For many pets, travel related anxiety can be a significant problem caused by various factors like separation anxiety, fear of unfamiliar situations, fear of the car, and motion sickness.
To alleviate this anxiety, we stress the importance of adequate preparation.
CRATE TRAINING
One of the most effective ways to help pets reduce travel anxiety is crate training. By associating the crate with positive experiences, rather than just trips to the vet, pets will feel more comfortable and secure during travel.
Helping make your pet feel familiar and comfortable with the crate isn’t the only thing to address. We prioritize the safety and comfort of your pet, and the travel crate is an essential part of this process.
When choosing a crate, it’s crucial to select the correct size for your pet. As a general rule, your pet travel crate should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn, sit, and lie down comfortably, without being too big to pose risks during turbulence.
Our team has extensive experience in sizing pets to the appropriate crate. If you’re unsure, we’ve created an easy-to-follow guide on “how to size your pet” to help us assign the most suitable crate for your pet.
Before the travel date, we recommend familiarizing your pet with the crate and making it feel like a safe haven. The crate shouldn’t feel like an imprisonment, or hold any negative association. Remember to take it slow and steady, step-by-step, and keep in mind that crate training is not a race but a process.
CALMING PRODUCTS
For pet owners who want to calm their pets during travel, there are products available that can help.
A product that we highly recommend is Pet Reliefs ‘Comfort and Calm’ blend.
Pet Relief’s unique formula has been specifically developed to support pets who experience worry and anxiousness, separation anxiety, fears of thunderstorms and loud noises, struggle with vet and grooming visits, travel anxiety and travel sickness or have any other long-standing fears.
Unlike other calming products on the market that use synthetic pheromones, Pet Relief is an Australian owned company that uses 100% Natural Ingredients.
Their product ingredients include Australian Bush Flower Essences, vegetable glycerin and spring water. There is no physical component of the flower left in the blend which makes them non-reactive to humans or animals including dogs, cats, birds, horses and rabbits. They preserve their blends using vegetable glycerin and spring water to give them a longer shelf life. Vegetable glycerin is a safe, gentle preservative used commonly in many pet products. Like all natural remedies and supplements, flower essences are based on efficacy over the last century and are currently relied on by millions of people and animals worldwide.
Flower essences are based on vibrational energetics, rather than biochemical processes, and stimulate the body’s natural capacity to bring itself back to homeostasis. This makes them safe to take alongside other treatments with natural and/or pharmaceutical medications with no negative effects whatsoever. There is no healing modality that is compromised by combining it with Australian Bush Flower Essences. Flower essences are self-regulating, non-toxic, non-habit-forming and have no negative side effects.
Their blends are not too dissimilar to homeopathic remedies and are considered complementary medicine.
If you want any more information, see their website:
COMFORT ITEMS
You may be tempted to add your pets favourite toy or comfort item in their crate with them to accompany them during their journey, however the airlines do not permit any loose items to travel on them or inside the crate.
You are however encouraged to put an old blanket or towel in the bottom of the crate to provide some additional comfort, and absorbency in the case of soiling during transit.
We recommend sleeping with the chosen blanket or towel for a few nights prior to the day of transport so your pet has a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Please do not put anything of value or something you wish to keep upon arrival into the crate. If soiled during the flight, this item will be discarded upon arrival.
EMOTIONAL POSITION
The emotional connection between humans and their pets is the essence of the relationship. Recent studies have shown that pets can pick up chemical and physiological cues from their owners that allow the owners’ moods to become “contagious’; which means the owner’s stress and anxiety can also become the pets’ stress and anxiety.
Remaining calm and relaxed around your pet in the lead up to their journey will be the most helpful thing you can do, as they will feel at ease and confident in your emotional position. This will greatly assist in the transition from being with you to then being put in an unfamiliar environment.
If you are not stressed, they will feel less of a need to be stressed themselves.
For pets with clinical anxiety, we recommend speaking to your vet for tailored and professional advice about the best methods to reduce anxiety during transit for your pet specifically.