When you decide to have a pet, it becomes a member of your family with full rights. You take it for walking every day, visit the vet for regular check-ups, and take care of its meals and eating habits. Moreover, when it comes to going on holidays, it becomes difficult to think of spending a period without your pet and leave it at a pet hotel or with a friend.
Thus, the first thing that comes to your mind is taking your pet with you. However, this comes with several elements that you should take into consideration. Whether you take your pet to the beach or hiking, you should take very good care of it. Traveling can be stressful not only for you but also for your pet. So, if you want to know how to travel comfortably and safely with your pet, then you should keep reading this article.
4 Tips to Travel Comfortably with Your Pet
Visit the Vet
Before traveling with your pet, it is mandatory that you should make a visit to the vet. On one hand, he needs to do a detailed check-up of your pet and make sure that he is 100% healthy and it will not be affected by the change of location. What is more, you should tell your vet the country you are traveling to and get details on the local requirements.
It may be that you will need to have with you a certificate with all the vaccines and tests that you’ve done to your pet. Furthermore, there are certain countries which require specific vaccines and immunizations tests. Discuss all these details with your vet and make sure you have everything in order before traveling.
In addition, in case your pet needs special medication or flea prevention, you should make sure that you buy them in advance and have them with you during traveling. You can also discuss with your vet and check whether you will find those pills or food in the destination country.
However, it is always better to have a sufficient supply with you. Moreover, depending on the means of transportation you are going to use, your vet can give you efficient tips on how to help your pet get rid of stress. Finally, you should also get a microchip implant for your pet. It is very useful in case you lose it as you can immediately localize it.
Exercise with your pet
When you are traveling with your pet, you should put it in a comfortable carrier. However, when your pet is used to staying in the house and close to you all day, it becomes very difficult for it to stay calm in the carrier. Therefore, you will need to practice with it in advance.
In the beginning, you can put it inside and leave the door open. You can also make it comfortable and put its favorite blanket or toy inside. Increase the time spent inside the carrier with every day and praise it every time it succeeds to stay in the carrier.
Even though in the beginning your pet won’t want to stay inside the carrier, it is very important to not force it to do as you wish. Give it time and it will learn what it has to do. Moreover, you can invest in some calming products which will make the travel easier. For example, you can try a lavender oil which has a calming effect over your pet.
You can also try a pet calming vest which helps your pet reduce anxiety and resist during the travel. On the other hand, you should also have some restraining items with you. For instance, you cannot leave without a leash or collar. They will also help you keep your pet calm and under control.
Prepare the travel kit for your pet
Before you start packing the luggage for your pet, you should prepare the checklist with all the necessary items you should take with you. Depending on the type of transportation you are choosing for traveling, you should put the following items on your checklist:
- Sufficient dry food
- Medication and any special items you will need for first aid
- Travel documents which include the vaccines and test you did to your pet
- Your pet’s favorite blanket and toys
- Your vet’s business card
What is more, you should also pack enough food for your pet. If it is used to a special diet, you should take sufficient quantity with you. For example, you should take dry food with you. This is the easiest to carry the type of food.
What is more, you can also research in advance and check whether you can find that type of food at the destination. Apart from dry food, you should also have canned food with you. In case your pet isn’t used to eating only dry food, then a couple of cans with wet food is exactly what you need to keep your pet comfortable.
Keep your pet calm during the travel
Even though you have practiced a lot before traveling, this doesn’t mean that your pet won’t get stressed during that day. In case you are traveling by plane, you should talk to the airline staff and inform them about your pet. In case your pet is not traveling with you in the cabin, you should also check with the staff if they have loaded your pet.
What is more, if it is possible, you should opt for a direct flight and decrease the stress for your pet. On the other hand, if you want to keep your pet calm, you should keep it hydrated and fed, but without exaggerating with the food. Feed your pet 3 hours in advance and everything will be ok.
Moreover, before onboarding, it is a good idea to give it a bathroom opportunity. In addition, you should take care of your pet also during the flight. You should have some bottled water with you and offer it during the flight. However, you shouldn’t carry big quantities of water with you as accidents can happen. If it’s not possible to feed or give water to your pet during the travel, you should do it immediately as soon as you arrive.
Choose accommodation carefully
When booking accommodation, always check with a landlord or a hotel if pets are allowed. Sadly, there are many places where animals are not welcome, and even if a place is pet-friendly, they still may not have suitable cabins available. So you’d better know for sure.
If you feel lucky, you may try and come up with a touching letter to your landlord telling how friendly and polite your pet is. Who knows, maybe you’ll manage to melt their heart and they make an exception? You may even go further and check some of the best copywriting services to have an eloquent piece written for you.
If you want to keep your pet healthy and comfortable while traveling requires detailed preparation in advance. However, when you will see how happy your pet is, you will agree that it was worth every effort. By keeping your pet comfortable during the travel, you will not only do something good for your pet, but you will also be relaxed because you know that it is safe.
Last Updated on 10/01/2024 by Karen Snow
Hi! I’m Karen and a certified dog lover. As a freelance writer and blogger, I do my best to squeeze in some time with my dogs, learning more about the way they act and how I can make sure that they continue to stay well-cared for by yours truly.
My dogs have helped me through a lot, and this is my way of giving back to them! Besides animals, I also love to travel and cook, having explored my country’s restaurants and unique places. Follow me as I show you all the amazing tips and bits of information I learn along the way about our furry friends!