Leaving Pets Home While on Vacation

floridameerkat · November 2017

My sim recently went on vacation and ended up bringing her five pets with her, even though I hadn't intended for any of them go with her. How do I make sure the animals stay at home next time and what happens to them if they are left behind? Will they still be fine when my sim returns?

wormstache999 · November 2017

Isn't that another known bug? It happens to me every time that I want to go somewhere without my pets, but they always join the trip.

floridameerkat · November 2017

wormstache999 wrote: »

Isn't that another known bug? It happens to me every time that I want to go somewhere without my pets, but they always join the trip.

I wasn't aware this was one of the bugs, but it would make sense, as none of the pets were selected to travel with her when she went on vacation, they just showed up.

wormstache999 · November 2017

floridameerkat wrote: »

wormstache999 wrote: »

Isn't that another known bug? It happens to me every time that I want to go somewhere without my pets, but they always join the trip.

I wasn't aware this was one of the bugs, but it would make sense, as none of the pets were selected to travel with her when she went on vacation, they just showed up.

I think we need some more opinions here. I thought it's a known bug because a few days ago I read a post where someone else was complaining about it, too. And I don't think it's intended that your pets follow you everywhere.
But I have to say I never tried it with Granite Falls. I was just talking about simple community lots - I don't click on their icons, but they still always tag along.

bandit5 · November 2017

I traveled too granite falls and did not select the toddler or the dog but they came anyway.

floridameerkat · November 2017

Bol756 wrote: »

I traveled too granite falls and did not select the toddler or the dog but they came anyway.

Does this happen with all ages and species? If you go on vacation, does the whole family always go with you, even if they weren't selected? I only just got Outdoor Retreat, so I don't know how it's supposed to work.

Goldmoldar · November 2017

floridameerkat wrote: »

My sim recently went on vacation and ended up bringing her five pets with her, even though I hadn't intended for any of them go with her. How do I make sure the animals stay at home next time and what happens to them if they are left behind? Will they still be fine when my sim returns?

If the time keeps ticking even while you are on vacation or you go to another lot unlike in Sims 2 which time stops in the lot you left, I would imagine the pets would starve unless EA/Maxis made an special provision for them, I have not heard anything on it.

Chazzzy · November 2017

You can go to community lots without taking your pets. Also, if you’re a vet you can go to work and your pets get left behind at home.

I haven’t gone on vacation yet so I can’t comnent on if your pets automatically come with you or not.

TravisBlackfox · November 2017

This is why a pet sitter would be an amazing service for them to make. I have a gardener tending to the plants when my Sims go off on their adventures so a pet sitter is a great offering. I don't think they will mind taking their fox with them on vacation, but the kitten might be another story.

GrumpyGlowfish · November 2017

floridameerkat wrote: »

Does this happen with all ages and species? If you go on vacation, does the whole family always go with you, even if they weren't selected? I only just got Outdoor Retreat, so I don't know how it's supposed to work.

No, you can select who you want to bring along for the vacation, just like when you're going to any other place, and the others will stay at home (except pets, it seems). A few days ago I sent only one person to Granite Falls while the rest of the family, including the toddler, stayed at home. That's how it has always worked for me.

I was forced to switch back and forth between them, though, because the sims left at home proved utterly unable to take care of their own needs, and the toddler was neglected to the point of imminent starvation. I think this is yet another bug introduced with one of the latest patches, because I don't remember it being that bad before, so always keep an eye on whoever you're not taking with you.

Sha2520032003 · November 2017

@floridameerkat You can leave your pets home. I just sent my Sim on vacation when I was playing yesterday & left the dogs & cats at home. When you select to go on vacation, all the household members are already pre-selected to go (even if there is no border around their picture). You have to click on their picture, to un-select them. I do this all the time if I dont' want to bring pets or toddlers.

