Prepare For Holiday Travel - Petiquette For Hotel Stays

With the holiday season fast approaching, many Americans are planning their travels... and bringing along Fido and Fluffy! Be sure to plan ahead and take all the necessary precautions to ensure that your pet's holiday is a happy and safe one.

For many, holiday travel means staying at a pet friendly hotel. It's important to make sure that you and your pet are prepared. Following some simple tips will help to ensure that your hotel stay with your pet is an enjoyable one.

- It's recommended to book a room on the ground floor and by an exit. This will make it much easier for you to take your pet out for bathroom breaks. Make sure to always clean up after your pet as well.

- Be sure to exercise your pet...this means walks. Ask hotel personnel about the best places to walk your pet.

- Treat the hotel room with respect...this means covering any furniture and beds that your pet may be allowed on.

- If traveling with a cat, place their litter boxes in the bathroom. This will make clean-up much easier.

- It's recommended to not leave your pet unattended in your hotel room. Even the best behaved pets can bark and become destructive when in new surroundings. If you must leave your pet alone, be sure that it's for a very short time. Alert the front desk that your pet is alone in the room and try putting on the TV or a radio to make your pet more comfortable. If you pet travels with a crate or kennel, place them in it when leaving the room. In addition, place a note on the hotel door indicating that your pet is in the room.

- Don't leave any pests behind. Before leaving home be sure to give your pet a good cleaning and de-flea & de-tick them. This means a good flea and tick bath along with utilizing preventative flea and tick control. Leaving behind a stinky smell, or worse, fleas or ticks is the kind of thing that makes accommodations change their pet friendly policy. In addition, if a deposit is required, these types of things could very well prevent you from getting it back.

- Accidents happen! Even pets that have never had an "accident" indoors may do so under stress. Bring along a disinfectant as well as a rag in the event that you have to clean up after your pet. Not doing so could also cause a loss of deposit.

- To ensure that you're welcomed back, keep your pet on a leash and avoid taking them into dining areas.

Following some common sense rules will help ensure that your pet has a happy and safe trip.

Kim Salerno is the President & Founder of TRIPSwithPETS.com. She founded the pet travel site in 2003 and is an expert in the field of pet travel. Her popular pet travel site features pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the United States, along with other helpful pet travel resources. Her mission is to ensure that pets are welcome, happy, and safe in their travels.

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