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We love our furry friends, but sometimes its necessary to leave them behind. What do you do when traveling?

Sandra Rohen has two cats, and has a routine when she travels. "I leave a lot of food, I leave a lot of water, and I usually have someone check them once or twice depending on how long we are gone. They are pretty self sufficient."

Jacqueline Bloink has two dogs. She says, "I have a friend that lives out in fountain hills, he sometimes watches them."

Some owners we talked to just couldn't part with their pets. Joe Griffin doesn't go anywhere without his pooch.

"We never leave her behind, we always take her with us. We carry a little crate in the back, load her up, typically she sits in the truck with me, and only on rarities, do we put her in the crate," he explains.

It may not be necessary to take your pets with you, but finding someone to watch them on a regular basis is key. Animal care specialist Jayne Cundy says to chose your pet sitter carefully or fido may end up behind bars and the pet sitter facing fines.

"Sometimes if the person looking after the animal isn't going regularly enough, and they don't have water and they have gotten themselves into a bit of a situation, we can end up impounding them and issuing criminal citations," Cundy warns.

Cundy says while cats require a little less attention, dogs need to be let out at least 3-4 times per day. Often, this requires someone coming to your house, or staying there. So how do you go about finding someone trustworthy?

Vickie Reason owns a pet service. She suggests, "What I tell everyone is be sure you feel comfortable and confident with the person you are going to leave in your home with your babies. They can't talk and people are in your home, so that's pretty vulnerable. So when you hire a pet sitter, make sure you feel comfortable and confident."