Flying with a cat
 

If you have personal experience flying with a cat in its carrier in the cabin of an airplane, I’d love to hear about your experience.

we are taking our cat on to Tucson from MA, one stop. Our vet, whom I trust, is suggesting s low dose of Gabapentin, with a trial at home a week before.

our biggest concern is that we are told we must take her out of her carrier and carry her through TSA, but that this can be done in a small private room. That way if she fights her way out of our arms she will not disappear to someplace in the airport. We are working with her to get used to a soft halter which we can keep hold of.

thanks for any insight you can provide.

I flew with my cat back in 1980 from NYC to Buffalo, NY. She was in a small carrier under the seat. I'm not sure who it was more stressful for, me or the cat. She was quiet but in order to go under the seat, the airline (American) made me buy one of their carriers and would not let me use the one my father built for her. It was very small and even though she was a tiny cat, she couldn't stand in it. I felt awful about it but there was no way I was going to put her in the cargo hold. She forgave me eventually and still loved me so it did not leave any lasting effects. It was a short flight, less than 90 minutes. I don't think I would fly with a cat if it was not a short non-stop flight. Perhaps they allow bigger carriers in the cabin now so it won't be so stressful on you and the cat. Good luck.

ETA: I gave the same cat a low dose tranquilizer once that I got from the vet, when driving from Buffalo back to NY, right after she was spayed. I hated how it affected her and flushed the rest of the tranquillizers down the toilet when I got to NY. I will never give a cat of mine a tranquilizer again.

She’ll be able to fly in the carrier she’s used to, in which she can stand up and move around and which she sits in voluntarily in our living room sometimes, so that’s a plus i guess.
i’m not thrilled about this.

the tranquilizer does worry me. If the trial at home doesn’t go well, we won’t use it for the plane, but I hope we can.
thanks, Laurieco

My friend flys with her cat because of her job. In the beginning, it was 2 cats and I do believe she gave them medication from the vet as they had to get shots and stuff. She lives in Europe so very long flights back and forth to the US. The older cat eventually had to go in the cargo hold after the first trip as she was very vocal even with the medication. This cat ended up passing away due to old age before my friend came back to the US for 2 yrs. My friend was dreading the trip back so it was a blessing as it was just too stressful.

The other cat seems to do ok and has lived in Mali, Paris, NJ, Geneva, DC and now Vienna. I don’t know if the cat remembers as she started flying when she was small but does ok with flying. My friend will not do the cargo hold again and will buy a second seat if needed as I think the first cat just had a bad experience. They do allow my friend to go in a separate room for security so that wasn’t an issue.

I like the harness. I did that with mine when moving from De to Fl. I was afraid she would getaway at the rest stop or hotel. TSA, the tricky part but they have to x-ray the carrier. I have flown with dogs but not a cat. I would try the sedative at home but not crazy about it. They make a CBD oil for cat anxiety.

I’ve heard about the CBD oil for a cat. I’ll think about that too.
they don’t apparently have to x ray the carrier if they examine it in the smsll room, or that’s what i undetstand.

We gave our very vocal Siamese a tranquilizer from the vet when we were moving, Savannah toTampa and I wouldn’t do it again. If you test it, be sure she is confined to a small area where she can’t jump. We gave it to her a bit before we left, and before we could intervene, she jumped from bed to floor and her legs just gave way on landing. It was awful. She was so confused and we were sick at what we’d done. Like Laurieco, the rest went down the drain.

Judilada, You might look into getting a Thundershirt for your cat. See Thunderworks. The vest has a calming effect on cats and was recommended in a "My Cat from Hell" program.

Have you considered using an animal transport service? I'm sure it's not cheap, but it may be worth it.
E.g.
Animal Transportation - O'Brien Animal Transportation & Services

Moved to the Air Travel forum

Just be absolutely sure they do take you into a closed room and the door is closed and the cat secured before they open the door or cage. An idiot opened the door to the cage of my daughter’s cat at JFK. Four horrible hours later of searching, my daughter captured her cat and later ended up hospitalized from infection from multiple bites from her terrified cat. Use a Strong twisty wire on the cage door so it can’t be quickly opened by an unthinking person.

