Do You Travel with Your Pet?

[SarahS]

Do you bring Fido and Fluffy along when you travel?

Related Story
Traveling with Pets

[CarolineC]

I only travel with my pet if I absolutely have to -- like if i'm moving. My cat is terrified of my car. Whenever my I carry him remotely near my car, he freaks out because he knows he's either going to the vet or I'm changing apartments.

[ProgScape]

No, the doggie does not travel with us. She'd lick...everything...

[travelmel]

I'd love to bring my cats when I visit my parents (they are in PA, I'm in NJ)...but as well as they handle car rides (they seem to love them!), my parents' dog is a bit of a drama queen and she might, ahem, eat my babies. LOL! So I leave them home Maybe someday.

[ProgScape]

No, the doggie does not travel with us. She'd lick...everything...

Okay, I'm not being 100% honest. The doggie loves to go outside, and we do take her to my fiance's parent's house. She does, however, lays down on whoever is driving's lap and refuses to budge. Safety hazzard, sure, but you've never lived until you had a cute doggie on your lap as you drive down the highway...

[RichardNika]

We use reliable pet sitters, preferably either well known to us or bonded, who come to the house 2 or 3 times a day to water, feed and walk the dogs, feed our outdoor cat and feed and water our bird. Our dogs provide security and deterrence in our absence so we like to keep them in the house.

One of my daughters has transported her Boston terrier in an under the seat container. This has worked well so far.

I don't like the idea of pets being in a cargo compartment, although I recognize that it is sometimes unavoidable. The aforementioned daughter once had her young Rottweiler (now my senior Rottweiler) flown from MIA to JFK in a crate. The crate broke on a belt at JFK and the terrified dog escaped and ran out onto the runway, at night, in a blizzard. My daughter was chasing her, with planes taxiing all around them. An airport worker finally helped her corral the poor creature.

Years ago, an Eastern flight landed at MIA with a dog in the cargo bin who had suffocated and died. The owner, distraught and enraged, subsequently managed to get onto the runway and, using a hatchet, chopped a hole in the bottom of one of their planes. Recognizing, perhaps, that no American jury would find him at fault in either civil or criminal court, the airline took no action against him.

[soliteyah]

Yikes, those are some scary stories, Richard! I don't have pets right now, but I would be very, very hesitant to transport them on a plane unless I had absolutely no alternative. Even if everything goes okay, it seems like it would be a rough experience for an animal.

[WackyHeathen]

Though I've never been able to bring my dog along, I did think about how much he would have enjoyed hiking the Inca Trail with me. We actually met a really hip Peruvian dog on one of the days, and he led the group for the last three or four miles of a particular leg right into camp, where he met his friend the rooster. The dog mentioned how great life was out there for a dog (not as good during the rainy season, so he contended) -- the freedom of wide open spaces, incredible vistas, dramatically changing environments all within a 30 mile radius; it was like paradise for a dog, so he said.

[waveringhobbit]

Actually, I still have not tried it. I feel I'm going to lose it with all the process of getting your pet on the plane or ship.... any help?

[Paumarine]

Hey!

I use to travel with Bob (my 10 year old cat) because I miss him a lot if I leave it at home. Nowadays there are a lot of pet friendly hotels. I know this site www.petslovershotels.com where you can make your online reservation!

I just can't leave Bob alone with my family I love him. =^..^=

See you!

[angelaplynn]

Well, I must say occasionally. Not all the time since there are travel situations wherein it's about work or business so though I love my pet I still have to separate it from work in order for me to focus more at some point. However, when it's vacation time there I bring him wherever I go although sometimes it's quite expensive to bring a pet with you, but the experience is what I'm after.

[jocap]

Yes, our Border Collie goes wherever we go, unless it's a cruise or out of the country. We're planning a mid week break on a narow boat on the canals in Oct, so she'll have a great time with us.
Jo.

[RichardNika]

I only did it once, and it was wayyyy back in 1967, before there was any kind of security. I was flying Miami-JFK and had been given a toy poodle that we were adopting. A vet gave the little guy a sedative and I put him in the bottom of a large carry on bag and boarded. this was totally against the rules, needless to say.

Now, the last thing I wanted was to attract attention from the flight crew (back then, they were still "stewardesses") So, the one time that I wished it hadn't been done, I was bumped up to first class. A trainee was sitting next to me, and crew members were fussing over me, offering me this and that. I was also provided with a very nice hot breakfast. BTW, this was on National Airlines (remember them? My name's Jeannie, Fly Me!)

The little dog woke up halfway through the flight and, very quietly and surreptitiously - I thought - I began feeding him bits of bacon and egg. I was quickly discovered, and the all-female crew were fussing over him, petting him and cooing at him. Towards the end of the flight, one of them approached me and asked if I was going on to Boston, which was the final destination. I said no, I was getting off in New York. That's good, she said, because if you were going on to Boston, we'd have to put you off at Kennedy anyway!

I was politely asked to leave the plane quickly and not let anyone see the dog until I was well away from the gate so as not to get the crew in trouble, and was happy to oblige.

[jocap]

That's a fantastic story, Richard!.....you'd not get away with it in these days of super checks.....
Jo.

[MambyCool]

I have two puppies as my pets. I generally leave them at home when traveling. But I hire a pet sitter to look after them until I turn back.