One of the big advantages of being a singer is all the traveling we get to do. One of the big disadvantages of being a singer is all the traveling we get to do, especially if we’re also pet owners. Pets add so much to our lives, even becoming members of the family, and when we’re away frequently or for long periods of time we miss them. Relationships with pets are lived very much in the moment, in the here and now—we can’t talk to our pets on the phone or e-mail them—so some singers who travel choose to bring their pets with them when they’re on the road, or flying to their next performance.
As I write this, my own cat, Sneaky Tiki the Ninja Kitty, is assisting me, draped over the top of the computer with his tail hanging down over the screen. Moving him does no good at all. He is back up there in an instant, convinced that I cannot possibly do a good job writing about cats without him. Perhaps I would do a better job as a performer if I had him with me on the road, my own little fuzzy family waiting for me in the hotel room, ready for playing, and petting, and relaxing after a long day.
How well do dogs and cats tolerate travel? What they tend not to tolerate very well are big surprises and sudden changes in environment, especially cats. But they do well with habituation, that is, repetition and familiarity. How then, do we make the unfamiliar familiar? How do we (excuse me for a moment, Sneaky Tiki is biting my watch) take the stress out of traveling for our pets?
Be calm
Pets are sensitive to our moods and behavior. The best thing you can do for your pet in any potentially stressful situation is be calm and quiet. Pets pick up on what’s happening in their environment from you, and if you’re tense and anxious about whether your pet is going to be miserable on the flight, chances are he will be.
In my practice as an emergency veterinarian, I see pets and people in stressful situations all the time. One of the first things we do is remove the pet from its owner, and the pet usually calms down considerably. Pet owners often are anxious and tense about whatever problem we’re trying to address, and this is communicated to the pet. (Of course, there are times when the pets do well to remain with their owners, but it illustrates how important the attitude and behavior of the people involved can be.) A good way to reduce your own stress when traveling with a pet is to make sure you’re both well prepared, and to plan ahead.
Planning ahead
When boarding an aircraft pets are required to have a health certificate issued within 10 days of the travel date. This certifies that the animal has been examined by a veterinarian and is in good condition, up to date on his rabies vaccination, and is free from communicable diseases. Make an appointment with your regular veterinarian in advance for this—you can’t rely on emergency clinics to provide this, and not all emergency vets are state certified for signing health certificates.
Make sure your pet has adequate identification, in case he gets lost. (Pausing for another moment. Sneaky Tiki has dropped his fuzzy mouse on my keyboard.) My cat has a collar with the rabies tag, a tag with his name and phone number—and an implanted microchip so I know he’s still permanently identified in case the collar is lost. Most animal shelters and veterinary clinics have readers for scanning microchips, which are implanted in the skin over the shoulders in a quick and painless procedure. Make sure to send in the paperwork when your pet is microchipped, so your name and contact info are on file. (The scanner provides only an ID number.) The biggest problem I ran into when I sent in my cat’s paperwork was what name to use: Sneaky Tiki the Ninja Kitty, or Tiki Tooterbean the Prince of Fuzz? (The space for the name is so small.)
Check ahead to make sure you will be able to have your pet with you wherever you’re staying. Some hotels do not take pets, and some require a deposit. If you’re sharing accommodation with someone, make sure they’re not allergic to animals! Be sure to bring the food your pet is used to, plus paper towels and plastic bags for cleanup (for dogs) or a shallow Tupperware-style plastic container with kitty litter and a lid, for cats. A small closeable Tupperware container also works well for water, or you can use a water bottle hung on the inside of the carrier, as you would use for a hamster or guinea pig.
Use a kennel or carrier
Of course your pet will need to be in a kennel or carrier for the actual travel involved. Some people don’t realize how very important this is to the safety and comfort of your pet before, during, and after the trip. A carrier can be a frightening prison to the inexperienced pet, surrounded by strange noises and movements, or it can be a safe haven, your pet’s own personal, familiar den.
The secret to this is habituation. Allow the pet to have access to the carrier on a regular basis at home, and once he’s traveling this will be like bringing a part of home with him. Once you know you want to bring your pet with you, get him an appropriate-sized crate as soon as possible, so he can get used to it. You can feed him in the crate, so it becomes associated with something good, and he can practice being enclosed in it for short periods while you’re out of the house. Toys and blankets in the crates are helpful, as well as taking him (in the crate) for car rides so he can get used to the sensations of movement, vibration, and engines.
Once pets discover that nothing bad happens to them in the crate and that they end up back home, they usually get used to this very quickly. The crate does not end up being a jail or punishment, but a safe, happy place the pet willingly enters, even when they don’t have to. My dogs and cats have gone in their crates on plenty of occasions when the doors are left open, just to have a nap and hang out. Once you’ve brought your pet to a strange environment he can relax and feel safe in his crate, since it has become his little home.
If you get to your destination and your pet can’t seem to settle down—vocalizing, panting, pacing, etc.—you can try putting him and the whole crate in a dark closet with a blanket over it. This often helps the pet calm down and feel safe. Small dogs especially can become all worked up with too much stimulation, and the dark and quiet can be helpful. (In my experience, most pets become anxious because their owners are anxious—see item No. 1!)
How about some music? The original quote says music calms the savage breast, but somehow it morphed into calming the savage beast. Why not try playing a certain kind of music whenever your pet is in his crate? While he’s becoming habituated to the crate at home, try putting on some relaxing music when you leave him confined. The music you choose could make a difference—Beethoven may be more effective than Bon Jovi! (My voice teacher’s dachshund will listen only to German arias. If anyone should sing in French or Italian, he leaves the room in a huff.) When your pet is in his crate in a hotel, you can play the same music for him to see if this helps him stay calm.
Do they need tranquilizers?
In all of my own experience transporting pets nationally and internationally, I have only had to use tranquilizers with one cat. With habituation and repetition, most animals do just fine with travel, but poor old Jamaal the Siamese cat just could not get the hang of it. Normally a very friendly and docile fellow, he unfortunately had a bad experience on his second trip, and never got over it. Even with habituation after this, he just went to pieces whenever he was put into the crate. He and his little brother, Jammer, had a long international flight ahead of them (in separate crates—I don’t recommend ever having pets share crates), so Jamaal had five milligrams of Acepromazine an hour before taking him to the airport. Jammer didn’t need anything. He was quite content in his crate and had been on several car trips for practice. Both cats were fine. At the airport Jamaal was quiet and relaxed, and looking very stoned. He arrived at his destination calm and relaxed, and the inside of his crate was not torn to pieces and covered with excrement, as it otherwise would have been!
Jamaal is now enjoying a nice retirement with my dad and stepmother, and no longer has to travel. Some pets, for whatever reason, just don’t do well with travel, but they are a minority.
Some people have expressed concern that the use of tranquilizers is detrimental to the animal’s experience, since when it wears off in mid-flight, the pet will come to its senses and be more anxious and afraid because it doesn’t know how it got there. I really don’t see any validity to this argument, having seen a lot of animals in stressful situations with and without tranquilization. A tranquilized pet is not anesthetized, just very calm and sleepy. In general, if a pet is stressed and anxious for whatever reason, tranquilizers help, and pets do not freak out when they wear off. However, with proper planning and habituation I find that tranquilizers simply are not necessary.
Apparently I’ve been at the computer long enough and my fuzzy friend is clamoring for play. Wait until my next gig in Alaska, when he gets to fly to Anchorage with me. Won’t he be thrilled!
