One more thng to add: don't tranquilize them.

I am employed by a major airline, so I know what happens too often to animals placed in the cargo hold. Sadly, many pets do not live through the terrifying flight experience. Personally, I think it would be much safer to have a vet prescribe a mild sedative for your cat, thereby calming it down and allowing it to fly inside the passenger cabin. Although you are not technically supposed to take pets out of carry on kennels during the flight, there are no regulations which prohibit you from setting the kennel on your lap from time to time and sticking your fingers through the kennel door to interact with your pet. Please, please, please do not check kitty in the cargo hold, regardless of how safe airlines tell you it is!

I am extremely grateful for all this information - and more grateful for a friend (and whatta friend!) who offered to take Kiwi for 2 years. And then my sister did too. So, the little poohkin will stay at home, unless I simply cannot bear it and come back for her. I've found "calming drops" that I will experiment with. I fully understand that a howling critter in the cabin would make people very unhappy. Heck, I get annoyed on the way to the vet. And she was a show cat before I adopted her. How they managed taking her to shows I don't know. But I suspect she wasn't much good at it which might explain why she was available for adoption - in spite of her "housepet of merit" ribbon. Thanks all. 22 days to departure - und Ich verstehe deutch nur ein bischen!

I am glad you have found a solution that works for you. Although I am sure you will miss your cat, the bright side is that you will be free to travel and not have to worry about arranging accommodations for your cat (something that kept us from taking any spur-of-the-moment trips during our time in Germany). Viel gluck!