Close Make Sure Your Dogs and Cats Travel in Comfort and Safety
The Great American Road Trip is still alive and well, especially here in the Midwest, and the team at McCarthy Subaru of Lawrence knows many of you would like to take your pets with you as you see everything offered along the roadways this great country has to offer.
A big step in making sure your trip is successful is being properly prepared, but this road trip blog isn’t about bringing snacks and hydration for you, building the perfect playlist of songs and podcasts, or deciding who’s driving during the boring stretches of highway.
McCarthy Subaru wants to make sure your precious pets are as safe and comfortable as possible during your travels, and we’ve assembled a list of items that will make every trip better. You’ll benefit from this list whether you’re driving to one of the coasts, a healthy distance for a family reunion, or just making a trip to a local hiking trail.
Let us know your pet travel tricks, as our team loves traveling animals and we’re always looking for a good accessory to add to our Subaru.
Subaru Pet-Friendly Accessories
Subaru is proud to offer approved Pet-Friendly accessories across its product line, and you can browse that selection on the Subaru Pet-Friend Accessories page. You can check the year and model of your Subaru vehicle for a selection of accessories that will match your vehicle nicely. We’ve highlighted a few below that work fantastically in a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek.
Subaru Pet Carrier and Mobile Pet Bed
This ultra comfortable pet bed is the perfect way to road trip safely and comfortable in your Subaru vehicle with your dog or cat friends. We know many of you Subaru fans road trip with your cats, and this is the only cat-focused item we mention, but we found this to be the best accessory for your adventures.
This Subaru blue pet bed features a zippered removable upper mesh dome, padded carry handle, a machine-washable removable and ultra-plush bed, and Velcro positioning points to secure the bed with a seatbelt.
This accessory is a wonderful way to keep your curious cat or small dog in one safe position on drives in your Subaru vehicle.
Subaru Pet Harnesses for Your Subaru Cars, Crossovers, and SUVs
Many dogs spend their road trips roaming the back seat while occasionally putting their heads out the windows of your Subaru vehicle, but that approach can go wrong in the event of a hard braking situation or collision.
Fortunately, Subaru has partnered with Sleepypod to introduce the Subaru blue pet harness to help keep your dog friends (or maybe a giant cat who loves car rides, although it’s not certified for cat safety) securely buckled up for safety. These harnesses are available in four sizes and offer:
- Infinity Lop webbing design
- A padded vest
- Seat belt grade straps
- Stress-tested buckles
- Crash testing at child safety seat standards
- Center for Pet Safety certifications for dogs from 18 to 90 pounds
- D ring connection for use as a walking harness outside your Subaru
- Reflective strips and Subaru logo for increased visibility at night
You’ll likely need to acclimate your dog friends to their new Subaru harnesses, but the peace of mind that comes from consistent use of this amazing accessory will be worth the time.
Subaru Rear Door Pet Protection
Many dogs spend a chunk of their road trips with their heads out the window and, depending on their size, they may also have their front paws on your door panels. If your dogs are door panel boosters, you’ve likely noticed some extra wear and tear from your excited pups, and you should take a look at the Subaru Pet Rear Door Protector.
This lightweight door panel protector is made from premium and durable materials that fit the contours of your door and protect your door panel from scratches, nail punctures, dirt, scuffs, and drool. It’s an easy-to-install Subaru accessory and folds in half for easy storage when the canines aren’t riding with you.
This accessory comes in a set of two and is not intended for use when you have human passengers in the back seat (It looks like the lock and window switches are covered) so don’t hesitate to add this item to protect your Subaru vehicle and make your road trips better for your pets.
Subaru Vehicle Pet Seat Protector
It makes sense to protect the interior of your Subaru vehicle as much as possible when you’ve got dogs and cats gallivanting around in your back seat, and the Subaru Pet-Friendly padded seat protector accessory is the perfect way to keep your interior in great shape.
Your Subaru’s back seat will be protected from hair, drool, food bits, muddy paws, and more when you add this heavy-duty accessory. It installs without any buckles or straps, works with LATCH systems, resists water, can fold flat with your seats, and doesn’t need to be removed when humans are riding in the back seat.
Road trips with pets in your Subaru vehicle will be much more pleasant if you combine this protector with the pet harness from earlier in this blog.
How About a Dog Ramp for Your Car?
A ramp to help your dogs get in and out of your Subaru vehicle can be a terrific addition to your pet-friendly road trip kit, even if your dogs are young and currently happy to jump on the second row or into the back cargo area of your Subaru. Our dogs age with us, and they’ll slow down (or just get tired after a long hike or day at the dog park) and a ramp can be a fantastic investment.
Subaru does not currently offer a specific pet ramp for any vehicle in its lineup, but there are many available options at a variety of price points and sizes.
Here are some things to consider as you’re shopping for a pet ramp for your Subaru vehicle:
- The material is an important aspect as it will affect the cost, durability, and ease of cleaning for your ramp. Your options are likely going to be between plastic and metal, so you may have an aesthetic preference or want to choose the ramp that rattles the least in your trunk or hatchback.
- The weight of your ramp will be a crucial factor. You might be able to fashion a workable solution from plywood and 2x4s (which is what your blog author would try before his spouse makes him buy one) but the weight of that combination might make your ramp unmanageable. You’re likely going to get your ramp in and out with great regularity, so consider how readily you’ll be able to manipulate it.
- The ramp’s total weight capacity must be considered as well. Do you have two Newfies that like to go up the ramp at the same time? You’ll be shopping for a HEAVY-duty ramp. Do you have a tiny dog who runs the household and demands a ramp? You can likely get away with the lightest capacity (and perhaps most stylish?) ramp you’re able to find.
- Don’t forget the ease of portability of your ramp. Does the ramp slide on itself to shorten, or does it fold in sections? Are the hinges made of quality materials that can deal with hundreds (maybe thousands?) of operations? You want to make sure your ramp leaves room in the trunk or cargo area for all the other accoutrement of road trips in your Subaru vehicle.
We’re confident with a bit of research you’ll find the perfect dog ramp to pack away in your Subaru vehicle as you head out on your next trip.
Subaru Vehicle Pet License Plate Frame
Pets have always been part of the Subaru family, and we’re big fans of the Subaru Pet Lover license plate frame accessory.
Add that little extra touch to your Subaru vehicle by showing off your love for your pets with either a steel or matte black license plate frame. We love spotting these around Lawrence!
Subarus Are Your Best Cars for Dogs in Lawrence
The McCarthy Subaru of Lawrence team hopes you find this breakdown helpful as you customize your Subaru vehicle to make road trips comfortable for your dogs or cats, and look forward to any extra pet road trip travel tips you’ve picked up in your adventures.
Are you considering a New Subaru, a Pre-Owned Subaru vehicle, or something else from McCarthy’s large inventory of Pre-Owned vehicles in Lawrence? Explore our inventory online, call our Subaru sales team at (785) 856-7187, or visit McCarthy Subaru of Lawrence at 2101 W 29th Terrance in Lawrence, Kansas.
We look forward to meeting you and your pets and helping find the perfect Subaru vehicle for your adventures!