Seniors packing up their pets to share adventures

By Marty Metzger
Correspondent

Seniors recalling cranky children impatiently inquiring "Are we there yet?" likely will welcome the less demanding backseat dialog that come with traveling with a pet!

Pets are family members. Many retirees' plans include travel and so, of course, their animals go, too.

Safety, logistical and other considerations make for a bon voyage.

• To ease a cat or dog into long road trips, first work on good behavior training on short, local jaunts.
• Use a pet carrier for lengthy distances. A pet will feel secure, be safer than if at-liberty and not cause dangerous distractions for the driver. Don't allow a dog to hang its head out the window of a moving vehicle. This practice can cause eye irritations.
• Remember to take a doggie (or kitty) bag filled with pet food, dishes and bowls, can opener, toys, blanket, grooming tools, necessary medications, ID tags, collar or harness and leash.
• Plan overnight accommodations in advance to secure reservations at motels or campgrounds that allow pets.

Tracy Thomas of Elder Pet Care in Fort Collins suggested travelers should carry certification of current vaccinations in case the pet needs to be boarded en route. Thomas discourages the use of tranquilizers, which can cause adverse reactions and, in some cases, don't work.

She personally would never fly a pet unless it's small enough to fit in an under-seat carrier. Crated pets shipped in the cargo bay are routinely handled as baggage.

Thomas told of a friend who flew with a golden retriever. The man happened to glance out the window as his plane's luggage was being loaded and was horrified to see his dog running across the tarmac.

Regulations for traveling with pets differ from airline to airline. Travelers can find the rules and travel tips on airline web sites. Some do not allow pets in the cabin, for example.

If a towable trailer or motor home is to your liking, shop around for the unit that best works for both you and your pet.

Sherry Loewen, sales manager at Loveland R.V., estimates that 75 percent of the seniors she serves are pet owners. They prefer to take those pets along, and select towable RVs over motor homes because the critters can cozily stay in unhitched trailers while owners shop, go out to eat or see some sights.

Loewen said that her customers adapt RV purchases to pets' needs, as well as to their own. Some downsize from a fifth-wheel to a smaller travel trailer so older pets won't need to negotiate steps.

One retired couple, who are dog breeders, purchased a toy hauler to accommodate the multiple kennels they take to dog shows.

Loveland RV also modifies trailers, Loewen stated. For example, they've cut holes in floors and altered closets to provide secure niches for litter boxes.

Loewen recalled numerous purchase decisions made by dogs. Owners often bring them along to sniff RV interiors and select which they prefer.

"I don't know how they know which one the dog approves of," she said.

Pet-owning seniors traveling in RVs have a lot of lodging choices. For example, Glen Echo Resort offers an RV park, modern and rustic cabins and tent sites. Owner Lloyd Rowe happily accepts pets.

Rowe remarked that individuals in this age group usually have very well-mannered animals and agreeably clean up after them. His guests have included those with seeing-eye dogs and senior groups bringing along cats and dogs.

Another area campground that welcomes pets is the Wellington KOA. Co-owner Anne Roy shared several anecdotes about pet-toting mature guests.

One elderly lady was traveling with her cat. Campground rules require pets be leashed at all times. Well, this particular lady had just pulled up to her campsite, opened the door and, first thing, the cat flew out and dove under the trailer.

The poor lady crawled on hands and knees for a considerable length of time before the frightened feline could be coaxed out. Kitty was always on-leash after that bumpy beginning.

One older gentleman had an extremely tiny toy poodle. One day the man and his diminutive dog went for a nice, quiet walk. A neighboring camper opened her door at the inopportune moment the pair passed by. Her two dogs, a Doberman and a mixed breed, leaped out in hot pursuit of the poodle. One canine came back when called; its companion was less obliging. After that startling stroll, Mr. Poodle Owner defensively carried a baseball bat on their daily constitutionals.

Roy repeatedly stressed the importance of leashing or crating pets. One unrestrained situation ended quite badly.

This past summer, a senior couple were relocating and had trouble with their rig in transit. They stopped and rented a cabin from Roy. The couple was moving horses, livestock and pets, including a wild barn kitten.

Apparently, its crate in the back of the truck had been improperly latched, and the feral kitten escaped into the darkness. It ultimately climbed into a building's rafters. The man unsuccessfully attempted to catch it; the little cat fell onto a concrete floor far below. Although the owner quickly took it to a vet, its injuries proved fatal.

Wellington KOA has regulars who, with their pets, visit every year, said Roy. But not all pets are the four-legged variety. Roy and husband Helmut own another campground north of LaPorte. They had a couple come in with about 15 birds, including parrots and macaws, some of which were rescues. They've traveled with the feathery entourage for years and even have a separate trailer for them.

Traveling can be a rewarding experience for owners and pets alike. Seniors can be glad that nerve-jangling refrain--"Are we there yet?"--is long-since silenced. In the stillness, they can hear a contentedly purring cat or softly snoring pooch as they motor from adventure to adventure.