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Air travel for cats dilemma
I've never posted here before but am a pet lover and am hoping you all can offer some advice. Our cats are our babies and we want to make our upcoming trans-Atlantic flight as smooth as possible for them.
We are moving from Germany to Kansas in April with our two cats and are trying to prepare. Our cats have never flown, but are pretty nervous when we take them in their carriers to the vet. We have one layover in DC (Dulles), as there are no direct flights. Both cats will fly cargo from Frankfurt to DC, but the airline has said only one animal is allowed in cargo from DC to Kansas. Unfortunately, that means that we will have to move our little girl cat from the hard carrier to a soft-side in DC and take her in the cabin with us for the rest of the trip. Not exactly ideal.
Also, we don't want to separate the cats and take one in cabin and one in cargo the whole way because we think they would be more comfortable if they can see or hear the other (I know that is not guaranteed depending on how they are loaded). Plus, I think it might be more stressful for us if we are dealing with a scared cat for the 9+ hours (I will be 33 weeks pregnant at the time).
So far we have bought new hard kennels for the trip so they have more room and don't associate these kennels with vet trips. We bought a vari-kennel 100 for our little 8 lbs. girl and a sky kennel 200 for our 17 lbs. boy. We also bought travel kits from Dry Fur to help mark, secure and prepare the kennels for the trip. We have allowed the cats to play in the kennels and they aren't scared of them like they are with their other carriers. We plan to continue to get them comfortable with these kennels and acclimate them.
Is there anything else that we should do to prepare them for travel? Would you do anything different? Also, can anyone recommend a good soft-sided carrier for the cabin?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
Re: Air travel for cats dilemma
B/w 1/8: betas 17,345, progesterone 25.6
I can definitely think of more fun things than your upcoming trip!
There are only a couple things I can think of.
1) If you know anyone in DC, see if you can put their contact info on the crates, just in case something happens and your cats make it to DC/you don't, or you make it to Kansas and the cats get stuck in DC. Same with a contact who's in Germany.
2) When you swap to cabin, let the flight attendants/those sitting near you know you have a cat. It's a common allergy and you don't want anyone sitting near you to get ill.
3) I really dislike the idea of cats flying it cargo, but it seems you have no other choice. Buy some tie-ties and tie-tie all four corners of the kennels together. I'm not sure what German security proceedures are, but bring four more tie-ties for each crate so you can tie-tie the door shut to the carrier. I'm not familiar with the particular kennels you said you bought, but if they have the doors that shut with springs, they could come open with the handling and the tie-ties are a backup to prevent the door from swinging open.
4) For when your girl kitty is flying in cabin, you could ask your vet for a sedative. I definitely wouldn't use one on an animal you won't be able to constantly observe, but if you're concerned about the cat getting very upset while in cabin, having one on hand couldn't hurt.
For soft sided travel kennels, I like the Sherpa brand. They have many variations with neat features (wheels, backpack style, sides that have flaps so your pet can either see or not see out, etc.).
We flew from Korea to Tulsa last Aug. We stopped feedling the cat the night before we left. She was under the seat infront of my youngest son since he feet could not reach that far for her to be kicked by him, and I could reach her. She did just fine. She is a 15lb cat and fit just fine. We also had a dog in cargo.
Also a heads up but you will have to claim both animals at customs and declare them and then check them agian. This means going through security agian so be prepared!
For PP poster asking about flying that late in pregnancy, it sounds like they are military (correct me if I am wrong) and coming back to the states, and in a lot of causes doctors will clear them to fly. I was cleared to fly at 34weeks for a training that I really needed.
We are tracking on having to pick up the cats in DC, clear them through customs and re-check them. This is where we'll do the switch for our little girl and bring her up to cabin. We've allowed for over a 3 hour layover to give us time and make sure that we have time to get the cats taken care of.
The travel kits we bought have a ton of zip ties, metal fasteners for kennels, information tags and pouches so we can put all their documents, contact information and flight itineraries. The biggest hazard is the kennel coming apart and the door coming open, so we are reinforcing them with metal screws and zip ties. If anyone is interested, the Dry Fur website has some awesome products and incredible tips for air travel.
Thanks for the tips ladies, we will definitely think about the pre-flight feeding schedule. Good tip on the allergies and those around us. I am so concerned about the cats that I didn't even think of that.
I'll look into a sedative from our vet. You're right, I don't want to sedate the cats unless we are able to keep an eye on her so I think maybe something for the cabin might be helpful. We'll check with our vet for some safe options.
I've been looking at a couple Sherpa models and they seems to get some of the best ratings for being sturdy and safety. So far they are our top choices.
Thanks so much for these tips! I really appreciate it and I'm sure my cats will as well!
This may not be possible, as I've never flown with any animals. But I do know my cats do a lot better in a carrier when they're together. The same when they're boarded somewhere. They're not loud, they feel safer. We use our dogs larger kennel and put them both in it for longer trips.
Again, not sure if it's possible, but thought I'd throw that out there!
Good luck!
FF
The airlines will not let you ship pets together in the same kennel. I definitely would ship them together in a larger kennel, but it is not allowed. My cats have only been separated from one another for about an hour their entire lives and they did not like it at all. When we go to the vet we make sure they can see where the other one is or can hear each other because it helps to keep them calm.
We are marking the kennels the same and putting big stickers with their names on them so that it is pretty obvious they are together. We're hoping this gets the cargo loaders to realize they are together and hopefully put them closer together so they know the other is close by.
That is too bad they can't go in the same kennel.
I'm sure it will be stressful for you and the cats, but you're doing everything you can for them. Sounds like you have your bases covered.
And remember - you're doing a lot more than a lot of people would. Many people would have left them in a shelter for adoption inside of going through all of this to relocate them. So, kuddos to you!
FF
Thanks! I can't even imagine leaving them behind, they are our babies and truly a part of our family. I really appreciate everyone's advice and input, it has been really helpful!
I'm AD and I've heard of a disappointing number of families doing this both coming and going from the States. The worst is going from the States to OCONUS. Like some of these people don't put ANY effort into rehoming their pet and just dump it at Pet Welfare before PCSing. I feel like CC's should do something about it, but that's a whole 'nother topic. Thank you and bless you for doing right by your pets.
I was unimpressed by Sherpa, actually. That said, Sturdi makes some great soft-sided carriers for in-flight that my cats have traveled in before. My breeder recommended this to me a long time ago. (hyperlink button not working, sry:/)
http://www.sturdiproducts.com/client/products.aspx?Info=clIyQ1WVK/w/xUVyx09uTg==
They also make a kick-ass car carrier that helps make traveling with your cats in the car safer, and gives them room to have a litter box and move around. Best 100-something bucks I've spent on my cats so far. There are slots to buckle it in with seatbelts, so if you have to brake fast, the carrier doesn't go flying. If you ever go to cat shows, you'll see tons of these.
http://www.sturdiproducts.com/client/products.aspx?Info=clIyQ1WVK/x+SUN/OJCrtA==
Thanks for the Sturdi Products rec, I'm looking at those now and they seem to get some great reviews.
The way some people can just abandon their pets is amazing to me. We got our cats from a German family, but only because they didn't realize the horrible reputation that Americans have for abandoning pets when they return to the States. We looked at the German rescues and shelters but most won't even talk to Americans because there are so many cases of abandonment. When we were trying to adopt, we called a few places but they were not helpful to us and a bit rude. We got lucky when we saw the flyer for our cats and jumped on it. One of the best decisions we have ever made!