Holiday Ready: What To Do For Your Pets

Holidays invite you to make memories that will last a lifetime. But it can be a lot of stress for your fur-baby if you are not able to prepare him with all the routine changes, especially if you are going somewhere this holiday season.

While preparing for all the fun, your fur-baby should also be as happy as you.

Let these tips help you and your lovable pet have a stress-free holiday adventure!

Call ahead

Though many hotels and camping grounds allow pets, there are also many who don’t allow them. Before traveling for the holidays, it’s important to call ahead where you will be staying to make sure your fur-baby will also be welcomed warmly. Ask first before you book your accommodations so you wouldn’t have to deal with more stress upon checking-in.

Consult your vet

Before traveling, you have to make sure that your fur-baby is fit and healthy enough for travel. Take your dog to the vet and have an overall check-up as your fur-baby (especially if you have a senior one) may have an undiagnosed health issue that could worsen if he travels. 

Update id tags

Contact information for your dog (or most likely yours) is important when you’re traveling because the possibility of your fur-baby escaping, getting lost, or getting stolen is higher than a casual night at home. Also, if you haven’t done so, consider having your fur-baby micro-chipped. Sometimes your fur-baby’s collar tags get caught on things and fall off, leaving your dog nothing to be identified with. Micro-chipping solves this problem.

Get your pet a comfortable carrier

Traveling by car or by plane can be exhausting and since he must be kept inside the carrier for most of the time while on the road, you will want to provide a carrier that will allow him to move freely and stretch every time he feels stressed out.

Let him wear diapers

We can always call out a passing rest stop and step on the brakes whenever we find the need to “take a break” but our pets can’t. Controlling the urge to pee or poop is truly difficult to do and many pets fail to do so during long trips.

This is why pet diapers or belly bands for your cat or dog come in handy when traveling for the holidays! Pet diapers and belly bands will contain any mess your pet may have and preventing pee or poop accidents from making a mess of the car or carrier and keeping you from having to deal with messy cleanups in the middle of nowhere. 

Pee pads for that added protection

Yes, pee pads are also a thing. As your fur-baby won’t mean to soil your car, sometimes accidents happen. Aside from letting him wear pet diaper or belly bands, you can also opt to place pee pads as a carrier bedding or place it under your pet’s crate (if he’s traveling in one) for that added leakage protection. Don’t let messes mess up your holiday!

Stick to your daily routine

Pets love to stick to what they’re used to and traveling for the holidays *kind of* ruins that and that will make your fur-baby more stressed out and more anxious.

To avoid adding more insult to injury, even if you’re in a new place, stick to the daily routine your fur-baby is used to every day.

Take him for a short walk at the same time, feed him at the same time and give him loads of love and attention.

Note: Remember that you are not supposed to give your fur-baby a full meal when traveling as he might experience GI upset or may even vomit and nobody would want that. Instead, you can provide him with his favorite treats and give one piece at a time. Don’t forget to bring your water supply, too!

Provide calming supplements