How to Keep a Cat Safe in the Car

Remember: We invited our adopted pets into our families and into our homes, but how many families consider the safety of our pets while in transport? How many times have you seen a pet riding in a vehicle on the driver's lap, or with its head stuck out the side window, and, equally dangerous, in the back of a truck? Why do we disregard our pet family members' safety when they need to ride in our vehicles?

Some excuse the pet from a safe ride because the pet will be taking a short trip, less than 5 or 10 miles (8 km or 16 km) to the Veterinary's Office. Do you know that most traffic collisions occur within 5 miles (8 km) from home? So here are some ideas to keep your pet safe in the car/truck for the short or long trips.

Don't allow any pet under 60 pounds (27 kg) to ride in the front passenger seat. Due to the impact of the air bag deployment, a pet will suffer serious injury, including death, should a collision cause the air bag to release. It is best to put your pet with the kids in the back seat.

Invest in a pet restraint specially made to keep the pet from being injured should you encounter a collision. We believe they are inexpensive compared to the bill from your veterinarian's office when you take the injured pet to cure the injuries sustained in the collison.

Tips

• Treat your pet as though it were your own infant child. You would not allow your baby to ride without a car safety seat.
• Do the same at home. If you leave your pet outdoors, (we know you would not leave your baby outside) treat it as though it were your infant child. Provide enough shade and shelter, and fresh water in a bowl that is cleaned every day.

Warnings

• If you follow these two steps and treat your pet like an infant, there will be no need to tell you that a dog whose head is out the window can have its neck broken when a collision occurs or that the pet riding without being in a safety restraint or if it is riding without a safety restraint in the back of a truck can be thrown from the vehicle and hit by other traffic should a collision occur.
• Never ever leave a child or a pet in the vehicle without adult supervision. If you must stop at a store after visits with your vet, or when your pet is in the vehicle with you, and there is absolutely no way possible to take the pet home and then go to the store, then we recommend you to take the pet to the front of the store, and either tie its leash to something where it has shade from the sun or shelter from the snow, or offer to pay someone to hold and watch your pet while you run in for that one item, and hurry back with the cash to pay the person, and if all else fails, find a store employee right away, explain the pet needs to be watched while you get your one item, and ask to speak with the person in charge immediately. Tell the person in charge why it was impossible to take the pet home before you stopped at their store, that you only need 1 or 2 items and ask if they could spare an employee for a few minutes to watch your pet outside the store while you purchase the items.