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Your pet isn’t just an animal but a family member. So, it’s normal to think about traveling with them, especially if you’re a globetrotting professional.
Before now, you’d have to leave your pet in a boarding kennel, at a friend’s home, or hire a pet sitter. But with more people searching for pet-friendly travel options, pet travel is becoming more accessible.
Whether you’re planning a vacation or a business trip, learn all you need to know about traveling with pets, including practical tips for seamless and enjoyable pet travel.
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Table of Contents Show
Preparing Your Pet for Travel
Before you make travel plans, you should ensure your pet can make the trip. Some pets can’t travel because they’re old, injured, sick, or temperamental. However, you should seek professional advice from a veterinarian. Below are steps to take before traveling with a pet:
Step 1: Get Proper Identification
It would be best if you got a name tag for your pet that contains your current information, such as home address, phone number, and email address. Also, you can add a slide-on pet ID card as a backup if the hanging tag falls off or breaks, including a dog rabies tag to show that your dog was vaccinated.
Another means of identification for cats and dogs is the microchip. This tiny device can be implanted around your pet’s shoulder blade. But you should ensure it contains your contact details and your pet’s vaccinations and health records.
Step 2: Introduce the Pet Carrier or Crate
Pets travel in a carrier or crate, and you should introduce them to it before the trip. You can leave it by your dog’s bed or your cat’s scratching post so they can explore and become comfortable with it. And you can also take them in it for a short ride, so it doesn’t feel strange during the main trip.
More importantly, the pet’s carrier should be large enough for your cat or dog to turn around, sit, and lie easily since they’ll spend long hours in it. You should also make sure the carrier meets the requirements of the airline you intend to fly.
Your pet’s carrier is considered a carry-on and would fit under your seat in a cabin. Bigger pets would travel in a kennel but in a temperature-controlled section of the cargo hold. However, you should expect to pay an average of $125 as pet fees for the trip.
Step 3: Socialize Your Pet
Flying internationally may stress your pet, so now is a good time to help them develop socialization skills. It is to enable them to stay calm in new environments. Because the airport is a noisy place, you can start by taking your pet on a road trip and observing how they react to loud noise.
Additionally, you can take them to crowded places, a pet park, a pet daycare, or a pet-friendly restaurant to acclimatize them to different environments. This training will help them to become comfortable around strangers. However, hiring a behavior specialist may be worth it if your pet is aggressive, shy, or suffers separation anxiety.
Step 4: Obtain Health Certificates
An important step in preparing for pet travel is a visit to a veterinarian. They’ll discuss your pet’s general health and ensure that it’s at an optimal level before the trip. Also, they’ll administer the required vaccination and issue a health certificate that corresponds with the country you’re traveling to.
Essential Pet Travel Gear
If your pet doubles as your travel buddy, you want to make sure they’re as comfortable as you are on the trip. Here’s a list of essential pet travel accessories:
Pet Passport
Not exactly a real passport, but a pet passport offers a great solution for organizing your pet’s health certificates, microchip number, pawprint, photo, and more. It’s ideal for traveling with a pet to another country
Pet Carriers
Whether you’re on a road trip or taking a flight, pet carriers offer a secure means to transport animals. Before you purchase one, ensure it’s crash tested and complies with the regulations of most airlines for in-cabin travel.
Pet Tags and GPS Collar
Most cats and dogs already wear tags. But since you’re traveling with pets, ensure their tags carry your travel contact information. Also, you should consider getting a smart collar with GPS so that you can track your pet if you lose them.
Seat Belt Harness
Every state requires passengers to wear seat belts, and animals require the same safety measure. But you can’t strap your dog like a human. That’s where a seat belt harness comes in. It allows the dog to stand up or sit, but they’re restrained from jumping into the driver’s arms.
If you’re traveling with cats, they’ll remain in carriers because of their small size. However, it would be safe to secure a carrier with a harness to prevent it from rolling over.
Travel Bowls
Pets need enough water during travel so they don’t get dehydrated. There are portable bowls for food and water with sturdy bases to prevent spills. If you’re keen on saving space, it would be helpful if you found a two-in-one collapsible bowl. And you should also have dispensers for holding extra water and food.
First Aid Kit
Taking care of a sick dog or cat isn’t the best way to spend a vacation. But something may go wrong at any time, and you should be prepared. There are first aid kits specially made for pets, which you can prepare with a pouch.
The kit should include a thermometer, cotton swabs, ice packs, tweezers, gauze pads, antibiotic ointment, scissors, and plastic gloves. You can also include your pet’s medication and flashlight for administering first aid at night.
