travel gear for pets on the go
No, this isn’t some ad man’s vivid imagination at work for a TV commercial, but a typical scenario focusing on some of the hottest travel accessories ...

Picture it. The SUV is packed for a family vacation. Mom and dad are up front chatting. The kids are in the back seat plugged into their iPods, along with the family cat snoozing comfortably in the latest Sleepypod mobile pet bed — which has been plugged into the cigarette lighter to gently heat its interior for extra feline comfort. Fido is sitting on a specially padded cover in the cargo section, secure in a pet harness watching the latest dog entertainment video on the car’s backseat TV screen.

No, this isn’t some ad man’s vivid imagination at work for a TV commercial, but a typical scenario focusing on some of the hottest travel accessories designed to make life on the road more comfortable for pets as they accompany their pet parents on vacations, weekends away, or simply on errands to the nearest supermarket or Starbucks for a latté.

The pet industry in America is a $40 billion business. Consequently, pet manufacturers are constantly sniffing out and digging up new ways to endorse this growing travel trend. Competition is fierce and punctuated throughout the year by huge pet expos held around the country where pet lifestyle innovators get together to unveil their latest merchandise and inventions. Last week, the industry’s movers and shakers were in Las Vegas to show off their wares at the annual Superzoo Expo.