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Travels with dogs and cats; Best new cars for pet travel
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Auto pet ramps are made for canine travelers like me!
I’ve been traveling with pets since college. On my drive from New York to Denver for my first post-college job, my Husky went flying off the back seat when I braked hard and fast to avoid a calf in the middle of a road in Indiana at 1 a.m. The dog, thankfully, was fine.
My car was a little distressed, though, and wouldn’t turn back on when I stopped for gas an hour or so later. While the all-night gas station couldn’t help—no mechanic at that hour—help arrived in the form of a convict being escorted to the local lockup behind the gas station. The sheriff allowed the convict to pick up a large screwdriver—really large—and show me how to stick it down into the engine and bridge the gap where the solenoid (whatever that is) had worked loose in my almost-accident.
I’ve blessed that convict and sheriff ever since. I had no desire to be stranded in rural Indiana all night long in a town without a motel.
I learned something about tooling down rural highways at ungodly hours from that experience. But I didn’t learn about restraining dogs in the car. Truth to tell, I still haven’t learned it. When we go traveling about the Mid-Atlantic States, a frequent thing, our terrier mix is either on her pillow in the back seat, or on my lap in the front seat, generally howling out her favorite road tune, the Blue Danube while my husband drives. (She does this about 35 minutes into any trip. My husband taught her.)
Anyway…it seems that it is time to begin to keep doggies and people safe. Cats seem to have an easier time convincing their humans to keep everyone safe when they're in the car. I wouldn’t think of taking our cat to the vet without putting him in a secure carrier in a secure place on the floor of the car. A cat climbing onto a driver's shoulder is a bad, bad thing. I learned this the hard way after college, too, when my foundling kitty, on his first trip to the vet, did that to me crossing a very long bridge. We had a carrier by the time we crossed the bridge again on the way home.
As it happens, I’m looking at new cars at the moment. Research tells me there are some that are more dog- and people-friendly than others. Here's a rundown of the friendliest...
Pet-Mobiles
Cars.com notes that Volvo models are generally dog-friendly, offering nets spanning the space between the ceiling and the front or rear seats to keep dogs contained and out of the driver’s way. Volvo offers metal dividers for wagons and SUVs and a vertical grate to use in separating a dog from cargo or another dog in half the cargo space.
Saab and Nissan offer similar arrangements, as does the Saturn Vue. Subaru Outback and Forester also offer easy means of securing pets in the back.
It seems unlikely all dogs will ride in cargo areas all the time, though; no one is going to go through the seat-fold-down routine just to take Fluffy along for a ride to the grocery store. So, washable or stain-resistant upholstery is also important in a dog-friendly car. Cars.com noted that the following models offer that amenity as standard:
- Dodge Caliber
- Toyota FJ Cruiser
- Jeep Compass
- Jeep Wrangler (2007 models)
- Honda Element
- Chrysler Aspen
- Chrysler Pacifica
- Chrysler PT Cruiser
- Chrysler Sebring (2007)
- Dodge Nitro
- Dodge Dakota
- Dodge Durango
- Dodge Ram 1500 Mega Cab
- Jeep Patriot
WOW. Darn.
Honda announced the WOW car in 2005; it doesn’t seem to be on the market yet in the U.S. And it is ugly. But it is the most pet-friendly car ever designed, with a special under-dash pet compartment that appears big enough to keep a beagle-sized dog, at least, in view and in comfort. The car also offers other features such as steps for helping short-legged or old pets get aboard, and leash anchors to keep pets from leaping where they shouldn’t, as well as pet seat belts. Indeed, the photos and description of the WOW make it almost a must-have for pet-owners…as soon as it becomes available.
(The WOW is also reported to have special spaces to secure cages for smaller pet, gerbils and mice and so on. Who travels with those? Doesn't one leave them home and pay the local teenager to come feed and water them? OK. OK. To each her own.)
The closest thing to a WOW available now is the 2009 Toyota Venza. Granted, when you order the car, you’ll have to order the appropriate pet paraphernalia separately. But it’s nice to know what you can get for Fluffy’s comfort and safety, and your own. Optional amenities include:
- Pet ramps for easy access to the rear hatch.
- A booster-seat pet restraint with adjustable pet ‘seat belt’ harness
- A zipline to which pets can be attached so they can move about a bit but still be restrained in an accident. (In accidents, they can become living missiles that cause extra human injuries, or they can be tossed out and killed, or they can escape and run into traffic or get lost if their owner is not able to act to prevent it.)
The Venza runs between $23,000-$33,000. “People” amenities, such as the panoramic sunroof, are sure to run up the price more than a few perks for your puppy, though.
No pet-friendly car is an economy model, except, we understand, the Ford Focus version sold in the U.K. But then, they seem to like their dogs a whole lot more than we do and everyone takes them along.
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