Are you taking your furry best friend with you to Thanksgiving? If you’ve got a holiday trip planned and you’re bringing your pet, there are a few things you can do to make it stress-free for you and your animal!
- Buckle up
In some states, traveling with an improperly restrained pet can result in a fine. More importantly, should you get in an accident, your pet can end up getting seriously hurt. Even animal car harnesses can snap under pressure and result in injury. Make sure your chosen animal restraint product is safety tested and approved.
- Crate-train before you go
Crate training for both dogs and cats gives you a way to acclimatize them to a home away from home.
For cats, leave that carrier out for a couple of weeks before you travel, place some food, and a soft towel inside so they learn it’s a nice place to be. Over time the carrier will smell a bit more like home, so when they are put inside for travel it will be much less stressful.
Dogs also do well with crate training and a nice big crate provides somewhere secure you can put them if staying in a hotel on the way. Even places that don’t advertise as pet friendly will sometimes take pets that are quiet and crated while inside the room.