Pet care during festival travel: book early, plan for the noise
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Arrange your pet's care weeks before a festival trip, because sitters, catteries and boarding fill up first in festival and school-holiday weeks. Meet the carer before you go, leave a written care plan with your vet's details, and plan for firecracker noise if you are away over Diwali.
In 2026 Durga Puja closes West Bengal's offices from 15 to 26 October, Diwali falls on 8 November and Christmas on 25 December; school holidays stretch many of these into longer trips.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
When are the busy festival weeks?
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Durga Puja (West Bengal) | State offices closed every day from 15 to 26 October 2026; recognised schools on Puja vacation from 15 October to 12 November. | Government of West Bengal, Finance Department |
| Dussehra | 20 October 2026, a central government holiday. | Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India |
| Diwali (Deepavali) | Sunday 8 November 2026. Gujarat's secondary schools break for Diwali from 5 to 25 November. | Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India |
| Christmas | 25 December 2026; Telangana's missionary schools break from 23 to 27 December. | Director of School Education, Telangana |
| Sankranti and Pongal | Pongal and Makar Sankranti are on the central government's list of optional holidays; Telangana's school Sankranti vacation is 13 to 17 January 2027. | Director of School Education, Telangana |
| Summer vacation | In 2026, Karnataka's state-syllabus schools broke from 11 April to 28 May, and Delhi's government schools from 11 May to 30 June. | School Education Department, Government of Karnataka |
Why do festival trips need more planning for pets?
Everyone travels at once, so the people who could look after your pet are busy or away too.
The RSPCA's advice is that it can take time to sort out care for a pet, so it should always be done well in advance. Cats Protection says the same of catteries, which fill up in popular weeks, and advises having a backup sitter ready. In India the effect is concentrated: offices and schools close together for the Puja, Diwali and year-end weeks, and the friends and neighbours who might feed your cat are often travelling too.
Festival weeks also bring their own risks for pets left at home: firecrackers at Diwali, Kali Puja and the New Year, crowds and loud music, and festival sweets within reach of a curious dog. A plan made early can cover all of these, not just the feeding.
Coming home matters too. Expect some pets to be clingy, others aloof, for a day or two after a long trip. Keep the first evening quiet, go back to the usual routine at once, and call your vet if your pet stops eating or seems unwell.
How far ahead should you arrange pet care?
Petym's suggested timeline, built on the RSPCA, Cats Protection and Merck Veterinary Manual advice cited here.
6 to 8 weeks before
Decide who will look after your pet and book them, with a backup. Festival and school-holiday weeks fill first. Cats Protection
At least a month before
See your vet: check vaccinations and flea, tick and worm treatment are up to date, and refill any long-term medicine so there is enough for the whole trip and a few days more. RSPCA (England and Wales)
2 to 3 weeks before
Meet the carer with your pet. For a sitter at home, the meeting should be in your home, ideally several days before you leave, so they can meet your pet and learn the routine. Cats Protection
1 week before
Write the care plan: feeding, walks, medicines with times, your vet's and the nearest 24-hour vet's details, and how to reach you. RSPCA (England and Wales)
2 or 3 days before
Hand over keys, test the locks and gate passes with the sitter, and leave a spare key with someone you trust. Cats Protection
The day you leave
Keep the goodbye calm and short, check that your pet's ID tag has your phone number, and leave something that smells of home with your pet. RSPCA (England and Wales)
What are your options while you travel?
Which one suits depends on your pet, the length of the trip and the season.
Overnight
A sitter who stays in your home
Your pet keeps its own home and routine and is not left alone overnight. The RSPCA says having someone look after a pet in its own home is usually best, and that someone who stays in the home usually works best. RSPCA (England and Wales)
Cats
Drop-in visits
A sitter visits to feed, clean and play. Cats Protection suggests at least two visits a day for a cat, and more for very young, old or unwell cats. For a dog, visits only cover gaps in the day. Cats Protection
Away
Boarding in a sitter's home or a facility
Your pet stays away, often with other animals. Visit before you choose, ask about vaccinations and who is on site at night, and try a short stay first. RSPCA (England and Wales)
Travel
Taking your pet along
Possible by car, and on some trains and flights, but festival travel is crowded and rules are strict. Read the train and flight rules before you book. Merck Veterinary Manual
Which kind of care suits which festival trip?
