Tips to Reduce Pet’s Travel Stress
When planning to travel with cats, some basic steps can help make your trip a success when followed. Generally, all pets get nervous when traveling with their masters and this may result in the development of stress and change feeding and other activities. Therefore, it is quite important for you to find better ways in which you can help to calm nervousness and stress on your pet especially when traveling. Keep reading these resourceful pet-friendly tips to help create the most enjoyable road trip for you and your pet and how to reduce pet’s travel stress.
Familiarize with the Carrier
Before you set out on your journey, you will want to familiarize your pet with its carrier you will be using to transport them. Days or even weeks before you plan to travel, your cat carrier should be left open and placed in an area of your home where your pet generally sleeps or plays. It is recommended that you feed all meals in the carrier as well as place treats inside for your dog to associate positive feelings with the carrier. Bedding or blankets placed inside can also achieve similar results.
Bathroom Breaks
In regards to bathroom breaks, you will need to pay attention to your cat’s needs when traveling. Frequently the stress of travel can upset your pets’ digestive processes, causing them to either not need to relieve themselves at all or very little or cause some inconvenient diarrhea. Either way, taking necessary steps can help. Be sure to bring along a bag of clean litter and a litter pan regardless of the length of your journey.
Use of Sedatives
Another thing to consider before traveling is whether or not your pet will need to be sedated. A short trip may not require this level of precaution. However, a longer trip will inevitably increase stress levels. If you had traveled with your pet on long trips before and experienced high levels of stress, you will want to consider using a sedative strongly. Talk to your veterinarian about the best option for your cat and be sure to research the pros and cons of using tranquilizers while traveling.
Food and Water
When and how much food to feed and water to give your cat while traveling is also important to consider. How long your trip will take can affect your cat’s feeding schedule. If you are traveling for a period longer than five hours, you will want to allow your cat access to food and water inside the carrier. Otherwise, it is safe to restrict your cat’s food and water intake to just before you leave and when you arrive.
Proper Placing of the Carrier
Once you are ready to set out, you will want to be sure the cat carrier is positioned correctly and adequately secured. If placing the carrier on a seat, using the seat belt is the best way to secure a carrier. If the carrier is situated in the rear …