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I was recently offered a job across the country and will be moving by plane. I still need to book the flight (only got the official offer today) but in about 2 weeks, Puck is getting his first in-flight experience. I'm going to try to get him in the cabin with me.
What advice do you have for me? I have a serious phobia of flying and have to be sedated to get on a plane, so my dad will probably be in charge of Puck so I don't stress him out any more than the situation. We're getting a soft carrier this weekend so he will have about a week and a half to get used to a carrier.
He gets carsick- do cats who get carsick also get planesick?
Since we have no way of taking his perch with us, I'll probably be buying him one of these as well: Prices . They're made locally to where I'm moving and a bit pricey, but cheaper than the equivalent. He'll need to get used to new roommates and a new place so I figure that with the new job, I can splurge a little so that Puck is comfy.
Check with your airlines and make sure of the size of the carrier that will fit underneath your seat. You will have to go through security...and have to remove Puck from his carrier. Have a harness on him for safety, just in case he tries to bolt. The noise and overall busy atmosphere, will scare most cats. Once he is through security, he can go back in the carrier and there he can stay until you get to your final destination.
Make sure you (if you haven't done so already) make his reservation early. Many airlines only allow a certain # of animals on board in the cabin.
Might want to consider some Bachs Rescue Remedy for him...just to calm him down a bit. I hesitate at drugging my animals for a plane flight.
I have flown with 3 different cats, and have had no problems with any of them. As a matter of fact, people would marvel, as we were deplaning, that there was actually a cat on board.
You're going to need to make sure that you have a health certificate. You can get that from your vet. At the same time, I would ask him/her about recommendations for the sickness issue. I know I used to give one of my cats dramamine (I think??) as she would get car sick, but that was years ago.
You're going to have to take the cat out of the carrier when you go through the x-ray machine, so if he's "squirmy", I'd recommend getting a leash for just this purpose. You'll carry him through the machine with you, and his carrier will go through the belt machine. I never had an issue with my guys (as a matter of fact, when we got through, it was the happiest they had been to get into their carriers ), but if you're unsure, you can't be too safe in this respect.
Make sure you call the airline and get him a ticket. Depending on the airline, it's about 75 dollars on up. (Ludicrous, if you ask me, but there's no choice... ). The last time I did this (about 6 years ago), I was on JetBlue, and even after paying extra for my cat, he and his carrier *still* counted as one of my carry-ons. I don't know if it's still the same policy, but it may be a good thing to ask beforehand, so you can plan for it.
Put a towel or small blanket into the carrier (and carry a spare with you). I never fed my guys before I took them, and never fed them during the trip. I always had water available in my own bag, just in case, but I also never had to give them any. (These were, max, five hour flights.) I would also ask your vet about this, as presumably, they know your cat better than most.
Other than that, not too much, except that it's a good thing that your dad is coming along, as your cat will feed on your tension.
Good luck with the new job! I'm sure Puck will be fine.
The Health Certificate depends on the state you are entering. And of all the times I have flown and delivered cats/kittens around the States, not once has anyone ever asked for me one. Call and check with the airlines...it never hurts. It also must be only 10 days old...anything over, the Certificate is no longer valid.
You better check with the airline for what kind of carrier they require you to have. I don't think the soft ones are acceptable.. The carrier have to meet their requirements!
Also as someone suggested, get your cat a harness and make sure it fits tight and he can't slip out of it and get a lease that you can slip over your wrist so if he freaks out and bolts, you can't loose him. Get the harness early and get him use to it and keep it on him during the whole flight.
I would also start taking him on short rides in a car and be taking him out in open places where it is busy (with the harness on) to see how he reacts to it.
I know mine would freak out suddenly finding themselves it a situation like that. Cats do NOT like change! So be careful, do your homework with the airlines and preparing the kitty for this.
I wouldn't feed him the day of the flight or give him water. Remember, you can't take water through security anyway (or at least you couldn't the last time I flew on a plane).
Soft carriers are fine for in-cabin. It's when animals are shipped as baggage that you need a hard carrier. It needs to fit under the seat, which a soft carrier does better than all but really small hard carriers that may not even allow the cat to stand up! But it is true you should double check with the airline to avoid any problems later at the airport.
But you do have to make the reservation now for the cat. As mentioned previously, there are very low limits on in-cabin pets, sometimes only one for the whole plane depending upon plane size. There's a significant extra fee as well. And there may be a couple airlines that don't allow this at all, but most do. Try for the shortest flying time possible, of course, and perhaps avoiding connections (although it won't help much if you need to drive a long distance to avoid the connection; same difference I suppose).
mishigas73 seems to have pretty well covered everything. Good luck!
A less toxic tranquilizer for cats (and humans) is Bach's Rescue Remedy which is available at Whole Foods Market and most larger health food stores. It comes in dropper form and is easy to administer. It's homeopathic and doesn't affect the body as harshly as traditional medication. Natural stress relief for pets - Rescue® Remedy Pet
i brought my cat home from a foreign country - a 24 hr plane ride. He was well behaved although he did pee once in his carrier, right at the beginning. I used a sherpa soft sided carrier with removable / washable liners. Worked very well. You'll have to take the cat out at security. No one asked any questions or asked to see my cat's documents, but this may vary by state. If you are flying to Hawaii, all bets are off.
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), but if you're unsure, you can't be too safe in this respect.
). The last time I did this (about 6 years ago), I was on JetBlue, and even after paying extra for my cat, he and his carrier *still* counted as one of my carry-ons. I don't know if it's still the same policy, but it may be a good thing to ask beforehand, so you can plan for it.
