As the weather warms, animal lovers are increasingly taking their four-legged friends on short trips or longer trips. Service providers are also noticing this, which is why more and more hotels and catering establishments are becoming pet-friendly. However, traveling with a dog or cat can be quite a challenge for both the animal and the owner, but problems can be avoided if you properly prepare for it.
KIKA communication project manager Karolina Tuminauskaitė presents the most important aspects of traveling with a pet that must be taken care of.
“Allow enough time and attention to packing not only your belongings, but also your pet’s belongings. Also check with pet-friendly accommodation and catering establishments, which you can find more and more. Plan the activities – this way the time together will be fun and high-quality”, reminds the expert and discusses what else needs to be kept in mind when traveling with a pet.
Journey by car
If you have set out on a trip by car, K. Tuminauskaitė reminds you to make sure you have everything you need to transport your pet safely.
“A pet walking freely in the car poses a threat not only to itself, but also to other passengers – it can distract attention, run scared and interfere with driving, and it is also important that improper transportation also violates road traffic rules,” the expert assures, adding that traffic safety specialists recommend transporting the pet in a special transport box, a cage in the trunk or using a special transport leash that attaches to the seat belt connector.
“After attaching the leash to the car’s seat belt connector, the pet can move freely, lie down or sit as it wants. In this way, both the animal and its owner are protected from injury during sudden braking in case of an accident. When transporting a dog or cat in a transport box, the so-called “box”, it must also be secured with safety belts. This will prevent the box from sliding around the car during turns or sudden braking. Large animals are advised to be transported in special cages or in the trunk, separating it from the car interior with a special partition,” K. Tuminauskaitė answers how to properly transport pets.
She pays particular attention to the fact that after stopping, even for a short time, it is strictly forbidden to leave the animal alone in the car: “It doesn’t matter if you stopped in the shade – the pet can still get heat stroke.”
What should go in a pet’s travel bag?
For a smooth outing, one of the most important things to take care of is the comfort of your pet.
The representative of KIKA points out that while traveling, there may not be enough time for walks, and in this case, diapers come in handy. Homeowners can choose reusable ones, which are a convenient and environmentally friendly option, or disposable ones, which are more convenient to use when traveling because they can be simply thrown away.
“It is useful to take disposable or reusable pads on the trip – they are needed not only for doing natural things. If you can’t take the animal’s bed with you, the blankets can perfectly replace it”, says K. Tuminauskaitė and adds that various blankets can replace the bed, which are not only suitable for lying down, but also remind of home.
She notices that hunger can interfere with enjoying the pleasures of the trip, both for a person and for a pet, so it is necessary to estimate the required amount of feed, take treats and water.
“A balanced diet makes up as much as 80 percent of pet health formulas, and the remaining 20 percent daily maintenance, therefore, even during trips, it is important to ensure that the animal receives all the necessary substances for its body. The basis of the healthy food pyramid is dry fodder (80%), and canned foods can also be added, which make up 10-12%. of all nutrition, treats (3-5%) and supplements (1-3%),” says the expert.
It is important to take care of protection against ticks
As K. Tuminauskaitė notes, although it is important to take care of comfort, the priority of every owner is the health of the pet. She reminds that ticks are already extremely active at the moment, so means to protect yourself from them are necessary both on a daily basis and on a trip.
According to the animal specialist, there are various ways to protect yourself from ticks, and the most reliable way is to combine them and use a six-level natural protection system, which consists of essential oils and anti-parasitic cosmetics, anti-parasitic collars and drops, ultrasonic pendants and anti-parasitic sprays and aerosols.
Owners can choose chemical or natural means to protect their pets. The latter are non-allergenic, therefore recommended for animals prone to allergies, they can be combined in various ways. According to K. Tuminauskaitė, different chemical means should not be used together, but when using a chemical one, it is possible to combine even up to 6 natural means together.
The risk of overheating increases
Another risk that arises when the temperature column jumps up is overheating.
“If you’ve come to rest where it’s hot, protection from the sun and heatstroke is essential for our four-legged friends. First of all, it is important to always have drinking water with you. It is convenient to store it in such a drinker, in which, if the dog or cat has not drunk everything, it is convenient to pour the water back. Pets often like to run in puddles or lake water, but this should not be allowed, because dirty water can cause poisoning, diarrhea or other ailments,” warns K. Tuminauskaitė.
If the days are extremely hot during the trip, the owner can choose the most comfortable solution for his pet to cool down – a cooling mat, a cooling towel or a vest. “For example, during a car trip, it is extremely convenient to use a cooling mat that can be placed in the pit. When resting, specially designed vests or towels help to cool down – they are pleasantly refreshing, and if necessary, such a towel can help dry the fur and absorb moisture if the animal gets wet, so such a tool helps both to refresh and save space in the bag,” says the expert.
She teaches that owners can pamper their pets during the holidays by making ice cream that suits them: all you have to do is pour the extra soup on a special licking mat and freeze it.
K. Tuminauskaitė adds that if you are traveling near water bodies with your pet, you can also take care of floating toys – activities with them are also a pleasant way to recover from the heat. The expert summarizes that on an extremely hot day it is important to protect the pet from direct sunlight, try to minimize active physical activity, avoid long walks and never leave the pet tied up in a place exposed to the sun.
If the pavement is hot, it is worth taking care of foot balm or shoes. A hat can also protect against overheating, and if you have gone somewhere windy or rainy, then be sure to put a raincoat in your pet’s travel bag.
K. Tuminauskaitė summarizes that if you take the time to plan the trip responsibly and take care of the necessary measures for the animal’s safety and comfort, the trip will go as smoothly as possible. “If you are properly prepared, maybe the pleasant experience of traveling with a pet will encourage you to explore further corners of the world?”, K. Tuminauskaitė asks rhetorically.
