ANIMAL TRACKS
Vacationing with Pets
By Kathleen M. Kistler, Ph.D.
This article appeared in the Eureka Reporter, May 20th Edition
My cats have always enjoyed traveling. I begin taking them on Sunday drives while they are kittens so they get used to being in the carrier and going someplace other than the veterinary hospital. When they are in a funk, a ride often lifts their spirits.
I am not alone on traveling with my pets. In one third of pet owning households surveyed, the dog goes along on family vacations. Felines tag along 11% of the time. Bringing a pet along can help make a vacation something special. On the other hand, nothing can ruin a good vacation like losing a beloved pet.
A couple of years ago, while visiting relatives, I stepped outside without completely closing a screen door behind me. Hours later, I noticed my cat was missing and panicked. She'd apparently slipped through the open door, walked through a hole in the fence and gone out exploring. I called until my voice gave out. Finally, I heard a bewildered meow at the front door. Despite the lucky break, you can be sure that I never made that mistake again.
The most common mistake people make with their pets while on vacation is to let them run off-leash. The best safeguard is to keep a leash on your pet at all times.
Keep a leash on your pet in the car. At rest stops, take a hold of the leash before opening the car door even if you're not planning to let the pet out. You never know when he might get excited and bolt from the car.
Keep a leash on your pet inside motel rooms. Take a hold of it when opening and closing entry doors. The pet might get frightened and dash through an open door but if he's wearing a leash he won't get far. Place a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and put the pet in a carrier or crate if you must leave him alone in a hotel room.
More than nine million pets are lost each year. Of these, only sixteen percent of the dogs and two percent of the cats are ever reunited with their owners. These odds increase significantly for pets wearing identification. In addition to permanent ID tags (and microchips), I recommend that people add two more "temporary" tags to a vacationing pet's collar. One tag should have the phone number of your veterinarian or a friend since you'll not be home if someone calls with your found pet. Another tag should have the address and phone number of the campground or hotel where you are staying. The inexpensive little tags used for labeling extra house-keys are perfect for these purposes. A lost pet wearing both permanent and temporary ID tags is far more likely to be reunited with its owner.
If a pet does get lost while you are on vacation, immediately contact all of the shelters in the area and leave a detailed description of the pet along with information on how you can be contacted. Provide photos, or arrange to mail them. Post signs in the area if possible. Most of all, don't give up on finding your pet. Call the shelters every two days and be prepared to take a drive if an animal with a similar description turns up.
A local family was despondent when they lost their dog while on vacation last year. We encouraged them not to give up finding her, and they didn't. After three weeks of calling shelters, their dog was found and a happy reunion arranged. The only thing more joyful would be not to have lost the dog in the first place.
For more information on traveling with a pet, visit www.sequoiahumane.org.
