Traveling With Pets as a Digital Nomad: Why We Didn't Take Loki and Cleo
- Jenn & Leon
- Jul 24
- 17 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Sometimes the hardest journeys are the ones we never take. There are some stories that don't begin with a passport stamp, a plane ticket, or the excitement of arriving somewhere new.
Ours began with two tiny tuxedo kittens in a quiet corner of England.
By 2022, we had already spent over a year traveling full-time as digital nomads. We had left behind conventional careers, embraced a life of constant movement, and were slowly building the Closer Lives journey that has since taken us across dozens of countries.
But, before setting off on our next big adventure through Asia, life unexpectedly asked us to pause.
We returned to England for a few months to prepare a property for sale, expecting it to be little more than a practical stop before hitting the road again. Instead, everything changed when we saw a Facebook ad looking for someone to foster two tiny tuxedo kittens named Loki and Cleo.
Like so many pet lovers, we quickly found ourselves asking a question we never thought we'd have to answer. Could we really build a life of full-time travel with two young kittens by our side?
For weeks, we researched airlines, pet passports, vaccinations, accommodation policies, and everything else that comes with travelling internationally with animals. We desperately wanted to make it work.
In the end, though, we made one of the hardest decisions of our journey together... we chose not to take them. Looking back, it was absolutely the right decision, but that doesn't mean it was an easy one.
Ironically, that experience didn't push animals out of our lives. It changed the way we traveled instead. A couple of years later, discovering house sitting gave us a way to reconnect with the companionship we had missed while continuing the lifestyle we loved.
This isn't a guide written by people who successfully traveled the world with their pets. It's a story about why we didn't, what Loki and Cleo taught us about responsible travel, and how two tiny kittens quietly changed the course of our lives in ways we never expected.
One of our favorite moments with these two! Jenn and Cleo in warm embrace!
In This Post
This post is one of the most personal stories we've shared on Closer Lives. It's about two tiny kittens who unexpectedly became part of our lives, the difficult decision that followed, and how that experience completely changed the way we think about traveling with pets.
Along the way, we'll also share what we learned about pet-friendly accommodation, the realities of international pet travel, and why discovering house sitting gave us a way to enjoy the companionship of animals without asking them to live the constantly changing lifestyle we had chosen for ourselves.
Maybe you're already traveling with a pet, considering becoming a digital nomad, or simply love animals as much as we do; we hope our experience helps you make the decision that's right for both you and your furry companion.
Sometimes Love Means Changing Your Plans
When we arrived back in England, our minds were already focused on the next chapter.
The plan was simple. Finish preparing the property, sell it, re-pack our backpacks, and continue the adventure. We had an ambitious year ahead, with plans to travel extensively in Asia. As it turned out, we eventually explored 12 countries in just 12 months.
Then we saw a Facebook post looking for someone to foster two tiny tuxedo kittens named Loki and Cleo. It was supposed to be temporary.
We told ourselves we'd simply give them a safe place to stay for a little while before continuing our travels. After all, we had always loved animals, and helping two young kittens felt like something we could do before moving on.
Of course, anyone who has ever welcomed a kitten into their home probably knows exactly what happened next. Loki and Cleo didn't stay "just kittens we were fostering" for very long. They quickly became part of our daily lives.
What is it with cats and laptops! Loki helping out during a work call.
As we continued working remotely, they developed their own little routines around ours. During our Cambly lessons, they would often curl up beside us, occasionally wander across the room looking for attention, or fall asleep nearby while we taught students from around the world. They brought laughter into ordinary workdays and reminded us to take breaks from staring at our screens.
Like most siblings, they couldn't have been more different. Loki was endlessly curious, always investigating something he probably shouldn't have been, while Cleo was a little gentler and happier to quietly observe the chaos her brother created. Watching their personalities develop day by day became one of the unexpected highlights of our time back in England.
Without even realizing it, our carefully planned departure date had become something we were quietly trying not to think about. The longer we spent with them, the harder it became to imagine leaving.
That was when the question we'd been avoiding finally became impossible to ignore. Could we really take two young kittens with us as we traveled from country to country across Asia?
When Travel Dreams Meet Reality
They were both obsessed with this yellow comfort blanket! Loki and Cleo napping.
