You need a vacation. It’s time to set aside the humdrum of your everyday routine and explore something new and exciting. But what about your pet? You can’t leave him alone, and he deserves a break, too.

You’ve heard that airlines allow pets to fly with their human companions, so there’s the solution, right? With a little planning, prepping your furry friend for a vacation to wherever is a doable task. Or is it?

As you delve into the details of what’s required to travel with a pet on a plane, the seemingly simple job becomes more daunting than anticipated. From forms and documents to certifications and equipment, what’s required to qualify a pet to get on a plane may be more than what you personally need to do for the experience.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t take your pet on a plane, but it should be reason enough to think twice before proceeding with your plans.

The (furry friend)-ly skies

Would it surprise you to learn that about 6% of pets in the U.S. are passengers on a commercial plane every year? Of those, 58% are dogs. To give a better idea of these numbers, that 6% works out to about 2 million pets flying on commercial airlines annually in the U.S. alone, and more than a million of them are of the canine variety.

Figures further show that the number of pets traveling on planes is on the rise, a trend that several U.S. airlines—including Delta, American, and United—have responded to with specific guidelines for pet travel.

While some of these four-legged globetrotters are service animals, many of them are not. With their fingers on the pulse of the situation, the airlines have established policies for both types of furry flyers.

Not to be outdone by the commercial flight industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation has also established its own guidelines for flying with pets, including specifics on compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Welfare Act.

It’s good that airlines and government agencies, including the TSA, are specific about what passengers need to do in order to fly with their pets. That is, until you see all that’s involved in the process. If you think there’s a lot to do personally to get ready for a flight, prepare to do even more for a pet.

The proof is in the pudding—but you be the judge

Preparing a pet to travel on a plane requires a lot of work, and that’s just to satisfy the airline’s requirements. This may be enough to dissuade you from taking a pet along for the trip. If not, keep reading, what’s coming next may provide the death knell for your animal airborne agenda.

Some of the things needed to take a pet on a plane require the services of a veterinarian, which may include a physical (for the pet, not you), the providing of the animal’s medical records, and prescribed medications (perhaps for you, as well).

Other necessities for your pet’s plane readiness include identification tags, a color photo, and certification forms that the airline may require, to name a few.

Furthermore, you’ll need to make sure that the lodging providers allow pets. This requires you to contact the hotel, motel, campground, or Airbnb ahead of time.

Next, and perhaps most important for determining if flying with a pet is a good idea, is the animal’s mental and physical health. After all, just because a pet can travel on a plane doesn’t necessarily mean the animal should travel on a plane.

Lastly, there’s specific equipment needed for a pet to travel on a plane, including a portable carrier. That means extra shopping and expenses.

With so much prep work and hoops to jump through, it’s easy to make mistakes when flying with a pet.

So, before deciding to vacation with your four-legged roommate, think twice about what such a venture en(tails). It might be better to hire a sitter or leave your pet with a friend.