With the summer stretching nicely ahead of us, our thoughts are probably turning to holidays or weekends away. This involves making plans for our pets too – whether they are packing their cases to join us on our travels, checking in to a kennel or cattery, or staying at home with a pet-sitter. There are a few things to consider to ensure everything goes smoothly. Below are my top tips.

Make sure your pet is up to date with any vaccinations they need, well in advance. Most facilities that board dogs, cats and rabbits will ask for proof of vaccinations – and this may include some they haven’t routinely had in the past, such as Kennel Cough vaccines for dogs.

For pets travelling abroad to EU countries, a microchip – mandated by UK law for dogs over eight weeks old and cats over 20 weeks old – and a rabies vaccination, are required weeks in advance. You will then need to have an ‘Animal Health Certificate’ issued by a vet within 10 days of leaving the UK. Not all vets are trained to do this, so check with yours well in advance.

For pets travelling to Northern Ireland, microchipping is compulsory, but the rabies vaccination is not. You can apply for the travel paperwork (Pet Travel Document) online yourself.

Look around boarding facilities and get personal recommendations

Many good boarding facilities and pet-sitters get booked up in advance. When choosing somewhere, don’t be afraid to request a look around before deciding, or ask for personal recommendations, and check an establishment is fully licensed.

If your pet is on medication, make sure you order a supply in good time, and that whoever is looking after your pet feels confident to administer it. Ensure your pet is up to date with parasite treatment, especially if they are going to be mixing with others, or if you are visiting somewhere with a higher prevalence of ticks, for example.

Also consider putting a ‘pet first aid kit’ together, if you’re travelling with your pet. A tick remover, bandage, pet antiseptic spray and diarrhoea remedies are useful to have with you.