A trip with your pup or kitty is sure to be tons of fun, but it can also be full of planning details that can make or break your good time. However you plan to travel, the motto “be prepared” is the best way to ensure it’s an easy and good time for everyone. 

What you pack to meet your pet’s needs is just as important as packing your own toothbrush. While there are many products on the market for traveling with snuggle-bunnies, here’s a short list of essentials to make your road trip with your doggo or feline friend simply pawsome!

While your pooch will no doubt be wearing a collar and tags for the trip, consider adding a harness to ensure their safety and your peace of mind. For instance, the Kurgo Tru-Fit harness, attached to a seat belt in your car, will keep your fur-baby safe from sudden stops. If your cat hates a crate, and lets you hear about it - continuously - try the harness for their safe car travel as well. 

A harness is also useful for walks because it provides better control in case of a surprise, like a sudden loud noise or a squirrel coming around the next corner. Harnesses can make a pet feel more secure than a collar alone, and most are washable to keep your fur-buddy fresh and huggable. Smaller dogs and cats can even be picked up by the back of the harness in an emergency, without risk of them choking or twisting out of a collar.

If you’re hiking with your fur-baby, or taking a walking tour of a city, Fido can help carry his essentials (and some of yours!) in a backpack made just for dogs. Available in a size to fit your pup, it can hold a collapsible water bowl and some treats, refreshing wipes for hot days, pet-friendly sunscreen and more. And don’t forget your energy bars! 

While some kitties are big and strong enough to haul some stuff in a backpack, consider getting a sling to carry them with you, close to your heart. They’ll appreciate the snuggle and you’ll love the purring approval.

When puppers or their feline friends get dirty in a place where there’s no running water, it helps to know you don’t have to suffer with a soiled coat or muddy paws. There are several brands of animal travel wipes and waterless shampoos that will spiff them up in no time! No more stink in your tent at night, or in your car. Note that you might need a towel to wipe them down after using the shampoo, and a brush to loosen dried-on grime. Remember: a clean dog or cat makes for a more pleasant snuggle.

If you’re traveling in the great outdoors, you won’t always have the luxury of running water when a fur-baby gets parched, and carrying water and a bowl can be downright inconvenient. But there’s a solution: a water bottle with a bowl attached on top! Just fill the 12 ounce bottle with water, and when Buster or Kitty are thirsty, hold it in front of them and squeeze gently. Water from the bottle will fill the bowl and they can drink to their heart’s content. How furbulous is that? Since this bottle is portable, you can choose to water your pet in a place that won’t get messed up from “slurp overflow”, like outside the tent. And isn’t it much easier to carry one item to help slake their thirst instead of two? Pawfect!

Of course, this is just a start toward a furbulous pet-friendly adventure! Whether going camping, RVing, or just on an afternoon adventure, being prepared for whatever may come will ensure your four-legged pal has a blast. Consider bringing a pet first aid kit, and don’t furget remedies for car sickness, anxiety or other issues your pet may encounter. Then, relax and enjoy your furtastic travels with your furry buddies!