but alas, the 16 hours drive (32 roundtrip) does not sound fun for me...or for gizmo. i know chins can usually do well when traveling but i didnt feel comfortable making that long trip by myself with him.

so ive decided to fly home. break is for a month but i'll only be gone about 2 weeks (give or take like 2 days). my old roommate works at an animal clinic here on the island and has a coworker who used to have chinchillas. i met her the other day and she told me she used to take in rescues and even raised a litter before. the way she talked about chinchillas comforted me a bit and knowing she works at the clinic where she could easily bring gizmo if anything were to happen, really eased my mind. the clinic has seen exotics before so i feel some sense of comfort.

but still...the thought of being away for so long bums me out a bit. i still havent told her yes/no and i still havent bought a plane ticket yet. i guess part of me doesnt want to make it final. i havent told gizmo about it either (trying to bring some humor to my post lol).

just looking for advice/suggestions for what to think about and go over with this potential pet-sitter. am i crazy for dwelling on this 2 week vacation too much? has anyone else had to leave their chins for this long?

any words would be appreciated.

 

[tunes]

Lots of people go on vacation. They are your pets, but you are entitled to a life as well. (Says the woman who doesn't have one, oye.)

Make a list. Make lists of lists. Feeding schedule, how much you feed, how much hay, when to pull the old hay out, when to spot clean the cage and when to deep clean it. Leave vet numbers. Leave numbers where you can be reached at any time. Leave the forum's link and ask someone you trust (who is knowledgeable in chins) if you can get their number so your pet sitter can call them in case of an emergency.

If you prepare everything to the max, you'll feel better, your pet sitter will feel better, and your trip should go smoothly. He was fine the last 2 weeks with you, he'll be fine the next 2 weeks with a knowledgeable pet sitter.

 

[jenjenn2005]

In addition to everything previous, I would go as far as making individualized bags of food for each day so you know your chin is getting the right amount of food. And don't be afraid to write down too much on the list. You'd rather give the pet sitter too much information than not enough. Also, go over treats, and play time if you will be trusting your pet sitter to this. My parents pet sit my chinchilla (which they are currently) and I even went over all of this with them. Also, set aside a few extra treats (wood, chew tubes, etc.) for the petsitter to give just to keep your chin occupied if they won't be getting as much attention as usual.

 

[Chibigirl]

I also won't be home with my chin for the holidays and my parents are pet sitting. I've had them sit in with me and watch playtime/feeding schedule/how much to give/treats/Bath time. I know that's probably not possible since your pet sitter is a friend of a friend. But I also did what everyone else said and made a pretty detailed list. Just pick every topic you can think of that you do with your chin and write down how to do it. I'm sure Gizmo will be just fine, and happy to see you when you get home!

 

[SpaceChinnie]

I know how you feel with leaving your babies while going on vacation. I had to do that on Thanksgiving and unfortunately again on christmas. I used to be able to take them home with me on a short car ride, but now I live many states away and have to fly home. Luckily one of my friends is gracious enough to take care of them while i'm gone.
Just prepare a lot before you go and it will definetly give you peace of mind.