Keep it clean – travelling with your pet

With the cost of pet boarding on the rise and the availability of trusted, accredited pet carers limited, lots of travellers are choosing to take their furry friends on holiday with them, rather than leaving them at home.

There’s an abundance of pet-friendly destinations out there, with many hotels now opening their doors to travellers with animals.

However, with this choice comes responsibility.

Firstly, owners need to make sure that their pets are fit for travel by getting them checked over by a vet and ensuring that all the necessary health certificates / pet passports are up to date.

Secondly, they need to leave their accommodation in the same state of good repair as they found it — this requires forward-planning.

Hotels are ready to capitalise on the business opportunity that travellers with pets provide, but they don’t do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Pet owners are often asked to stump up a hefty deposit before they stay, so it’s in their interests to keep on top of the additional cleaning needs associated with furry travellers.

Read on for tips that will really help travelling pet owners keep it clean.

Don’t be a door mat – but make sure you travel with one

The danger zone when it comes to pet mess is the front entrance. Pets have to be taken outside for toilet breaks and exercise whatever the weather — so to avoid muddy and mucky paws, it always helps to carry a pet mat when travelling.

Dirt-trapper designs from floor hygiene specialists The Mat Factory are specially designed to absorb moisture from passing feet and paws and they have anti-slip rubber backing perfect for tiled floors and are fully machine washable.

Bedding

Even if a pet stays on the bed at home, hotel linen is really not designed for furry bed guests. It’s much better for travellers to get their pets used to sleeping in a crate at night, so that they can be contained safely and hygienically.

It always helps to bring a blanket from home too. This really helps the pet settle in unfamiliar surroundings and prevents an unsettled pooch crying for the first couple of nights of the trip while they get used to their new temporary home.

Accidents happen

However toilet trained a pet is at home, travellers have to expect the odd accident while they’re away, due to the unfamiliarity of the surroundings and changes to the usual routine. Accidents will happen – but it’s the speed at which they’re dealt with and the products used, that make the difference between getting the deposit back or losing it.

In the immediate aftermath of an accident, liquid should be blotted it up straight away. Then, once dry, use a high-quality urine neutraliser from a janitorial products firm like Crown Supplies.

Follow these pet travel tips and your next trip will be clean and carefree.

These are our hygiene tips for travellers with pets. What would you never travel without? Let us know in the comments section.