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The holidays are a time to celebrate the ones you love, including your pets. For many people, it makes no sense to travel to family celebrations without their favorite furry companion.
While air travel is an option for cross-country jaunts, car travel is easier for most pets and pet parents. A road trip allows you to maintain a schedule of exercise and feedings without disrupting routines too much.
5 Tips for a Pet-Friendly Holiday Road Trip
Traveling with your pet requires preparation. Animals need a lot of routine care and attention, and a road trip can cause some stress or anxiety. If you want to travel this holiday with your pet pal, consider ways to make travel easier for them.
1. Visit Your Veterinarian
Before any adventure, schedule a checkup with your pet’s veterinarian. Like children and most adults, your pet may not like trips to the vet, but the visits play a vital role in pet travel and care.
Traveling with your pet means staying at pet-friendly establishments, and many of these places require proof of vaccinations and an updated health certificate. Try to schedule the appointment as close to your travel date as possible, usually within 10 days.
Depending on your trip, proof may not be essential. If you plan to camp or stay with family friends, they may not require vaccination records for your stay. Still, getting a clean bill of health before your trip is an excellent way to ensure your pet is ready and capable of travel.
You can also take the time to talk to your vet about safe ways to soothe your animal’s stress or anxiety during the trip. While some people use tranquilizers, they are not the best options because they can interfere with your pet’s breathing. Your veterinarian may recommend a supplement like the HomeoPet Travel Anxiety Animal Supplement. A supplement can help soothe nerves and help your pet settle into the trip.
2. Prepare a Pet Space
Your pet needs a space in the family vehicle to feel comfortable and safe. Depending on the size of your vehicle, that safe space might be in the backseat or back of the vehicle in a crate or appropriate-sized kennel.
Regardless of where your pet’s space is in the car, you want to consider the material and your pet’s fur. Fabric interiors seem to attract and collect dog fur, even from short-hair breeds. To protect the interior of your vehicle, consider investing in a seat cover, such as the PetSafe Happy Ride Quilted Bench Seat Cover. Covers create a barrier between your pet and the seat material, ensuring all fur collects on the cover, not the seat.
You might also consider bringing a few of your pet’s favorite toys and a bed. For small dog breeds, you can purchase the Pet Life Pawtrol Safety Dog Carseat and Pet Bed. The bed attaches to the headrest, which secures it in place and provides a comfortable place for your pet to relax.
3. Put Together a Travel Kit
Every road trip needs a travel kit for each traveler. Your kit likely includes favorite snacks, drinks, books, games, and more. The kit prevents boredom and ensures each person or pet has what they need.
Your pet needs a comfortable place to relax, one or more toys, a leash for exercise, and food and water. The Kurgo Kibble Carrier Dog Food Holder makes it easy to travel with a supply of pet food, and the Cruising Companion Collapsible Silicone Travel Dog Diner provides collapsible dishes to serve a meal.
When putting together your pet’s travel kit, don’t forget about medications, pet waste bags, and any other items that are specific to your pet. You don’t want to be halfway across the country and realize you forgot something important.
4. Think Safety First
When traveling with your pet for the holidays, you want to ensure they are safe. Car accidents are unfortunately common and dangerous. People have seatbelts and airbags to protect against significant injuries, but how does your vehicle protect your pet?
Many travelers do not tether their pets to their vehicle seats; they allow them to move about the cabin freely. The problem with not securing a pet is the increased risk of injury to the animal and its owner.
The Kurgo Direct to Seatbelt Tether ensures your pet is secure when riding in the car. The tether restricts the animal’s movement, ensuring they do not become a distraction. Also, should an accident occur, the animal is safer.
5. Keep Your Pet’s Routine
Pet anxiety is a genuine concern when traveling. Your home represents a sanctuary or safe harbor for your pet, a place where life is predictable, and on a schedule. A road trip is an interruption to the security your pet feels when at home.
To reduce stress and anxiety for your pet, try to maintain a normal schedule or routine as much as possible. For example, if you typically feed your dog at specific times, stick to those times on the trip. Also, if your pup is used to taking a walk around 5:00 p.m., pull over, attach its leash, and take a stroll.
Pets are a lot like small children; they thrive with routine and certainty. If you can stick to their routine, you can negate some of the negative emotions that may accompany the uncertainty of travel.
Holidays are full of travel. People take road trips across the country to see family and friends and celebrate in good company. There is no better company than your pet, and they can join you for your holiday travels; just be sure to plan ahead to keep them happy and safe.
