The “Schnauzerthon” is about to begin this morning, kicking off a well deserved 9-days of vacation for my wife. It’s too bad we’re not headed for someplace sunny, but rather the wintry Midwest. The dogs get a sitter that will take them on frequent long walks much like we’re going on this morning. Tinker will be snuggled in her Air Buggy, as we take turns pushing the old girl through the neighborhood. Tally, our younger schnauzer, is secure on the leash, twisting herself around to make sure that her sister on wheels is nearby. There were a lot of runners and walkers in the park this morning, but I was the only one pushing a fur baby.

While my wife gets a vacation, I will enjoy a “pet-cation,” a few days away from dog and cat responsibilities. We’ll leave the eye drops, walks, feeding, meds, litter box, and treats to the pet sitter. However, it’s now $80/day plus tips for this service, giving my stay-at-home retirement duties some value. I could put them in a Motel 6 for less than that, but they wouldn’t be happy with the quality of the towels. I will miss the little buggers while we’ve gone, but I can use the break.

Each night of travel is a costly “pet-cation” throughout the year. We realize that we will never be able to afford extended trips as long as they are alive. Tinker is approaching 15 years old, Frankie the cat is 17, and Tally is 8. By the time my wife joins me in retirement four years from now, probably only Tally will still be with us. In the meantime, that’s a lot of grief to suffer. However, freedom from pet care will allow for travel flexibility and maybe even some last-minute deals.

I suppose that the word-blend “pet-cation” could also apply when we take the pups on vacation with us, as we did over Thanksgiving in our travels to Bend, Oregon. However, we still have the same pet care responsibilities and usually end up paying an extra fee to stay in a sub-standard hotel with cheap towels. The dogs do enjoy long rides in the car. At the same time, Frankie the cat gets the whole house to herself, but no one to clean her litter box. This sometimes means that the whole house becomes her litter box. It’s extra work when we come home, perhaps a bit of revenge for leaving her behind.