Traveling with animals isn’t always easy! I remember back in my city days, before I had a car complete with a personal chauffeur (my fiance Chris) I used to have to use public transportation to get around with my pets. Thankfully, many of the trains and buses in the city we lived in allowed animals. Lugging 20 lb Kitsune around in a carrier always made me thankful I opted to keep “small” dogs! Now that we have our own car, traveling with Kit and Fen is a lot easier, although not completely without its hurdles. Keep reading to see our tips for traveling with your pet!
The winter holidays are fast approaching, and with Covid restrictions easing in many places, people may be starting to plan holiday trips. Traveling seems to be one of those things that some people end up sacrificing if they have pets. I know I always feel guilty about leaving my dogs behind, especially now that Kitsune is getting older. If you’re able to, taking your pet on trips with you can be a lot of fun. Make sure you plan your trip ahead of time, to make your travels as stress free as possible for you and your pet.
Post Contents:
- 1 For anyone traveling by car, here are some pet travel tips:
- 2 Keeping your pet in his/her crate or carrier during travel can help to ensure your pal’s safety and comfort.
- 3 If you plan your trip far enough ahead of time, you can use the extra time to gradually get your pet used to spending time in the car.
- 4 Remember not to leave your pet alone in your vehicle.
- 5 Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for pets to suffer from motion sickness.
- 6 It might look fun, but don’t allow your dog to stick their head out the window.
- 7 Create a pet travel kit to bring along with you.
- 8 I mentioned travel papers.
- 9
- 10 Always Plan Ahead!
For anyone traveling by car, here are some pet travel tips:
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Keeping your pet in his/her crate or carrier during travel can help to ensure your pal’s safety and comfort.
It will decrease the chances of your pet distracting you while you’re driving. You can work towards getting your pet used to his carrier before your trip, so it becomes a comfortable/familiar place for them. Always be sure to secure your pets carrier inside your car so it doesn’t get jarred around too much.
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If you plan your trip far enough ahead of time, you can use the extra time to gradually get your pet used to spending time in the car.
Help your pet get used to their crate, even take them on short drives so they gets used to the movement of the car.
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Remember not to leave your pet alone in your vehicle.
There’s been a lot of awareness raised about the dangers of leaving a pet in a hot car. Cold weather can be just as dangerous!
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Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for pets to suffer from motion sickness.
It’s usually best to feed your pet at least three hours before your trip starts, depending on species. But keep in mind that some pets, such as rabbits, should not go without food even while traveling.
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It might look fun, but don’t allow your dog to stick their head out the window.
Flying objects can cause injury, especially to sensitive eyes.
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Create a pet travel kit to bring along with you.
It can include items such as a favorite toy, travel papers, food, a first aid kit, and cleaning supplies. Keep in mind that pets may make messes in your car, especially if they are not used to traveling, so plan accordingly.
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I mentioned travel papers.
Especially when traveling across state lines, make sure to bring your pet’s vaccination records. Also make sure your pet has some form of ID – a microchip, collar, and/or a travel tag that you can attach to your pet’s carrier. Since you are traveling, make sure the contact number listed is one you’ll be able to access while away from home.
Always Plan Ahead!
If you are traveling by some means other than car, it’s still important to plan ahead of time. Some forms of public transportation that allow pets require you to check in earlier than normal if you have a pet with you. Not all trains (etc) allow pets. Some charge extra for “pet tickets” and require you to book in advance. Always call ahead to ensure you are well prepared on travel day.
Make sure that once you reach your destination your pet will have a safe place to stay, whether it’s at a family member or friend’s house, or in a pet friendly hotel. Remember that traveling, then being in new surroundings, can be a stressful experience for your pet. Some pets will adapt better to traveling than others. Make sure you provide your pet with a quiet, safe place to relax and de-stress.
Comment below! Do you travel with your pet(s)? What are some things you do to make sure your adventures are a pleasant experience for everyone?
19 Comments
The most critical thing for me wuld be a microchio. Peple have accidents through no fault of ther own and if your cat or dog has no chip the chances of recovery plummet which should frighten ANYONE into getting their pet chipped before they leave to travel!
