When holidays approach, perhaps you're thinking about traveling... but then your cat or dog looks up at you with those big woeful eyes, the guilt sets in!

We can all be a bit extra when it comes to our beloved pets, and if you're heading out of town, finding a reliable place to entrust with their care can be a daunting endeavor. Luckily Shanghai has it all, and that includes top-notch options for ensuring your furry friends are pampered and properly looked after in your absence.

From cozy city accommodations and open-air urban escapes to personalized attention in the comfort of your own home, these devoted, dependable pet boarding and sitting services provide worry-free experiences for both you and your little buddy.

Pet Sitting

Offering "cage-free" experiences, pet sitting services provide stays for cats and dogs at either your home or a verified sitter's, allowing for dedicated care in familiar, stress-free environments. An especially good option for anxious pets.

Spare Leash

Founded for pet owners by pet owners, Spare Leash fosters a lively collective of animal-loving sitters and clients, offering check-ins, boarding at sitters' homes, house sitting and more. Their platform (supports English and Chinese) let you easily find and book services from verified sitters, all of whom must have experience caring for animals and go through an interview process before approval. You can also set up a meet-and-greet with your sitter to go over your needs and make sure they're a good fit for you and your pet.

Care for: Cats & dogs (inquire for other animals)

Rates: Check in 80-100 yuan (US$11.04-13.08); dog boarding (sitter's home) 150-200 yuan/day; house sitting 150-200 yuan/day.

Other services: Dog walking; vet runs; dog registration; dog training

Contact: WeChat official account SpareLeash; spareleash.com.cn

Happy Nest

Happy Nest is a trusted community of pet lovers dedicated to treating your furry friends like family, with a host of home care services that make your life a little easier. When you book house sitting or boarding at a sitter's home through their platform (also availble in English and Chinese), they'll then help arrange a meet-and-greet with your "Nester" prior to the booking dates, and even provide a checklist to help you remember all of the important stuff to discuss. If home care isn't your thing, Happy Nest also offers luxurious "staycations" at their partner boarding facility, Cyon Land.

Care for: Cats, dogs and other animals

Rates: Drop-in visit from 80 yuan; boarding (sitter's home) from 200 yuan/day; house sitting from 200 yuan/day; staycation from 240 yuan/day.

Other services: Dog walking; dog training; home grooming; home vet consultations; nurse visits; vaccinations; etc

Contact: WeChat official account HappyNestCN; happynest.com.cn

Pet Boarding

Delightful destinations for pet staycations, offering professional boarding services and round-the-clock care with a range of accommodation options, daily walks, playtime, grooming and more. You can also expect daily photo and video updates of your pets for your peace of mind.

Love Pet Farm

This unique nature-filled haven Shanghai's Jinshan district is what founder Awing calls her "dream come true – an animal paradise," focused on providing furry friends with lots of green space, fresh air and free play under the sun. Home to a happy family of goats, horses, pigs, and bunnies living in harmony with rescues and all the hotel's guests, LovePet Farm occupies a 29,000 square meter space, offering a safe and beautiful environment pets can rarely experience in the city. Pet hotel accommodations are available for short and long term stays, with cages, standard rooms (up to 2 dogs), cat rooms (up to 4 cats) or family rooms (up to 3 pets), and cages for small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs.

Hot tip: You can also book an overnight stay or a day trip for yourself to the farm to barbeque, camp in an RV and enjoy nature with your besties!

Care for: Cats, dogs and other animals

Rates: Cage from 180 yuan/day; cat room from 180 yuan/day; standard dog room from 280 yuan/day; family room 400 yuan/day; small animal cage 60 yuan/day.

Contact: Add WeChat ID awinglove (EN/CN)

Address: 2000 Jinshi Rd N., 金石北路2000号

BuddyDog

A Singaporean-managed premier pet hotel, BuddyDog offers a range of accommodations run by well-trained, highly experienced staff who provide attentive, personalized service according to each pet's needs. Whether you're on a budget or want to treat your pet like royalty with its own private courtyard, you've got many room options, plus two outdoor areas, indoor play areas and even a small pool! The facility provides 24-hour AC and heat during summer and winter months, filtered water, daily medical checks, 3x30-min walks per day, supervised indoor playtime and basic grooming, with a "day care" add-on for dogs with extra social time and long walks.

Care for: Cats & dogs

Pricing: Dogs: cozy room 160yuan/day; superior room 180 yuan/day; executive room 200 yuan/day; luxurious room 220 yuan/day; VIP room 320 yuan/day. Cats: cozy room 120 yuan/day; VIP room 200 yuan/night. Family stays for multiple pets also available.

Other services: Pick-up/drop-off; grooming; training; swim coaching; membership plans

Contact: Add WeChat ID BessZhou (EN) or lovepetservice (CN); WeChat official account BuddyDog好伙伴宠物

Address: 1249 Haisi Rd 海思路1249号

Buddy City

A sister location of BuddyDog, Buddy City works on the principle of giving loving care and education even when you're not there, offering a home away from home for your pets. They offer long and short-term stays that include socialization with other animals, or human companionship for those shy buddies. Stays include daily medical checks, basic grooming, 2-3 walks per day, supervised playtime and room cleanings.

Care for: Cats & dogs

Rates: Dogs: small room 198 yuan/day; medium room 228 yuan/day; small VIP room 268 yuan/day; medium VIP room 288 yuan/day; large room 308 yuan/day; VIP room 688 yuan/day. Cats: cozy room 128 yuan/day; deluxe room 208 yuan/day; superior room 268 yuan/day; VIP room 328 yuan/day; villa 408 yuan/day.

Other services: Pick-up/drop-off; daycare; grooming; training; membership plans

Contact: Add WeChat ID Buddy_City (EN/CN); WeChat official account BuddyCity 宠物日托中心

Address: 76-78 Yongxing Rd 永兴路76-78号

BENGIE Pet Resort & School

BENGIE Pet Resort & School offers several sleek room options for dogs, as well as cat rooms. Their facility has an outdoor rooftop play area for doggies to get in their exercise, and an add-on option for swimming time in the big indoor pool during stays (you can also take your buddy swimming on your own!). Boarding includes basic health checks, walks at least twice a day, playtime and room cleaning, and they offer pick-up service for an additional fee.

Care for: Cats & dogs

Rates: Dogs: boutique room 138 yuan/day; superior room 268 yuan/day; luxury room 388 yuan/day. Cat room: 238 yuan/day.

Other services: Pick-up/drop-off; grooming; training; self-service swimming

Contact: Add WeChat ID BengieRSM (EN/CN)

Venue: B2&7/F, South Hall, Redstar Macalline 红星美凯龙南馆B2楼和7楼

Address: 1108 Zhenbei Rd 真北路1108号

Kungfu Pet

Offering simple but nice and cozy facilities, Kungfu Pet has several room types for both dogs and cats, with daily cleaning. Cats have their own indoor play areas while dogs can run around on the artificial turf in the fenced-in outdoor area, with playtime and walks 3-4 times per day for 30-60 minutes.

Care for: Cats & dogs

Rates: Dogs: comfort room 159 yuan/day; warm room 229 yuan/day; sunshine room 299 yuan/day; Cats: comfort room 129 yuan/day; sunshine room 259 yuan/day

Other services: Pick-up/drop-off; grooming; training

Contact: Add WeChat ID KungfuDoggy (CN)

Address: No. 18-1, 731 Hongxu Rd 虹许路731号18-1