Holidays, Travel and the Jet-Setting Pet

This pooch gets the full treatment at one of many top-rated pet hotels/resorts.

The holiday season is officially here folks (all humans, canines and felines). I don’t ever want to offend a reader by not acknowledging their presence. Seriously, you’d be surprised at how many dogs read these posts. Still haven’t got the data back on the cats however. Oh well.

So, Thanksgiving’s less than a week away, what’s everybody’s plan for the holidays? Are you traveling? Maybe internationally? Do other countries even celebrate Thanksgiving? Hold on, I need Google. BRB…. Ok, I’m back. And, it seems we’re not the only ones who celebrate Thanksgiving (or a variation of it). In seven other countries: Germany, Japan, Canada, Grenada, Liberia, the Netherlands and Norfolk Island celebrate some form of this holiday. Never stop learning, right? Maybe you already knew that. I’m not going to get into the specifics on how and when they celebrate—because I don’t want to get off topic any more than I already have. But, if you’d like to read more on that click here.

That said, I’m going to place a safe bet and say many, if not all of you reading this are pet owners. Surprised yet? So, when you travel out of town for the holidays, what do you do with your pets? Do you take them with you? Do you hire a pet sitter to stay at or stop by your home regularly? How about pet hotels? Kennels? (I hope not. But I don’t judge!) Or, do you take your furry family members with you? I’d love to know what other people do in this particular situation.

I recently stumbled upon this website called The Jet Set Pets. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s a blog that’s updated daily and offers an abundance of information pertaining to pet-friendly hotels and airlines worldwide, the latest pet products, advice on traveling with a pet, discussions on pet travel, and other resources for pet parents to share experiences and photos of their furry friends with the rest of the community there. Check it out!

Let’s take it a step further since finances will/do often play a factor in the decision of where Rover and Garfield stay for the holidays. I say Garfield because I think he’s one of the more well-known felines. (From my generation.) Am I dating myself? Maybe. Yes, probably. Anyway, I know pet hotels are not cheap, especially if you buy the penthouse suite with the Animal Planet network! Add some extras like two  or three walks per day instead of the default one, and a treat after dinner not just breakfast. Or maybe you prefer your pooch get escorted around in a limo, have access to a full-service salon as well as surf lessons. If that’s the case, this place is for you (and your pet)!

Funny thing is, I know a few folks who earn only a modest income but spare absolutely no expense when it comes to pampering and splurging on their pets. Seriously, their own children get jealous by the amount of indulgence bestowed upon those pets. True animal lovers I guess.

Personally, I’ve never left my pet at a pet hotel. Not that I wouldn’t, I just haven’t yet. Usually it’s not too hard for me to find a friend that’s willing too board my little girl for a few days or more. Once, and only once, I left my dog at a Petsmart® boarding facility. I think most Petsmart® retail stores have them. It was only for a few days and my dog was still kind of a puppy at the time. She didn’t like it. Yes, she did tell me after the fact when I came to pick her up. Not in so many words, but now when we go in the vicinity of that place she freaks out and starts shaking like a nervous Chihuahua! She is part Chihuahua but that’s not my point.

A few years ago I took a trip to Miami, Florida with a girl friend of mine. No, not girlfriend. Girl friend. Now that that’s clarified…. She took her cat with us on the plane (in the cabin with everyone else). It was a Sphynx. A very odd looking hairless cat with huge balls that hung to it’s knees. Friendly nonetheless.

Ok, so the problem I had with this is that the cat stayed with us in the hotel room. For one week! That’s not the kicker. The hotel strictly forbade pets on the property. Little did they know. She kept the cat in the hotel room (with us) for a week. Mind you we were out and about most of the time. But when we were in the hotel room it stunk! Badly! The litter box was made out of something not intended for litter (and cat poop).

On top of that, the front desk was getting complaints of an animal, specifically a cat constantly meowing close by. I can go on about this and other incidents that happened on this trip—but I won’t for your sake—because I know we all have things to do other than read my rants. However, what I will do is give you some resources to check out and what Delta Airlines requires if traveling their airline with your pet(s).

Back to my intention with this post… I want to hear about what other pet owners do around the holidays when it comes to traveling—with or without your fur babies. Where do you leave them? Who do you leave them with? Do your pets travel? Do they travel well? I’ve told you mine. Now you tell me yours. Please leave your comments on this page.

Oh, and, of course, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I’m saying it now because I won’t be blogging that day. I’m sure you’re all very disappointed. #TurkeyComa