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<\/p>\nAt the end of 2019, with all the confusion of the Covid episode, I decided I should save some cash.\u00a0 This meant I had to downsize from a house on the coast with a garden for my pets to run around all day, to an apartment in the centre of the capital.\u00a0 No more garden for my furry ones!<\/p>\n
With so much going on at work, I didn’t notice for a while the effect this had on my pets.\u00a0 They were so used to running outdoors whenever they wanted.\u00a0 They could play all day in the sun, snooze in the fresh grass, jump around and be happy.\u00a0 Cats and dogs, they were all healthy and happy.<\/p>\n
Since I work from home, I was very happy with this arrangement because it meant I just had to open the window to let them out to the garden, and I could concentrate on getting the work done.\u00a0 No long walks needed.\u00a0 They got all the exercise and sun rays to be happy and healthy.<\/p>\n
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But after a year in the city apartment, I noticed a drastic change.\u00a0 When my 14 year-old boy Mondego died in August 2021, I started paying more attention to my furries.\u00a0 For a while, I noticed their confused state.\u00a0 They missed him.\u00a0 The cats and the dogs would often head to that corner in the living room where his bed was and they would just stare at me.\u00a0 I knew they were confused.<\/p>\n
But, as time passed, I noticed other little things.\u00a0 Nikki, my 17 year-old, began hiding away.\u00a0 She was no longer in the living room when we were there.\u00a0 Instead, I’d find her alone in the veranda.\u00a0 She spent hours alone at the veranda near my plants staring at nothing in particular.\u00a0 And Mia, too, seemed different.\u00a0 She never leaves my side. As soon as I make a move, she’s there. Always in the hope we can head downstairs for a walk.\u00a0 I also noticed that she’s become more aggressive towards new dogs.\u00a0 This was new and scary.<\/p>\n
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That’s where it hit me – my pets missed the freedom of running around the garden.\u00a0 I am a mother of plenty of furries and a foster of plenty of others.\u00a0 Dogs and cats.\u00a0 My home has always been a safe-house for homeless animals.\u00a0 And the house pets have always welcomed newcomers.\u00a0 There has never been a fight.\u00a0 Not even a peeve.\u00a0 Why? Because they had the garden to let off steam all day.<\/p>\n
So, I decided to invest some of my measly savings in a weekly trip to the dog daycare.\u00a0 I get my furries picked up early in the morning, and they are driven back at the end of the day.\u00a0 They spend the day running around and socializing with fellow pets.\u00a0 They are fed and groomed.\u00a0 And they arrive home exhausted, but happy.\u00a0 So happy that I now invest in Tuesday and Friday trips for them to the dog daycare centre.<\/p>\n
I quickly noticed a change in them.\u00a0 Nikki has gone back to her old self, content to lie with us on the sofa.\u00a0 And Mia is not only losing weight again, but she is much friendlier with dogs she meets on the street, which takes a huge weight off my shoulders.<\/p>\n
I am now a true believer in dog daycare.\u00a0 It makes perfect sense.\u00a0 All that running around socializing with other dogs is a huge advantage for every dog.\u00a0 The younger ones learn from the older dogs.\u00a0 And all that bitey-face they do is so enriching for all of them.<\/p>\n
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My dogs are so much healthier, happier and more sociable too.\u00a0 And, although it is an added expense each week, I have had less healthcare issues with my pets, meaning I am saving on vet care.\u00a0 They have shiny fur, great teeth and are, despite their age, healthy as can be.\u00a0 No joint issues.\u00a0 No heart issues. Nothing that senior dogs cooped up in apartments all day end up suffering from.<\/p>\n
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Oh, and before you ask, yes, there are cat daycare centres too, offering a safe space for your cats to run around and socialize with other cats.\u00a0 They are not as common.\u00a0 But, soon, you will find a host of pet daycare centres on our directory.\u00a0 We open in late May 2023.\u00a0 So stay tuned, because it’s an expense that is worth every penny.<\/p>\n
There’s also an added bonus – if you book a day at your dog daycare centre via our KindBunch directory<\/a><\/strong>, you will receive \u20ac1 (approximately $1) to donate to any animal rescue in our appeals directory<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 This is money that goes towards supporting abused, sick and homeless animals.<\/p>\n