Pets > TravelMarch 12, 2010

Many of us travel with our pets, and when we do there are always worries with hotels, maids, leaving the pets in the car while we go in and eat, among other things. Here are my solutions. I have used these for many years and have never once had the least bit of a problem.

On The Road:

At home my pets don't wear their collars at all. But anytime we go on a trip the collars get put on them. You never know when the best behaved dog or cat may slip out of the car. I also keep their leashes tucked into a cubby hole in the area of the car that they ride. The cat ALWAYS rides in a carrier. Made the mistake once of not putting one in a carrier and almost lost her! So since then my cats have ALWAYS ridden in a carrier ANYTIME they go in the car for any reason. I keep a small covered bin in the car with cat litter in it and whenever I stop, keeping all doors and windows shut, I let the cat out to use the make-shift litter box and offer her some water. In her carrier she has her own toys to play with plus a small bit of food too.

In the car I have a pad for them to lay on and a blanket for them to get under. They have a small bowl of food. Not much, just a little so they don't get too hungry and have a snack. I also keep pet snacks handy and offer them one every hour or two. They also have two small NON-SQUEAKY toys to play with, along with one rawhide bone for each dog.

Anytime I stop, I offer them some water, then take them for a walk. Even if I'm only stopping for a minute to run into a ladies room. They probably have to go too! After I've gone in and done my business, I take them for another short walk to let them relieve themselves one last time before hitting the road again. I also give the cat one last chance at the litter box too.

When it comes to eating on the road, I stick with drive thru's. This way I don't have to leave the pets in the car where they may get over heated or too cold. I save restaurant eating for when I arrive at my destination. This also has 2 more good things to it: I save money over restaurants, and also save time too.

At The Hotel:

When I check in I tell the desk clerk that I have pets and that I DO NOT WANT MAID SERVICE during my stay at all. If I will be there more than 3-4 days, I tell them I will let them know what day they can come in. I keep a large laminated sign and some packaging tape in my suitcase. The sign tells the maid in large letters not to enter my room for any reason. When I check into my room I tape the sign to the outside of the door. Each morning, I track down the maids and exchange dirty towels for clean ones. I make up my own bed and take out my own trash.

If I will be there for more than 4 days, I set aside one day when I let the desk know, and bring all the pets outside with me for a good long walk while the maids do my room. The cat is brought out in her carrier. It's too easy for a panicked cat to get out of a collar, or get hurt trying, at the sight of a strange or aggressive dog. Should there be a problem with an aggressive dog that is not being handled by its owner, I report it to the front desk at my first opportunity. This has only happened to me twice and both times the desk people took care of the problem immediately.

I've used this system for many years and have never once had a problem. And by using this system, it makes the trip much more pleasant for me and for my beloved pets.

By Cricketnc from Parkton, NC

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