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Travel has become so common place that people who heretofore would always put their pets in a kennel or have someone home sit, are now thinking about the rewards of taking their pets along for the ride. I am sure if you asked the pets to vote they would say “take me too”.

While it is possible to take your pet on a plane or other mass transportation, there are certain safety and comfort limitations to consider. The best option would be to take your pets with you on a road trip by car. There is one exception that is worth mentioning and that is the new pets only airline, pet airways. You really need to pop over there and take a look at this amazing site. It will give all the details of how it is set up and will offer many, many more travel tips for your cats or dogs.

Car trips can be fun but they do require careful planning. It is interesting to see that pets require a lot of stuff and can quickly usurp much of your cargo space, but pet lovers would probably agree that it is worth it.

Jenn and Roberto recently took a road trip from St. Augustine to Vermont. I got a few pointers from them on what made their trip successful taking along their dogs, Pepino and Cipollina {newly acquired in Vermont and actually taking her first road trip on the way back home from Vermont).  When Nimue, their cat, goes along, she sits in the back along with her brother and sister in her crate, too.  This takes the whole back seat when you line them all up!!

Fortunately, they had a great place to stop halfway for the night at their Aunt Carol and Uncle Ed’s in Virginia. But, Roberto said that for those who must stop at a hotel or motel, he would advise calling the hotel ahead of time and speaking to someone, even if the website said “pet friendly”.

Things to know would be if you would be able to leave the pets unattended in the room when you are out dining. While they would need to be in their crates, they might be scared and may bark or cry. I don’t think most hotels would allow pets in the dining room. Although Jenn tells me that some communities are allowing dogs on a leash if you are dining alfresco. Yet, this would not be an option in the winter up North! May be a better bet to get room service or delivery. Another good tip from Roberto was to request a first floor room. It would make those middle of the night potty runs outside a lot easier. Courtesy would dictate that you do not let your pets water the hotel plants or bushes.

Here is a list of items to take for your pet:

• Food
• Water
• Container or bowl
• Lots of treats
• Kongs with peanut butter
• Toys
• Blankets
• Pooper scooper / bags
• Kitty litter
• Carriers with ID tags affixed
• Leash
• Jackets for short haired pets in winter

I asked Pepino and Cipollina if I forgot anything and they gave me two paws up!! Unless of course it was just to take their Grannie to snuggle with, too.