Mad About Pets!

Enjoying a camping vacation by taking your four-legged friend along with you may be an excellent idea; however you’ll need to make certain that you are sufficiently prepared to see to your pet’s needs as well as your own.

Before you visit a camping site always verify with the managers that animals are permitted. Whether it’s phoning ahead or asking at the entrance, it will save a lot of problems for both parties.

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Ensure that you possess a cage for your pet. It must be adequate for them to be comfy. Let your pet check the enclosure before traveling and see how they react in the confines, particularly if you are venturing for a lengthy travel. It might help your pet to settle in if you place a familiar quilt or cushioning within the cage too. Make sure they have sufficient drinking water for the trip and always carry an extra bottle with you to top up their water if needed.

If you own a dog you most likely have the required gear to maintain them when out and about already, but it's not always the case for cat owners. Many felines are indoor pets and may be okay to stay inside the motor home for the length of the getaway. If this is the scenario you'll need to ensure that your caravan has good ventilation, or else it may get too warm on a hot day.

Sometimes people buy leads for their felines so that they can come along with them on a walk. Others choose to let their cats wander free, but this may be a risk should they become confused and attempt to find their way home. There are electronic collar gadgets available that can be monitored and tracked, which could be beneficial in the event your cat goes missing.

It is possible to vacation with cats, dogs and ferrets outside of the US too, on the “Pets Travel Scheme” (PETS). This scheme enables pets to travel between several approved countries and territories without having to be quarantined for six months. This is good if you are someone that likes to travel outside of your national borders and/or doesn’t like long periods away from your furry friend.

To comply with PETS you’ll need to get your animal micro chipped, vaccinated against rabies and blood tested to guarantee an acceptable degree of security against rabies. When the pet returns to the country it must be treated for ticks and tapeworm no less than twenty four hours and no more than forty eight hours prior to embarking on the return journey. Your animal must travel from a PETS included country by a sanctioned route and with an authorised company back into the US.

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It is crucial you travel with all of the appropriate paperwork and evidence of all treatments. When travelling outside of the US you need to get an extra veterinarian certificate. If you don't have adequate proof that your pet is compliant with the PETS scheme it may end up being obtained in quarantine for six months or until you can confirm compliance anyway, which is the last thing anyone would want!

The price of taking your pet with you on vacation via the PETS scheme can vary considerably depending on several factors, but you can find out more information here. Don’t overlook that you will require to have booster injections every once in a while and have the passport re stamped to confirm that your pet remains healthy to continue in the PETS scheme.

And always remember that some nations have different rules regarding animal behaviour than in the US. For instance, in Switzerland certain types of dogs should always be muzzled in public areas.

Taking your pet on a vacation can be wonderful fun if you are prepared. To ensure maximum pleasure and enjoyment always check the local guidelines of the camping area, country or principality and be sure you are in accordance with all legislations at all times.

Ben Johnstone works for UK-based Caravan Free Ad service C4Caravans. He has a German Shepard called Dave and two cats called Bill and Ted!