10 things to figure out before you put the dog in the car or the cat in a tiny airplane bag.
Traveling with an animal sounds adorable.
And sometimes it is.
Your dog sticking her head out the window. Your cat discovering a hotel bed. Finding the perfect little pet-friendly patio and ordering yourself a drink while your companion lies peacefully beneath the table.
Other times you're standing in an airport whispering, please do not shit in there, to a small creature who has no idea why you've dismantled her entire life.
Pet travel requires planning.
More planning, frankly, than the pet will ever appreciate.
Here are the things worth figuring out before you go.
1. “PET-FRIENDLY” CAN MEAN ALMOST ANYTHING
A hotel saying it welcomes pets does not necessarily mean your pet stays free, can be left alone in the room, has access to the entire property, or will be greeted downstairs with a tiny monogrammed bathrobe.
Check the actual policy. Look for pet fees, weight limits, breed restrictions, number-of-pet limits, and rules about leaving animals unattended.
And if you're building a trip around bringing your dog, look beyond the hotel. Where can you actually go together?
Parks? Beaches? Trails? Restaurants with outdoor seating? A pet-friendly room isn't particularly useful if everything you want to do requires leaving the pet behind.
2. IF YOU'RE FLYING, READ YOUR AIRLINE'S PET RULES LIKE A CONTRACT
Airline pet policies are not interchangeable.
Carrier dimensions, weight limits, fees, accepted animals, cabin rules and documentation can vary by airline and sometimes by aircraft or route.
Do not buy a carrier because TikTok told you it was airline-approved.
There is no magical universal airline-approved bag.
Check your airline's current requirements for your exact trip before buying anything.
And do it before booking, if bringing the pet is non-negotiable, because airlines can limit how many animals are allowed in the cabin on a particular flight.
3. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL
Pun unfortunately intended.
If you're leaving the United States with a pet, start researching early.
Not the week before.
Not when you suddenly remember while packing.
Early.
Every destination sets its own entry requirements, which may include microchips, vaccinations, tests, treatments and health certificates. Some paperwork may need to be completed within very specific windows before arrival.
If you're traveling from the U.S., the USDA recommends contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel internationally with your pet.
And don't forget the return trip.
Getting your animal into another country is only half the paperwork romance. You also need to know what will be required to bring them home.
4. GIVE THEM THEIR OWN BAG
Pets require an astonishing amount of luggage for creatures who refuse to carry any of it.
Mine would include:
enough regular food for the trip, plus extra
treats
water
collapsible bowls
leash and harness
waste bags or litter supplies
medications
vaccination and medical information
a familiar blanket or toy
basic first-aid supplies
cleaning wipes
an extra towel
Keep the things you'll need during transit somewhere accessible.
Do not bury the water bowl underneath three suitcases.
You know exactly when your dog will become desperately thirsty.
5. UPDATE THE MICROCHIP BEFORE YOU LEAVE
A microchip isn't terribly helpful if it's registered to the phone number you had in 2017.
Check it.
Make sure your current contact information is attached to the chip, and put an updated ID tag on your pet's collar or harness.
I also like having a recent photo of the animal on my phone.
Not merely 4,000 adorable photographs of her sleeping in increasingly improbable positions.
A clear, current photo showing what she actually looks like.
Hopefully you never need it.
6. PRACTICE THE TRIP BEFORE THE TRIP
If your cat has only ever entered the carrier immediately before something terrible happens at the veterinarian, suddenly putting her inside it for eight hours is unlikely to inspire confidence.
Leave the carrier out at home.
Put familiar bedding inside.
Let it become furniture rather than an omen.
For dogs, try shorter drives before attempting the twelve-hour family road trip.
The first time your animal experiences the carrier, harness, crate or car setup should not ideally be the morning you're leaving.
7. ASK YOUR VET ABOUT ANXIETY OR MOTION SICKNESS
If your pet becomes anxious, nauseated or otherwise miserable while traveling, talk to your veterinarian before the trip.
Don't experiment with random calming products on departure day.
And I would especially avoid deciding independently that your pet needs CBD or a sedative because somebody online said it worked for theirs.
Your veterinarian knows your animal's health history and can recommend whether medication or another approach makes sense.
The goal isn't simply to make the pet quiet.
It's to make the trip safe and tolerable for them.
8. ROAD TRIPS NEED PET STOPS
Your bladder is not the only bladder in the car.
On long driving days, build in time for water, bathroom breaks, stretching and movement.
And remember that unfamiliar places can change an animal's behavior.
The dog who never bolts at home may suddenly become very interested in something across an interstate rest area.
Leash first.
Open door second.
Also, never leave an animal alone in a parked car when temperatures could become unsafe. The inside of a vehicle can become dangerous much faster than people realize.
9. BRING THE BORING PAPERWORK
If you're traveling far from home, keep your pet's vaccination information, medications, veterinarian contact information and relevant health documents somewhere you can actually access them.
For international travel, requirements get considerably more specific, so follow the current rules for your destination rather than relying on a generic checklist.
I also look up an emergency veterinary clinic near where I'm staying.
Not because I expect anything to happen.
Because if something does happen at 11:47 p.m., I don't want that to be the moment I'm Googling emergency vet near me with one hand while holding a vomiting cat with the other.
10. SOMETIMES THE BEST PET-TRAVEL HACK IS NOT TAKING THE PET
This isn’t popular with pet lovers, but it still deserves saying.
Not every animal wants to travel.
We may love the fantasy of bringing them with us, but the important question is whether they will enjoy or comfortably tolerate the experience.
Some dogs hear “road trip” and are waiting at the door before you've finished the sentence.
Some cats would like you to know that leaving their living room constitutes a human-rights violation.
Know your animal.
A trusted sitter in a familiar house may sometimes be much kinder than dragging a terrified pet through airports, hotels and unfamiliar streets simply because we want them with us.
Travel together when it works for both of you.
And when it does?
Bring the treats.
Bring the paperwork.
Bring the lint roller.
You're definitely going to need the lint roller.
