Whether you’re preparing to travel or to move, you have a lot on your mind as you make sure that all of the boxes are checked and the details are taken care of. Adding pets into the mix further complicates things – there’s even more to remember and you’re sensitive to your furry friends’ potential anxiety as they encounter unexpected activity and are introduced to a new environment. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources available for traveling with pets. Here are four of our favorite things to do as we prepare to be on the move with ours!
1. Invest in pet-calming products
Any kind of travel can be stressful for your animals as they encounter the unknown and their senses are flooded with new sensations. There are plenty of products available to calm your pet’s anxieties, particularly for dogs and cats. Pheromone collars and diffusers are available to help your pet feel safe and secure. Lavender oil can be sprinkled inside a carrier for a calming effect. Chew tablets containing vitamins and natural flower and root extracts offer relief to many animals. A pet calming vest, which applies gentle pressure to specific areas in order to reduce anxiety, is an accessory to consider. And have you heard of pet-calming music? Similar to classical music but slower, simpler, and in a lower key, this music can provide a comforting soundtrack in a noisy world. Don’t forget to check with your vet before using any new products with your pets.
2. Find a trusted pet mover
You don’t need to worry if you’re unable to transport your pet yourself. Air Animal Pet Movers is a family-owned pet relocation service. Over the past 40 years, it has grown into one of the most comprehensive and well-respected pet shipping companies in the country. A family-owned business with over 50 years of veterinarian experience, Air Animal Pet Movers loves animals and understands both the medical and psycho-social needs of relocating pets. As pet owners themselves, their pet moving specialists can be trusted to help your beloved animal travel in comfort – they have successfully moved more than 100,000 animals over the last four decades!
3. Utilize pet travel apps
There’s no shortage of helpful apps out there to assist you in keeping your pet comfortable and healthy while traveling. Here are just a few of our favorites:
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Vetfinder – This app uses your current location to help you find a nearby veterinarian or emergency animal clinic and allows you to refine your search by specialist.
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Red Cross Pet First Aid – Perfect for helping you prepare for any kind of pet emergency. This app allows you to enter your pet’s info and keep track of things like diet restrictions, medications and vet appointments, and also gives you step-by-step instructions for many pet health problems. Rather than having to frantically search the internet in an emergency, you’ll have it all at your fingertips.
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Dog Park Finder – This app uses your current location to help you find pet-friendly parks, as well as alerting you to any that state, “No Dogs Allowed”.
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A fabulous online resource can be found at GoPetFriendly.com/road-trip-planner. Plug in your starting point and your destination and find pet-friendly restaurants, activities, services and more along your route.
4. Book a NowLeasing Suite
We love pets! And we know you will appreciate the comfort and luxury of staying with your furry friend in one of our beautiful temporary furnished homes rather than holing up in a motel that allows animals. We offer many suites such as these at Tapestry Brentwood, which provides an on-site pet spa with a washing and drying station. You and your pets will feel welcome and at home, which is exactly what you’ll need at the end of your travels.
Contact us to book your pet-friendly suite in some of the finest residential communities across the country.
Traveling and moving with pets present unique challenges, but there are many resources out there to help you prepare and to give you peace of mind. Take advantage of them, and let the (pet-friendly) adventure begin!
