How do anxious pets cope with travelling on a plane?

There is no doubt that Covid-19 has impacted everyone around Australia, our furry friends included. Our pets may have loved having us at home during lockdowns, however as we start to return to our places of work, separation anxiety in pets is on the rise.

So you may be wondering, if your pet can barely cope with you leaving the house, how will they be able to handle a plane trip? The truth is, it will be a new experience for them, but they will be just fine. And we have some tips to help prepare them for their next adventure.

DOGS

1. Crate train prior to travel so they are familiar with a crate environment. Associate their crate with positive things such as play and treats
2. Exercise – ensure they have an opportunity to go on big walk before hopping into their crate
3. Familiar Scent – pop an old piece of your clothing into their crate (please note this may be removed and discarded).
4. Stay calm and relaxed – our pets feed off our emotions
5. Place an Adaptil Collar on your dog prior to travel. Adaptil Collars release pheromones to help relieve stress

CATS

1. Crate train your cat, let them explore a crate environment prior to travel
2. On the morning of travel, ensure your cat is kept in an enclosed area where it easy for you to retrieve them. Nothing worse than chasing around a stressed cat!
3. Familiar Scent – pop an old piece of your clothing into their crate (please note this may be removed and discarded).
4. Stay calm and relaxed – our pets feed off our emotions
5. Spray Feliway Spray in their crate – this is a pheromone helps to keep cats calm and relieves stress and anxiety

When you speak with our Pet Travel Consultants to book your pets travel, they will ask about the temperament of your pet. Please let us know if your pet is particularly anxious, so our gentle and experienced Pet Handlers know how to best handle your loved one (the more cuddles the better we say!)