** Jackson Galaxy** is living proof that “cat lover” and “badass” aren’t mutually exclusive. As the host of Animal Planet’s wildly popular My Cat From Hell, which kicks off its fifth season on April 26, the New York City native spends much of his year on the road: 160 nights away in 2013 alone, and he expects that number to go up in 2014. If there’s one thing the Cat Daddy knows, it’s how to care for a misunderstood feline; the animal activist and musician travels with a guitar case full of cat toys. He also knows how to make a hotel room feel like home, for you and your four-legged travel companion. He offers some pet-friendly travel tips in honor of National Pet Day.
Where are some of the places you’ll travel to this season on the show?
We started out in Boston. We were in Austin, Texas, for quite a while. We were in Portland, Oregon, San Diego, and here in L.A. In the past we’ve been in San Francisco, New York, and New Jersey. The great thing is that it’s kind of a win-win, because as the show gets more popular, we get more freedom to travel, which is my favorite part of the experience.
So how many pets do you have at home?
I have six cats and a dog, plus a couple of stragglers. We have a couple of ferals that are in and out of the house.
Do they ever travel with you?
Unfortunately, no. Nobody travels with me. Which is funny, because I was just in San Diego last weekend doing an event and a friend of mine ended up adopting a dog from the shelter we were at. It was this cute-as-heck little pocket dog who was immediately totally comfortable with everything. I realized that this is a dog you could travel with anywhere, and I think that that might be necessary. If my career continues on this trajectory—when I’m on the road as much as I’m going to be this year, which will probably be in the neighborhood of 200 to 225 days—the idea of doing that much travel without an animal by my side is almost unacceptable. So I probably will wind up adding one more to the brood.
What are some of the tips you’d offer to someone traveling with a pet? In terms of keeping the pet itself comfortable.
One of the biggest things is making sure you have your pet emergency kit. You want to make sure that everything your pets needs to stay comfortable—and just in case of emergency—is with you. You can temper that kit if you’re flying as opposed to driving, but you want to make sure you have the essentials.
You also want to make sure that you’re familiar with the lay of the land of the place you’re going. If you have friends there, ask them about the vets or amenities they use in their day to day. The great thing about animal people is that we’re a tribe, and to be able to get yourself into that tribe no matter where you are, I think that’s helpful as well.
As for hotels: It’s not enough for a hotel to be animal friendly; you want to set up your animal’s space. Just as you crave stability and ritual in your life, they crave it a whole lot more. It’s important for them—no matter where you are—that their ritual stays the same. You have the ability to bring the bowls that they use. If you’re traveling with a cat, when you get there, you want to make sure that you replicate the litter box you have at home the best you can. That is the surefire way of getting your animal comfortable in their new environment.
What about tips for travelers who have to leave their pets behind?
For some reason folks feel like it’s okay to put out a bowl of food and that’s it—your cats are good for three days. Just because cats don’t protest as loudly as dogs do does not mean that they don’t experience that same distress when you remove their day-to-day rituals and people. You want to keep those rituals intact the best you can. It’s not about, “Oh, I have a friend who will stop by and feed them.” Hire a pet sitter, someone who will come over once or twice a day. Or, if your pet is really needy, do an overnight. It’s important to keep that stability. If you don’t do it, you may be saving a buck here or there, but you’re also tempting fate when it comes to behavior problems. There are so many problems that are born from separation anxiety, so why take that chance? You want to make sure that your animals are as happy at home as you are on vacation.
More trips to take with furry friends:
How I Find Pet-Friendly Hotels and Dog Runs on the Road
Lobby Pets Gone Wild: See Photos of Exotic Hotel Pets from Around the World