Traveling with our furry friends may sometimes be very challenging and tiring, depending on the character of our friend. However, whether our furry friends are good or naughty, they also deserve to travel comfortably! In this article, we will offer you some tips that will help you travel as comfortably as possible with your pet friend.
Make sure your furry friend is chipped!
In case of a possible loss, the chip is the most useful tool to find your pet friend. Thanks to chipping, your information can be easily obtained from the chip on your lost pet and you can be easily reached via your phone number. If your pet is too young to be chipped, you can also get a collar with your contact information.
Get your pet vaccinated!
First of all, our furry friend must be vaccinated before going on a journey.
Keep your furry friend’s passport with you!
In addition, the pet passport with its vaccination information must be with you during the trip. This is a procedure required by various transportation companies. It will also make it easier for your Veterinarian to intervene in case of possible illness.
Don’t forget to take the medicines and supplements with you that your furry friend uses regularly!
These medications may be allergenic antihistamines or immune system boosters. Apart from this, some calming malts or medications can be given to your paw friend with the advice of your veterinarian.
Get a comfortable and appropriately sized carrying bag!
Get a carrying bag that is suitable for your animal friend’s body size. The ideal carrying bag for this is shown in the image below.
Apart from this, there are also astronauts carrying bags. However, astronaut bags do not get enough air. Since its structure is plastic, it absorbs heat and causes heat stress. At the same time, our friend experiences heat stress because he does not get enough air. In addition, Cats would want to hide, in environments where they do not feel safe. Since astronaut bags are completely transparent, they do not meet the hiding needs of cats. For these reasons, astronaut bags are not recommended during travel. The appropriate visual of the astronaut bags is shown below.
Make sure you take enough food and water with you!
Make sure you have enough water with you, especially in hot weather. It would be beneficial to buy the appropriate amount of food for the trip while taking into account the duration. Apart from this, get a food and water bowl that can be carried throughout the trip.
Take a cover or blanket with you!
Blankets are essential to prevent our furry friends from getting cold while traveling in cold weather. A blanket is a must, especially for some hairless cat breeds (sphynx, donskoy cat) and some hairless dog breeds (hairless Chinese dog, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Hairless Mexican Dog, American hairless terrier, pincher dogs). In addition, even if our paw friend is not a hairless breed, it will be beneficial to buy a blanket or cover if he is newly shaved.
Road Trips
If you are going to travel with your dog, traveling by personal vehicle is the best choice for short distances! Many dogs love car rides. However, it would still be appropriate to have enough food and water to suit the duration of the journey and to take frequent breaks appropriate to our friend’s eating habits. If the weather is hot, the vehicle should be kept cool and the air conditioners should be turned on to protect our pet friend from heat stress.
Heat stress increases our dog’s breathing rate considerably, which is a common situation, especially in breeds with stenotic nose structures (pug, bulldog). If your paw friend has this anatomical structure, you should be extra careful. Also, don’t forget to take your dog’s favorite toy with you. It will make your dog feel a little better in this stressful environment.
If you are going to travel with your cat, travel becomes a little more difficult. Cats are much more stressed animals than dogs on many occasions, including car journeys. Likewise, attention should be paid to heat stress and the vehicle should be kept cool. As I mentioned before, if your paw friend has a hairless structure, it would make sense to have a blanket during the trip. Apart from this, a sufficient amount of sand and a litter box of appropriate size will be useful to meet your furry friend’s needs during breaks.
Bus Trips
First of all, you should make sure that your pet friend is fully vaccinated and has his/her vaccination certificate with you.
If you are traveling with your dog, travel rules vary depending on the bus agency. If your furry friend is over a certain weight, he can sleep in a suitable cage and travel only in the trunk of the vehicle. However, if your paw friend is under a certain weight, he can travel with you on your lap or in the side seat. If your dog is not toilet trained, we recommend that you lay a diaper on the floor of the carrier. This not only makes cleaning easier for you but also allows your furry friend to travel more comfortably. We recommend that you have clean napkins and garbage bags to remove feces. In addition, you can ensure a more comfortable journey by consulting your veterinarian and giving your dog appropriate sedatives.
If you are going to travel with your cat, you can travel together on the lap or in the side seat, following the cage size rules! Cats may sometimes experience urinary or fecal incontinence due to excessive travel stress. For this purpose, our advice to you is to lay a diaper on the floor of our paw friend’s carrying bag and monitor it constantly. It will also be beneficial to have plenty of napkins and clean garbage bags to remove feces from the environment. To avoid such a situation, you can remove food from your pet the day before the trip and limit food consumption. In addition, by consulting your veterinarian, you can ensure that your cat is given appropriate sedatives and has a more comfortable journey.
Plane Trips
When traveling by plane, the rules are much stricter than when traveling by bus. Our suggestion to you is to carefully review the information letter regarding traveling with pets and comply with the rules, whichever airline you choose. Of course, you must have your vaccination certificate with you.
If you are traveling with your dog, the weight restrictions and rules mentioned during the bus trip will apply. By consulting your veterinarian, you can ensure that appropriate sedatives and tranquilizers are given and you can have a more comfortable journey.
If you are traveling with your cat, you need to be mindful of travel stress, as I mentioned above. Some cats have a calmer temperament. However, since plane journeys involve much more stress than bus trips, they require you to approach your pet friend with extra care. Even the calmest cat can become irritable due to stress during air travel. And unlike bus trips, we do not have the opportunity to take a break on plane trips. That’s why it’s essential to be more prepared than ever.
Translated by Mehmet Ali KIRBIYIK.
This blog post has been verified by Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Ibrahim Halil KAYA.
SOURCES
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Batıbeki, S. E. ve Eşittiq 1, B.(2021) Evcil Hayvanlarla Seyahat Üzerine Bir Çalışma, Journal of Humanities and Tourism Research, 2021, 11 (1): 89-102 DOI: 10.14230/johut986.
Demir, Ş. Ş. & Demircioğlu, A. (2021). Konaklama İşletmelerinde Evcil Hayvana Bakış Açısı: Fethiye Örneği . Uluslararası Global Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi , 5 (2) , 77-93 . Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijgtr/issue/67370/1030380
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