I moved my cat from Guatemala to Oregon in 2018. I got a Sherpa soft sided cat carrier (American Airlines approved) and only put her into it the morning we left. As soon as we boarded, she went under the seat in front of DD with a blanket over the carrier. She never made a peep the entire time and this was not her first time flying (she came to me from FFL in 2010). Going through security was very easy and the agents were very considerate of Ginger. No drugs, no food. She did have a halter on which made it easier for me to hold her and make sure she didn't try to jump out of my arms. I had a leash for her which I could attach to the halter just in case, but we didn't really need it. So get a carrier approved by the airline, make sure that your cat has a reservation (I think only a certain number of pets are allowed inside the cabin), put the cat under the seat, and relax!

In addition to the sedative, look at your local pet store or on Amazon for a spray called Feliway. I'm currently using the diffuser for my female cat who is very high strung. It is the scent of a lactating mother cat that calms the cat because it reminds them of the carefree days of nursing with their mom. Humans can't really smell it but I can speak from experience that the diffuser works, so I would imagine the spray would. They advertise it as being used before vet visits and car rides. Maybe it will work for your cat.

I have never had the need myself but wanted to wish you the best for this journey. You are already doing the only tip I was coming to suggest... that is having the carrier around the house so she's used to it and doesn't necessarily associate it only with being taken somewhere. suerte!

Feliway also comes in wipes, which are very handy when traveling. We wipe out our cat carriers with one before schlepping the girls to the vet.

My wife is highly allergic to cats and we’ve had more than one trip half ruined with hives/cold symptoms from having to sit near one on the plane. Please consider spending a few dollars on boarding, the service mentioned by Lucie above, or checking the cat into the hold. We put our dog in the hold once so as to not inconvenience others, no problem.

No way would I ever check a cat or dog into the hold of a plane. If they aren't small enough to travel under the seat, I'd figure out another way.

While I used to feel the same way, suze, I have since met somebody who has been transporting animals for a living for over 30 years. I'd trust her with my pets in a millisecond.

What causes the allergic reaction In people is not the cat or cat fur. It is the dander from the skin, which sticks to the fur and clothing. I once had a friend have a really bad attack at a party where there was no cat. Sadly, I realized that just before leaving my house, I had picked my cat up and snuggled her against my sweater, which was likely covered with dander and exposed my friend when we hugged. Wiping your cat down with a Rough damp wash cloth a few times on the day of travel will prevent most of that. There used to be some nice anti-allergy Cleansers to wipe cats with too. I will see if I can find them. They worked great and were good for the cats. If you can avoid putting any animal in the hold, do so.

LucieV, How does that person transport the cats? I would never, ever put an animal in the hold.

I don't know, Underhill. I just think I'd rather entrust my pet to an experienced professional with a solid rep. The stress of flying with a pet for more than an hour or two is just beyond my pay grade.

no, I haven’t considered it and won’t consider entrusting her to strangers. She would surely be much more terrified. I’m primarily worried about TSA, and I’ve gotten lots of good suggestions



Nor would i consider putting her in the hold even if airlines allowed it. It’s barbaric.

on SW people who don’t want to or can’t because of allergies be in proximity to a cat can choose a far away seat. I sympathize with those with allergies, but sitting further away and/ or taking a claritin can help. I will however ask the vet about the allergy wipes. If they are ok for the cat, i’d use them.

she is very used to her carrier and sits in it in the house, so the carrier itself won’t freak her out. I like the idea of partially covering the carrier, and I will be sure to be careful about the door in the small room.
she has her reservation and i know her carrier meets specifications, so good there.

I appreciate all advice.

While I used to feel the same way, suze, I have since met somebody who has been transporting animals for a living for over 30 years. I'd trust her with my pets in a millisecond.

LucieV - So how does this person transport animals? What kind of qualifications or arrangements can they make different than any other individual Not for jubilada... just curious.

See my answer to Underhill, suze. I don't know. It's just that I happen to trust this person. I've never had to transport a pet in a plane, and I don't think I'd be very good at it.