At first, we convinced ourselves there had to be a way to make it work. After all, people travel with pets all the time. However, the more we looked into it, the more complicated everything became.
Every country seemed to have different entry requirements. Airlines had their own policies, some allowing pets in the cabin while others required them to travel in the hold. There were vaccinations to arrange, health certificates to obtain, microchips to consider, and endless paperwork depending on where we planned to go next.
Then there was the accommodation. Finding places to stay as digital nomads can already be challenging, especially when you're moving between countries every few weeks or months.
Adding two cats into the equation immediately reduced our options. Many apartments simply didn't allow pets, while others charged additional fees or placed restrictions on the size or number of animals.
But logistics weren't what ultimately changed our minds. The more we thought about it, the more we realized we were asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking, "Can we travel with Loki and Cleo?" we began asking, "Should we?"
Our travel plans weren't based around settling into one destination for months at a time. We were planning a fast-paced year across Asia, regularly crossing borders, adjusting to new climates, navigating unfamiliar environments, and living out of backpacks.
That was exciting for us. But it wasn't the life we wanted for two young kittens.
Cats thrive on familiarity. They build confidence through routine, recognize their surroundings, and often become deeply attached to their environment. Constantly moving them between airports, apartments, hotels, and countries would have meant asking them to adapt over and over again, simply because we had chosen a lifestyle built around change.
The more honestly we looked at the situation, the clearer the answer became.
It wasn't about whether we could make it work. It was about whether making it work would truly be in their best interests.
That realization was both heartbreaking and strangely comforting. For the first time, the decision stopped being about our dream of traveling with them and started becoming about giving them the life they deserved.
Why We Didn't Take Loki and Cleo
The truth is, there was never a single reason. It wasn't the airlines. It wasn't the paperwork. It wasn't the cost. It was the combination of everything, weighed against one simple question.
What kind of life would Loki and Cleo actually have?
As much as we wanted them with us, we couldn't ignore the reality of the journey we had planned. We weren't moving to one destination and settling there for a year.
We were about to begin one of the busiest periods of our travels, crossing borders regularly, staying in different apartments, adapting to unfamiliar surroundings, and embracing a lifestyle built around constant change.
That was exactly the life we had chosen... it wasn't the life they had chosen.
Cats aren't interested in ticking countries off a bucket list or watching another sunset from a new beach. They don't measure life by passport stamps or airline loyalty points. What they value is safety, routine, familiar surroundings, and the quiet comfort of knowing where home is.
The more we thought about it, the more we realized we were trying to fit them into our dream rather than asking what was best for theirs, and that did not seem fair.
So, with incredibly heavy hearts, we made the decision to find them a permanent home instead. Fortunately, because we had been fostering them, we were able to work with a rescue organization to ensure they were placed with a loving family who could give them the stable home they deserved. Knowing they would be safe and cared for brought us comfort, but it didn't make saying goodbye any easier.
We still remember that final day.
Packing our backpacks somehow felt different this time. The excitement we'd normally feel before setting off on another adventure was replaced by a quiet sadness that stayed with us long after we boarded the plane.
For a while, every apartment we rented felt strangely empty. There was no curious little face waiting to greet us in the morning. No playful interruption during a video call. No tiny paws racing across the floor in the middle of the night.
Travel was still everything we had dreamed it would be; it just felt a little quieter. Looking back now, we don't regret the decision, but of course, we still miss Loki and Cleo. We always will.
But loving an animal sometimes means putting their happiness ahead of your own. For us in our circumstances, that was the greatest act of love we could have given them.
What Loki and Cleo Taught Us About Traveling With Pets
Can you guess which football shirt Leon is wearing?
Loki and Cleo taught us something we hadn't fully appreciated before becoming full-time travelers. Responsible travel isn't just about respecting the places we visit; it's also about respecting the lives that travel with us.
Before fostering them, we probably would have assumed that enough planning could solve almost any problem. Find the right airline, complete the paperwork, choose pet-friendly accommodation, and everything would eventually fall into place.
In reality, planning is only one part of the equation. The more important question is whether the lifestyle you're creating genuinely suits your pet's personality, needs, and well-being.
