Four-legged family members deserve a vacation, too! However, it's also true that taking them on trips makes everything trickier. How can you prepare? What should you do and bring along to make the journey safe and enjoyable for everyone? Here's what you need to know for a fur-tastic adventure!
Planning a Pet-Friendly Trip
The most important first step is to ensure the trip is a good fit for your furball. Some pets are used to their home routine and may not react well to sudden changes in smells and scenery. Others might be getting old or have trouble breathing, which may eliminate international air travel altogether. If you do fly, check your destination’s regulations and get the microchipping over with in time.
Before anything else, go for a checkup and consult with your vet to assess the pet’s travel readiness. Once that checks out, you can start putting together an appropriate itinerary. This means booking pet-friendly accommodations, planning plenty of rest stops along the way, and choosing destinations that won't overwhelm or endanger your fuzzy friend.
Minimize stress by gradually getting them used to travel conditions. Cats will spend much time in a crate whether you’re flying or going on a road trip, so make sure they’re comfortable inside one for long stretches. Take dogs who don’t usually ride along with you on several increasingly longer trips to make them comfortable inside a car.
Before departing, make sure you’re up to date on checkups and vaccinations. Store all pet-related travel info, like their insurance and vaccination records, reservation confirmations, boarding passes, etc., on your phone and in the cloud. If accessing this info requires multiple logins, it may be worth looking into the best password manager options to securely store your credentials and save time during check-ins and appointments.
Traveling Safely
By whichever means you travel, the pet’s comfort and safety should always come first. Crates are the safest option and a must when flying. You can substitute them for specialized travel harnesses or booster seats in cars to make the trip feel less restrictive.
Either way, keeping the pet confined to a designated area makes sure it won't hurt itself or distract you if you’re driving. It’s best to feed and exercise them several hours prior so that they do their business before traveling and are less anxious during the trip. Cold, fresh water should be accessible at all times. Never leave your pet alone in a car for extended periods, as it can quickly heat up and endanger them.
Bringing the Right Tools
A few choice items can make your trip much safer and simpler. Leashes make sure you can always keep an eye on your buddy and prevent them from running off somewhere they’re not supposed to be. Along with a basic ID tag, equip their collar with a GPS tracker to reunite more easily if they ever get lost.
No-spill water bowls are awesome for keeping pets hydrated without making a mess. Meanwhile, a travel bed will provide a familiar spot to rest wherever you go and is easy to clean, too.
Pray you won't need it, but put together a pet-first aid kit, just in case. It should contain any vet-prescribed medication, a muzzle so they don’t make small wounds worse, some bandages, pet-safe adhesive tape, tweezers for getting thorns or splinters out, scissors, and some antiseptic wipes.
Digital tools can be surprisingly helpful as well. We already mentioned services that keep track of a pet's health info. You can augment these with apps that show you the nearest vet clinics and emergency services, along with timers that help you maintain consistent walks and feedings if you end up in a different time zone.
All of these only work if you're online. Wi-Fi may not always be available, especially if you're on the road in the middle of nowhere. If you're traveling across Europe, choosing the right Europe SIM card before your trip helps you stay connected wherever there's cell service. It can be a much more affordable option than relying on international roaming.