Traveling for the holidays? Here's how to prepare your pets.

Before you leave
Even if you think you are not telepathic, you can communicate with your pets about your trip before you leave. Just be sure to fill in the details and use mental pictures.   

• Be physically present with your pet.
• Close your eyes for a moment, take three deep breaths, and tell yourself to relax as you exhale.
• Get the animal's attention by saying their name.
• Just as you would tell a friend about a trip you are taking, tell your animal friends. Include details and use mental pictures or images to help get the message across.
• Tell them you are going away and the purpose of your trip.
• Tell them when you are leaving and when you are returning.
• Tell them who is going to take care of them.
• Fill in more details about their care while you are gone.
• Tell them you’ll miss them and will send them love from your heart while you are gone.

 
Flower Essences and CBD for stress relief
Flower essences help soothe your animals while you are away. The most commonly recommended essence for separation is Bleeding Heart. It reduces the fear and anxiety our animals feel when they are parted from us. Have your pet sitter put 2 or 3 drops in the water bowl every day you are away.
 
If your animal has considerable separation anxiety or depression while you travel, use Animal Relief Formula. It includes Borage for depression, Wild Rose for despair plus all the essences found in Five-Flower Formula (also known as Rescue Remedy.)
 
According to Animal Communicator Teresa Wagner, “Flower essences pick up where talking about problems and logic leaves off.” Animal Relief Formula was created by Wagner in conjunction with Flower Essence Services to help animals with current trauma or stress, post traumatic stress, and to use as a preventative measure. Both Bleeding Heart and Animal Relief Formula are available online at Flower Essence Services.

You can also use Organic CBD to to help relieve stress caused by separation anxiety, traveling, noise phobias, storms and meeting new people. I recommend Pet Meal Additive from Color Up Therapeutics. Give them a dose (1 mg for every 10 pounds) about 30 minutes before a typically stressful situation. You can also ask your pet sitter to give them a daily dose in their food while you are gone.

 
While you are away
Each day while traveling, you can communicate with your animal friends, sending love, reassurance, and updates (mental postcards) about your trip. You’ll probably find this is a relaxing moment and your animals will appreciate you keeping in touch.
1. Lie on a bed or sit comfortably in a chair or cross-legged on the floor.
2. Take three deep breaths, and on each exhalation, imagine any stress you are feeling is flowing out with your breath.
3. Breathe normally, and pay attention to your breath, watch it going in and out for a minute or two.
4. See, feel, allow, imagine you are in your heart center (the space in the middle of your chest).
5. Just be in your heart center and connect with the Unconditional Love that lives there in unlimited quantities.
6. See, feel, allow, imagine your animal friend in your heart center with you.
7. Say hello to him/her and imagine yourself holding them as if you were actually physically present together.
8. Imagine stroking, petting, or grooming them for as long as you wish.
9.Talk to your animal friends, just as if you were physically present with them:

• Tell them about your day.
• Tell them how much you love and miss them.
•  Remind them you will be home in (fill in number) of days.
•   Tell them you will "visit" them again tomorrow. 

If you have to be away, give these methods a try. Your animals will feel better about your absence, and you’ll feel more comfortable traveling and leaving your animal family members at home.