If you are able to pay for the care of your pet while you are in hospital you may consider using a boarding kennels or cattery. This can be expensive and might only be suitable for short periods of time. Contact details of local boarding services should be in your telephone book, or your vet may be able to suggest some. You can also contact the Animal Boarding Advisory Bureau on 01606 891 303. It is always a good idea to try to get a recommendation and to visit a boarding service first if you can.

Another option is to have someone come into your house each day to feed and spend time with your pet, and if necessary walk them. Organisations such as Petpals, which cover the whole of the UK, can arrange for someone to care for your pet. Your vet can tell you about any local organisations in your area that can provide someone to look after your pet.

A third option is to have a 'sitter' stay in your house. Many house-sitting services will also take care of pets. Contact details for local sitting services should be in your telephone book. Again it is a good idea to discuss this with your vet, who may be able to recommend a local service. You can obtain a register of pet-sitters, throughout the UK, from the National Association of Registered Petsitters (NARP) on 0870 3500 544 or through their website (www.dogsit.com). There is a charge for this service.