Traveling With Pets

Ever get the urge to add some excitement to your trip by bringing along a furry friend? No, we’re not talking about toting horses this time, nor are we discussing a road trip with your old college pal. But sometimes when you’re on the road for long stretches of time, you like to bring a pet along for extra fun and company. Especially when you’re at a rest stop and see others parking their rigs and then stretching their legs while they play with their four-legged cab companions.

Of course, there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration when you’re deciding whether or not to bring your cat, dog, ferret or bird along in your toy hauler, truck, van or RV.

1. Safety. Check your vehicle with an eye toward your animal’s safety. Depending on the size of the animal you may want to keep your furry friend in an area of your rv or trailer during the trip. The best way to learn the ropes is to take a short test drive before the long haul. And since your animal’s encountering new environments and new people, you should be sure that it’s up to date on all of its vaccines and shots. It’s also vital that you’re aware of pet stores and animal hospitals between your point of origin and destination—just in case.

2. Comfort. While it’s all right to let your pet roam if you’ve taken the correct safety precautions, you’ll want to be sure that he or she has a designated area, such as a crate. Make sure he or she has plenty of room to lie down, stretch out and sit up. You don’t only have to take into account your pet’s comfort, but your own as well. Fido might love to sit in your lap or Kitty might like to nap by your feet, but those aren’t the best options. And even the best-trained pets sometimes exhibit atypical behavior on the road; for example, your pet may be getting car sick or using the restroom in your vehicle, and you’ll want to think about any mess or smells that might make a long drive a lot more unpleasant. You also don’t want an animal that’s going to make excessive noise that can distract you while driving.

3. Convenience. Having a pet with you may limit which hotels, parking areas and camp sites you visit (with your Phoenix Coach Works toy hauler rv, enclosed trailer, or horse van). So before you take off, you’ll want to double-check any pet restrictions along your route. You also want to take into account the extra time and mileage for stops you might need to make to take your pets for walks to stretch and get fresh air.