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While it might already be a stressful thing to travel by yourself or with your family, it is a new kind of stress when you are trying to travel with a pet. There are a lot of rules, and a lot of people aren't pet-friendly. If you are planning on going across the country or overseas, there are a few tips that you should read through before you jump on that flight, boat, train, or hop in the car.
Try to keep everything direct if you are in the air
There are a lot of things that your pet will go through on a flight. The noises, the scary scenes, the feeling of being in the air, and being handled by the crew if your pet is too big to be upfront with you. When you are planning on flying with your pet, you should make sure that you keep everything direct for the shortest flight possible. You don't want to fly through a storm that could scare your pet, and you don't want careless attendants to take care of your animal.
If in a car, do test drives to see how your pet handles the trip
If your pet has never been in a car before, or if they haven't been on a long car trip, you want to make sure that your pet is ready for a long journey by taking them on a short one. Whether you are used to the vet trips or trips to the park, you still need to do test drives by going a little farther and a little longer. The way your pet reacts to this longer journey will tell you whether or not your pet is ready for a trip across the country.
If they don't handle the longer trip well, you can take shorter trips to work them up to it. Try not to stress out your pet when you are doing these test trips, give your pet resting spots where you aren't driving, and have patience as it will take time to work through the stress of your pet. You have to make sure that you are taking things as slowly as your pet needs you to because, for example, a French bulldog lifespan is about 10 to 14 years and you don't want to make it shorter by scaring him.
Make sure you have a crate or carrier for small animals5
Whether you are driving, flying, or taking the world by train, you want to make sure that your small animals have a crate or carrier that you can bring with you. Small animals on the loose during travel, if in your own personal vehicle, can just cause more problems, and put you at risk of having an accident.
If you are flying, taking a boat, or riding on a train, you are required to have a crate or carrier for your animals. Make sure that you get one that is comfortable, your pet feels safe in, and is secure so that your pet doesn't get loose mid-travel.
Find a place that is pet friendly before you reach your destination
Before you even begin this journey with your animal, save yourself the stress and find a hotel that is pet-friendly. You don't want to start this adventure with your furry best friend if there is nowhere safe for it to sleep at night. Make sure that you have secured a room at a place that allows the type of pet that you own, or find a friend in the area that is okay with having your pet along for the ride while you are in town so that your pet is always safe, comfortable, and not left in the car.
If you are flying, your pet must have all of its shots up to date
This is something that you should be aware of before thinking about taking your animal somewhere. Since your pet will be traveling with other pets on this journey, if they are too large to fit under your seat, you will need to make sure that they don't share any diseases or fleas. This means that you need to make sure your pet is at least eight weeks old before flying across the country, and at least four months old before traveling internationally.
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