Later this year, my wife and I will be relocating to western Canada, and of course, our four cats will be coming with us. We will be flying out when the time comes.
This raises questions about the cats and air travel. The airline website tells us their basic rules for travelling animals, and offers suggestions for the animals’ care before their flight, all of which is pretty straightforward. But we’d like to hear from those who may have had some experiences with their own cats and air travel.
Is there anything you’d recommend to make an airline flight easier or less traumatizing for them? Or for us, who will likely be worried about our cats in the bowels of various airports and aircraft baggage holds?
Most cats aren’t used to spending a lot of time in their carriers, and suddenly being thrust into the carrier for long periods of time can be rough on them. It’s especially stressful if the cat hates the carrier like so many of them do. Acclimate them to carrier travel and confinement as much as you can to make it less stressful for them.
Also, when your vet does their health certificates, ask about kitty sedatives. We usually sent home some acepromazine for animals about to travel, especially for long distances. Ace doesn’t knock them out, although they can be pretty stoned if you go a little heavy on the dosage, it just takes the edge off. A chemically chilled out kitty is less likely to be upset by the strange sounds and odors of the airport and plane, and less prone to stress-induced nausea or diarrhea.
Also, pull food and water a few hours before you leave. Empty tummies are less likely to shoot messes out either end, and you certainly don’t want kitty to have to travel in a carrier with a puddle of vomit or diarrhea. Going without for a few hours won’t hurt the animals, unless they have special health considerations.
If you’re worried about the animals, check with your airline about how late you can wait to check the animals and how often they can be checked on during layovers. Some airlines will let you bring cats (in appropriate carriers like a Sherpa bag) into the cabin as carry-on luggage, but I’m fairly sure that you’re limited to one pet per seat.
Oh, and put something that carries your scent, and possibly the other cats’ scents in each carrier. The familiar smell and texture will be comforting in the midst of all the strangeness.
Crazy Cat Lady beat me to the punch. You are allowed one carry-on animal per seat, with a max of two per plane. It costs about $50-100 extra, but it’s the only way I would ever travel with mine. I have one of the fabulous soft-sided Samsonite pet carriers that fits nicely under the seat in front of me. Pre 9-11, the airline never once looked in the bag at the animal, so I think it’s highly possible you could put two kitties in a bag and not arouse suspicion.
If your cats are meowers I would consider talking to your vet about a light sedative for said kitties.
When I flew my kitties from Albuquerque to VA they had it set. OOPs, I drove that part and they hated it.
Anyway, when I flew my cats from D.C. to Vegas they had it set. THey each had a large cat carrier with one of my shirts, that had not been washed, their favortie pad, some toys, water and a big old can of “KITTY KRACK”. Ok, actually it wasn’t KITTY KRACK but the vets recommended dose of kitty valium. They came out of the flight a little stoned but that was ok. The next day they were as peppy as ever …until they met the dogs. But that is another story.
We once took our genially grumpy manx, Layce, on a weeklong visit to my inlaws. We drugged her before we left, so she was pretty quiet, but still active…active enough, in fact, to twice unzip her carrier from the inside! Luckily, she never got more than her head out, thought it came a a suprise to both of us. We discovered, however, when we took her out of the carrier, that she had only been half-sedated. Of the 2-pill dose of tranquilizer, only one went all the way down the hatch. The other we found on the floor of her carrier…
Thanks for the help, folks. We will definitely speak with the vet about some kind of sedative, and will also include something with a familiar smell in each carrier. Perhaps a small toy as well–not that they will play with it, but it would look and smell familiar.
Thanks again. You’ve all eased our minds somewhat!
I used to travel to Austin from San Francisco with my cat.
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Miss Xanax ** is right about two animals per plane, first come first served.
Pre 9-11, they always checked. I had to take my cat out of the carrier and they would wave the wand over her. The hardest part was putting her back in the carrier.
I would definatley not chance sneaking a extra cat on board now, post 9/11.
what will you do if you get caught?
Also, only a very few airlines let you travel with a pet under the seat now. Most require you to check them. American was the Best.
Continental was the worst: they wanted to measure my cat to make sure she fit in the carrier.
They almost wouldn’t let me on the plane. For the record, she is a small cat and this is a standard soft carrier.
I would also recommend making sure the airline is certified to carry animals. There was a huge flap recently about a cat that got loose in a plane’s cargo hold. Among other things, it turns out the airline wasn’t certified to carry animals. (They did get the cat back ok.)
Also, fasten the carrier very well. If you use a hard plastic carrier, you might consider tying the door shut with string. You don’t want the cat to get out.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is temperature restrictions. I don’t know when you plan to fly, but if the temperature on the tarmac at the sending, recieving or any layover airports is above or below a certain temp, the airline will not accept the animals for travel. Check on this when you make your reservations, and try to book your travel for a time of year when the temperature is likely to be moderate.
Good point, Wolfie. Eponine would certainly be more dangerous than the lipstick case that was almost taken from me at the airport in Tampa last winter.
I successfully flew my two cats from NYC to LA and back. A couple of recommendations:
Try tranquilizing them once before the trip. My male cat got really sick on them the first time he had them on a long car ride, and he pooped all over himself and then wobbled around like a drunken monkey. It was really unpleasant. Turns out he traveled fine without drugs; he was normally very Buddha-like, and the drugs messed with him.
Get a very sturdy plastic carrier that’s large enough for the cat to stand up and turn around in. Find out if both cats can travel together in one carrier (unless they hate each other). My two sat pressed together, one stoned, the other astral projecting or whatever he does.
Fasten the carrier shut with rope, just in case god forbid the carrier should pop open.
Put stickers all over the outside of the carrier that say “ANIMAL–THIS END UP” with arrows, and taped down right to the carrier, at least one that has your address and phone # on it as well as the tag the airline gives you.
Definitely put a bunch of towels or a blanket in there–it gets cold in those cargo hatches.
The cats seemed fine after their travel. The cool thing was, when I was waiting in the claim area for the kitties in LAX, I met Gwyneth Paltrow, whose brother had been on the flight but left his guitar in the overhead. He was quite perturbed, but she was really nice. She petted the kitties and everything.
My Experience:
We flew three cats from the US to Saudi Arabia. That’s 24 hours traveling. The vet did not recommend sedation, the cats blood pressure can get dangerously low. They all traveled in the hold(the pressurized and heated section) We put shredded papers in the carrier. There was a lay over in Amsterdam where they are fed and watered, then continued on. KLM is excellent handling pets. (I put a water soaked sponge in the waterdish)
After they arrived they ended up on top of the 'fridge a few times, for the humming.
Pets traveling back, the vet here does not recommend sedation for the same reason as above, depending on the age of the cat, they might hydrate before flight.
Check on the temperature restrictions, especially if there is a layover.
Perhaps this is a niche market-someone who will drive kitties in an open van where they won’t feel so confined? I know how guilty I felt when moving my parrots-they seemed tortured!
One thing about carriers - I wouldn’t get one that is too big. If there is turbulence, they could get shaken up pretty bad if the carrier is too large.
If you choose not to sedate, there are a couple of other things you could do - a spray called Feliway (spray the carrier) contains phermones and might help calm them, some people have had luck with something called Rescue Remedy - it supposedly calms animals (and people) and is drops you place in food or water.
I took my cat as carry on luggage. I had to take him out of the carry on bag which got scanned without him, and then carry him thru the metal detector with me.
