Traveling With Pets On Board

For those like me who simply love their pets and give them a lot of time and attention, one of the worries that traveling may bring is how in the world am I going to get my cat/dog/parrot whatever safe to our destination? I often even consider giving up any idea of travel. Of course, the best solution one can come up with is leaving one's pet at home, and having either some friend or relative come over and feed it, clean after it, spend some time with the lovely creature. The idea is that a person has to love animals just as much as you do, because otherwise it will be the same situation as I once came across. It's when I once left my cute little Russian Blue tom-cat to stay home with one of my flat mates, and that person proved to be a cat-hater. So, upon my return, I found my beloved pet in a skinny shape, scared and feeling sick.

Since transporting your cat/dog by car or by train is illegal in many American states, the remaining solution would be traveling by car. This is not the case in Europe, where people are allowed to carry their pets with them, yet in special carriers and paying half or a part of the ticket.

So, if you decide to reach your destination by car, there are a few things to be considered first. Thus, first and foremost, one should try and accustom one's pet with traveling by car. To do this, one can take short trips some time before the day of the journey, to make the pet feel at ease in the car and get a proper behavior. Dogs should also be made to adopt a quiet behavior, not to annoy the other passengers or the driver. It's not advisable to allow dogs to keep their heads outside the windows during the car trip. Although they look cute, it can damage their eyes or cause other health problems. As for cats, they are generally scared of cars. But some cats can adapt easily to such car travels, especially if they are allowed to choose their favorite place in the car to sleep and relax (except for the driver's seat, of course). It depends on the cat's temperament. Still depending on how "tamed" the cat/dog is, the owners may or may not use a leash to keep it restrained and confined to a certain space.

Also, if you want to stay overnight to a motel or hotel, you should first check if animals are allowed.

At any rate, one should keep in mind that the pet's traveling kit should contain: food, some dishes, a can opener (if it's necessary), some favorite treats and favorite toys, blanket, a brush, etc. One may also remember to get some sedatives prescribed by the veterinarian, some litter or anything for the animals' needs, safety and hygiene. Upon arriving at the desired destination, the pet is highly probable to have the same difficulties to adjust to the new environment as their owners have. The pet has to go through meeting new neighbors, including animals, and get used to the new climate and new rules.

One should also try to keep the pet within the confined environment that forms the new home, to make it understand it is a place of residence. Otherwise, it may be tempted to wander about aimlessly, and get lost, out of the agitation of moving to a completely new and unfamiliar place. The idea is to make the creature feel at ease and at home by using familiar objects like bowls, dishes, toys, pillows/blankets, or any other items.

Also another advice would be to keep the pet away on garbage collection day. Especially if guests are likely to come over, they would certainly not enjoy the view of seeing the cute animal going through thrash instead of a warm welcome.

The idea to keep in mind is that you should carefully plan your vacation with your beloved pet, in order for it to be a total blast. Nonetheless, one should consider the unexpected, as life is always full of surprises! But pats and owner have to remember the good old saying: safety first.