Tips For Roadtrips With Pets

Above, Sierra about to make use of her scratcher in The Beast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My cat Sierra turned one last month, but already she has racked up some travel miles in The Beast. She's already been to Yosemite National Park twice.

Before leaving home, I put on her harness and leash and then transport her to the RV in a carry box from her vet. Then, once inside, I let her loose.

She is still skittish about traveling at first, but after about an hour or two, she settles down and finds herself a place to nap as we're driving usually on top of my bed in back of the RV or the cabover bed. Once we reach a destination, she becomes more active and wanders around the RV and peers out the windows.

Above, Sierra on the cabover bed in The Beast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Dogs are a little more easier to travel with, particularly if they are used to riding around. We generally brought my former roommate's chihuahua Lola with us whenever we did errands. She was perfectly content to look out the windows. The advantage of having a cat is that one doesn't have to take them for walks every few hours. Lola and Sierra got along just fine during our little trek to Ventura Beach RV Resort two months ago.

Long trips may be a different story for dogs and cats. But Condé Nast Travel has some tips for those who plan to bring their fur babies along.

They begin with:

You don’t realize just how small your car is until you’re road tripping across America for 10 months with a pyramid of suitcases, a boyfriend, that boyfriend’s Imelda Marcos-level shoe collection, and two dogs. Lucky for us, our dogs are Chihuahuas. At 9 and 4 pounds respectively (Hi, Sophie! Hi, Mia!), they take up precious little room—but that doesn’t mean their needs aren’t forever being considered as we zigzag across the country. Traveling with animals requires considerable pre-planning and lots of creative troubleshooting. It isn’t always fun or easy, but having our girls on the road with us is like bringing along a little piece of home. Here’s what we’ve learned so far—and what you should consider before hitting the highways with your furriest in tow.

An additional tip (one that's not mentioned in the article): bring copies of your pet's veterinary records. They may have to go to an emergency clinic or they may be needed to be presented at a border checkpoint.

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