Writin_Reg · November 2017

Have you tried hiring a Nanny or butler maybe? Not sure if it would work of course as I have only play single teen sims households lately - so they don't have vacation money - lol - I am busy skilling them up for future careers - etc but in Sims 2 and 3 it worked to hire a nanny or butler - so possibly that will work in Sims 4. Sims 1 though every one went on vacations - including the pets. There was no option in that game. I liked they had little pup tents for pets to sleep in the Camping Vacation in Sims 1. LOL.

floridameerkat · November 2017

Sha2520032003 wrote: »

@floridameerkat You can leave your pets home. I just sent my Sim on vacation when I was playing yesterday & left the dogs & cats at home. When you select to go on vacation, all the household members are already pre-selected to go (even if there is no border around their picture). You have to click on their picture, to un-select them. I do this all the time if I dont' want to bring pets or toddlers.

Thanks for the info. When I sent my sim on vacation, I checked to make sure none of the pets were selected as well, so when I saw that they weren't, I just assumed that meant they wouldn't be going.

Bearflex · March 2018

If you take the pets on vacation what happens with their beds, bowls, and litter boxes. Can you put them in your personal inventory otherwise they'd starve since buy mode is disabled at vacation locations.

Writin_Reg · March 2018

You can put that in your inventory or sims can buy new from the venders where you buy other stuff but you need to talk with the venders. They'll have a list like the ranger station has that will also include camping stuff and pet stuff.

Cheekybits · March 2018

Is this bug still a thing cause it still happens in my game

Liziann1 · March 2018

I've just took my first Sim on vacation to the jungle and her kitten followed, so now I have no access to food for the 5 days she is there . . . arghhhh how crazy!

GrumpyGlowfish · March 2018

You can buy a food bowl from the vendors, or just give the cat a snack.

Liziann1 · March 2018

GrumpyGlowfish wrote: »

You can buy a food bowl from the vendors, or just give the cat a snack.

yep - sussed it after I enabled free build lol
Thank you x

BMSO · March 2018

Usually leave my sim's pets at home most of the time since I have to constantly make the sim leave when their dog or cat gets bit by several random squirrels and they get sick.

PeculiarPlumbob · March 2018

I have like the exact opposite problem... I wanted to bring my sims' dog along on a vacation and couldn't travel with her for some reason...

soko37 · April 2018

My cats showed up on vacation too and had to go home and start over. You have to click on anyone in your household you don't want coming. I guess it's automatically selected for you, but you can't see it...weird. I clicked on both my cats and now they didn't show up. So no bug, yay.

soko37 · April 2018

PeculiarPlumbob wrote: »

I have like the exact opposite problem... I wanted to bring my sims' dog along on a vacation and couldn't travel with her for some reason...

That's because you probably clicked on your pet like we're used to doing, but NOW when you click on them they stay home. So your household, pets included, are automatically selected even if they are not green.

TravisBlackfox · April 2018

BMSO wrote: »

Usually leave my sim's pets at home most of the time since I have to constantly make the sim leave when their dog or cat gets bit by several random squirrels and they get sick.

The squirrel and skunk thing is seriously annoying and out of control. It got to the point where I even hate taking my fox to the dog park because she'd run off for that bush. I now have about 20 vet treats in my both Sims inventories and I installed a washing station in the park.

FKM100 · April 2018

Not only do you have to be careful to deselect your pets when you book the vacation, you have to check carefully, when the confirmation picture comes up, that only the correct sims (and no pets) are showing in the picture. If they are, you have to cancel and go back and rebook. I once had to do it three times before it was correct. But then I discovered that, if you do end up with unwanted pets on vacation, it is very easy to send them home again, using the "send home" interaction on them. And, if you want them to join you and they are not there, you can easily summon them up by clicking on their icons.

GoldenBuffy · April 2018

I didn't know this was a known issue. *sigh* I did make sure that they were not selected, yet, the three times I sent my sims on vacation, lo and behold, their dog came too. The first two times it was to go jungle exploring, and the house that my sim rented didn't have a tub, and her dog was stinky and dirty. So I ended up sending them home. This is really annoying.

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Leaving Pets Home While on Vacation

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