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!

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Guest blogging today is Kavita Varma-White, Sun-Sentinel assistant Lifestyle editor.

Update: Yesterday we heard about 18-year-old Bubba pending crosscountry journey from Fort Lauderdale to Seattle. Read it here.

I am sad to report that... Bubba has made it to Seattle!

Just kidding. In fact I don't think I've loved that cat more than I do today. (Could be because he is now 3,000 miles away.) He proved to be the trooper we knew he would be.

The kids and I took Brian and Bubba to Fort Lauderdale airport, where Brian checked in without incident. The airline didn't even ask for the required pet certificate he had paid the vet $75 to get. Our big concern was getting Bubba through security, as we were worried that he wouldn't come out of his softpack carrier without a (cat) fight.

With the security line pretty empty, Brian talked to a helpful TSA employee. "He's a mean cat and probably won't come out of the bag. Should I just put him through the x-ray machine?"
"You have to get him out of the bag," the TSA employee said, "Or you won't have a cat anymore." (Here I pause to wonder about all the times I have put food in my bags which are x-rayed; and then I give the food to my kids to eat.)

They led them to a side room that was quieter than the terminal, and Brian was able to extract Bubba, who shielded himself by keeping his head hidden in Brian's armpit. The bag was scanned and Bubba went back in. In was on to 'Catlanta', where fortunately the layover was short. Brian said Bubba seemed to prefer the airplane journey to the chaos of the terminal. Other than some soft meowing when they were about an hour from Seattle, he was quiet.

Once at the new house, Brian set up the litter box and Bubba went immediately. Considering he's 18, you've gotta acknowledge his impressive kidney function! He ate his food, drank water and proceeded to inspect every inch of the house. Apparently he slept on a perch in the master bedroom, where he had full view of Brian and the windows, where a gentle rain fell.

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest, Bubba.

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Guest blogging today is Kavita Varma-White, Sun-Sentinel assistant Lifestyle editor.

We are in the process of moving across the country.

I call it a process because it has become a four-month odyssey, that started with my husband Brian leaving for a new job in mid-February. My kids and I are to join him later this summer.

Today, God, the FAA and the TSA willing, our 18-year-old cat Bubba is flying in coach class from Fort Lauderdale to Seattle.

Let me correct that. It's not really "our" cat. It is Brian's cat, who predates my 15-year-long relationship with my husband. That cat has hated me since day One. His demeanor toward me has always been one of indifference on good days, outright meanness (isn't hissing mean?) on most days. When my kids came along, they were treated the same way, even though they (unlike me) always wanted to just love and pet him.

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If you’re like 30 million other Americans, you travel with a pet.

Nancy Cribb of Delray Beach was returning from a visit with her parents in Arkansas, when she got tired of trying to get her two Bichon Frises to drink water at every rest stop.

She looked at her cup holders and a light bulb went off. Why hadn’t anyone invented a bowl that fits in a car cup holder?

The To Go Bowl is her first invention and available just in time for Memorial Day travel from her web site furrytravelers.com.

“People that take their dogs in the car immediately know how valuable it is,” says Cribb, who left a job in property management to launch the site and her flagship invention.

Available in six colors, each $15 bowl holds 24 ounces of water. Cribb recommends filling the bowl to just 16 ounces in stop-and-go traffic. A removable base holds treats or dry dog food. The bowls are made in a Dania Beach factory.

Cribb sells several other products on the web site including harnesses, booster seats and strollers. You’ll also find South Florida stores that carry the To Go Bowl.

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Animal Fair magazine, a self-described lifestyle publication for animal lovers, has named New York City the "pet-friendliest destination" for 2008.

Last year's winning city was Las Vegas.

The naming of New York City as a good place to travel with pets is not without controversy. The New York Times points out that pets are not allowed on the subway unless they are in "containers," taxis are not required to allow dogs, and dog runs aren't easily found.

The magazine says New York City was chosen by a survey of its readers and confirmed by group of "pet-related experts." The city was commended for restaurants and hotels that cater to canine visitors, bars and stores that have dog-friendly policies and dozens of parks that allow dogs.

Noticeably absent from all mentions are other types -- think feline -- of pets.

As I mentioned in my introduction, Bella travels with me to my family farm in Ohio, and she loves the wide open spaces. I'm not sure she'd be as excited for the sounds and hubbub of New York City -- especially if she couldn't get a ride from the airport.

What are your travel experiences with your pet? Were there destinations that really worked? And didn't? I've love to hear.

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