So I’ve got to move to California and JetBlue (free ticket) doesn’t have a pet area. They allow one pet in a carrier that fits below the seat. Only problem is I don’t think either cat would stay in a carrier w/o yeowling, peeing (and possibly pooping). Not to mention emotional trauma.
How do I get them from here to there? Is there a kitty sedative that’s safe?
Any other ideas?
You can get travel sedatives for cats, I’d suggest you visit a trusted vet and get their advice.
Sedation is really frowned upon, mostly because when pets are sedated they have difficulty in adapting to adverse conditions such as heat. Summer time is especially a bad time to do this.
My advice is to ask around and find out which airlines let you bring your cat in the cabin with you. Some do for a nomial fee(50-100 dollars). A light sedative in this instance would be good, in consideration of the other passengers. 
Here is a good article to read:
http://www.listnow.com/helpingpaws/articles/article_57.html
(one another hand, I am not sure how much this has changed since 9/11- if there are any arelines that allow pets. It is possible none allow it anymore, but I have not heard anything about it.
Pets are still allowed. I just flew on a plane with a pet in the cabin. I suggest getting one of the softside carriers by Samsonite that has the flaps that can be folded down. The cat will feel more secure in a dark hidey hole than where it feels exposed and threatened.
Most airlines will only allow one pet in the cabin, and under a certain weight limit, so you’ll need to check with them in advance. And for cripes sake, do NOT open the container while on board. My wife did that in the toilet and the cat immediately dove for an open area under the sink cabinet. She caught the cat by one hind leg as she was disappearing into the plane’s bowels and was able to drag her back out. NY Times headline: Feline Kills 250 in Bizarre Incident!
I suggest putting a t-shirt that you have worn recently inside the carrier. The familiar smell may help keep the cat calm.
I agree partially with Chef …
my brother moved down here with his two cats … they only wanted to allow one per ticketed passenger; he found a kind soul who was willing to stuff the other one under his own seat, making way for both cats.
Don’t feed them heavily right before the flight, and just keep them in there and deal with the yowling.
The other option is a large carrier, and put them in baggage … and make sure you inform the flight crew they’re on board (it delayed our plane an hour, but they knew, and we didn’t take off until they were sure the baggage compartment was (pressurized?) safe for pet travel.
And you’ll need their shot records and likely a certificate of health/travel from a vet to tape to the outside of the carrier.
You could also try carrying the cat in a pillowcase.
I’ve done some looking at this because of the possibility that my cats and I might be making a long distance move soon. One option I was considering was shipping them - I have a friend where I live now who would be willing to watch them for the time it took me to travel with my stuff to the new home, and then would send them, call me with the information and I’d pick them up at the airport.
Delta considers pets sent this way as air cargo, and I remember checking other airlines that seemed to have similar programs.
Does your cat have a pilot’s license?
Peace.
I have flown with my cats. I recomend a sturdibag (you can google it, I ordered it on line). It’s wider and dome shaped, so it molds under the seat and gives them the most room. (We had 2 kittens in the large bag, and it fit great under the seat). The bag also has outside pockets you can stick stuff in.
Also, while my cats are yowlers, they did not cry on the plane (only in both airports, in the cab, in the car. . .). Something about the vibration & noise lulled them to sleep. Also, we ran them around like crazy before loading them up.
Do tell the people sitting in your vicinity that you have a cat when they sit down, so anyone with bad allergies can be re-seated. Travelling with a live animal qualifies you as needing ‘special assistance’, so you should be able to board early. Take advantage of that, the jostling in the aisles can freak them out.
When I moved to Germany, we couldn’t fly with our cats on board, since it was an international flight. We had them shipped with a professional pet shipper. It’s not cheap (about the cost of a human ticket to the same destination, at least internationally), but the cats were very safe, well taken care of (they have people to feed and water your pet, and keep them safe and clean). I believe you can find a list of shippers at IPATA.
As a person with cat allergies, I recommend this method if you can afford it. I was on a flight about a year ago with a cat onboard, and I felt like I might die (my nose and ears basically sealed up, leading to pressure headaches that had me a little worried about what might happen to equalize the pressure). I hate to be “that guy,” but I was in a state of utter disbelief that they let cats onboard when cat allergies are so common. 4 hours or so in a sealed cabin with allergens escaping into that recirculated air was as bad as my allergies have ever gotten.
Of course, I don’t know for certain that it was the cat, so feel free to ignore me and save yourself some money 
Now I’m a cat person and own two tabbys, but even I am slightly surprised that they allow cats in the cabin. Allergy sufferers are pretty common and on a larger flight you’re bound to have a few aboard. Some people are very sensitive to cat hair and it could make for a VERY miserable ride. Or the pilot could be allergic and nobody wants a sick pilot flying the plane. Not to mention a screaming cat would be annoying to pretty much everyone after an hour.
Well, if you can take the cat into the cabin with you, talk to your vet about getting a sedative. Heavy sedation and anesthesia can mess with the ability to control body temperature, so you have to be careful what you give an animal that will travel as cargo (personally, I would NOT ship a cat as cargo, but that’s my own preference). In the cabin, though, sedation should be fine, assuming your cats don’t have any health problems that would make it harder for them to clear the drugs from their system. What the vets I’ve worked with usually give for travelling is acepromazine–at the heavy end of the dosage range, it can really knock 'em for a loop, but at low doses it just takes the edge off.
If you’re going to be flying, pull all food about 8-12 hours before the flight, and pull the water about 4 hours before. This will minimize motion sickness (ace tends to help with that, too), as well as the whole peeing/pooping thing. Trust me, they won’t starve or dehydrate in that kind of time frame.
I think what I’d do would be to buy another ticket and keep the carrier in the seat next to me, since there isn’t a whole lot of room under the seat. And the cat would be less traumatized if he knew you were right there next to him (not to mention that you’d have more peace of mind). I’d also keep a cloth cover loosely over the carrier, to minimize allergens getting out.
Definitely give him no food for 12 hours before the flight, and no water for 3-4 hours before (don’t worry, he’ll survive). The t-shirt idea is good, plus a few of his favorite toys, but nothing stimulating, like catnip.
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I think what I’d do would be to buy another ticket and keep the carrier in the seat next to me,
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I don’t think the flight attendants would allow you to keep the carrier on the seat during takeoff and landing, so you better get one that fits underneath the seat infront of your cat’s seat.
Also, in the post-911 age, empty, paid-for seats where the owner “checked in” but for whom the actual seat is empty, raises a lot of red flags with airport security. One of the things they’re looking for is people who check in, but don’t get on the plane… if you were going to plant a bomb on a plane, wouldn’t you skip out before the doors closed?
From what I hear, pets in the cargo area are reasonably safe nowadays.
I was once seated next to a blind woman with her seeing eye dog. They traveled a lot and she told me that she gives the dog nothing to eat or drink on air travel days. It eliminates the peeing/pooping problem and a healthy housepet ought to be able to stand 10-12 hrs. of fasting with no lasting damage. I know it sounds a little draconian but she adored her dog and he seemed happy and unresentful. (She did give the dog one doggie treat to eat a minute before touchdown to help him equalize the air pressure in the ears).
The vet can give you a very effective sedative too. With luck, Kitty will have virtually no memory of the event.
I would probably carry some Alavert quick-disolving tablets to offer to any possible seatmates who happen to be allergic but it is probably not necessary.
Thanks for all the help. Jet blue only allows pets as carry-on and only one per passenger (up to 3 (I think) per flight). I’ll be taking my cats to the vet next week to see what he suggests. I sounds like pre-flight restricted intake, a light sedative, and familiar objects may be the best way.
Thanks
PC