T like your advice abut feeding so far ahead of your trip. I had not realised about motion sickness and ‘yuk’ icky sicky in the carrier. Good advice there.
Updated microchips are important for sure! I make sure to keep Kit’s & Fen’s updated, and have the vet check that they are still functioning at their yearly checkups. Unfortunately my advice about motion sickness is based on first hand experience- My Kitsune gets car sick really often.
I have travelled with my cats one time. I took them to a BlogPaws conference with me in Myrtle Beach, SC. They sang the song of their people the entire way (we did a live sing along on Facebook). When they got to the hotel, they were very happy to be out of the car. Your tips are spot on. Making sure that you AND your pets are prepared is the most important part. They need to have experienced the car (or a moving vehicle) a little bit before going on a long ride. I wish I would have planned some longer breaks on the ride there and on the ride back. My kitties didn’t want to use their travel litter box on demand and we ended up with some potty issues. They might have chosen the litter box if they weren’t so rushed to do so.
Aw haha my Fenrir can be loud in the car sometimes too. He usually howls and whines a bit when we first get in the car but, luckily, quiets down after a bit. I didn’t even think of bathroom issues when you’re traveling with cats. Since I only have dogs, bathroom breaks are pretty easy for us – we just walk them around outside a bit.
Great tips! I just took my dog on a long car trip this week. It’s actually nice for me to stop every hour for a break. One thing that I soon learned is to not assume anything. The next morning after we arrived at our destination, I put my dog in the backyard after the landscaper left. I went back about 15 minutes later to check on him and he was nowhere to be found. I neglected to check that the landscaper closed the side gate. My heart dropped! The good news is my dog was waiting for me in the front yard. Thank goodness he didn’t get distracted by a bunny or something.
Oh no! I am so glad to read that your dog was waiting in the front yard and that he didn’t run off.
I do not have a car but use public transport all the time and take Layla with me. I put her (15 lbs) in a backpack which she loves, she sits in it watching the world go by. It is heavy for me but worth it as I feel she is safer that way especially if a bus is full plus my hands are free to hold on. Layla loves going everywhere with me LOL and sees her backpack and starts dancing.
That sounds very similar to how I traveled with my dogs before we got our car! I was always thankful that there was public transportation that allowed pets, and that both my dogs were not *too* heavy lol
These are really great tips. I wish I could travel with my cats, but they absolutely hate leaving the house. But…. some of these tips are great to use on our trips to the vet! Thanks for share these.
Hopefully they do help make vet trips a bit less stressful!
These are great tips for traveling with dogs! Two of our dogs like to travel, but the third one does not. We usually leave her in the care of my sisters.
That’s awesome that you have another option for the dog that doesn’t like to travel!
I have traveled with both my cats in the past. We’ve traveled by car and by airplane together. Everything you listed holds true. Have your travel papers, food, medication, etc handy always. I also would include a favorite toy with familiar scents to keep them calm and have something familiar close by, especially when traveling to new environments. Thanks for sharing this helpful guide.
Oh that’s a great tip that I forgot to mention! When we moved I purposely moved my dogs’ bedding without washing it, thinking that the familiar smells might help them adjust.
Traveling with dogs is definitely not always easy. We consider our guys in any decisions. For example, we always opted for vehicles that offered plenty of room for them to comfortably rest during trips.
We haven’t traveled in quite some time. Since we live in a rural area, there is everything we and our dogs desire right here.
I’m lucky that my dogs are small – we can stick with the type of cars we want without having to worry too much about the dogs not having enough space. We live in a very rural area – these days most of our traveling is to get to hiking spots and the vet’s office lol.
I wish I’d worked with my two cats when they were kittens to travel more with me. I was entirely too busy with my full-time job and barely had time to take care of myself. thank you for sharing what is needed when traveling with pets.
I totally relate to that! We didn’t even have a car when Kit and Fen were puppies. I feel like it’s been harder to get them adjusted to car rides when they didn’t experience it for the first time until they were older. When/if I ever get another dog I’d love to be able to get them used to traveling in the car while they are still young.
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