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F or many people, the holiday season is a whirlwind of travel. But what about your pet? Ideally, animals should stay where they're most comfortable, says Louise Murray, DVM, author of Vet Confidential: An Insider's Guide to Protecting Your Pet's Health (Random House) and Director of Medicine at the ASPCA. Unless you plan on being away for several weeks, it's best to leave your cat or dog behind. Animals, especially cats, are creatures of habit and don't adjust well to unfamiliar environments or conditions. "A cat who is stressed about being in a new place might stop eating," says Murray. Consider hiring a pet sitter to check on your animal while you're gone. Cats should be looked in on at least once a day and dogs should be walked three times a day and fed twice. Some pet sitters will even stay at your house and provide overnight care, and may offer to pick up mail and water plants. To find a qualified pet sitter, ask your vet- erinarian for recommendations, says Murray. See if any of the office's licensed vet technicians — who have extensive healthcare knowledge and a guaranteed love of pets — offer sitting services. Just like a job interview, ask candidates about their experience and get a few references. You will want to invite a po- tential sitter over for a meet-and-greet so you can see how she interacts with your pet. Lucky Pawz: Dog walking, pet sitting, day visits, and overnight services at your home. They focus on West Seattle, but they offer services throughout the Puget Sound area. $10 surcharge on official holidays; care@luckypawzpetcare.com, (206) 854-6548. PetsHotel: A division of PetSmart, PetsHotel offers boarding in Bellevue, Tukwila, Woodinville, and Issaquah. Bring papers verifying your dog or cat is up-to-date on its vaccinations. If your dog is comfortable away from home and digs the company of other dogs, this might work for you, though private dog suites are sometimes available. Sniff Seattle: Winner of the Evening Magazine's 2013 Best of Western Washington poll, Sniff Seattle offers dog walking, pet sitting, overnight sitting, and daytime potty breaks. They'll even take your dog hiking. (206) 478-5183, sniffSeattle@gmail.com. Absolutely Reliable Cat Sitting: Barbara Lorell special- izes in cats and works in the downtown Seattle area. She promises longer-than-usual cat time with your furbaby. 360-479-0554, barb@absolutelyreliablecatsitting.com. If you're uncomfortable having a stranger in your house, look for a reputable pet-care facility. Ideally you will have a chance to visit the site to make sure it's clean, spacious, and safe. Look for gates or fences around open areas where pets play, and ask if they segregate large and small dogs — also a good inquiry might be how they choose to separate more aggressive dogs from the others. If your animal is old or has health problems, look into alternative options such as boarding him at a veterinarian's office. "It may not be as fun as a traditional kennel with other pets around," says Murray, "but for some animals, it makes more sense. And at least you know your pet will be watched carefully." During the Holidays Critter Care