Boarding, pet sitting and planning ahead

Care while you are away, and arranging for a pet to be looked after if you no longer can.

Boarding, sitting, grooming, life-planning & health alerts (exotic-specific unmet needs)

This tab covers needs that don't fit a rescue directory but come up constantly for exotic owners in NYC - and that ordinary kennels, pet-sitters and cat/dog resources usually can't meet. Confirm each provider still serves your species and check current requirements (most require a recent exotic-vet exam) before booking.

EXOTIC BOARDING & PET-SITTING (most dog/cat kennels will NOT take exotics; these specialize):

• AMC and The Center for Avian & Exotic Medicine (see the Exotic-vet tab) and other exotic vets often offer MEDICAL boarding - the safest option for a bird/reptile/small mammal with health needs, since a vet is on site.
• Long Island Bird & Exotics Vet Clinic (Nassau County; serves all NYC) - medical boarding for birds, reptiles, small mammals and small marsupials in an exotics-only facility (no dogs/cats to stress them); birdexoticsvet.com.
• Andrew Perrin Animal Services (Manhattan, 10022) - specialized reptile & exotic boarding/care; andrewperrinanimalservices.com.
• Bird Girl Pet Services (Hicksville, NY) - in-home parrot/reptile/small-mammal boarding with species-appropriate heat/UVB/misting and strict disease protocols (requires an annual exotics-vet wellness exam; note RHDV2 precautions for rabbits); birdgirlpetservices.com. (Does not board ferrets or animals illegal to own locally.)
• FSALT Pampered Exotic Pet Boarding (Hudson Valley - Dutchess/Putnam/Westchester/Orange/Ulster) - run by a licensed vet professional; boards buns, chinchillas, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, ferrets, birds and reptiles, incl. medical boarding; fsaltpb.com.
• Long Island Parrot Society keeps a member-vetted PET-SITTER and GROOMER list (liparrots.org/pet-sitter, /groomers) - useful for finding a bird-experienced sitter in the NYC/LI area.
• Always ask a sitter/boarder: do you have exotic-vet experience with my species, what's your emergency vet, and how do you handle heat/UVB/power outages? A generator or climate backup matters for reptiles and birds.

EXOTIC GROOMING (nail/beak/wing trims, shell/tooth checks - do NOT DIY a beak or a rabbit's teeth):

• Exotic vets (AMC, Center for Avian & Exotic Medicine, Long Island Bird & Exotics) do nail/beak/wing trims and dental checks safely - a slipped beak or wing trim can injure a bird, so use a professional.
• LIPS groomer list (liparrots.org/groomers) for bird-specific grooming in the NYC/LI area.
• Rabbit and guinea-pig nail trims and dental exams: the rabbit rescues in the main directory and rabbit-savvy vets; overgrown rabbit teeth are a medical emergency, not a grooming task.

LIFE-PLANNING: who cares for your exotic if you can't? (critical for long-lived species)

• Parrots can live 30-80+ years and routinely OUTLIVE their owners - the single biggest reason big parrots cycle through many homes. Name a caregiver and put your bird in your estate plan. A pet TRUST (recognized in NY) funds and directs care without waiting for probate; a will alone can leave a bird in limbo. Specify the caregiver, a backup, and funds for food/vet care. Discuss it with the caregiver in advance.
• Long-lived tortoises (some 50-100+ yrs) need the same planning; even rabbits/parrots of 10-15 yrs warrant a named backup caregiver.
• Rescues that promise lifetime sanctuary for non-placeable animals (e.g. Woodstock/Catskill for farmed animals; parrot rescues that take returns) can be named as a fallback - confirm with them first and note it in your plan.
• Consult an estate attorney about a NY pet trust; many will add a companion-animal provision to a standard will.

DISASTER / EVACUATION PLANNING (exotics need species-specific prep that generic plans miss):

• Keep a species-ready GO-KIT: a secure travel carrier/cage, a portable heat source + battery pack (reptiles/birds can't survive a cold apartment in a winter outage), bottled water, several days of the exact food/hay, meds, and copies of vet records + your exotic vet's after-hours number.
• Birds are extremely sensitive to smoke, fumes and temperature swings; reptiles depend on heat/UVB; rabbits overheat fast. Plan for power loss and for a place that will take exotics (many human shelters and even pet shelters won't).
• Microchip/band and photograph each animal now (see the Lost-found & ID tab) so you can prove ownership and reunite after an evacuation. NYC emergency info: nyc.gov/emergencymanagement (search 'pets').

SPECIES HEALTH ALERTS (current, NYC-relevant - these change; verify the latest before acting):

• RABBITS - RHDV2 (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2): highly contagious, usually fatal, and detected in domestic rabbits in NYC in 2020. Spreads via rabbit-to-rabbit contact AND contaminated food, bedding, clothing, shoes. A US-authorized VACCINE now exists - ask a rabbit-savvy vet about vaccinating. Basic biosecurity: wash hands before/after handling, don't bring in rabbits/products from unknown sources, keep house-rabbits away from wild rabbits. NYS info: dec.ny.gov (RHDV2); AMC RHDV2 guide: amcny.org.
• BIRDS - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI/'bird flu'): widespread in NY wild birds and poultry (70+ NY flocks since 2022; still active in 2026). Public risk is low, but protect pet/backyard birds: keep them away from wild ducks/geese and their droppings, limit outdoor access, and practice biosecurity. Do NOT handle sick/dead wild birds yourself - report wild-bird die-offs to NYS DEC (dec.ny.gov, HPAI reporting); poultry concerns to NYS Ag & Markets (agriculture.ny.gov/hpai). Wildlife rehabbers cannot treat HPAI - never bring a sick wild bird into a home with pet birds.
• RabbitS/reptiles/birds generally - QUARANTINE any new exotic away from your existing animals for several weeks and get an exotics-vet exam before introducing them; many exotic diseases are silent carriers.