Within the next few weeks I’m going to have to get a cat from Los Angeles to Boston (I won’t be on the plane, I’m already freezing my butt off here in MA). I just figured you called up the airlines and paid for them to be put in cargo. I was doing a little research online and it seems there are whole companies devoted to shipping pets. They use regular airlines, but they make sure everything goes ok (I guess if the plane is late they stay with them and make sure they’re fed and such). Has anyone ever shipped a pet by dealing with one of these companies or directly with the airline? I don’t know anyone who has and I was just looking for some feedback or advice.
This was a long time ago - roughly 25 years - but my ex-wife and I ended up sending our cats across the country by plane several times (hey, we didn’t have any kids, and you’ve got to argue about something). All we did was put them in those hard plastic cat/puppy carriers (your local vet sells them, but so does any good pet store), call up the airline in advance, and show up at the cargo center. The cats arrived safe and sound both times.
Of course, if they could have talked, they probably would have cursed us out for awhile
We sent our two cats from L.A. to Seattle a few years back. We dealt directly with the airline, called them up to find out what kind of paperwork we’d need from the vet, got all their shots and checkups, and sent them off (each in their own hard-plastic pet carrier). They arrived just fine (if a little freaked out). Since they were classified as cargo, we had to go to the cargo terminal for that airline rather than the regular terminal to pick them up, but the whole process was well-explained to us, so no big deal. The vet did give us some mild tranquilizers for them, which we gave them before the flight, but they had definitely worn off by the time we picked them up (I could hear them meowing as soon as I entered the cargo terminal!).
A bit of advice for after you get kitty home from the airport: open the carrier door and stand aside. Let your cat run and hide if it wants, and don’t be dismayed or surprised if you don’t see it for a day or so. It’ll be fine, really. I can’t imagine what a disorienting experience it was for our two, and they needed a couple days before they were themselves again.
I haven’t shipped pets myself but I do know that the typical cargo hold is unheated and it gets COLD at 20,000 feet. Put an extra blankey in the crate. And talk to your vet. Good luck.
I would strongly suggest that you go through one of the “Kitty Shippers” rather than just trusting your cat to the airline. Have you ever seen the way these guys handle your luggage? I once saw them toss an animal cage into the cargo bay in much the same manner. (Don’t know if there was a pet IN the carrier . … I hope not!) I’ve heard horror stories of animals left on the tarmac for hours with no water, put on the wrong flights, or dying of cold and lack of oxygen, and some with their carriers busted open from rough handling, and fleeing, never to be seen again. I have a friend whose cat died in the cargo hold. If these services really perform, your cat should come through the trip safely, and with a minimum of discomfort. Go with the pet shippers . . . your cat wil fare better.
If you ever are flying with the cat, check to see if they will allow you to bring the cat as carry-on baggage, and store the carrier under your seat. It’s just all-around more comfortable for the cat.
I just thought you being really adamant about Kitty Shippers!
Thanks for all the advice, I didn’t realize they needed any kind of certificates or anything to fly within the country, I’d better get moving! Actually, it’s my brother doing the shipping, so I’d better get him moving.
