JOIN USThings to know before travelling with your pet
It is not a big ordeal to take your pet along when you travel if you plan in advance and follow rules. Metrolife spoke to pet parents and caretakers to find out more about the basics of travelling with a pet.
Tina Fernandes, who runs a pet relocation service says, “Since 2020 we have seen many people moving away, shifting back to their hometown, either due to job losses or other personal reasons. Many went back home expecting it to be a short trip during the lockdown and left their pet at boardings but as the pandemic extended, they ended up shifting bases completely and had to relocate their pet.”
The separation anxiety of being away from your pet is as real as it could be, and it is the same for the little pooches.
Every pet parent can recall when they had to cancel vacation plans or when couldn't attend a family function because they couldn’t leave their pet behind. Lack of awareness, or just how vexatious it might sound to travel with a pet, leads to pet abandonment and heartbreaks.
Ashika Bhargav, cat parent for almost a decade and actively involved in rescuing, fostering, and adoption of kittens in Delhi-NCR, shares her experience of travelling with her cat Bubbles on a train.
“To travel from New Delhi to Mumbai, we booked four berths so we were sure to get a cabin for ourselves. It is mandatory to book a berth for your pet as per IRCTC, and pets can travel only in first-class compartments with you. Also, we put the age of Bubbles as five years, as below five years, the seat is considered child-berth,” she says
Ashika ensured her cat was well acquainted with her carrier before the journey. “Plus, I also ensured that she was fully vaccinated and that her vaccination booklet was ready and up to date. I got her ‘Fit to Travel’ certificate from her vet. It is an essential document before your pet can board the train. Also, we were asked to produce a copy of our Aadhar Card at the station, so that should be kept handy. It is also a good idea to keep an extra printout of your ticket,” she adds.
Preeti Khatri, who travelled from Bengaluru to New Delhi with her two dogs, is in agreement.
“Get all your documents in check before you leave for the railway station and ensure you arrive at the station at least three hours in advance. After reaching you’ll first need to head to the parcel office to get all the paperwork sorted for your pet. This is pretty much the final check where all your documents will be looked at,” she says. Ashika adds that a luggage receipt for the pet is compulsory even after booking an entire birth.
“Once the journey began, the ticket checker asked us to keep the door closed through the journey. Bubbles was very anxious and kept meowing whenever the train would pick speed. She used the litter box normally but only after about eight hours into the journey,” added Ashika.
Preeti says travelling by train is the easiest and most convenient option in India when it comes to travelling long distances with a pet. “If by road is not an option, then the train is definitely the next best choice,” she adds.
Pet parents often stray away from air travel as it is a tedious process compared to other options. Currently, for domestic flights, only Air India allows pets on flights.
“It is the only airline that currently has ventilated cargo holds, which is safe for pet travel. But it is not recommended for snub-nosed dogs” says Tina.
Only pets within 5 kgs are allowed for cabin travel, pets weighing more are only allowed to travel in cargo. Documents required for pets for air travel are similar to the documents required for railway travel.
“But air travel is a tedious process as you will have to get several permissions in advance from the airline and cargo department. It can take days to get approvals, which is why people often prefer relocators,” adds Tina.
KEEP IN MIND
- Ensure all vaccinations are completed and your pet’s vaccination booklet is up to date.
- If your pet is heavy and doesn’t like being in carriers and tries to escape, do not risk using carrier bags.
- Use only IATA-approved carriers.
- Always carry extra pee pads.
- ‘Fit to Travel’ certificate should not be made more than two days in advance. It is valid for one week only, so if your journey is long or has transit points, better to get it done closer to travel day.
- The parcel office is generally quite a distance from the main railway station building, hence keep some time in hand.