Travel Toys
Pets may become restless when confined to a spot for some time, especially if yours is an energetic or attention-seeking breed. However, you can add fun to the trip with non-squeaky toys like kongs, chew bones, and ropes. Note that if you’re embarking on air travel, you shouldn’t leave toys in carriers even if they’re soft.
Cleaning Supplies
Pets make a mess all the time, so having cleaning supplies like wipes, odor eliminators, and pet shampoo would be helpful. And don’t forget to pack a sufficient amount of waste bags as well.
Hiking Backpack
If you’re with puppies, they’ll need some rest from walking or hiking. So, a backpack offers a safe spot while they enjoy the view of the surroundings.
Waterproof Blanket
Rolling out a blanket from home could help animals feel safe and comfortable in new environments. Purchasing a waterproof blanket can protect the hotel bed or car seat in case your pet pees on it.
Finding Pet-Friendly Accommodations
For globetrotters who’re pet owners, finding pet-friendly accommodation is a must. These tips will help you to find the perfect place for you:
Search the Internet
The first place you want to check is the internet. You can use search keywords like “pet-friendly accommodations in [travel destination].” This will return a list of hotels, motels, apartments, and so on in that location. You’ll also find information from major booking sites like Booking.com and TripAdvisor.
Check Out the Facilities
It’s not enough for a hotel to place an “animals allowed” signage. It should also have basic amenities for pets, such as pet beds, relief spots, pet dining, and grooming areas.
Read the Fine Print
Every pet-friendly accommodation has rules such as the number of pets you can lodge, the type of breeds allowed, and the weight of the animal. Some facilities request a pet fee per animal or make you sign an agreement that you’re responsible for any damages.
While it’s okay for a business to have pet policies, ensure they’re not outrageous and that you fully understand them before booking.
Tips for Air Travel with Pets
Flying with your pet inside the cabin is the best way to ensure their safety. However, it’s not always possible because only animals weighing below 20 pounds are allowed in the cabin. Also, service animals are permitted if their owners can provide supporting documentation in advance.
Whether your dogs or cats will be transported in the cabin or cargo hold, ensure you board the same flight with them. These tips will make your flight stress-free.
Use the Approved Kennel
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has specific rules for pet cargo crates, and airlines require you to comply with them. For starters, the crate should be made of metal, rigid plastic, or fiberglass, and the floor should be leakproof.
Additionally, the crate should have live animal stickers on both sides, including a translated version if you’re traveling to a non-English speaking country, your contact details, a photo of the animal, and details of the last time the animal was fed. You can also contact the airline if you’re confused about anything.
Avoid Flying in Extreme Weather Conditions
Although the temperature in the cargo hold is regulated, your pet will be exposed to extreme heat or cold during loading and unloading if you fly during summer or winter. Therefore, the best time to travel with pets is during spring or fall, when the weather is mild. But you should consider placing ice cubes in your pet’s water bowl to keep them hydrated on the flight.
Consider Direct Flights
Direct flights help you to avoid the mistake of swapping your pet or delays in getting them out of the plane. But if a layover is inevitable and a flight attendant will feed your pet, ensure to leave extra food on the crate with clear feeding instructions.
Handling Pet Health Abroad
Before leaving the US with a pet, you should check the entry requirements of your final destination so that your pet can take the appropriate vaccinations and prepare for quarantine procedures. Also, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises owners to practice safe habits to prevent pets from falling sick or getting injured.
For pets traveling to high-risk countries, additional restrictions are required to prevent contact with other animals or stray dogs as they may be carriers of rabies. And in case of an emergency, make sure you have the contact of a nearby vet at your travel destination.
Creating Positive Travel Experiences with Your Pet
If your dog or cat has never traveled, the first trip should be a memorable one. But it requires careful planning and consideration.
You should get the right pet travel gear and maintain a routine that your pet is familiar with, such as mealtime, bathroom breaks, and exercise. And some toys from home or a blanket can also help to ease the anxiety that comes with visiting a new environment.
Pet-friendly accommodation bookings may fill up fast. So, you should make a reservation in advance and ensure that the pet policies are reasonable, as well as the fees. You shouldn’t leave your pets alone immediately after you check in so they can settle in gradually.
Lastly, your pet should feel secure and loved all throughout the trip to create a positive experience and strengthen the bond you share with them.
Conclusion
Traveling with a pet is a wonderful experience if you’ve got the right plan. But before you make that reservation, you should confirm with a vet that your pet can travel.
Don’t forget to get the essential travel accessories. You should keep them handy, especially if your job requires frequent and impromptu business trips.
And for dogs arriving from places that the CDC considers high-risk countries, you should ensure that you have proof of rabies vaccination and an updated health certificate.