What about my seats?
It's fairly straightforward to keep your pet safe in the car, but what about keeping your car's interior safe from the pet?
The most common solution is to simply throw down a blanket or other barrier to keep hair, slobber and odors out of the upholstery. This is important on leather seats which can easily be damaged by untrimmed claws. Certain mats and pads are available which absorb foul smells and keep loose hair attached to them, helping to keep the interior clean.
On long trips, you'll want to bring along puppy's favorite blanket, as well as a chew-toy and plenty of food and water to keep him well nourished and comfy. Anything families can do to replicate the experience of being in a normal, at-home environment will do well to keep the animal calm and content- preventing annoying fidgeting and possible accidents on the carpet.
Jouppi adds "it's important not to forget to bring any medication your pet might be taking along on the trip too, because if you're out of town and need it, it could be hard to get without doing a full exam and starting over from scratch."
What if my pet just plain hates car rides?!
In the end, successful traveling with pets is lots of common sense. If owners treat the dog or cat as though it was one of the kids, bringing along the same types of items and giving the same sort of consideration, they'll likely have no trouble.
Unless Fido or Whiskers has a complex.
A complex?
Yes- some animals just plain hate getting into a car. That being the case, there is medication which can tranquilize them- though it should only be used as a last resort as it can adversely affect breathing and heart rates.
What if Tonto decides to make a puddle on the seat?
First off, make sure to stop frequently enough to allow your animal to relieve itself outside of the vehicle. If this fails, and you wind up with a mess, don't panic- as it can be cleaned. The following should work:
1)Soak up the majority of the puddle with a paper towel.
2)Dilute the area with water or club soda, then re-blot. Repeat as needed. You're trying to eliminate the odor as much as possible.
3)Clean the area with a specialized cleaner intended for odor removal. Enzymatic cleaners, like OxyClean are ideal as they contain enzymes that "digest" the mess
4)Allow the area to dry thouroughly, and re-clean if needed.
5)If all else fails, steam clean the surface as a last resort.
photo:Justin Pritchard, Eric Lebreton
It's fairly straightforward to keep your pet safe in the car, but what about keeping your car's interior safe from the pet?
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The most common solution is to simply throw down a blanket or other barrier to keep hair, slobber and odors out of the upholstery. This is important on leather seats which can easily be damaged by untrimmed claws. Certain mats and pads are available which absorb foul smells and keep loose hair attached to them, helping to keep the interior clean.
On long trips, you'll want to bring along puppy's favorite blanket, as well as a chew-toy and plenty of food and water to keep him well nourished and comfy. Anything families can do to replicate the experience of being in a normal, at-home environment will do well to keep the animal calm and content- preventing annoying fidgeting and possible accidents on the carpet.
Jouppi adds "it's important not to forget to bring any medication your pet might be taking along on the trip too, because if you're out of town and need it, it could be hard to get without doing a full exam and starting over from scratch."
What if my pet just plain hates car rides?!
In the end, successful traveling with pets is lots of common sense. If owners treat the dog or cat as though it was one of the kids, bringing along the same types of items and giving the same sort of consideration, they'll likely have no trouble.
Unless Fido or Whiskers has a complex.
A complex?
Yes- some animals just plain hate getting into a car. That being the case, there is medication which can tranquilize them- though it should only be used as a last resort as it can adversely affect breathing and heart rates.
What if Tonto decides to make a puddle on the seat?
First off, make sure to stop frequently enough to allow your animal to relieve itself outside of the vehicle. If this fails, and you wind up with a mess, don't panic- as it can be cleaned. The following should work:
1)Soak up the majority of the puddle with a paper towel.
2)Dilute the area with water or club soda, then re-blot. Repeat as needed. You're trying to eliminate the odor as much as possible.
3)Clean the area with a specialized cleaner intended for odor removal. Enzymatic cleaners, like OxyClean are ideal as they contain enzymes that "digest" the mess
4)Allow the area to dry thouroughly, and re-clean if needed.
5)If all else fails, steam clean the surface as a last resort.
photo:Justin Pritchard, Eric Lebreton