AIBU to avoid holidays this summer because I'm worried about my pets in the heat?

[HotGrapefruit]

I'm really putting off travelling for the rest of this summer because my house is like an oven in this heat and I'm worried about my elderly cats and house rabbits. A friend of mine has just lost her elderly dog who really went downhill in the heat last week.

The house has been getting to over 30 and it takes endless closing of blinds in the day and opening of windows at night to regulate it, along with frozen bottles of water and fans for the rabbits - but pet sitters can't do this, they just pop in during the day and feed the animals.

Basically with the temperatures that are forecast, I've cancelled a couple of overnight things we had planned and am avoiding staying anywhere overnight for the foreseeable. AIBU? Should I just get on with my life and just hope the animals are okay?

YABU - you should just get on and stick with your holiday plans.
YANBU - pets need prioritising in this weird heat.

Is there an alternative, where pets are temporarily housed elsewhere? With a pet sitter or friend? How many pets are we talking?

I don't think it's unreasonable unless you know of a trusted person who can house sit and basically be there all the time. Personally I couldn't enjoy a holiday if I was worried about my pets.
maybe plan some holidays later in the year, it might be cheaper too!

Not unreasonable at all. I've got the other end of the age scale with kittens. It's quite full on trying to keep them comfortable isn't it. If you're going to spend your holiday worrying, it's not worth it.

We usually holiday in May & October now our kids are grown up. Much better as outside school holidays but yes, I agree with you about summer heat as well now. Last week when it was 36 degrees it was hard work to keep the house and pets as comfortable as possible. Plus being away in that heat is a waste of money as you’re unable to do anything.

Why on earth would you be unreasonable? I've got house guinea pigs and I don't go away in the summer for this very reason. It would be extremely unfair on them. Go in September or October instead.

I won’t leave my cat in the heatwave Will go away in Oct Hell I didn’t want to go to work and leave him In the extreme heat we’ve just had he was really struggling

You could get a house sitter?

Trustedhousesitters.com

You sound like a very responsible pet owner 😊

I've thought about house sitters but our house is pretty dire TBH - I don't know that anyone would want to sit for us and I'm not sure I'd be very comfortable with it either. We don't have a nice pile or anything. :)

We have friends who call in and feed usually, but this heatwave stuff is taking the house admin to another level, just to keep the place at a habitable temperature.

I house and cat sit. I sometimes take a sit on not because the house is anything special but more because of where it is. If there's something I want to do in the area for instance.
I also take the well being of the pets very seriously indeed. It's the priority for me.

So I wouldn't rule it out that you could get someone to sit and care for them @HotGrapefruit.

I completely understand, I have guinea pigs and even though they coped ok in the heatwave (was constantly watching them they had loads of shade and frozen water bottles) its such a worry! My two are only a year old but my last two really struggled in the heat as they got older