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How To Travel With Your Pet
by: Mary Williams
It is unavoidable that you have to visit your friends or
relative in urgent without much time for planning. But your
only problem seems to be how you have to do you’re your pet.
You can either leave it at your home or bring him with you.
Traveling with your pet is easier than you think.
You can bring your pet with you by using air travel services.
These services fall into two categories, in-cabin and cargo.
In-cabin pets must be small enough to fit into a carrier that
will slide under the seat in front of you. Pets too large
to fit comfortably in a carrier must travel in cargo. Cargo
holds are heated, cooled and pressurized, just like the passenger
compartment.
It is better for you to check first before you make a reservation,
be sure the airline will accommodate your pet. Some airlines
do not take pet in-cabin; some discount airlines don't accept
pets at all. So if you purchase your airline tickets through
the Internet, make sure your pet will be able to travel with
you.
Pet passengers require a reservation, whether traveling in-cabin
or cargo. Airlines have restrictions on the number of pets
they will carry in order to provide safe travel for all. So
making your pet's reservation at the same time you purchase
your ticket is a good idea. Extra charges for both in-cabin
and cargo pets will be assessed.
Purchase a health certificate from your veterinarian. Health
certificates are only good for ten days, so if your visit
will be longer than that you will have to purchase another
health certificate for the return trip.
As mentioned, your in-cabin pet will need a carrier. These
soft-sided carriers come in several sizes, so buy or borrow
one that allows your pet plenty of room. Some of these can
be bought with wheels to make transport through the airport
easier; these also reduce "pet space" under the airplane seat.
Window and middle seats have more room underneath than aisle
seats due to the seat configurations. Pets traveling in cargo
will need an airline-approved kennel. Generally, these are
hard-sided, non-collapsible crates. If your pet already has
a sturdy crate it may double as a shipping kennel, but do
make sure it is airline approved.
Most experts do not recommend tranquilizing your pet. The
motion of the airplane seems to have a soporific effect, causing
pets (and people) to snooze. Once in the air you'll find that
your pet will probably sleep. A word about training is appropriate
here. Crate training your pet will make him/her a better traveler.
There are many resources available that will show you how
to accomplish this. Time spent training will definitely pay
off.
This article was posted on February 09, 2006
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