4 Things You Need to Do Before Flying with Pets
For many of us, pets are as much a part of our family as our partner or our children. And we certainly don't want to leave them behind when we travel!
Here are four things you should do to make sure your pet is ready for air travel.
Make sure your pet is vaccinated and certified
Every country has its own rules for visiting animals, but almost every destination requires pets like dogs and cats to have a rabies vaccination — and the vaccination must usually be less than a year old.
Be sure to talk to your vet about what other vaccinations your pet might need for your destination, and how far in advance they must be given.
Your vet will also probably need to give your pet a travel health certificate — and it will likely have to be less than 10 days old when you travel.
Find out if your pet needs to be microchipped
Many places require pet dogs and cats to be microchipped, including the US, Singapore, New Zealand, the European Union and Japan. The chip is about the size of a grain of rice, and is placed under the skin between the animal's shoulder blades. If your pet gets lost, this microchip can be scanned to find your contact information.
Get your pet comfortable with their carrier
Your pet will probably have to travel in a box or carrier while in the air. You should get them used to this environment before you fly, putting them in it regularly, and giving them time to fall asleep there if possible.
Try putting the carrier in your car to get your pet used to the feeling of traveling in it — or, if it's too big, you can try using fans or sound machines to get them used to the sounds of motion.
Avoid feeding your pet before flying
So they don't need to go to the bathroom too much, pet product company Chewy recommends not feeding your dog or cat for 4-6 hours before flying. This will also help make them less likely to throw up if they get motion sickness.
