Pune: Pet owners planning Diwali getaways are increasingly exploring personalised boarding, cage-free stays and home-based sitters over conventional kennels, prioritising individual attention, familiar feeding routines, supervised playtime and regular photo or video updates.Some are also seeking quieter environments and specialised care for pets distressed by firecrackers. Geeta Kumar of Aundh said an acquaintance offers voluntary pet-sitting at a farmhouse ahead of Bhugaon for friends. “It’s a bit away from the city, so the animals don’t get scared by the sound of firecrackers too,” she said.Many pet owners acknowledged that while kennels are better equipped to provide medical care, most cage animals for safety purposes. “We have shared our vet’s contact with our pet sitter in case of any emergency,” said Kothrud resident Devanshi Sathye.Past experiences and troubling videos circulating online have also prompted some owners to prefer individuals. Sudhir Reddy of Baner described one such case. “We had a bad experience when we left our dog at a kennel last year. Our dog was terrified when we returned and seemed to have lost confidence,” he said.Sonal Jhangiani of Baner said the last time she left her dog at the kennel she had no idea how her pet was doing. Absence of updates led her to shorten a holiday by two days to rush to her dog. “We tried contacting the staff, but they gave us vague responses. We tried to video call them but there was no update on how our dog was doing,” she said.Hinjewadi resident Nishi Sanghvi works from home and provides cat-sitting part time. “I love animals and have many repeat clients. I video call owners once a day and ensure that the surroundings are hygenic,” she said.Riya Fernandes of Wakad said she again chose a gentle cat sitter who allowed animals to roam freely indoors. “We have left our cat with her in the past and she keeps sending pictures for updates,” she said.
