Tips for traveling with your pets

WASHINGTON — A lot of pet owners are looking ahead to travel. Make sure that everyone involved is ready for this, especially if you’re going to bring your pet.

If you are going to stay in someone’s home, make sure your host or hostess are comfortable with having your pet as a guest. If not, ask now for suggestions of pet-friendly facilities nearby. Hotels and inns that accept pets are often very popular during holidays and book up early.

If you are planning to travel by plane, make sure your pet can be accommodated and find out about restrictions and instructions.

Make sure your pet goes to the vet to be checked out and bring complete medical records and dates of vaccines.

Bring along a good supply of your pet’s usual food and make sure you’ve got water and bowls available.

Cats are not as likely as dogs to enjoy going along for the ride. Most felines prefer staying in their own homes where they are most comfortable. If you do plan to travel with your cat, take out your carrier a week in advance, line it with one of your cat’s favorite blankets and maybe a T-shirt you’ve worn, and put in a few catnip toys. Hopefully, your cat will get used to spending a bit of time in there before the trip. When departure day comes, your cat might not yowl as loud as he might have if you had just sprung the carrier on him.