Traveling with pets? Anyone who has a pet knows it’s hard to leave your pet behind. Here are some words of advice about pet-friendly Tybee Island and our happy little houses by the sea. Remember, we have cottages that allow dogs, dogs, and cats, and we’ve even had birds, reptiles and fish in our homes!
Pre-plan your preparedness
* Make your pet comfortable both during travel and at the destination. Practice short trips to the park to associate good things with your planned method of travel.
* Try harnesses instead of leashes while traveling.
* Make sure your pet has your name and number on it, and maybe consider a tracking app.
* Work on doing their business on command. That will help when you’re stopping during travel, and will help when you get to your destination so your pet will know where to ‘go’.
Bring the familiar
* Make sure your pet is familiar with your travel crate before springing it on them in a new place.
* Bring blankets and toys pets are familiar with, and put them down where you want them to sleep. The familiarity will calm them, and will help with all the new smells and temptations. Maybe buy a few thrift store baby blankets, wash them, and then sleep with them for a few nights so your pet can smell you.
* Bring a travel bowl for food and water. Again, practicing beforehand lets them know this is theirs.
Think through what you can do to make your pet comfortable
* Schedule stops along the way,
* Bring toys/blankets that make them happy.
* If your pet has anxiety issues, maybe try a thunder jacket instead of meds.
* Aromatherapy works well on pets, too.
Be a good guest in vacation homes
* Introduce your pet to the home and keep them close until you’re sure they know their way around.
* Bring puppy pads / litter boxes.
* Pick up after your pet and make sure they know the best places to ‘go’. They won’t know the backyard from the living room, so introduce them to your yard and praise them.
* If you’re leaving them for the day/night, make sure they’re comfortable in a smaller room with some familiar items around them.
* Bring baking soda and dryer sheets. Baking soda in case there’s an ‘accident’ and dryer sheets to stop static electricity on your pet during a storm, which will help keep their fur down and make them feel less hectic.
* Make sure your pets are up to date on flea meds, especially in the summer.
Know the pet rules in the vacation rental and in the town you’re visiting
*For example, Tybee Island is pet-friendly, but pets are not allowed on the beach.
* If your pet is a ‘therapy’ pet, make sure they have actual, real identification.
* Make sure your pet has ID tags with your phone number, just in case (there are also pet tracker apps).
* If you know the number of your vacation rental company, try to put them on your pet for local/backup phone numbers.
Most of all, keep calm yourself and don’t get stressed out. They’re animals. They’re learning with you and through you. So, the more chill you are, the more they’ll realize this is a great thing you’re doing and you’ll both enjoy traveling with pets even more.
Mermaid Cottages has tips for traveling with pets and our pet friendly cottages are really something to bark about. Pack your wags and reserve your pet friendly cottage right on our website or call our Mermaid on Duty at 912.704.4618.
