Traveling Tips for Cat and Dog Owners

Everyone loves taking a well-deserved vacation trip. The problem is what to do with your feline or canine buddy. You could take your pet along for the ride or not. Let’s look at the possibilities.

Road Trips

Long road trips may be a problem for your energetic and restless pet. Your cat or dog could easily get bored and irritable. To start with you need to get your pet used to the idea of traveling in a car. Take your pet around the neighborhood in your car weeks before the trip. Some big dogs may be allowed to sit in a car seat. Cats could be brought around in a carrier and should be introduced to the carrier at the soonest possible time. Place his carrier near his litter or sleeping box for him to explore and play in days before your trip. There are also car seats for cats and when they get used to it, they absolutely love going for rides in the car, specially if they can see out the window.

Bring your pet’s favorite toys and blanket along for the long trip and make regular stops to feed, water and exercise your pet. If you need to make a stop at a road store and you have to leave your pet in your car, make suer that you have window openings for proper ventilation and that you car is not parked in direct sunlight. Your pet could easily suffer from heat stroke if you leave him in an enclosed car.

Traveling by Air

Most airlines will allow cats and dogs to travel with you as you travel on their airline. It is important to inquire a week before your trip about boarding guidelines. Some airlines allow you to carry your pet in a kennel, while others only allow pets to be kept in the cargo hold. This would require you to draft special water and feeding instructions for your cat or dog.

Cargo kennels are an important factor here. Make sure your pet is properly acquainted with his kennel weeks before the air trip. At home, let him enter, explore and sleep in his kennel to help him get used to it. It is also a good idea to bring along your pet’s own beddings and blankets to make him feel at home and surround him with familiar smells.

Boarding Kennels

There may be times when you would like to bring your pet along but just can’t. If you can’t leave you cat or dog to a caring friend or relative, then the best solution would be to find a local boarding kennel. Facilities like these are not all the same. Find the best one that can truly take care of all your pet’s special needs.

The first step is to make calls days ahead of time to some of the local kennels to check for availability or the possibility of a reservation. You should make unannounced visits to the kennels you have picked to check on actual conditions. Inquire about the general system, available kennel and personnel Certifications, as well as pet care procedures. Service kennels that will not allow you to see the “back” or who have personnel who cannot sufficiently answer your questions, are best avoided.