Transporting a kitty

[yellowcat322]

I'm moving from NY to LA for med school and I'm a little worried about transporting my cat across the country. I'd appreciate any advice from anyone who has transported their cat on a plane before. Do they require any fees/ paperwork for domestic flight? Do they let you take your cat into the cabin (she's really small)? Any advice would help

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[OldMD]

I'm moving from NY to LA for med school and I'm a little worried about transporting my cat across the country. I'd appreciate any advice from anyone who has transported their cat on a plane before. Do they require any fees/ paperwork for domestic flight? Do they let you take your cat into the cabin (she's really small)? Any advice would help

Each airline is different... I seem to remember Delta lets pets in the cabin with you, but pet rules and regulations are always changing. Each airline has pet rules on their websites, so check around. There's at least a $50 fee.

We worry about this- we hope to move from Ohio to California in a few years after med school, and we have 5 cats! We're not sure how to move cross country with them.

 

[stoic]

usually you can take the cat on the plane with you for a an extra fee. you also must use a hardshelled (IE urine proof) carrier.

check with the individual airlines for specific details.

definately don't put the cat in the cargo hold. it's gets cold as **** down there.

 

[PTPoeny]

Make your reservation for your cat early and have your vet give you a certificate of health. Most airlines only allow one animal in the cabin so you have to be the first person to request a reservation for your pet on your flight. Also get to the airport a little extra early for going through security and stuff.

http://www.petco.com/pet_care_article.asp?ArticleID=200&categoryID=18

There's useful info in this article.

 

[sinephera]

I checked for US air, it is $100, and you need to let them know ahead of time. Also, you will need to take her out of the case to go through the security gate...so make sure you can hold her for that brief period of time.

 

[pwrpfgrl]

usually you can take the cat on the plane with you for a an extra fee. you also must use a hardshelled (IE urine proof) carrier.

check with the individual airlines for specific details.

definately don't put the cat in the cargo hold. it's gets cold as **** down there.

I've flown my cat across the country 4 or 5 times now. pretty much all airlines allow pets but you have to call them to make a "reservation" for your cat ahead of time. you may need to plan ahead a bit because a lot of airlines will only allow 2 or 3 pets in the cabin. they will charge a fee - i've payed from $50 to $100 each way. i use a soft carrier (Sherpa bag) that is approved by most airlines (if you go to Petsmart they have a section of travel bags - most of them advertise which airlines have approved them). If you use a hard case, make sure it will fit under the seat in front, because it would really suck to have to put kitty in the overhead bin (i've actually seen other people do this - it's so sad! ) Also, you'll have to get a health certificate from your vet that says your kitty has all its shots.

Good luck!

 

[ms. a]

Just a few things to add - the health certificate from the vet usually has to be within 10 days or so of the flight, to prove that your cat has been recently examined and is currently healthy. My cat has flown between Houston and Boston 3 times, always without a hitch. Like people said, make a reservation with the airline to make sure you get the "pet space" on the flight(s). And definitely go with a soft-sided carrier. They're much easier to handle around the airport, since they can have a shoulder strap, and you don't have to worry as much about it fitting exactly under the seat, since it can squish a little. Also, ask your vet about possibly sedating the cat for the flight, especially if the travel time will be really long or if it's a high-strung cat. The thought of sedating a cat is a little sad, but your cat will be much happier if it's sleepy rather than freaked out the whole trip.

 

[Stitch626]

I just drove with my kitty from Austin to Houston. I know this isn't quite the same situation you're in, but I bring this up in order to make a suggestion. You can give your kitty a sedative (Acepromazine) that will calm him/her down during the trip. It should cost less than $10 for two pills. Good luck!

EDIT: oops, should have read the previous post.

 

[yellowcat322]

Thanks all for the advice. It's all really helpful. I really will consider sedating her since she is pretty high strung. How long do these sedatives last? It's a six hour flight plus all the check-in at the airport.

I just drove with my kitty from Austin to Houston. I know this isn't quite the same situation you're in, but I bring this up in order to make a suggestion. You can give your kitty a sedative (Acepromazine) that will calm him/her down during the trip. It should cost less than $10 for two pills. Good luck!

EDIT: oops, should have read the previous post.

 

[GrandMasterB]

Search the web for pets and airlines. I read recently that there is a pretty high rate of death of pets not kept in the cabin (too cold in the cargo hold, etc). I would not keep my pet in the cargo hold- pay the extra and take the cat in the cabin for sure.

 

[dr.z]

I just drove with my kitty from Austin to Houston. I know this isn't quite the same situation you're in, but I bring this up in order to make a suggestion. You can give your kitty a sedative (Acepromazine) that will calm him/her down during the trip. It should cost less than $10 for two pills. Good luck!

EDIT: oops, should have read the previous post.

How long does this medication work for?

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

if its really a kitten cant you just wear cargo pants and take 'er along?

 

[lorelei]

if its really a kitten cant you just wear cargo pants and take 'er along?

Haha! "Ma'am, why are your pants squirming?" "MEOW!"

I'm driving from DC to St. Louis for my move. My poor kitties! I'm taking them to the vet today, actually, and plan to ask for sedatives. One of them is super adventurous, and would love nothing better than to ride on the dashboard the whole way. He cries if I lock him in the crate, and I don't think I can put up with 15 hours of meowing. The other one is really high-strung; she shakes whenever I take her out of the apartment, and especially hates the car. So i want to sedate Max to keep him quiet and relaxed, and Tess to make it a little easier on her, poor baby.

 

[redruby]

I flew from Chicago to New York with a mama cat and kitten in one carrier. The whole ordeal took about 11 hours considering the flight was really delayed, then I had to hop on the train once I got there, etc. Like others have said, you have to get a health certificate from your vet that's within 10 days prior to travel and make a reservation with the airline, pay a fee (I think I flew United and paid $80 per cat), etc.

My cats were extremely well behaved the whole way. I took them in one of those mesh carriers and held it in my lap the whole flight. The only time I shoved them under the seat was during take off and landing. They barely meowed. I also wanted to add that everybody at the airport and on the plane were really nice about they whole thing. In general, people were very amused about the kitties, and when I had to take them out to get through security, the security people offered to hold them, everybody was awwing at them.

One last thing, you should obviously check with your vet, but I don't think it's such a great idea to sedate your cat. I think something happens with the change in pressure and their breathing that can make sedation kind of dangerous.

 

[Stitch626]

How long does this medication work for?

I gave my kitty two pills (one a couple hours before we left, the other an hour into the trip) for a three hour car ride- I'm not sure how many mg each pill is. Obviously, during a plane ride you would have no access to your cat so the medication might not be too effective - especially towards the end of a long flight. Double check with your vet, but it seems like each pill lasts about 2 hours for a "normal sized" cat, ~10 lbs. I also wanted to mention that Acepromazine will not necessarily put your cat to sleep. More likely, it will just make your cat calmer and less meowy.

 

[BaylorGuy]

not exactly a kitty, but what about a hedgehog??

 

[lorelei]

I just got back from the vet. They said the sedative is supposed to work for 6-8 hours but most people find it's not necessary to give a second dose for a trip of slightly longer than that. You should give it about an hour before starting to travel. It makes the kitty sleepy and mellow, but not necessarily asleep. However, it doesn't work for all cats - some become hyper, just like people with cold medicine. They aren't able to regulate their body temperature while sedated, so you have to make sure to keep their environment at a good temperature.