|
TRAVELING WITH CATS (and dogs) when buying a home:
All of the information below on traveling to your new home (and a lot more) can be found in Chapter 13 of The Guides to Finding Your Own Home, which you can get FREE here. 
No matter how short or long the journey to your new home, you need to take precautions and plan in advance.
When you are researching neighborhoods, also check into veterinarians and boarding kennels. If you have cats, find cat-only kennels and veterinarians who are cat specialists.
When you move out of your old home, and when you move in to your new home: Your pet should be boarded a week in advance of your move and cats certainly cannot be loose in the house when the movers come - neither when you are moving out of your old house, or after you get to your new home. Even the Bekins moving guide says to board your pets before they get there! (I used Bekins to move, they were good.) Take no chances. Find a good, caring, dog kennel or cat-only kennel right in your present home town and in your future home town now. Find out how much it will cost so you can plan in advance. If you are a true Pet Lover, the peace of mind is worth the price.
When you are on the road with your pet, or if you are flying to your new home town, there are lots of things you can do in advance to assure that the journey is Stress Free. The most important thing is that your pets should NOT be running around the car freely - if there is an accident, you might not be able to rescue your cat if he isn’t in a carrier! Here are a few Tips, and you can have them lots more FREE, by clicking right here.
SAFETY TIP: Stop driving early in the evening. Car lights are blinding after a long day of driving; gas stations and smaller hotels may close. Traffic gets heavy before 5PM. You are better off relaxing in a hotel than sitting in traffic. Later on, people may be drinking and driving, too. I’m sure your pets will be ready to get out of the car!
SAFETY TIP: Carefully read this entire page on Traveling By Air With Pets (from the Humane Society) and do everything it says. Here is the exact URL: www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/caring_for_pets_when_you_travel/traveling_by_air_with_pets
SAFETY TIP: This may be a bit in-your-face, but please put a spare car key in your purse, another safety-pinned in your pocket, and one in a magnetic box on your car. You do not want to lose your keys if your pet is in the car on a warm day! Carry a cell phone and a quarter (!) so you can call for help.
Why? According to the Washington DC Humane Society web site, “The inside of a car can heat up to 110° F within 3 to 5 minutes when outside it is only 80° F.“ When your pet gets overheated, immediate emergency care is needed or brain damage and death may result.
Leaving your pet in the car for over 10 minutes will result in a mandatory $500 fine plus up to six months in jail (in California). The police will break windows and rescue your pet.
Always keep your cat in her carrier in the car, and break a window immediately if you get locked out. Money is not important when it comes to the life and well being of your pet or yourself. If you make the mistake of locking your keys in the car and have to break a window - just take it in stride, don’t get upset. In future years, it will be just one part of your journey to homeownership, just a bump in the road - a story to tell - and your pets will still be loving you.
A Pet’s Traveling Checklist (for a printable version, click here)
___A picnic basket or container (that closes) to hold supplies
___Food & water bowls with lids – glass is easy to clean
___Cooler & blue ice for your own road snacks
___Large Ziploc® bags for dry food, trash, and cleaning litter
___Favorite wet foods in small disposable serving-size pouches
___Veterinarian, kennel and caretaker phone numbers
___Favorite bed, toys, treats, a cloth ribbon
___Collar, lightweight tags (see my website), microchip
___Photos, medical records and personality notes
___Hard plastic carrier big enough to move around in
___Carrier mat and towel, familiar bedding or blanket
___A sisal mat or other familiar scratching pad
___Paper towels, wet naps, disinfecting spray cleaner like 409
___A brush, first aid kit, hairball remedy, gauze pads
___A flea comb if you use one, Frontline Plus
___Medications, tranquilizers for you and your cat!
___Litter box, box liners, hard clumping no-odor litter
___Water (from tap) in cooler
___Scoops for food and litter
___Extra towels and/or washrags
|
