[Animals] Do you take your dog or cat on vacation? Keep these tips in mind

[#Steeven.™]

Easter is already here and temperatures tend to rise in a general way. With these perspectives, it is possible that you are finalizing the preparations to go on vacation and that you have decided to take your dog or cat to spend a few days of rest away from home. If this is the case, there are a series of recommendations that you should take into account so that the trip is as comfortable and pleasant as possible for both of you.

But before starting a trip with your dog or your cat (or both), you must take into account the idiosyncrasies of the animal, that is, what are its peculiarities and its character and how adaptable it is to foreign environments for it, because it does not It is the same to travel with a calm animal, which overcomes changes without problems, than with one that does not like to be surrounded by strangers and in unknown places.

 

Get used to it from a young age
For Montse Rovira, a Catalan real estate agent who loves animals - not in vain she has two dogs and a cat - it is essential "to get him used to traveling from a young age. We started traveling with my cat when she was weeks old and now we take her everywhere: restaurants, bars, shops... he has even done the Cares route", in Asturias.

And in a very peculiar way: walking with a harness as if it were a dog. It was not for nothing that he was known as "the Cares cat", explains Rovira, who says that it was difficult for them to go hiking without people stopping to ask her and the rest of the family -her husband and two daughters- how they had got the cat to do the walk. "It's true that my cat doesn't last as long as a dog, but when she gets tired, you put her in the backpack and that's it," she explains.

Be that as it may, it is convenient to plan a trip adapted to your pet, just as it is done when traveling as a couple, with small children or with adults. And when organizing getaways with your dog or cat, a series of recommendations must be taken into account:

1. Means of transportation that accept pets
Not all airlines allow animals to be carried in the aircraft hold and to carry them in the cabin you must do so in a suitable carrier, comfortable for them and for you. Ships and trains are usually less restrictive with animals, but they also put certain limitations regarding the weight and conditions of the animal. On buses, in principle, article 11 of the General Traffic Regulations does not allow carrying pets with people. However, the main bus companies incorporate a cabin prepared to carry animals in the area where the luggage is located. If the trip is by car, it is necessary for your pet to go in a suitable carrier, with safety harnesses or protective mesh.

 

2. Avoid dizziness
Although your dog or cat is not an animal that tends to get dizzy and/or vomit, it should be taken into account that a stressful situation can lead them to do so. That is why it is better not to eat anything a few hours before the trip or during it. If your dog or cat is restless, it would be appropriate to consult a veterinarian so that they can administer some type of calming agent to make the trip more bearable. But only in extreme cases and always consulting a specialist, since anxiolytics can interfere with your pet's balance and cause vomiting and/or diarrhea.

 

3. Take a walk before the trip and at stops or stopovers
It's a good idea to take a few minutes for a walk with your dog or cat before putting him in a plane, train, bus or car. In the event that the trip is made by boat, it is possible that the shipping company allows you to walk at certain times and through places limited for it with your animal. And whenever it is allowed, go find him and take a walk. If the trip is made with a cat, "a portable toilet can be made for it," explains Rovira. "A small box with its sand" is enough for your cat to relieve itself comfortably.

 

4. Accommodations that allow the stay of dogs and cats

There are more and more 'pet-friendly' hotel and restaurant establishments, which not only allow the entry of a pet, but also encourage you to go with it. And more and more, there are specialized websites for those locals who are delighted to welcome your dog or cat to register. When choosing a hotel, apartment or place to stay with your pet, you should make sure that it is really prepared for it. In the event that you go with a dog, your dog will appreciate having a small patio, garden or balcony in which to move around a bit. But if your best friend is a cat, it is necessary to be careful so that it does not escape, since it would be fatal for your kitty to get lost in a strange environment.

 

5. Country regulations when introducing a foreign animal
In Spain it is mandatory that the pet be properly identified, either through a microchip, a small tattoo in a visible place or a plate. If you are traveling outside of Spain, you must be duly informed of what requirements are necessary in the country of destination to enter with a dog or cat. The normal thing is that, as it happens with people, it is enough to have a passport in which the peculiarities and vaccination history of the pet are recorded, but it is best to consult with the embassy or consulate to which you are traveling in advance to be able to make paperwork if necessary.

How to take the dog in the car safely (and avoid fines)
SHOPPING
How to take the dog in the car safely (and avoid fines)
Finally, it must be borne in mind that the restrictions on means of transport and in almost all accommodation and catering establishments do not affect guide dogs and assistance dogs, which usually have no problems traveling with their owners in the inside the cabin of an airplane or inside the bus, for example, and they can even travel on airlines or means of transport that normally do not allow pets on board.

 

https://www.elperiodico.com/es/entre-todos/20230404/consejos-viajar-perro-gato-vacaciones-semana-santa-11928063