Leaving pets behind when you travel is difficult for them, even when they get to stay in their home. (Leaving them at boarding kennels is a whole story on its own.) When we recently got back from just two nights away, our cats ran and hid as if we were strangers. When they came out, they glared at us.

It’s too bad there’s no way to explain to them what’s happening, but is there anything we can do to make it easier on the pets when we have to travel without them?

Lisa Hall, owner of a 10-year-old German shepherd, Beau, is a writer who occasionally has to travel. When Beau sees her packing for a trip, he expresses sadness and sometimes anxiety. Lisa says, “When I see him looking sad or anxious, I hug and kiss him and reassure him that Mommy will be back, and that he will have a great time with Aunt Susan, his doggy sitter. I try to keep my tone of voice as light and pleasant as possible. I don’t let him see my sadness or concern, even though it breaks my heart to leave him.”

Lisa does everything possible to keep Beau’s routine normal while she’s gone. A pet sitter stays in the house at night, and friends and neighbors come by several times a day to take him for short walks. Lisa says, “Beau loves people, so he is happy with his visitors!”

Of course, he’s happiest when Lisa comes back, but it’s not disruptive. She says, “He adjusts very well when I leave and return, because his routine is not interrupted.”

While we were away, our cats ate dinner earlier than usual simply because the cat sitters weren’t old enough to stay up as late as us. But I don’t think the cats minded this one change — anyway, they’ve forgiven us.