It depends on your pet more than on the festival. These are starting points, not rules.
If You have a cat and will be away for the Puja week or Diwali
Keep it at home with a sitter who visits at least twice a day, or one who stays. Cats Protection says keeping a cat at home is the safest and least unsettling option. Pet sitter at home or boarding? Cats Protection
If Your dog is frightened of firecrackers and you are away over Diwali
A sitter who stays overnight in your home means your dog is not alone when the noise starts, in the safe room it already knows. Diwali and firecrackers
If Your dog is social, copes with new places and the trip is a few days
Boarding in a sitter's home can work well. Try a short stay a few weeks before the festival. Home boarding or a pet hostel?
If Your pet takes daily medicine or is old
Choose a carer who has given that medicine before and can be there at the set times, and leave the schedule in writing. Senior pets and pets on medication Cats Protection
If You are driving to a quiet place and your dog travels well
Taking it along can be simpler than arranging care. Plan breaks, water and shade, and never leave it in the parked car. Road trips
What if you are away over Diwali?
Firecracker noise is the biggest festival risk for a pet left behind. Surveys put fear of fireworks at between a quarter and a half of dogs, and the Animal Welfare Board of India says firecracker explosions can exceed 150 decibels. A frightened pet left alone can panic, hurt itself or try to escape.
If your pet will be at home with a sitter, set up its safe room before you leave and show the sitter where it is. Write down when the noise usually starts in your area, how your pet reacts, and what calms it. If your vet has prescribed medicine for noise fear, it should be tried well before the night, and the sitter needs the written schedule. If your pet is boarding, tell the sitter about the fear and send any prescribed medicine with instructions.
Keep the doors, windows and balcony shut in the evenings, and check the ID tag and microchip details, in case a frightened pet bolts. The full plan is in our guide to Diwali and firecrackers.
What should you leave for whoever looks after your pet?
The RSPCA and Cats Protection lists, with the Indian details that matter.
- Your pet's usual routine, and how important it is to stick to it. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Its usual food and treats, enough for the whole trip and a few days extra, with feeding instructions. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Every medicine, with when and how to give it, written down. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Your contact details, an emergency contact, your vet's number and the nearest 24-hour vet. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Your pet's vaccination card, with flea, tick and worm treatment dates. RSPCA Queensland
- Something that smells of home: a blanket or a worn piece of your clothing. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Where the food, bowls, litter, leash and carrier are kept. Cats Protection
- Behaviour notes: fears (crackers, strangers, other dogs), habits and what calms your pet. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Indian home details: the society gate pass or visitor approval for the sitter, the watchman's and the cook's or maid's timings, the inverter, and the water tank or motor.
What helps a pet cope while you are away?
Do
- Keep the same food, routine and familiar bedding: the RSPCA advises keeping a pet's usual diet and routine as consistent as possible. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Arrange a short trial before a long festival trip, so your pet meets its carer before you go. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Make sure your pet wears a collar with an ID tag with your number, and that the microchip details are current. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Leave clear written instructions rather than relying on a phone call from the station.
Don’t
- Don't rely on a neighbour who is also travelling. RSPCA Queensland notes that pets left with neighbours and friends can sometimes be forgotten or escape. RSPCA Queensland
- Don't leave a cat alone with an automatic feeder for a festival week: Cats Protection advises visits at least twice a day. Cats Protection
- Don't leave a medicine schedule to memory. Write the times and doses your vet gave you on the plan.
- Don't change your pet's food just before you leave.
How will Petym work for festival bookings?
Petym is not taking bookings in any city yet; it opens a city when its sitters have passed Petym's checks. When it does, each booking will start with a free meet and greet with the sitter before the first stay, and you will book and pay through Petym, with the sitter paid after the booking.
