Taking your pet along with you on a trip doubles the fun for everyone. However, a lot of thinking and planning goes into it which could get quite stressful. You need to not only look into transportation, but also food, grooming, and everything else, including how this might affect other travelers. To make it easier for pet parents, here is a quick and handy proper guide for a pet-friendly travel experience.
1. Health precautions
Take your pet for a routine checkup to make sure all their vaccinations are in place. After doing this, take all the documents and vaccination certificates which ensure that they have the all-clear to travel. For airline travel, these certificates are a must to have as the authorities will want the necessary documentation of your pet.
2. Crates and carriers
Crates or carriers are safe methods of traveling with your pet in a hassle-free way. This would avoid troubling any other traveler who may not be comfortable with animals. Pet-friendly travel essentially involves the comfort of your pet as well as other travelers around. Crates are easily available in most pet supply shops. While choosing a crate for your pet, you should make sure that it has ventilation on both opposing sides. The crate should have a strong handle and should be sturdy so as to be good enough for travel. It should also have a leak-proof bottom.
3. Identification tags
It would be an absolute nightmare to lose your pet on a trip. But to make sure you get your pet back as soon as possible, it is very important to take measures like making your pet an identification tag with their name and your contact details. A second tag could include a house phone number and your location while on holiday. A tag also prevents your pet from being picked up as a stray.
4. Air travel tips
Airlines state that the pet is the owner’s responsibility and procuring all the necessary documents is mandatory. Rabies and vaccination certificates are required by the authorities before travel. All health documents of the pet have to be provided no more than 10 days before the day of travel. You should also check each airline’s rules for crate requirements.
5. Bus and train travel
Local bus and rail companies have their own policies with regards to traveling with a pet. Some train services only allow service dogs whereas other services allow dogs up to a certain size. There are also additional rules such as making sure your dog or cat travels in a crate and is leashed at all times. Check the rules before making reservations to ensure pet-friendly travel.
6. Car travel
Before embarking on a long trip, do take a couple of short trips along with your pet so that they get used to sitting in a moving car. Do not take your pet out on a heavy stomach, and keep the car well ventilated. If the pet is in a crate, then make sure that there is a continuous flow of fresh air. All these steps are very important to guarantee a pet-friendly travel experience for your dog or cat and yourself.
