A travel checklist for leaving your pet in Bangalore

Choose the kind of care before you pack your own bag

Decide early whether your pet stays in your house with a sitter, or — for dogs — goes to a host for dog boarding. Cats usually do best at home with a sitter. The right choice depends on the pet, the building, and the length of the trip — we wrote more in sitting versus a kennel.

Book the meet as soon as the travel dates are firm. Bangalore weeks fill up around long weekends and wedding season. Wiggie will share a quote after we know the plan, and nothing is confirmed until you are comfortable.

Keys, access and the society

If a sitter is coming to your flat, agree how they get in: a spare key, a code, a word with security in HSR Layout or JP Nagar, and a note about parking or the service lift. Write the wing and flat number clearly. A photo of the corridor door helps at night.

If your pet is going to a host, plan the drive or a pet taxi for a time that is not the worst of the ring-road rush. Leave more minutes than the map shows.

The bag and the brief

Food for every day plus spare, medicine in original packing, lead and harness, litter and a tray for cats, a bed or worn cloth, and the usual bowls if the host does not already have a set. A written routine matters as much as the bag: walk times, hiding places, a fear of crackers, a neighbour’s dog who must not meet yours.

Our boarding packing list and first-stay preparation notes cover the dog-specific details.

People who may need to know

Leave a reachable number for you, and one local friend or family member who can be called if you are on a flight. If your veterinarian has a preferred clinic in Indiranagar or elsewhere, write that down too, along with any ongoing treatment. Wiggie is not a clinic; we will contact you if a decision is needed.

If travel papers or a vaccination record might be asked for by a host, keep copies in the bag. Do not invent documents you do not have — tell us what exists.

The last twenty-four hours

Avoid stacking a bath, a long car errand, and a late-night pack in the same evening. Keep meals usual. Confirm the pickup window the night before. Then do a clean handover and go. A calm departure is part of the care.

• Lock the type of care and the meet first.
• Write access instructions for your society.
• Pack usual food, medicine and a routine note.
• Leave your number, a local contact, and any clinic details.
• Plan the journey for Bangalore traffic, or book a pet taxi.

Money, messages and the first morning you are away

Confirm the quote and the plan the day before you travel, so you are not agreeing details in a security queue. Leave any building access card, a small float only if you have already agreed one, and a printed brief in a known kitchen drawer in case a phone dies. Tell the sitter or host what “the first morning” should look like — the walk time, the medicine, the window that stays shut.

Send a test WhatsApp the evening before, from the number you will actually use once you have left, including if you will be on roaming. A missed first update is often just a wrong chat thread. These are dull steps, and they are the ones that prevent a dull problem from becoming a large one while you are in the air.

Finally, tell the sitter or host how you want the first evening of your return to go: whether they should stay until you arrive, leave a note on the table, or put the leftover food back in the tin. A clear ending is part of the checklist, not an afterthought you solve in the lift with your suitcase.

If this is the kind of care you need in Bangalore, send Wiggie an enquiry or email wiggie.petcare@gmail.com, and we will tell you whether we can help, and share a quote for your brief.

Related: contact Wiggie, pet sitting, service areas.