The three options
When you go away you are choosing between someone coming to your home, someone staying in it, or your animal going somewhere else. They are not interchangeable, and cost is usually the least important difference.
Drop-in visits
$20–$45 per visit. Someone comes once or twice a day to feed, water, clean a litter box and give some attention.
Right for: cats, rabbits, most small animals, and confident dogs for a single night. Wrong for: puppies, animals on frequent medication, dogs with separation anxiety, and anything that cannot be alone for a long stretch.
In-home pet sitting
$40–$90 per booking. Someone is present at your home for an extended period or overnight.
Right for: dogs that struggle alone, multi-animal households, animals on a medication schedule, and anyone who wants the house occupied. Wrong for: budgets that cannot stretch, and homes you are not comfortable having someone stay in.
Boarding kennels
Priced per night by the facility, not through Khench. Right for: animals that genuinely enjoy other dogs, and owners who want staff on site around the clock. Wrong for: nervous or reactive animals, seniors, and anything that finds kennel noise distressing.
How to actually decide
- How long can your animal be alone? If the honest answer is under four hours, drop-ins are not enough.
- Is there medication? A fixed schedule pushes you toward sitting or boarding.
- How does your animal handle new places? Home has a real advantage for anxious animals.
- What happens in an emergency? Agree in advance who calls the vet and who pays.
Before you leave
Write down feeding amounts, medication timing, your vet's number, and a local contact who can attend if you cannot be reached. Leave written permission for emergency treatment with a spending limit. Most problems with pet care are communication failures, not competence failures.
Post a sitting or drop-in job and compare offers from local sitters.