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Travelling With Pets - Safety First

There might be a well known phrase or saying somewhere that says " Pets and Journeys don't mix": and that may not be far from the truth, depending on the journey as much as depending on the pet. If you have a pet alligator or anaconda must journeys will be fraught, yet the shorter ones less so. The same rule applies to the more popular varieties of household pets, cats and dogs. People who make regular car journeys and prefer to make them with their favorite family pet or pets aboard, should establish a method that is comfortable both for themselves as well as their dog or cat.

Cats are not very good travellers and can cause a major disturbance in the car when being transported, The simple reason is that cats are very fond of their own environment and in most cases can become very hysterical in a car. The simple rule of thumb for any cat owner is to acquire a cat transporter cage if the need arises to transport the family cat, which in most cases is to the family vet. Whatever the reason, the journey should be short, yet no matter what will be unpleasant. When in the cage, the cat will make a lot of noise as he, she or it will find being confined in the cage very unpleasant and frightening, and will be firing out its full repertoire of cat noises from within its cage. No matter how disturbing and unpleasant this might be, it certainly will be a lot better than having the cat wander around in the car freely, as the chances of the cat causing an accident due to slipping under the pedals, or scratching the driver during an escape attempt will be very high. No matter the temptation to allow someone to hold the cat during a journey, even the shortest one, resist it. Bear in mind that it is better the screech of a cat in a cage than the screech of a car's brakes as you crash through a major road junction.

Transporting a dog is, in most cases, a much more tranquil experience. Dogs generally have no problem being in car, and in their minds, relate it to some kind of pleasant experience, such as being taken to the beach for a good run, or to visit some relative or friend of the family where the leftovers were especially good.

In some cases, dog owners who know that they will be taking a lot of journeys, will begin to travel cagertrain their dog as a puppy, to allow the dog get used to the experience. Dogs and travel cages do mix together pretty well, and the driver will have the peace of mind to know that if something unpleasant should happen during the course of a journey, such as minor accident or a breakdown, they will not need to contend with the dog running around and being a danger to themselves or anyone else in the vicinity.

If you do not intend to travel often with your dog in the car, or not at all, you will be well advised to try a trial journey once or twice to test the dog's abilities as a traveler. Dogs love adventure and will rarely hesitate to leap into a car if invited. However it is never a good idea to put off discovering if your dog is liable to have a panic attack or become car sick when you are travelling down a motorway at one hundred miles an hour with four kids and your mother-in-law in the car.

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