As the holidays wrap up, many holiday travelers begin to say goodbye to their friends, families, and vacation destinations, to head back to everyday life.
An estimated 22% of these travelers, according to a Wellness Pet Food Survey, will be traveling with their beloved pets.
This is very close to home for us, as our Our spokesdogs Lexi and Emee travel with us very often, either by car or by plane.
On a recent business trip to Miami sans-canines, I was surprised by the number of people at the airport with their cats, going back home for the holidays. Dogs are common flight companions but seeing cats on my flight was very exciting and made me happy to know so many more cat owners are including them in their holiday plans.
Not all pets are travel savvy, and may not be the best to accompany you on your trip. Please make sure you keep your pet’s health, mental and physical, in their best interest.
First and foremost, make sure that all of your overnight stops and final destination are pet-friendly, even when visiting family or friends. Always make sure everyone is ok with you bringing your pets. Once you get the approval and have confirmation of pet-friendly hotel room availability, start making your travel reservations.
If traveling by plane, here are a few tips for you to have a smooth flight and safe trip:
Contact your airline a soon as you know you want to incorporate your pets into your holiday plans. You will need to check for pricing, and space availability as some airline have an in-flight pet maximum.
Find out if you need any health records or documents from your veterinarian before your departure date. This is also a great time to call your vet to update an vaccinations or boosters your pet may need such as Bordetella to prevent kennel cough and Lyme Disease, depending on your destination.
Do you have the right pet carrier? Make sure you check to see if he dimensions are approved by your airline, and make sure it is the most comfortable for your pet or pets. Some airlines allow 2 pets per carrier but others just one. As you see above, our new favorite is the Sleepypod, and it is made for different type of pets.
Fortunately for our Lexi and Emee, they are small enough to relax in 1 carrier and curl up under the seat in front of me while flying with our frequently traveled airline. Not all have the same rules and regulations, so please check below for some of the pet friendly airlines for the specifics.
If you are traveling by car, be sure to have a safe kennel for the pets to travel safely and comfortably. Try to keep your pets’ potty, feeding, and water breaks as normal as possible. Some pets may not want to drink or eat while traveling, so try to make the best of each break. If they’ll eat but not drink, add a little water with their food, etc.…
At this time, I do not see approval for pets traveling by bus, unless they are Service Animals.
So next time you decide to travel, if you want your entire family to go, just take a few extra steps to ensure everyone travels happy and healthy!
Click one of the companies below for pet travel information.
Air
Railway
Bus
Greyhound