A Furry Family Vacation

I wouldn't think of leaving these guys behind.....

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I learned the most exciting thing recently about everyone’s favorite furry family members!

Are your pets micro-chipped? If not, they should be. And did you know that many animal shelters offer low cost, and sometimes even no-cost micro-chip pet tags? It’s absolutely true! Where I live in San Diego, CA all dogs, cats, and rabbits that are at least 8 weeks old, that run through the San Diego County Animal Shelters are micro-chipped. You can even take your pet in on certain days and have them implanted for just $20.

What are pet I.D. microchips? About the size of a grain of rice, they are a micro-chip implanted under the skin that communicates with the internet and stores all of the information about your pet and you. So if your little friend ever gets lost, he can be scanned by any animal shelter, veterinarian, or public service personnel who can notify you and bring you back together. Remember all of the pets lost in Hurricane Katrina? Even if your pets never leave the house, you never know when an emergency might occur that could separate you. Or if you’re like me and take them with you everywhere you go – such reassurance.

After the chip I.D. is installed you can log into the internet and update your contact information when needed. Your veterinarian will store all of your pets medical records online as well – shot records and any other medical information that might be critical. Additionally, if you have pet insurance that information can be stored as well. I’ve always said it’s a good idea to tag your pet with not only your contact information but also the contact information of your veterinarian in case of emergency. It’s also a good idea to have your vet keep your credit card information on file should an emergency arise and you not be there. In the US, that also includes signing emergency release documents for the vet to have on file as well.

Travelling Internationally? Did you know that your pets can travel with you to lots of countries now without quarantine if they are micro-chipped? One of the great blessings of pet micro-chip I.D. tags is that countries that not so many years ago required long quarantine periods for pets entering the country (England used to be a mandatory 6 month quarantine) have lifted them entirely for pets that have the micro-chip I.D. tags and meet all the necessary health requirements. Click here for a full list of countries that now welcome your pets on arrival.

I travel EVERYWHERE with my two kitties. They're both leash trained but on airlines and mass transit I have luggage pet carriers that also works as backpacks. These meet airline regulations for carry-on bags (*which is an important thing to look for on the label when you are purchasing) and they can ride under the airline seat - usually for $100 up-charge but you do have to make this arrangement with the airline when you book the flight. Not all airlines allow it and some limit the number of carry on pets per flight.






Additionally, you need to find out the regulations of the countries you'll be exiting and entering (multiple countries if you have layovers) to find out if they require quarantine and what types of shots they require. This is a great web site for all of that.


Most countries will allow pets to enter now if they are micro-chipped and have all of the required shots. You need to find this out early though and do EVERYTHING in advance because if you don't your pet can be seized and quarantined at the airport - in some countries for up to 6 months. As long as you do your research and prepare you'll have no trouble at all.

Talk to your vet about the duration of the trip. My kitties usually fast 6 hours before we go and I pack a disposable, travel litter tray (the kind that has litter under a removable seal) for our landing. I find that they rarely eat or drink when we travel, although on extended road trips they do get quite comfortable in the car after a few days and will eat dry food throughout the day). Keep a sample size bag of dried food with you, and a bottled water. You can pry their mouth and feed them a capful of water periodically. They do make pet travel water bottles but check with the airline about anything they might have on their "terrorist" list. I find a regular, sealed water bottle is easiest with flight.

Definitely carry him with you on the plane as opposed to storing him in cargo. It costs a little more but it's so worth the peace of mind for both of you. Additionally, you’ll need to plan ahead for hotels that allow pets, and in some countries taxi cabs and mass transit may selectively allow pets in carriers. In most U.S. cities pets are allowed on mass transit only if travelling in a pet carrier. Since taxi’s are generally owned by the driver, it’s up to the driver if he will take you or not.

Most of these rules apply to cats and dogs. In some countries rabbits are also included. Reptiles, small mammals (gerbils, mice, etc…), and birds often fall under an entirely different set of rules for international and domestic travel – although they can still be micro-chip I.D.’d for your own peace of mind.

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