The Holiday Dilemma – Who’ll Look After Our Animals?

Well, here's the problem. Alan and I have lived in Italy for 18 years and we have not yet been able to have a holiday together because of the animals. What can we do?

Of course, I managed to get away to the UK four or five times a year to see my Mum, who sadly died at Christmas, but Alan looked after the dogs, cats, geese or whatever menagerie we had at the time.

In that time the animals have usually been absolutely fine and Alan has done a brilliant job looking after them. But in 18 years things happen.

One time he phoned to tell me that one of our old cats had died in her sleep. Another time I had to leave him with Birkana, quite a sick 21 year old cross Siamese. She got very ill literally as I was flying back. I arrived home in the snow and still had my coat on as I phoned the vet, made "the appointment" went out into the garden, dug a grave and then took Birkana to be put to sleep.

Is it any wonder going away traumatises me?

DIGGING IN

The worst time was when I got a call several years ago. My Mum had fallen and broken her ankle. I ended up going to England for three months. The problem was that before I left I had to have my old dog put to sleep. She was paralyzed in her back legs and although absolutely fine "in herself" I had been helping her move around, kind of wheelbarrowing her really, and I knew I couldn't ask Alan to do this as he had a serious back problem and couldn't lift Kelly. I knew what I had to do, but it didn't make it any easier.

I had to leave almost immediately and we had also just let our downstairs apartment to a lovely couple who had just arrived for a ten-day holiday. As the animal graves were in the garden of the apartment I had to explain tearfully what had happened  and could I please go into their garden and dig a grave (in advance, which made it even worse).

In fact, the ground was so hard that I had to ask the neighbours' sons to dig it.  The holiday visitors were wonderful. I will never forget the lady's reply: "Francis will help, he loves digging!" And so they had a very amicable meeting with our Italian neighbours and throughly enjoyed themselves comparing spades in Italy and the UK and Italy while I sobbed my heart out upstairs.

Bloody animals. we let them into our hearts and then that's it  - we are lost forever!

HOW CAN WE LEAVE THEM?

Our current brood – three dogs, one feral cat and two pigeons – are totally spoiled and run our lives (but also enhance our lives incredibly). They all have their funny little ways, ZsaZsa the lab can't walk very well but manages to run off very quickly if she wants to run around the garden at 10 at night.

Maia is scared of thunder and strangers and sleeps in our bed. (I know.)

Gassie the bonkers English Setter rescue dog regularly jumps the fence into the field and hunts for lizards but always comes back. Unless it is dark when I have to go into the woods and get him. 

But who could look after them if we went away? Kennels are totally out of the question. They have been with us 24/7 since they were puppies and Gassie was abandoned until he came to us. How could you possibly send them to kennels? Especially in Italy.

The alternative would be a live in dog sitter if there is such a thing. But who on earth would tolerate dogs in the bedroom, one of whom occasionally has to be let out at three or four in the morning on the lead as she has a slightly delicate digestive system?

I know we have made a rod for our own backs, (mainly my fault) but I am at a total loss for what to do otherwise we will never be able to go away again! 

All ideas welcome, so I don't feel I am the only person in the world with this problem. Or maybe I am!

What do all of you do?