Pets And Holiday Travel

Whether you’re bringing your pet with you this holiday season or leaving your pet at home, no doubt you’ll need to figure out accommodations for your pet sooner rather than later. Holiday travel in itself can be stressful, but add dealing with pet issues on top of it? No thank you.

But not to worry! There are plenty of ways to travel with or without your pet this holiday season.

Tips for Leaving your Pet at Home

If you have a cat or large dog and need to travel for the holidays, most likely you’ll be leaving them at home. Which means you’ll need to secure a pet sitter now since it’s already November. It’s best not to wait on booking one since this is one of the busiest times of the year.

You can always ask a neighbor or friend to take care of your pet while you’re gone, but if you’re looking for a brand new pet sitter and aren’t sure where to start, check out our article, Questions to Ask When Choosing a Pet Sitter.

There’s always an option for doggie daycare or pet hotels as well if you dog needs daily social activity. This is best for dogs that have a lot of energy they need to expel or ones that have anxiety when they’re alone.

Traveling with Your Pet

If you have a dog that’s used to traveling, there’s a good chance they’ll be coming with you for the holidays! To get prepared for the trip, you’ll need the essentials. This includes any medication, a collar, leash, water bowl, ID tag, toys, a blanket, and even a sweater or jacket if your dog gets cold. You’ll probably want a dog carrier as well if your dog is on the small side whether you’re flying or driving.

If you’re flying, you’ll want to check out this list of precautions from the Humane Society. They suggest bringing your pet with you in the cabin whenever possible for safety reasons. There are size requirements, limited space, and there may be an extra fee, so you’ll want to look into options as soon as possible to secure your pet’s spot in the cabin.

Flying with a pet can be overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. It’s recommended to check out the link above for complete precautions so your pet is completely safe during travel. If all this sounds overwhelming to you, there are companies that specialize in helping people with pet travel such as IPATA– International Pet and Animal Transportation Association.

Also, don’t forget to check out our previous post, How to Travel with Pets for even more information on pet travel.