Some animals adapt remarkably well to travel. Others thrive in stable routines, familiar surroundings, and environments that change very little over time. Neither is right or wrong. Every pet is different.
The same is true for travel itself.
Someone spending six months in a single destination may have a completely different experience from someone crossing multiple international borders throughout the year.
Slow travel, long-term rentals, and predictable routines can make traveling with pets much more realistic than constantly moving from place to place.
Our lifestyle at the time simply wasn't compatible with giving two young kittens the stability they deserved. Recognizing that wasn't admitting failure... it was accepting responsibility.
Looking back now, we don't see our decision as the end of our time with animals. We see it as the beginning of a different relationship with them.
Instead of asking how we could fit pets into our travels, we eventually discovered ways to build our travels around caring for animals responsibly. That shift in perspective eventually led us to house sitting, something that has brought countless wonderful pets back into our lives without asking them to sacrifice the homes they already know and love.
If there's one lesson Loki and Cleo left us with, it's this:
Travel should enrich everyone's life. Not just our own.
What Does Pet-Friendly Really Mean?
One thing we quickly discovered during our research is that the phrase "pet-friendly" doesn't always mean what people assume it does.
Many hotels, apartments, and vacation rentals advertise themselves as pet-friendly, but the reality can vary enormously.
Some genuinely welcome pets with open arms, providing beds, bowls, enclosed outdoor spaces, and clear policies that make both owners and animals feel comfortable.
Others simply tolerate pets.
You might find restrictions on the size or breed of your pet, additional cleaning fees, limits on how long animals can be left alone, or even rules preventing them from using certain areas of the property. In some cases, "pet-friendly" may only apply to dogs, leaving cat owners with far fewer options than they expected.
For anyone planning to travel with a pet, it's worth looking beyond the label itself.
● Read the reviews.
● Check the house rules carefully.
● Contact the host if anything is unclear.
A few extra minutes of research before booking can save a great deal of stress after you arrive.
It's also important to think beyond the accommodation itself.
Ask yourself questions like:
● Is there a safe outdoor space nearby?
● Will your pet have enough room to exercise or relax?
● Is the area noisy or likely to cause unnecessary stress?
● Are there local veterinarians within easy reach?
● How long will your pet be left alone while you explore?
These practical considerations often have a much bigger impact on your pet's wellbeing than whether a property simply allows animals through the front door.
Looking back, researching pet-friendly accommodation helped us realize something else. Finding places that accepted pets wasn't actually the biggest challenge.
Finding places that genuinely felt like a suitable home for Loki and Cleo, even temporarily, was much harder.
That distinction ultimately reinforced the decision we had already begun to make.
Finding the Right Pet-Friendly Accommodation
If you decide that traveling with your pet is the right choice for your circumstances, choosing the right accommodation becomes one of the most important parts of your trip.
Price, location, and Wi-Fi are all important, especially for digital nomads, but they're only part of the picture when an animal is traveling with you.
Try to think about the property from your pet's perspective.
● Will they have enough space to feel comfortable?
● Are there safe areas to explore or relax?
● Is the accommodation located on a busy road or somewhere quieter where they can settle more easily?
● If you're staying for an extended period, is there a nearby park, walking trail, or green space that suits your pet's needs?
It's also worth considering how often you'll be away from the accommodation. While it's tempting to spend every day sightseeing, many pets aren't comfortable being left alone in an unfamiliar environment for long periods, especially after they've just adjusted to another move.
For cat owners, there are additional factors to consider. Secure windows and balconies, escape risks, and a calm indoor environment can all make a significant difference to how quickly your cat settles into a temporary home.
Reading reviews from other pet owners can often tell you far more than the property's description itself. Previous guests are usually honest about how welcoming a place really is and whether the accommodation genuinely lived up to its pet-friendly claims.
Finally, don't be afraid to contact the host before booking. Asking a few questions about the property, nearby facilities, or specific pet policies can prevent misunderstandings and help you decide whether it's the right fit for both you and your companion.
Looking back, our search for pet-friendly accommodation taught us an important lesson. Sometimes the best accommodation isn't simply the one that allows pets.
It's the one that truly feels like a home. For us, that idea eventually took on a whole new meaning when we discovered house sitting.
