Driving with pets in the car

Everyone loves their pets and considers them a part of the family. So road trips or a quick drive to a store to pick something up can be a norm. Travelling on the road with your pet is not like travelling with people, you have to be careful and cautious because you never know what might cause a sudden mood swing or change of behavior for them. If you have a cat or dog and want to know how to drive perfectly with their presence when you are driving, then make sure to follow these important tips:

Keep them in the back seat

It is always best to keep your canine or feline buddy in the back seat of the car to avoid minimum distraction. Dogs are quite active and expressive creatures so there could be tons of external stimuli for them on the road to bark or get excited about. Cats should also be kept at the back because they don’t like to see what’s on the road as it mostly agitates them.

Keep them restrained

If you have a hyper active pet or the kind that can get anxiety stricken easily then it is best to keep it restrained by using a pet restraint that buckles them up easily inside. Alternately, you can also use a crate or carrier to keep your pets in if it is a long road trip. Always make sure that the crate or carrier you are using is big enough for your pet to stand, sit and lie down in comfortably.

Start by short trips

If you want your pet to be used to riding in the car, then first take it on a series of short trips so that car rides can be normalized for it. Cats usually never like car rides and get car sick so it is preferred to keep them in a carrier.

Feeding times

Just like you should never eat in the car, your pet shouldn’t either. Feed your pet 3-4 hours before you drive the car because you never know if it could get nauseous by the moving motion and throw up inside the car. That would make you lose focus and drive badly.

Don’t leave your pet locked inside

Even though it is not illegal to drive with a pet in the car but it can become a crime of neglect on your part if you leave it inside the car during hot weather.  Your pet could suffer from a heat stroke or die because of this. You will be given a hefty fine therefore always making sure to take the pet with you or simply leave it at home.

Don’t let your pet to ride the car with its head outside the window

This might seem all fun and easy but it is very unsafe for the pet. Anything outside the window can trigger the pet off even if it is leashed so train it not to keep its head outside.

As always keep yourself secure first and make sure that your pet is not distracting you from driving properly. If you notice that it is difficult to drive with your pet in the car then it is best to leave it at home.