During the stay, the sitter will follow your pet's plan as you write it, logging feeding, walks and medicines as they happen, and send a photo update every day. In an emergency the sitter will call you and take your pet to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list. After the trip you can write a review of the booking. Petym's rate card adds 25% on festival peak days, Diwali week and 24 December to 1 January.
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
How early should I book a pet sitter for Diwali?
- As early as you can: Petym suggests six to eight weeks ahead for Diwali and other festival weeks, when many families travel at once. The RSPCA says pet care always takes time to arrange, and Cats Protection advises booking early and keeping a backup sitter in case your first choice falls through.
Can I leave my cat alone for a long weekend at Diwali?
- It is safer not to. Cats Protection suggests someone visits at least twice a day, and more often for very young, old or unwell cats. Firecrackers add to the risk: a frightened cat left alone may hide for long periods, stop eating or try to escape.
What should I tell my pet sitter about firecrackers?
- Show them your pet's safe room, say when the noise usually starts in your area, describe how your pet reacts and what calms it, and leave any medicine your vet prescribed with written times. Ask them to keep doors, windows and the balcony shut in the evenings.
Is boarding or a sitter better for a festival trip?
- It depends on your pet. A sitter keeps it at home in its routine, which the RSPCA says is usually best and which suits cats and noise-shy pets. Boarding suits a pet that copes with new places and other animals. Visit any boarding place first and try a short stay.
When are school holidays in India in late 2026?
- It varies by state. West Bengal's schools are on Puja vacation from 15 October to 12 November 2026, Gujarat's secondary schools break from 5 to 25 November for Diwali, and Telangana's missionary schools break from 23 to 27 December. Check your own state's school calendar before booking.
What do I need to give a pet sitter before a trip?
- A written care plan with the routine, food, every medicine with times, behaviour notes and fears, your contacts, your vet's number and the nearest 24-hour vet. Add the vaccination card, keys and any society gate pass, and something that smells of home for your pet.
Should I take my dog with me on a festival trip?
- Only if the journey suits your dog. Trains and flights have strict pet rules and festival travel is crowded and noisy. A short trip by car to a calm place can work; a long journey to a crowded city during the Puja or Diwali is often harder on a dog than staying home.
Keep reading
- Diwali and firecrackersSafe rooms, hiding places and medicine.
- What to pack for your pet's stay
- A pet's first stay away from home
- Pet sitter at home or boarding?
- Board your dog or take it along?
- Winter pet care in north India
- Pet owner's guide to KolkataDurga Puja and Kali Puja dates.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India: Holidays to be observed in central government offices during 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Government of West Bengal, Finance Department: List of holidays for the year 2026 (27 November 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- West Bengal Board of Secondary Education: Model holiday list 2026 for recognised schools (opens in a new tab)
- Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board: School activity calendar 2026 to 27 (circular of 2 May 2026, in Gujarati) (opens in a new tab)
- Director of School Education, Telangana: Academic calendar 2026 to 27 (classes I to X) (opens in a new tab)
- School Education Department, Government of Karnataka: Academic terms and holiday periods 2025 to 26 (opens in a new tab)
Show all 16 sourcesShow fewer
- Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi: Summer vacation 2026 activities circular (citing the annual school calendar 2026 to 27) (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Pet sitting (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Taking your pet on holiday (opens in a new tab)
- Cats Protection: Going on holiday (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA Queensland: Holiday checklist: 10 tips to prepare your pet (1 December 2020) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Planning for travel with pets (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Message for a compassionate and eco-friendly Deepavali (29 October 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- PLOS ONE (2019): Not a one-way road: severity, progression and prevention of firework fears in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- New Zealand Veterinary Journal (2010): Owners' perceptions of fear of fireworks in dogs and cats (opens in a new tab)
- Scientific Reports (2020), University of Helsinki: Prevalence, comorbidity and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs (opens in a new tab)