With the summer travel season now upon us, many of us face questions about what to do with our pets when we go on vacation. Those of us who decide to bring our pets along on our trips, though glad to have our furry friends with us, then face further complications of keeping our pets situated and happy with the limited resources we have away from home.
At the recent Global Pet Expo in Orlando, pet-minded inventors introduced a number of new gadgets designed to make vacationing easier for all members of the family, both two-and-four-legged. MSNBC reports the highlights.
For your pet’s transportation and relaxation needs, designer Emanuele Bianchi offers the “P@W” (Pet at Work) Travel System. At first it just looks like the typical backpack-style small dog/cat carrying cases seen commonly now in pet stores. But the “P@W” folds out to also serve as a mini-doghouse complete with comfort mat. Sounds perfect for small dog owners who like to camp; this way both you and your furry friend have your own tent.
Vacationers heading to the water this summer might consider the SnooZZy OrthoAir. The inflatable air bed doubles as a convenient sleeping place for your pet on vacation and as a flotation device water-friendly dogs can relax on at the pool or lake.
Though it’s hot, summer often means getting wet, be it through a trip to the pool or beach or due to an unexpected summer rainstorm. In case of the latter, there’s the Package Rain Poncho. It stores in a small pouch easy to clip onto your dog’s leash, thus making it simple to carry around at all times and quick to pull out and wrap around your dog in the event of a sudden storm.
If your dogs are already wet, either from a swim or a storm, you can wrap them in a Towel Tog. The tog goes around your sopping wet dog, and absorbs most of the water so when your pet’s ready to shake out its coat, anyone standing nearby needn’t worry about getting doused. Another hydro-gadget is the Cool Down Doggie Leash, which features a built-in water bottle set to spray your dog should it need some cooling down during a hot walk.
Finally, what about any kitties on vacation? Our feline friends usually don’t get to come with us on trips, because most cats don’t take well to traveling far from their home. But in case you need to bring your cat along with you, you can try to help calm your kitty by using the Good Behavior Calming Pheromone Collar.
The collar contains scents like lavender and chamomile that should help soothe your cat’s travel worries. Varieties are also available for dogs.
Who’d have thought there’d be so many gadgets available not just for pets, but to help pets enjoy summer vacation along with the rest of their family? I’d seen a few of these inventions before, like the calming collar, at various pet stores.
Normally I find most pet gadgets unnecessary; like most gadgets, they do serve a convenient purpose but ultimately aren’t worth the expense. Sometimes, however, vacations end up bringing more stress rather than relieving it, so if there’s a pet gadget out there that will make the trip easier, then I’d be glad to have it.
Related Articles:
DogFriendly.com: Dog-Friendly Vacation Planning Made Easier
What to Know Before you Fly with Fido
*(This image by andrewfjohnson is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
