Bringing your pets along for the ride can make a road trip even better, but it also adds some new potential complications to your drive. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re fully prepared before you and your furry companions hit the road. When you get a few things ready ahead of time, you’ll ensure that your pets are safe the entire time and that they enjoy themselves. Here are four ways you can make that long car ride a good one for them.
Cover the Floor and Seats
This is partially about protecting your pets and partially about protecting your car. When you use floor mats and put something over your car seats, you make it much easier to clean and reduce the risk of your pet’s nails damaging the interior of your car. You don’t want to learn the hard way that sharp nails and leather seats make a bad combination.
Floor mats can also catch food and anything else that falls during your trip, making it less likely that anything stays on the floor despite your best efforts to clean it. This helps prevent your pets from eating anything they shouldn’t. When you cover the seats, you should also consider putting each pet’s favorite bed in there to help them say comfy. However, floor mats are only useful if they fit well, so search something like “ford floor mats” on google and find what fits for your car.
Bring a First-Aid Kit
The hope is that you won’t need to use your pet’s first-aid kit, but you’re better safe than sorry. If your pet gets sick or injured while on the road, you’ll be happy to have some supplies close at hand.
What you have in the first-aid kit will vary depending on your pet, but you should definitely include gauze, hydrogen peroxide, sterile pads, a towel, a small flashlight and any medications your pet needs. Don’t forget to keep emergency numbers with the kit, either.
Give Your Pet Some Form of Entertainment
Pets and people have quite a few similarities, and just like a person, your pet will probably be excited to start the road trip, and then eventually get bored. You can prevent this a bit by playing with your pet before you leave and only giving them a light meal a couple hours before you set out. This will tire them out and make them more likely to rest in the car.
However, your pet will be up for some of the trip, and if they have nothing to do, then they’ll get restless. Bring one of your pet’s favorite toys with you and let them play with it when you think they could use it.
Keep Your Pet Restrained
No matter the size of your pet, leaving them unrestrained in the car is a bad idea. If an accident happens or if you need to slam on your brakes, they could go flying. They’ll likely get injured, and if they hit you, you could end up hurt, as well.
The best option is to put your pet in either a crate or a carrier and buckle that in to the seat. They may prefer to be moving around, but they’ll be safer in there. You could also look for special seat restraints that fit your pet. No matter what you choose, let your pet try it out before the day of your road trip to get them used to it.
It isn’t hard to protect your pet and keep them happy when you take them on a road trip. With the tips above, you and your pet will have a great time hitting the open road.
