Have you wanted to visit friends or relatives, or perhaps hike the trails at a scenic park? Did concerns over leaving your pet behind prevent you from going? Traveling with your pet is easier than you think.
If you travel by car, make pre trip hotel reservations at pet friendly hotels. A large percentage of hotels and motels now accept pets. Check when making your reservations. There will be an extra charge for your pet, but it is usually quite reasonable. The only restriction they place on your pet is that it must be in a crate or pet carrier when you are not in the room with it. Many of these pet friendly hotels have an area for guests to walk their dog and let it go to the bathroom. They do expect the guest to pick up after their dog and deposit his bowel movement in the receptacle provided or in the nearest garbage can if a bowel movement container is not provided. Holiday Inn and Super 8 are two chains my mom and dad used regularly as both were happy to see us. We don’t get to go very often any more because auntie and grandma now live with us, so we stay home to keep them company.
Air travel with pets falls into two categories, in-cabin and cargo. In-cabin pets must be small enough to fit into a carrier that will slide under the seat in front of you. Pets too large to fit comfortably in a small carrier must travel in cargo. Cargo holds are heated, cooled and pressurized, just like the passenger compartment.
A number of years ago, mom and dad’s older daughter (not the one that lives with us) had a blue and gold macaw called “Bucko.” At that time her husband was in the military and they were stationed at Camp Borden near Barrie, Ontario. Bucko did not like some of their military friends and began attacking these people when they came over to visit. This auntie decided that she would have to give Bucko up and phoned mom and dad to find out if they would take him. They agreed to take Bucko. It was in the middle of a very cold Canadian winter so she checked with Air Canada to see if Bucko could be accommodated in the cabin of the aircraft. Air Canada agreed that this would be acceptable providing Bucko traveled in a hard sided dog crate. On the day Bucko was to fly out of Toronto, Ontario, it was cold and windy, so his mom wrapped the dog crate in towels so that Bucko wouldn’t be bothered by drafts. She then turned him over to Air Canada personnel and phoned to tell mom and dad the flight number. Mom and dad met the flight at Regina, Saskatchewan, where we lived at the time. They waited in the luggage area for Bucko. Shortly after the plane landed, an Air Canada flight attendant walked into the luggage area carrying the dog crate containing Bucko. She was asked if he had been any problem and she laughed and said, “No he wasn’t a problem at all. He shared a seat in first-class with model Lauren Hutton.” Auntie never did advise us what the cost of the flight was, but the bird flew in good company.
Before you make a reservation, be sure that the airline will accommodate your pet. Some airlines do not take pets in-cabin; some discount airlines don't accept pets at all. So if you purchase your airline tickets through the Internet, make sure that your pet will be able to travel with you.
Pet passengers require a reservation, whether traveling in-cabin or cargo. Airlines have restrictions on the number of pets they will carry in order to provide safe travel for all. So making your pet's reservation at the same time you purchase your ticket is a good idea. Extra charges for both in-cabin and cargo pets will be assessed.
Purchase a health certificate from your veterinarian. Health certificates are usually only good for ten days, so if your visit will be longer than that you will have to purchase another health certificate for the return trip. It is also wise to carry your pet’s health records with you in the event that you need to use a veterinarian while you are on holidays. This is particularly necessary if your pet has any allergies or medical conditions that might flare-up during your trip.
Your in-cabin pet will need a carrier. These soft-sided carriers come in several sizes, so buy or borrow one that allows your pet plenty of room, but still fits under the seat in front of you. Some of these can be bought with wheels to make transport through the airport easier, however, these will reduce "pet space" under the airplane seat. Window and middle seats have more room underneath than aisle seats due to the seat configurations.
Pets traveling in cargo will need an airline-approved kennel. Generally, these are hard-sided, non-collapsible crates. If your pet already has a sturdy crate it may double as a shipping kennel, but make sure it is airline approved. This may mean going to the airport before the trip to have the crate checked by the airline. This is a little inconvenient, but less so than finding out on the day of the trip that they won’t accept your crate on their aircraft.
Most experts do not recommend tranquilizing your pet. The motion of the airplane seems to have a soporific effect, causing pets (and people) to snooze. Once in the air you'll find that your pet will probably sleep. A word about training is appropriate here. Crate training your pet will make him/her a better traveler. There are many resources available that will show you how to accomplish this. Time spent training will definitely pay off.
Don't hesitate to join the legion of folks who travel with their pets. With a little preparation it can be safe, simple and rewarding.
Until next time,
Teia
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