Taking Toto On The Road.(traveling with pets)

On paper, Ruggles seems like your ordinary world traveler. He's been to France, Germany, England, Costa Rica and Canada. He's hopped over from his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Mexico at least half a dozen times. He's even got frequent-flier miles on America West. But Ruggles isn't a teen-ager taking a year off before college or a retiree with too much time on his hands. He's a 14-year-old Shih Tzu.

Ruggles's owner, Jerry Hatfield, is just one of many pet lovers worldwide who have started taking their companions along on holiday. In recent years pet travel has become increasingly commonplace, and September 11 seems to have added fuel to the trend. Says Hatfield, who runs PetTravel.com, "People are less willing to go off and leave a part of their family at home, either for security reasons or psychological reasons." As a result, the tourism industry is growing more accommodating to the four-legged set and more aware that traveling pet own-ers are "really good business." Here are a few tips for taking Rover (or Fluffy) along on your trips:

Road or rail? "Always plan ahead," says Dawn Habgood, owner of two golden retrievers and coeditor of petsonthego.com. Seems logical enough. First, decide where you want to go and how you want to get there. Trains don't usually take pets, and the same goes for cruise ships. If you have a cat, think twice before flying. "Cats are not very good travelers, unless you're going by car," says Hatfield. But remember: some animals do suffer from car sickness, so it's best to "test drive" your pet first. Bring some water--pets get thirsty on even the shortest of rides. And dogs need to stretch every two to three hours, so make frequent pit stops.

Flying high: If you are intent on flying the pet-friendly skies, be sure to call the airline ahead of time--policies and prices change frequently and vary from one carrier to the next. Clearly specify how large your pet is. Most airlines allow small pets--under 15 pounds--in ...