Furry Friends Hits the Road

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It’s a common dilemma for the animal lovers among us: How do you balance your obligations to your four-legged friend with your love of travel?
In a perfect world, you and your pet could travel the globe together with ease and you’d never have to make a hard choice between traveling and spending time with your pets. While that isn’t always the case, there are certain instances where it is quite possible to combine your love of travel with your love for animals. Vacationing with a pet is a very doable, provided you take the right precautions and put the right plans in place before you disembark – no pun intended.

When traveling with pets, it is imperative that you consider how stressful this can be on your furry companion. Most animals are used to a specific routine and don’t get out too often. Unless your pet is a veteran road warrior, you should take some extra precautions to ensure that they will be comfortable. For those with more extreme cases of travel-induced anxiety, a veterinarian can recommend appropriate medication to keep your pet calm during travel. Some animals are also prone to carsickness, but there are medications available for that as well. In short, better living through chemistry is also available to your animal companions, so don’t hesitate to seek out the advice of a vet before shipping out. Each mode of transportation has its own pros and cons, so it’s up to you and your vet to determine whether your pets are up to the task of riding the rails, hopping a plane, or navigating the highways.

It is also very important that you seek out appropriate accommodations for you and your pets on your travels. There are many animal-friendly hotels and rentals available for those who do a little research (such as taking a look at the pet-friendly lodging website petswelcome.com), but make sure you’re keeping your pets’ temperament and individual needs in mind as well. For instance, if you have a very active dog, keeping them in a small hotel room might significantly cramp their style and make the trip less enjoyable for you both. Instead, seek out something with some room to run and possibly even a yard. Finding activities that you will both like will also ensure that your pet enjoys the vacation as much as you do. Taking adventurous dogs for a nature hike or sociable dogs for a stroll around downtown will do wonders for your pooch’s experience. Cats are a little more laid back when it comes to activities, so you’ll want to find somewhere reasonably quiet with some safe spaces for your feline friends to get some privacy. No matter where you stay, make sure you’re not only thinking about your own needs, but keeping the four-legged members of your traveling party in mind as well.

IVHE makes it easier to find a home away from home that will help you and your domestic companions enjoy your trip. By selecting their “pets considered” filter while searching for properties, you’ll find a comprehensive list of the global luxury vacation homes that may accept your cat or dog. When you’re traveling with pets, you can’t beat the space and accommodation that a real home can provide, so this can be one quick way to ensure that you find the right digs for your dogs. While it can take a little extra preparedness to design a vacation around your pet, it is worth it. You’ll never beat the peace of mind you’ll have with your best friend close to you on your travels and your pets will get to experience new sights and smells that will keep them engaged and excited to hit the road with you next time.

Thank you to travel writer Emma Sledge.