One of the top reasons for not traveling is the commitments we have to our fur babies. It can indeed be a stressful thing to make arrangements to take care of your pets while you’re away or to ensure proper facilities if you are taking them with you. I have two fur babies; my dog, Sanka, and my cat, Misty. When I moved up here to Ohio, they stayed behind with my parents for a while so that I could get settled. They were going to bring them up here at Christmas, but Hurricane Irma in September changed our plans and all of the sudden their travel resilience was tested. My pets had never really traveled but it turned out that they did remarkably well. I love my babies dearly, but now that I no longer have my live-in pet sitters, it becomes an extra step to the travel planning and budget process.
To Take or Not to Take?
When considering whether or not to leave your animals at home while you travel you should consider the following.
1. If your animal is old and/or sick, in need of medicines, or constant attention, you and your animal are probably better off getting a sitter who could stay with them.
2. The cost of paying for a sitter or boarding can sometimes be exorbitant. There are comfortable pet hotels and the like that will take very good care of your pets, but I know that my animals prefer their own environments whenever possible. If you don’t have anyone you want to ask or burden with taking care of your animals, I have had a lot of success with the Rover app. You can find someone to come and stay at your house, someone who can come during the day to walk the dog, or someone you could leave the animals with while on vacation for very reasonable prices. Whatever your desire and price range, and depending on your needs. If you are just gone for a day trip, there is also the Wag app. I have never used this, and I am assuming it would also depend on giving someone access to your home. This is geared towards dog walking. You can monitor when the walker has come and where they have walked the dog, all through the app.
3. You should think about whether where you are going is going to be pet-friendly. International travel is probably not ideal for your pet. If it going to be a stressful trip for you, it will likely be even more so for your pet. Does where you’re going require pet papers? Will you have the time to take care of your pet while traveling, or do you have a busy schedule?
If you Take…
On the other hand, leaving our pets at home isn’t always an option or a desire. We don’t need to be afraid to travel with our animals. I was particularly nervous about how my dog would do traveling, but with a little trazodone while in transit, he does really well.
1. Start with making sure that your hotel will allow your pets. There are more hotels than you think that will allow pets, but you should know that the hotel will likely charge a pet fee, which can range from $10-$75. Chains that typically allow pets are Four Seasons, Kimpton Hotels, Hilton and Hampton Inns now managed by Hilton, Best Westerns, La Quinta, Red Roof Inn, Comfort and Quality Inns. Many private bed and breakfast establishments will allow pets as well. There are a couple of search engines that will allow you to search for these hotels and tell you about the various pet fees, but I like Pet-Friendly Hotels. If you want to find hotels worldwide, Bring Fido is good too.
2. It should be avoided, but if you are traveling on a plane with your pet, I think it’s best if you can have them up in the cabin with you. I realize that this may not be possible for larger dogs. Fees for traveling with your pet can range between airlines and sometimes be almost as much as your own ticket. If you are traveling internationally there can also be quarantine requirements. Petravel.com is a good place to find specifics depending on your airline. Know that most airlines will not allow pets to travel in cargo at certain times of the year when temperatures in cargo are expected to be below freezing. This is something you should be aware of, even if your airline has no specific regulations regarding this.
3. Have a visit with your veterinarian before you travel to see if they have any specific concerns regarding your pet and how you are traveling. I highly recommend getting a prescription for trazodone or a similar tranquilizer. This will make your pet much more comfortable especially if they are easily excitable like my babies. It just takes the edge off. I give my dog a pill about a half hour before travel and he is very calm while we drive and just conks out.
4. Pack enough food, treats, and a toy or two. Keep their routines as normal as possible by feeding them when they normally get fed, giving them treats when they normally get treats, and taking them out when they normally go out.
5. If you are on a road trip, make a stop every two hours or so to allow for potty breaks and them to stretch their legs. Offer them water, although my dog usually doesn’t want any while under the effects of the tranquilizers. My dog has a car seat that he can lay down in but it secures him as well. My cat has a crate that she will travel in. When my parents brought her up in September, they actually out two crates together, so on one end she had a little box and the other she could lay down.
6. Place the Do Not Disturb sign on your door if you leave your pet alone for any time in your hotel room. You don’t want to make the poor maid staff responsible for your animal escaping or nipping at someone. You can get fresh towels and such from the front desk. Be courteous of people in neighboring rooms, and if you need to allow your dog to do something that they normally wouldn’t be allowed to do at home (ie. get up on the couch or sleep in the bed) to prevent them constantly barking, I say allow it. I mean, my dog is allowed up on the couch and sleeps with me, but I know that isn’t always the case.
Whether you choose to travel with your pet or leave them at home with a trusted sitter, don’t let pets prevent you from traveling. We all love our fur babies and want them happy. Make it work for you both!
Buen viajes con tus animales!
Colleen