More people than you might think are buying a ticket for their furry family member, rather than calling the pet sitter, as they get ready for their summer vacations. A survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that among the more than 71 million households nationwide with pets, about 19 percent with dogs and 3 percent with cats include them in their travel plans.

Experts, however, advise that not every companion animal is a jet-set pet. Those that are anxious or nervous, very young or very old, pregnant, sick or injured, or who have biting or barking problems probably would be happier being left behind. I always have loved road trips, and have longed for a feline traveling companion like Norton, the worldly Scottish Fold made famous in Peter Gether’s book “The Cat Who Went to Paris.” But Dolan and Frances Jeanne both hate the car; in fact, car trips make normally ferocious Franny so frightened, she pees in her carrier. So for them, there is no place like home.

But if your pet is the traveling kind, here are some good tips from Dog Blog, from Calgary, Canada:
* Call ahead and make sure your hotel, campground or other accommodations do indeed accept pets, and if there are restrictions or extra fees.
* Sedation usually is not recommended for pets but if you are going to try it, do so under your veterinarian’s guidance and do a trial run first at home.
* Don’t let your dog hang his head out the window, as he can get debris in his eyes.
* Bring enough of your pet’s usual food, as dietary changes can cause diarrhea. Bring water from home and introduce the water at your destination slowly into your pet’s diet.
* Ask if it's okay before bringing your pet to a friend’s home, and be clear about house rules regarding sleeping on beds or indoors.

Click here for more great tips from this Dog Blog piece.

Also, here are two good Web sites that can help you plan your pet-friendly trip:

PetTravel.com is a portal for lots of information about traveling with animals, including immigration requirements, guidelines for pets and timeshares, and airline policies that you can search by carrier.

PetFriendlyTravel.com can link you to restaurants, hotels, spas, bed and breakfasts, and cabins in the United States, Canada and Mexico that will be happy to serve you and your four-legged family members.

Keep reading for some must-have products that will make your pet travel-worthy and happy.

And if you have any pet travel stories, or tips, to share: Please speak!