Traveling with Fluffy

Let's be honest, folks: the best bet is to leave your pets at home for your holiday. Ideally, find a petsitter or friendly neighbour willing to drop by and care for the little critter. Bringing animals on holiday stirs up a host of trouble.

Even if you have an exotic pet, there are places willing to care for them (although it can be trickier to find them). Many pet shops will board rabbits, hamsters, birds, and other small animals. You can also arrange for sitters for these animals, although most kennels won't accept them.

If you absolutely MUST bring your pets along on holiday, for whatever reason, keep the following points in mind:

1. Check hotel policies BEFORE you arrive. Don't count on your ability to smuggle a yowling cat into a fifth story hotel room.

2. Find out what the airlines require to transport your pet, and make sure you meet the requirements.

3. Consider offering your pet gravol or a similar product to settle its nerves and make the flight less stressful.

4. Bring the animal's favorite toy, blanket, or something similar to help it feel at home.

5. Consider putting the DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door for the duration of your stay. You don't really need your room cleaned every day, you can get towels from the front desk, and it's probably easier for everyone. This is especially true if you ignored tip #1 and are trying to hide your pet in your room.

As you can see, leaving your pet behind is less stressful for both you and the animal. No matter how much s/he hates the kennel, s/he'll probably hate traveling more. If you have to bring pets along, make sure you do whatever you can to minimize anxiety for both of you!