Search Results for: blog domestic travel with small pets

Tips for Traveling with Cats

Cats don’t generally travel as well as dogs do. I’m lucky because Mr. Meow is an exception. He does very well if we give him the freedom to decide between his carrier or roaming around the vehicle. (If we just keep him locked in his carrier he’ll meow constantly like mad until we unlock him.) And once he can be out and about, he quiets down and generally picks a spot and stays there. Sometimes it’s my lap, sometimes it’s on the seat beside me (if we’re in Wayne’s pickup), or it’s next to his brother Murphy. But we now … Continue reading →

Traveling with Mr. Meow

I’ve only had to travel long distances with cats a couple of times. Once when we moved from Tucson up to Phoenix and we relocated Sneakers with us. The next time was hauling Mr. Meow up here from Jacksonville, and then for our family road trip to Denver for Christmas 2005. The reason we chanced the road trip to Denver with both Murphy and Mr. Meow was because he traveled so well on the nine hour drive from Jacksonville to Nashville. I was really worried about him and had even gone to the vet to get him a knock out … Continue reading →

Moving With Small/Exotic Pets

Moving — whether you’re headed cross-town or cross-country — can be stressful for everyone. Here are some tips to help make a move with small pets, unusual pets, and birds safe and stress-free. Moving Birds By Car Birds can usually travel in the same cage they use at home. Cover the cage while the car is moving to help keep the bird calm. Make sure the cage gets good ventilation. You may want to remove water dishes from the cage to prevent spills — a water bottle is a good alternate choice. Birds are very susceptible to drafts and quick … Continue reading →

Traveling With Your Most Precious Cargo

As far as airplane travel is concerned, many people have experienced problems with transporting their animals from one part of the world to the other. Barring quarantine laws and such, the animal is lucky to make it unscathed and unharmed and still able to bark or meow. There must be a millions success stories and I do want to be fair, but I have heard of two or three horror tales, and unfortunately they reign supreme in my mind, which I misplaced a while back. One of the worst stories I heard is about a woman whose cat was dead … Continue reading →

Edinburgh Snake Slithers Home

I do try to spread out fun pet stories when they are similar, but I was just so shocked by the details in this particular one I had to share it sooner rather than later. Back when I wrote about domestic cat Karim traveling across countries to make his way to his owners’ new home, I mentioned how I was surprised a cat traveled so far. Today’s particular pet isn’t impressive for how far it traveled to return home, but for its species: a snake. In this case, a pet corn snake. Edinburgh-based newspaper The Scotsman published a report at … Continue reading →

Flying in Style with Pet Airways

A new airline is soaring through the clouds… and people aren’t allowed to ride. Pet Airways is a new service flying cats and dogs across the United States. How it all began: you can blame a little dog named Zoe. Zoe belongs to the owners of Pet Airways. Like many pet owners, they found it challenging to arrange travel with Zoe in the family. If they wanted to fly somewhere, Zoe was a little too big to ride under the seat (some airlines allow pets of a certain size to ride in the cabin). But they didn’t want their furry … Continue reading →

Car Pet Restraints

Do you use a pet restraint when you take your dog or cat in the car with you? I’m wondering because a couple of weeks ago when I went with my friend Karen to the Nashville Humane Society (NHS) they had a variety of suggestions posted for taking care of your pet. One of them was to always make sure to restrain your pet while traveling in the car. I don’t restrain Murph at all when he’s in the car with us. I do put both Tabby and Mr. Meow in their kitty carriers when I take them to the … Continue reading →

Endangered Piping Plovers in New Jersey

The endangered piping plover has been something of a conservation success story on the New Jersey beaches. The piping plover is a small, territorial shorebird. Like many human beach visitors, the piping plovers pick out their territory, settle into the sand, play in the water, and watch life go on around them. These birds return to their breeding grounds in late March and early April. After courtship rituals, the mated birds form shallow nests in the sand and line them with shells and small rocks. Plovers lay as many as four eggs at a time; the hatchlings can fly a … Continue reading →

Cats and Water

Cats hate water, right? Not always so. The Turkish Van is a breed that is known for its true love of swimming. Some experts believe it was summer heat that first sent the Van in for a swim; this cat will take a dip in a lake, stream, sink, tub, or pond when the mood strikes. The Bengal cat — a cross between domestic cats and small Asian leopard cats — likes water almost as much as the Turkish Van. This breed will play in puddles or in the shower. Bengals will often scoop water with their paws before drinking … Continue reading →

Author Deborah Elliott-Upton’s Cat Tales

You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals. ~George Mikes As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat. ~Ellen Perry Berkeley You can’t own a cat. The best you can do is be partners. ~Sir Harry Swanson I found the above quotes to backup my next claim, which most cat owners will agree with: We don’t choose cats, they choose us. But did you know some cats are so powerful they can convert non-cat people to cat people? Deborah Elliott-Upton is proof. She never intended to own … Continue reading →