Our Favourite Discovery: TrustedHousesitters
For a long time, we assumed our chapter with pets had simply come to an end. We still loved animals, but we'd accepted that our lifestyle and pet ownership weren't the right fit.
Then, in 2024, we discovered house sitting. Almost by accident, we came across TrustedHousesitters, a platform that connects homeowners with verified sitters who care for their homes and pets while they're away.
It immediately resonated with us.
Instead of asking an animal to adapt to our constantly changing lifestyle, we could step into their world instead. We stayed in their home, followed their routine, and cared for them in the environment they already knew and loved.
It felt like the complete opposite of what we'd almost asked Loki and Cleo to do.
Since then, we've completed house sits in England, Canada, and the United States, caring for some truly wonderful cats along the way. Every visit has reminded us just how much we missed having animals around us, even if only for a short time.
Of course, every cat has their own personality. Some are playful, some are independent, and some become your shadow from the moment you arrive. Each one has left us with cherished memories and a stream of photos in our galleries.
House sitting has also changed the way we travel in general. Not only has it helped us reduce our accommodation costs, but it's allowed us to experience neighborhoods and communities in a much more local, authentic way. Instead of simply passing through a destination, we temporarily become part of someone's everyday life.
Most importantly, though, it gave us something we knew we'd miss after saying goodbye to Loki and Cleo... the companionship of cats.
If you're an animal lover who travels regularly, or you're curious about house sitting yourself, we genuinely can't recommend it enough. It's become one of our favorite ways to travel and one of the most rewarding discoveries we've made as digital nomads.
If you'd like to try TrustedHousesitters yourself, you can use our referral link below to receive 25% off your membership.
Can Digital Nomads Really Own Pets?
The short answer is yes. The better answer is it depends entirely on how you travel! Not all digital nomads live the same lifestyle.
Some spend a year or more in a single city, renting an apartment, building routines, and exploring the surrounding area at a relaxed pace. For them, owning a pet may be perfectly realistic, provided they're able to meet the practical, financial, and emotional responsibilities that come with it.
Others, however, move every few weeks or months, regularly crossing international borders, flying between countries, and adapting to new accommodation. That's the lifestyle we had chosen at the time, and it simply wasn't one we believed was fair for two young kittens.
Looking back, we don't think the question should be:
"Can a digital nomad own a pet?"
Instead, it should be:
"Can I give this animal the life it deserves while living the lifestyle I've chosen?"
That answer will be different for everyone.
Some pets adapt exceptionally well to change. Some owners intentionally choose slow travel because it provides the stability both they and their animals need. Others eventually decide to settle down in one place after years on the road.
There isn't a universal right or wrong answer. What's important is making the decision based on your pet's well-being rather than your own travel ambitions. For us, our answer in 2023 was no.
Would our answer be different today? Possibly.
Our travels have naturally evolved over the years. We move more slowly than we once did, spend longer in each destination, and now regularly include house sitting as part of our lifestyle. We've become far more intentional about how we travel than we were during those ambitious early years.
Even so, we still believe we made the right decision for Loki and Cleo. They deserved stability and we wanted adventure. Sometimes those two things simply aren't compatible.
If you're asking yourself the same question today, our advice is simple. Be completely honest with yourself about the lifestyle you can realistically offer your pet, not just the one you hope will work.
If those two things align, that's wonderful. If they don't, making the harder decision may ultimately be the most loving one.
Our Tips for Anyone Thinking About Traveling With Pets
If there's one thing this experience taught us, it's that there are very few black-and-white answers when it comes to traveling with pets.
Every animal is different. Every owner is different. Every journey is different.
Rather than asking whether traveling with a pet is possible, we believe it's more helpful to ask whether it's the right choice for your individual circumstances.
Before making that decision, we'd encourage you to think about a few important questions.
⪢ How often will you be moving?
Traveling slowly and staying in one place for several months creates a very different experience from crossing borders every few weeks.
⪢ Will your pet have a stable routine?
Animals often thrive on familiarity, even when they're in a new environment. Consistent feeding times, exercise, and quiet spaces can make a huge difference.
⪢ Have you researched every destination?
Pet import rules, airline policies, quarantine requirements, and veterinary services can vary significantly from one country to another.
⪢ Is your accommodation genuinely suitable?