It isn't "barbaric". Just makes the owner feel better to know the cat is under the seat. The "hold" has the same pressure and temperature as the main cabin. Plus it's dark and quiet. My ex-tenant's XL smart and feisty orange cat (see profile photo) actually did better in the hold (she travelled with two cats to France and back several times). The dumb little fluffy always one got the under-seat space.

When you have a large pet like a big dog, you have to put them in the hold. The worst thing was I watched the agent put the incorrect luggage tag on the crate, it was to a different city than we were flying to! My DH walked with baggage handler to watch them put our dog on the correct plane. We were moving so had to do this. Otherwise we put her in a kennel when we traveled.
Flying east in June, two cats were in the seats in front of us, in crates on the floor, and meowed the whole flight. It didn’t bother me though and actually was kind kind of funny.
It sounds like you have a good plan for your cat. I know it is stressful.

I have heard horror stories about animals in the hold, from people who i know and trust, so perhaps i have the wrong impression in general. At any rate, i’m not doing that.

we picked up meds today and will try them soon.

Wishing you and the cats a happy experience.

My daughter flew her 2 cats from the UK to NY in the hold, they were fine. I don't believe it to be barbaric, animals are kept in a separate part of the hold which is heated and pressurised, it's not the same area as baggage. At Pet Reception we saw lots of other pets flying all over the world, some were frequent travellers and quite used to the experience, for others it could be traumatic, but so is travelling in the cabin. But I'm sure it's a different story for US domestic flights. where people want to keep everything close to them in the cabin, whether it's pets or luggage.

Our cats find that being handled by strangers is VERY traumatic. I suggest reading newspaper accounts of accidental releases, too.

We have 3 cats now and down the road may be spending more time in Denver, a 2.5 hour flight from SFO, our home base.

I'm guessing we would need to buy 3 tickets to have the available underseat space. Southwest and United are the main carriers and we would have no problem moving to the last row on Southwest if it meant people with allergies would be spared.

I've only flown with one cat many years ago, underseat, El Paso to SFO. Siamese, bad idea. Meowed most of the time, despite sleepy meds, but the plane was loud and drowned most of it out.

"I'm guessing we would need to buy 3 tickets to have the available underseat space. Southwest and United are the main carriers and we would have no problem moving to the last row on Southwest if it meant people with allergies would be spared. "

• WN (Southwest) allows up to 6 pets per flight . . . but they are first come, first serve basis and one cannot prebook them. So you'd have to show up at the airport really early to make sure you are the first one or two to have pets. I would absolutely pay for Early Bird check in so you could have your choice of seats.

• UA allows two pets in a premium cabin and up to four in coach, pre-booked. (I'm not sure if their regional partners like United Express, Skywest, Republic etc so you might need to book on mainline UA)

In either case you would need to either book three seats - or find a friend or acquaintance flying on the same flight

Thanks, Janis!

It's a nightmare just getting my cat to the vet! Three freeway exits away. Poor guy is terrified and howls the entire time. I'd never take him anywhere.

Updates:
we’ve now sucessfully flown across country twice with our cat, with the help of a little gabrpentin. It was so easy! At TSA we went in a small side room and held her while they assured she was not carrying contraband in her carrier. We had reserved for her on SW ( which was definitely allowed Janis, and in fact required) but that flight was cancelled and we went Delta instead. On SW fee is $99 and on Delta $125. Rabies certificates were not required.

While we were told that she would have to stay under the seat in front of us, we actually held her on our laps as did other travelers This was great.

We will do this trip one more time in October and now have no worries.

Thanks for the update! I have checked occasionally to see how kitty fared flying.

Thanks for the update.

My friend just returned to the US from Austria with her cat and while the flight went ok. The poor cat developed cat acne due to the stress of traveling. That is what the vet thinks so not sure if the cat will go to her next overseas post. It never happened before as the cat changes locations every 2 years overseas so it was a new symptom.

Some time ago, before the covid, my friend moved from Australia to NY having a cat. There were no major problems except that she had to get him a passport and vaccinate him against a few additional diseases (she found the list somewhere on the Internet). She was a bit scared if the kitten would bear the flight, but everything went as it should. Before boarding the plane, the kitten received sedation medication prescribed by the veto, and my friend could also ask the staff to check if the cat was okay. Overall, she was very pleased with the situation and the way it all happened.