Annual Leave with Pets: Home is Easier with Cats, Traveling with Dogs

Going on vacation can be stressful if you have a pet. Leaving a dog or cat at home, in a pet hotel, or taking them on vacation is a dilemma that troubles owners. Dogs and cats are the most common pets and the most demanding when it comes to vacation travel, staying at home, or accommodation in a dog or cat hotel. Traveling with dogs is much simpler than with cats: they are more obedient, do not need a litter box, and enjoy the beach, swimming, and walking. Cats, although more curious than dogs, do not like to travel, at least most of them, hate water, and do not respond to the enthusiasm of random passersby who disturb their peace.

Regulations and Rules

For many dog owners, traveling with them on vacation is not even a question, but that does not mean it is simple. This unusual family member requires space, time, and care because it cannot do anything on its own. Additionally, you need to find a place, hotel, or apartment where it will be welcome. Although more and more hotels are offering accommodations for dogs lately, this does not mean the problem is solved. Many beaches are closed to dogs. For example, a hotel may accept them, but they do not have access to the beach.

Another problem depends on how you travel on vacation, by car or by plane. Traveling with a pet by car has many advantages over traveling by plane; you can stop whenever you want, walk, feed, and hydrate your pet. You cannot do that on a plane, especially if it is a large dog traveling in the luggage compartment, away from its owner, which is very stressful, especially if the flight is long. Small dogs, cats, and other pets can fly on a plane with their owner if they are placed in a carrier and do not disturb other passengers. For a pet to travel across borders, it must be healthy, vaccinated, and its travel rhythm and conditions must be adjusted.

Home Alone or Hotel?

Before you embark on a summer adventure with your pet, think carefully, especially if you plan to travel with a cat, as the expected enjoyment could turn into a hassle for both of you. It is best to leave the cat at home if you have someone to visit it daily, feed it, clean its litter box, and spend a few hours with it. It is true that these animals are independent and sleep a lot, but it is a misconception that they like to be alone. Socializing with their owner is extremely important to them, and they will not be happy if you leave them alone for a week or two. However, for comfort, they will be in a familiar space, which will ease their loneliness a bit.

For a cat, a much better option than being home alone is accommodation in a cat hotel; there it will have company, if other cats interest it at all. Placing it in a cat hotel during your vacation means booking accommodation several months in advance, and it must also be healthy and vaccinated. Regardless of where you leave the cat while you are on vacation, it will not easily forgive you for the ‘betrayal’. Upon your return, expect to be ignored – this is how a cat punishes the ‘crime’ committed. However, you will not be in punishment forever. It will forgive you after a few days, convinced that it has called you to your senses.

Travel Conditions

If you do decide to take your pet on vacation, provide conditions as similar as possible to those at home, from diet to care, but also safety during the drive. Veterinarians advise that during travel, a cat must be secured in a carrier; this also applies to smaller dogs. Large dogs must be in the back seat of the car, secured with a seatbelt. The driving rhythm should be adjusted to the pet’s needs, and you should stop every two hours for it to rest. Some pets cannot tolerate travel, which causes them to vomit. Before setting off, they should be given a tablet as recommended by a veterinarian and should not be fed. It is not advisable to feed a pet that tolerates travel well before the trip.

This rule changes if the journey is long, as the pet must not be without water and food for too long. After a meal, let it rest; do not continue the journey immediately. It is also important to bring enough food for it, as it may happen that the food it eats is not available in the place where you are vacationing, as well as its bed and the toy it plays with most often. When you arrive at the resort, do not lose sight of it. Dogs can easily get lost, and a cat’s innate curiosity could lead it who knows where, returning home only after several years, if at all.