Vacations are always more fun with family and friends, and for most pet owners, their furry friends qualify. Whether you want to take a dog on a weekend trip to the beach or bring your cat on a transatlantic journey, however, special considerations must be made for the pet’s comfort and safety while traveling. It isn’t possible to describe what happens inside a plane to a dog, or tell a cat what to expect on a long road trip. Instead, follow these tips to be sure that your pet has a tolerable experience getting from home to your destination and back again.
First, be sure to consider whether bringing along your pet will be a good idea for both of you. The added inconvenience of bringing a pet along will cut into your vacation time, while the stresses of travel may be more unpleasant for your pet than the unpleasantness of being without you, their beloved owner. Naturally, should you decide to bring a pet along, you will also need to do quite a bit of research on your destination, making sure that your hotel and other arrangements will be pet-friendly.
If you want to bring your pet along, you will likely want to choose a destination that can be reached by car; the Humane Society of the United States outright recommends against airplane travel for pets except in cases of absolute necessity. Car rides can be managed easily for both cats and dogs, as long as you keep your friend in a crate or carrier in the back seat for the safety of all passengers. In addition, never leave them unattended in the car. Unless you are flying to another location with plans to stay permanently, however, you will almost certainly want to find a boarding kennel or arrange for a pet sitter rather than subject your pet to the unsafe conditions of airline travel.
