Pet Travel Safety Day and Happy Mew Year for Cats Day!

 Until a few years ago, we travelled...LOTS! Mom did NOT work in Midway - she worked in cities that were at least a 6 hour drive away. Queen Nellie, Kozmo, Jo Jo and the Hairy Slobbery Sisters, Cinnamon (and before her Bob and Sam). All travelled to where Mom worked and back  to Midway many times during a year (they also used to go camping, but that is a different post). All the cats were leash and crate trained and they were furry good. Training your cat to walk on a leash with a harness is particularly important if your pet travels frequently, especially long distances. Here are some tips that Mom has found especially helpful when taking your pets on road trips. Flying would be a whole other post.

• Microchip your cat and/or dog and ensure your cat and/or dog is up to date on their rabies vaccines (with a current & valid rabies certificate). Mom puts all of our documents from the vet in a folding case in the glove compartment of the car. That way they are always available (and up to date). Mom keeps the receipts there too, that way she has a record of when the shots happened. She also has a current photo if each of us in the case.
  
• Prep your pet for a long trip. Get your pet geared up by taking them on a series of short drives first, then gradually lengthening the time spent in the car.
• Keep your pet in the crate or carrier. The crate should be large enough for your pet to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in. Secure the crate so it won’t slide or shift in the event of an abrupt stop.
• Bring food, a bowl, leash, waste bags, grooming supplies, medication, a first-aid kit, can opener and any pet medications. Bring lots of paper towel for emergency clean up and an old bath  towel for dust, dirt and rain cleanup. We also recommend a pair of heavy duty gloves. (Trying to put a mad cat back into a carrier can involve cat bites and claws) Also pack a favorite toy or pillow.
• Give your pet bottled water. Tap water from a different location could upset your pet's stomach
• Don't leave your animal alone in a parked vehicle. On a hot day, even with the windows open, a parked vehicle becomes a furnace quickly, and heatstroke can develop. In cold weather, a car can act as a refrigerator causing the animal to freeze to death. 
• Dollar or craft store tie on labels or tags and a felt pen. When travelling or camping, you can add one of these to your pet's collar with the current address, hotel/motel room number, campsite number in case they "escape". 
• If you are travelling across the Canada/US border you must also satisfy the following:

• Your cat and/or dog should be at least six months  of age
• Your cat and/or dog should be Healthy
•  If you are bringing a Pet into Canada look at this site: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/importing-food-plants-animals/pets
• If you are bringing a pet into the US look at this site: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/index.html

 Click here for the BC SPCA Pet Travel Checklist pdf

What you Did With Your Wiener has a great check list too! 

 

It's WINTER! I'm ready for some warm sun! 

Happy MEW YEAR!

Today is OUR special day!

Mom has bought us some primo treats! AND we are getting a new scratcher! Mom thought that the boxes and the wrap kept us occupied, and they did! But now is our special day!

 

 

Are you getting anything special for Mew Year?