pets

Our pets are part of our family. And our vacations wouldn't be the same without their company. That's why, every summer, our cats and dogs change of scenery with us and enjoy a vacation at the beach or in town. Now it's time to know how to travel with them in the car safely, ensuring that there are no mishaps.

Pre-trip tips

It is advisable to visit the veterinarian to check our pet and rule out any health problems. In addition, we will be able to ask him our doubts and, in case the dog or cat is prone to dizziness or nervousness in closed spaces, he will be able to prescribe us the most convenient treatment so that the animal does not suffer stress during the trip.

It is not advisable to feed him just before starting the trip to avoid possible indigestion and we cannot forget some of his toys so that he has entertainment during the trip and is more distracted, without paying attention to the fact of being in the car longer than usual.

Time to start: Types of fasteners

To decide on the best restraint system for our pet, we will have to look at its size and weight. Depending on these two factors, we can decide between a transport cage, a travel harness or even a dividing net if we are lucky enough to have a large vehicle.

The carrier cage will be most suitable for small to medium sized animals. Provided they have enough space to lie down and travel comfortably, these small cages will be placed on the floor of the back seat of the vehicle.

If we have a dog that is too big to put in a carrier, we should opt for a travel harness, preferably with two hooks. This harness will be hooked to the safety belts and adjusting its route, making it shorter than the belts usually allow, thus ensuring that our dog does not crash against the front seats in case of sudden braking or collision.

But if our dog is closer to a thoroughbred horse than to a dachshund, it is preferable to opt for a dividing net, provided that we have a vehicle that allows it. These grids are placed between the pillars of the car structure and make the rear part of the car independent from the rest of the cabin. Although the advice does not stop here: it is advisable, even so, to put our dog in a carrier suitable for its size and placed in a transverse direction to the direction of travel since, otherwise and in case of accident, the animal would suffer the consequences of being loose inside the space of the car.

And during the trip...

Do not forget that animals, just like people, get tired. From being in the same position, from having their legs (or paws, as the case may be) cramped... For this reason, it is more than advisable to stop every two hours and allow them to get out of the vehicle, hydrate, relieve themselves and stretch. However, be very careful when letting them out of the vehicle. Before taking them out of the vehicle, be sure to tie them up with the leash, otherwise we run the risk of the animal getting out of the vehicle and causing an accident.

One last piece of advice:

If our trip is abroad, remember to consult the necessary documents of the destination country to travel with our pet without problems.