Air Travel

[dustytiger]

Hi,

So I've been living in Malaysia for the past 15 years and I have a pet cat I have grown to adore in the most recent four. Now, I'd expected to spend the rest of my life here, which is why I made the commitment of adopting her, but recently my situation has changed and I need to move back to the US in several months. I've done a lot of reading about airlines and getting animals into countries online, but honestly I'm still really scared about whether or not she'll be allowed into Cleveland or how she'll take such a long flight. I mean, I want her to come with me, but not badly enough that I'd be willing to have her die during the flight or destroyed if she somehow doesn't qualify for entry. (I've heard a lot of horror stories from friends.) I'd sooner try and find her a new owner here in Malaysia than risk her well-being--though honestly it kills me inside to think about. Me and my cat have been through a lot together and she's been my emotional support through some of the toughest years of my life.

Most of the articles online seem really vague about everything so I'm kind of at a loss.... Or maybe I'm just having difficulty processing at the moment.

Does anyone know what to expect when bringing a cat from a foreign country into Cleveland? Or what to do when traveling on a plane with one? Juliet is kinda sensitive emotionally, so I also worry about the stress it would be on her. She starts trembling when around strangers in our home, let alone when surrounded by them in an unfamiliar place.

Would it be better to just try and find her a new home somewhere here? I don't really have anyone I trust, though, to be honest. 

I'd love more than anything to take her with me and have her there when I go back to my hometown. 

 

[red top rescue]

Actually the U.S. has fewer regulations for bringing pets into this country than most other countries.  Most of the regulations you will need to meet are the requirements of the airline you choose.  You should keep your cat with you in the cabin and not have her travel in the baggage compartment.  Most airlines require you to use a pet carrier that will fit underneath an airline seat, and for such a long flight, you might hope it is not full and you can find an empty row somewhere after the plane is in the air for awhile and go sit there and take her out and sit her on your lap.  You might bring a little blanket to kind of hide her in while she is in your lap when people walk by.  It worked for me!

If she is a high strung nervous cat that does not get calm with you holding her, that might be a different matter.  I have not traveled with that sort of cat.  True, I did not leave the country, but I did travel from the east coat to the west coast with two cats in those tiny airline carriers.  I did have a large carrier for them which I checked in as baggage, at which time I put them in the smaller carriers.   After we landed, I took the cats into the bathroom to move them back into the large carrier -- wanted to be in n enclosed space just in case anything happened, I did not want them loose in the airport.  Here is a direct link to the CDC's list of requirements for cats.

http://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/cats.html

It is a good idea to have your cat microchipped and have a rabies shot even though it is not required by the CDC.  Many states such as the one I live in DO require rabies vaccine.  When traveling, I have always brought a recent health certificate from my vet along with the animal's vaccination record.  As the CDC says, if your cat appears sick when you get here, she MIGHT be quarantined, and it's always better to have as much paper work as you can because it puts people at ease. 

I believe you can bring your cat here with you without any problems, but do check with your airline.  Sometimes they have limits on how many pets can travel in the cabin, and you may have to pay extra, and actually make a reservation to have her there, but it is well worth it to keep her safe and always in your possession.  All the horror stories I've heard involve the animal being shipped in the baggage compartment, so if you keep her with you, none of those things can happen to her.  Hopefully you can find a pet-friendly airline.  My travels were over 10 years ago, but hopefully things are still about the same.

 

[karmacat]

I travel with my Persian cat all the time - internationally. He travels in the cabin with me under the seat and only meows when he is fed up towards the end of the flight. Our most recent flight was from a small town in North -Western Canada all the way to the Middle East and he did fine despite numerous connections and stops.

You will want to get a harness for your kitty before you go as you will have to take him out when you go through security. The carrier will be put through the machine and you walk through the detector with kitty in your arms. So make sure you have a harness and leash and a good grip so he doesn't run away.

When we travel, I line his carrier with absorbent puppy-training pads. I also have a pack of wet disinfectant wipes and extra pads. When he wets, I take him into the airplane bathroom, change the pads in his carrier after wiping it down and give him a wee wash with a human wet-one. I then dry him with a paper towel and back in the carrier he goes.

Cats won't eat or drink much on long trips so I just have cat treats for him which he will snack on when we are in the air. With connecting flights, I take him into the baby changing room in the airport bathroom and fill a collapsible pet food bowl with water and he will have a big drink then. It is better not to feed them too much before departure in case they get air sick.

If kitty has to go in cargo, try to fly KLM or Lufsthansa. They are great with pets but all of the cargo areas on airlines are pressurized and have heating or ac, whichever is needed. I work with tons of people here in the Middle East who routinely fly with their pets to their next posting. A few swear by using the cargo hold as it is dark, the cats just go to sleep and there is never any problem. I have just adopted a second rescue cat and she will have to go in the cargo when I next move locations as I travel alone. My boy will be in the cabin with me.

If you book your ticket online, phone the airline immediately afterwards to book a place in the cabin for your cat. They limit the amount of pets in cabin on flights so it is important to do this. If they can't take kitty in the cabin on that flight as others have already booked pets, they will re-book you at no charge to a flight where there is still room for a pet in the cabin. You will have to pay for kitty's ticket in the cabin. I paid $25CA from Canada to the Middle East and one time from Paris to Canada I paid 30 Euros for him to be in the cabin. Flying them cargo is more expensive.

Let the airline hostess know that you have a pet in cargo if kitty is down there and ask her to inform the pilot. The pilot will already know but always a good reminder. Last week an Air Canada pilot made an emergency landing during an international flight because the cargo hold's wiring stopped working and he knew there was a dog down there. So he made the emergency landing to make sure that the dog in cargo came to no harm. Doggy was fine of course.

Paperwork for entry just takes some forward planning. Do some internet research and get a pet passport that lists all of the vaccinations, deworming, etc as well as the microchip number. Sounds like you have lots of time to sort everything out before you leave Malaysia.

I hope this helps! Happy travelling!