2. Cat's In The Bag...

Pockets: Pockets are essential for keeping your cat's gear as well as yours close at hand. A good cat carrier should have more than one pocket and at least one should be secured by a zipper, button, or hook-and-loop closure.

2. Cat's in the Bag...

Ventilation: Mesh panels fitted into the sides or top of a carrier provide much-needed ventilation. Too many of them, though, can make a frightened cat feel overly exposed. Wolko said a good general rule of thumb is for mesh to cover approximately half of the carrier. Some carriers feature a privacy flap that can be lifted or lowered depending on temperature and a cat's specific needs.

Crash-tested safety certification: A crash-tested safety certification is important if you plan to travel by car with your cat's carrier placed on the seat. Just because a carrier has a seat belt strap doesn't mean it's safe to transport them that way. While independent companies may crash-test their products, the Center for Pet Safety is the leader in crash-testing and safety-certifying pet carriers. In collaboration with Subaru of America, Inc., the Center for Pet Safety conducts specially designed crash tests with dummy dogs to study a carrier's structural integrity and the reliability of its doors and latches.

This is a helpful tip, especially if you are traveling by car. Just like humans cats may get car sick sometimes on longer trips. As a paw parent, it is essential to make the trip as stress-free as possible. Feeding your cat solid food during the last 72 hours before your trip, will help adjust your cat's metabolism to keep their tummy from running during travels. According to Hill's, your cat's metabolism is determined by a number of factors including age and weight. You always want to make sure your cat gets the right nutritional food especially before a trip. That's why they have developed a special formula especially for cats with sensitive stomachs.

Here's a great tip, add a bit of ginger in your cat's food. Ginger is one of those superfoods with a lot of mesmerising medicinal qualities. One of these fantastic qualities being its ability to prevent nausea. Cat owners have reported that ginger has worked really well for their cats when traveling by car or air.

Before traveling to another state or another country, you should always have your cat's vaccine certificate as well as her health certificates at hand. Ask your vet to do a quick checkup and help you get a health certificate. This is usually an easy process and most vets will do the checkup in less than 15 min. You may be required to present your cat's certificates at immigration so it is always a great idea to keep them handy. 041b061a72