29 Oct Things You Must Know When Travelling With a Pet in India
India is known for its rich culture and heritage. One can hear a new language every 200 kilometers radius. In short, India is what you can call a traveler’s goldmine. It does not matter if you are traveling to explore or for business or relocating to a new city, you will love and enjoy every bit of it.
However, there is a large population who are pet parents and have to travel for one reason or the other. The major dilemma that a pet parent faces is who will take care of their furry baby when they are not home. Well, you can be the one who takes care of your beloved little one even when you are not home by taking your pet along with you. Amazing, right? All you need to do is keep a few pre-requisites in mind to ensure a safe, comfortable, and successful travel of your pet.
Here are the things that you need prior to traveling with your pet
1. Crate
This is one of the foremost steps while deciding to get your pet relocated to a newer destination. What is essential is to pick the right size of crate because your pet is going to spend all the time inside the crate/kennel while they are in the process of changing locations. Therefore, the crate needs to have enough but not more than enough space for your pet.
Now, what is important to do is, measure your pet to get the right-sized crate. Well, that’s easy- all you need to do is measure your pet properly. Here are a few guidelines on how that can be done
- Length of the pet – from the tip of the nose to base/root of the tail.
- Height of the pet – from the elbow joint to the ground.
- Width of the pet – across shoulders/widest point.
- Height of the pet – natural standing position from the top of the head to the floor.
Based on these dimensions and certain calculations, an appropriate crate is finalized for the pet’s flight. Make sure to add those extra 4 inches to the calculated height of the pet so that there is enough headspace and the pet is not cramped in the crate. Once the sizing is rightly done, it is time to pick and order the same. The cost of the crate is definitely going to vary with the choice of the size, ranging between 5000-40000/- (INR)
2. Documents
When it comes to the documentation of your pet during domestic pet transportation, it is a relief that you would not require things like a rabies anti-body or a microchip as a mandatory requirement. But having said that, you will surely not want to leave behind the other vaccination certificates of your baby. The medical records are still a must as they ensure the immunity and past health history of your pet in case anything happens to the baby shortly. This is also essential to meet any unforeseen challenges that the pet might come in contact with sudden new surroundings.
You would also be required to keep with you a fitness certificate for your pet. This certification can only be produced if you have a timely check up of your pet.
3. Mode of Transportation
Your baby can travel via three modes of transportation just like you can. These modes are air, train, and road. You can choose either one, or a combination of two or more. However, it is advised to keep the travel hours as less for your pet as possible. The reason – long travel can cause mental and physical health issues for your pet. Choice of mode of transportation also depends on your budget. Transportation by road and train is pocket friendly. However, they are still the less preferred modes because the travel time involved is uncertain as it is dependent upon traffic, train schedules, and many more things. Hence, even though the cost of traveling with a pet on a plane is comparatively more, the majority of pet parents prefer it over any other.
Now that you have covered the pre-requisites of traveling with your pet in India, here are the guidelines and regulations that you must follow
1. Pet travel policies are the same in all the airlines in India, subject to slight variations.
2. Dogs and cats below the age of 8 weeks are not permitted to use air transport, and in some cases, the minimum age requirement is 12 weeks, depending upon the airlines’ policies.
3. The First 3 weeks and the last 2 weeks of pregnancy for dogs are crucial, so, it is advised by vets not to take dogs on flights during that period, and airlines only allow dogs to travel with them once a vet has approved of it and has produced a certificate for the same.
4. Your pet needs to get a thorough medical checkup done, and treated for any medical condition, if need be, before going on a trip.
Knowing how easy it is for you to take your pet on a trip with you in India, do not let anything or anyone stop you from doing so. Have a wonder travel with your lovely pet.
