As fall and winter looms, you should become familiar with how best to travel with your cat in chilly weather. Factors such as getting the right accessories, and taking proper precautions to keep your pet safe in this weather, are of utmost importance.
Wondering how to travel with your cat in winter? This guide furnishes you with excellent tips to keep your pet safe during your adventures this season.
1. Going Hiking? Here’s How to Keep Your Cat Warm
If you’re a fan of outdoor events such as long hikes, you might be concerned about the safety of your cat during such fascinating adventures. Yes, you can in fact, take your cat along with you on a hike- but you must ensure your pet is kept warm, to avoid hypothermia. To do this, you should avoid trailing during the coldest time of the day, i.e., dawn or dusk. Instead, aim for the warmest time, which is usually around midday. Also, try to limit the amount of time spent outdoors, while keeping your cat in its warm cat backpack carrier.
2. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration
Going on a trip with your cat this winter? Then you must remember to properly hydrate your pet, just as you also take an adequate amount of fluids. Staying hydrated in the winter can be an herculean task, but if your cat is to remain in good health, you can’t afford to let it slide. If possible, travel with your collapsible cat bowl, as well as a warm water bottle to feed your cat with warm fluids. Also remember to have cat-friendly fruit and snacks handy.
3. The Ultimate Accessory: Your Cat Backpack Carriers
Cat backpack carriers have become popular- but for the right reasons. Apart from being such a fashionable accessory, your favorite pet’s backpack carrier can also provide the needed warmth this season. For example, if going outdoors in winter, you can stuff the carrier with a warm blanket to protect your cat from the cold, alongside other accessories like: a heating pad and battery-powered heaters.
4. Have you Studied the Map?
This might make you roll your eyes – because critically studying the map when going on a trip is for extremely serious folks, but you need to realize that your pet is your responsibility in these crucial times, and you’d like to keep her safe, right? Great!
Before traveling, ensure you study the map to know routes and paths to follow. Doing this will help you avoid dangerous routes, grit, and deicer, and in the long run, protect you and your cat from possible harm.
5. Temperature Checks are Essential
When traveling with your cat, ensure you check your pet’s temperature from time to time, to avoid hypothermia. This way, you know the right time to wrap that blanket around your animal, feed it some warm fluid, or even take a break from the trip – if there are a lot of frozen paths along the way. Before heading out, it’s also good practice to have a fair idea of the average temperature of the places you’d be visiting, so you can be well prepared and avoid endangering your cat and yourself.
6. Tenderly Check your Pet for Injuries
After sleeping in its comfortable bed overnight, your cat might be up for some exercise out in the woods – or wherever you may be. Yes, this will be a fun adventure! Once you’re back though, you mustn’t forget to check your pet’s paws for any injuries, or to see if any debris is hiding there. Before and during your trip, ensure to keep your pet’s claws trimmed and free from hair – your cat might even benefit from a visit to the professional groomer for proper clipping and trimming of the hair and nails before your trip!
7. Watch Out for Signs of Wildlife
Whilst traveling, be on the lookout for wildlife, especially if you’d be visiting the woods. Also, keep your pet on a leash when you are outdoors, as this protects your pet from potential accidents in case of an emergency.
Finally:
Some other tools to make your trip more pleasant include: a pet first aid kit, foil blanket, hiking wrist warmer for you, cat drying coat, boots & waterproof cat GPS tracker.
Never forget to keep your cat well wrapped up in thick clothing, wear boots to protect their paws from getting cold, and lastly, it is always better to keep your pet in it’s safe backpack. When traveling with your pet in winter, keep your cat’s health and wellbeing as your top priority!