Your pet over the Eid holidays: travel, boarding and guests

The Eid break is one of the longest holidays of the year for many people: a trip to family, to the North Coast or to Hurghada. If you have a cat or a dog, start planning in the last ten days of Ramadan, not the night before you leave.

Book early

• Pet hotels and pet sitters fill up fast before Eid, so book early.
• Visit first, and try a night before the trip if you can. Read choosing boarding for your pet.
• Ask about drop-off and pick-up times over Eid, whether they'll send you photos, and which vet they use if your pet gets ill.

If your pet travels with you

• Take the vaccination card, your dog's licence, food, water and bowls, and a blanket that smells of home.
• In the car: a carrier for a cat, a harness or crate for a dog, and a stop in the shade every two hours.
• Never leave your pet alone in the car, not even for a minute with the windows open a little.
• Check that your family or hotel is happy to have it, and that there's no balcony or open door it could escape through.
• Read travelling with your pet in Egypt, and if you're flying, flying with a pet from Egypt.

Guests and Eid meals

• During visits, keep your pet in a quiet room if crowds and noise stress it.
• Agree with guests and children: nobody feeds it from the table. Fatta, bones, kahk and sweets make pets ill.
• Watch the door: with people coming and going, a cat can slip out.

Firecrackers and fireworks

Eid brings plenty of firecrackers and fireworks, mostly at night. Set up a safe spot beforehand, and read fireworks and loud noises.

A pet is not an Eid present

A cat or dog isn't an Eid toy for the children: it's years of responsibility, food, vaccinations and time. If the whole family wants a pet and is ready for one, adopt or buy after Eid, when things are calm and there's time for it to settle in. Read adopt or buy?.