Don't just look for somewhere that accepts pets. Look for somewhere your pet will feel comfortable living.
⪢ Who are you making the decision for?
This was the biggest lesson Loki and Cleo taught us. Sometimes it's easy to focus on what we want. The harder question is whether our pet would choose the same journey if they could.
If you can answer those questions honestly and confidently, you'll be in a much stronger position to decide what's best for both you and your companion. Because at the end of the day...
Responsible travel isn't measured by how many places you visit. It's measured by the care you show to the people, places, and animals that become part of your journey.
Looking Back
It's funny how life sometimes teaches us its biggest lessons through the plans that never happen! When we first met Loki and Cleo, we spent weeks trying to work out how they could fit into our future. Looking back now, we realize they were quietly changing it instead.
Since saying goodbye to them, we've traveled across Asia, Europe, and North America, waking up in countless cities, apartments, hotels, and homes. We've experienced incredible cultures, unforgettable landscapes, and adventures we once only dreamed about.
That journey has shaped us in ways we never could have imagined. But so did two tiny tuxedo kittens. The decision we made wasn't easy, and even today we sometimes wonder what life might have looked like if our circumstances had been different.
Would we have traveled more slowly? Would we have settled somewhere sooner?
Would Loki and Cleo still be by our side? We'll never know.
What we do know is that making the right decision doesn't always feel like making the easy one. Loki and Cleo deserved a life filled with stability, familiarity, and the comfort of a place they could truly call home.
We deserved the freedom to continue the journey we had already begun. At that moment in our lives, those two paths simply weren't the same. Ironically, saying goodbye didn't end our connection with animals. In many ways, it strengthened it.
Discovering house sitting gave us a way to welcome cats back into our lives, one home at a time, while giving them exactly what we hadn't been able to offer Loki and Cleo ourselves: consistency, familiarity, and the comfort of staying where they belonged.
Every house sit has reminded us of them! And if this article helps even one person pause before making a decision, not out of fear, but out of love and honesty, then sharing our story will have been worthwhile.
Because sometimes the greatest journeys aren't measured by the countries we visit, but by the choices that shape who we become.
And sometimes...
The hardest journeys are the ones we never take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to travel internationally with cats?
Yes, many people successfully travel internationally with cats every year. However, every destination has its own import requirements, health regulations, and airline policies.
Before making travel plans, research each country's entry rules carefully and consider whether frequent travel is in your cat's best interests, not just whether it's possible.
Can digital nomads own pets?
Absolutely, but it depends on your lifestyle. Digital nomads who travel slowly and stay in one place for extended periods may find pet ownership much more practical than those who move between countries every few weeks.
The most important consideration is whether your chosen lifestyle provides the stability and care your pet needs.
Why didn't you take Loki and Cleo with you?
After weeks of research, we realized our planned journey through Asia would involve frequent flights, changing accommodation, and regular border crossings.
Although we wanted to take them with us, we ultimately felt they deserved a stable home rather than a constantly changing environment. It was one of the hardest decisions we've ever made, but we still believe it was the right choice for them.
What is the biggest challenge of traveling with pets?
Every situation is different, but common challenges include airline regulations, country-specific import rules, finding genuinely pet-friendly accommodation, veterinary requirements, and maintaining a stable routine for your pet.
In our experience, the biggest challenge wasn't the logistics. It was making sure our travel lifestyle aligned with what was best for the animals we loved.
Is housesitting a good alternative for animal lovers?
For us, absolutely. Discovering TrustedHousesitters allowed us to enjoy the companionship of pets while caring for them in the homes they already knew and loved.
It has become one of our favorite ways to travel and experience destinations more like locals.
What should I look for in pet-friendly accommodation?
Look beyond the "pet-friendly" label. Read reviews from other pet owners, check house rules carefully, ask about additional fees or restrictions, and consider whether the property genuinely provides a safe and comfortable environment for your pet.
A place that simply accepts animals isn't always the same as one that's truly suitable for them.
What was the biggest lesson Loki and Cleo taught you?
That responsible travel isn't only about following your dreams. It's also about recognizing when those dreams may not be right for someone else.
Loving an animal sometimes means putting their well-being ahead of your own ambitions, and that's the lesson we'll always carry with us.
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