Flying With My Cat - Very Anxious!

[Nat&Tigger]

Dear all

In a few weeks my partner & I are taking a 3 hour flight to move from UK to Malta. We're bringing our 10 year old female Tabby cat with us in the cabin. I've agonised over doing this as I just can't bear to put her through such a stressful experience.

She can handle the taxi to the airport as she's been in cars for vet trips, she can also handle a new home as she's moved home before, but it's the busy airport and v. scary flight I'm so stressed about. She's a nervous cat, v.jumpy with most noises, runs & hides when we have visitors or get a knock at the door. She's been to the vet a few times - hates it, meows a lot and shivers/shakes, a couple of times she's panted, but an hour or so after returning always goes back to her normal self and manages to eat etc. No problems with stress-induced urinary infections or marking etc.

I'm v. concerned she might have a heart attack. My question - has anyone else successfully flown with a nervous cat? How did they handle it? Did they surprise you and manage to settle, even sleep, during the flight? Any experiences would be much appreciated.

To prepare, I've been giving treats in her new travelling carrier, spraying Feliway to make it more appealing/inviting to her, and will place a T-shirt with all 3 of our smells inside when we travel. I think I should take her on some hour long drives to make her even more familiar with the carrier and with leaving the house. Any more tips to prepare her?

Her health is ok.

----- As a side note, about 1.5/2 years ago she seemed to have what I now think resembled an asthma attack but nothing like that happened before or since. Briefly mentioned it to the vet during a routine visit and nothing further was said/done but now I'm wondering if a language barrier prevented the vet picking up on this.
She seems to have no problems breathing but when she's extremely comfortable/content, curled up on her bed and asleep she sometimes makes this sort of brief grunting/snoring/contented noise which lasts a second or two when changing position/stretching. Does anyone else's cat do this? I'm concerned that this might indicate an underlying respiratory problem which could prove fatal while flying/under intense stress.-----

Sorry for the very long post. My anxiety is through the roof at the moment. Any advice/experiences would be very much appreciated!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Sorry for the very long post. My anxiety is through the roof at the moment.

Of course it is, and you have no need to apologize at all. Check with your vet about a mild tranquilizer, or if the idea of that bothers you, try giving her a tablespoonful of chilled chamomile tea. Use an eyedropper or syringe to administer, placing the tip between her cheek and gum, and slowly injecting, allowing her to swallow. Just be sure to use a commercial tea bag, don't try to make it yourself. The commercial bags are German chamomile, and much of what grows in gardens is English chamomile, which is toxic to cats. I'd go ahead and get a box of the tea bags and give her a dose to see if it relaxes her now, so you know if you need to go to something stronger for the vet. Other than that, you are doing all of the right things for her, helping her adjust to the carrier and being in it for longer periods of time.

DO NOT ALLOW the plane's staff to insist that you put her in the overhead carrier. Get off the plane before that happens. We've just had a dog lost to that kind of nonsense.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! There was a member who just did this, her thread is Alfred, The Caribbean Cat, Moving To The Us
Take a look through all the various posts in the discussion, there are links to articles that were added that might also help you

 

[epona]

Speak to your vet, for a long one-off journey they may prescribe something along the lines of a mild sedative - but that would be based on the health of your cat, which your vet would have records for.

Have you jumped through any legal hoops/paperwork/vaccine requirements involved in exporting a pet? Better to check everything up front than be faced with a situation at the airport at either end of the journey!

 

[neely]

I'd like to welcome you to TCS! I thoroughly understand your apprehension about flying with your cat. You may be interested in reading this Article about traveling with cats: Traveling With Cats
Please feel free to check out some of the other Articles and resources on the forum. Best wishes for a safe flight.

 

[1 bruce 1]

If your cat has had what you consider *might* be a mild asthma attack, I say YES on the mild sedative, with the additional comment of "test" the sedative out now, at home, where she's comfortable. The last thing you want is some weird kind of rare reaction happening on a plane when the possibility of getting to a vet is zero. This way you know the sedative will work, relax her, agree with her and NOT cause asthmatic symptoms.
Feline asthma is scary. If I had to fly my asthmatic, I'd be a wreck and would do as you're doing. But test it at home before, so you know that the sedative agrees and you can all relax.

 

[1 bruce 1]

DO NOT ALLOW the plane's staff to insist that you put her in the overhead carrier. Get off the plane before that happens. We've just had a dog lost to that kind of nonsense.

Oh man...I have no idea what happened, but I am so, so sorry... =(

 

[epona]

I'd like to welcome you to TCS! I thoroughly understand your apprehension about flying with your cat. You may be interested in reading this Article about traveling with cats: Traveling With Cats
Please feel free to check out some of the other Articles and resources on the forum. Best wishes for a safe flight.

That is a really nice article about taking cats long distances within the USA - but it doesn't cover the things required when exporting a cat from the UK to Malta. There are more stringent regulations here about transporting animals between countries (not across one country between states), you can't just hop on a plane out of the UK with an animal and take it to another country without getting the paperwork and vaccinations in order.

 

[Furballsmom]

United airlines is getting something of a bad reputation for having rotten things happen to pets, but this was really bad on the part of the stewardess and the passengers.
The passengers were told to put their small dog that was in a soft side carrier that supposedly didn't fit under the seat into an overhead bin. They did. There's no air in the overhead bins, and it didn't survive.
This was so bizarre to me that I wondered if it was fake news.

 

[Etarre]

I flew my very shy and timid cat across the country a couple of times. The scariest part for her seemed to be going through security, when I had to take her out of her carrier and walk her through the scanner. If your cat is a bolter or climber, consider leashing her so that you can keep ahold of her easily.

During the flight itself, my cat simply shut off and went to sleep, which was a big relief. She didn't eat, drink, or pee during the very long flight, and we did once get stranded on the runway in Dallas for a couple of hours during a freak thunderstorm. So I'd recommend a direct flight if possible!

All this to say that if you plan ahead, your cat should be fine. And of course, avoid the overhead bins! Very scary that they would do that.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Oh man...I have no idea what happened, but I am so, so sorry... =(

This was so bizarre to me that I wondered if it was fake news.

It was horrible, and it wasn't fake news. I did check on it, and United has verified. Apparently, the dog was barking, and that was the "solution" that the flight attendant came up with. It is NOT company policy, apparently. And cats don't bark, so there is that!

THAT SAID, do check with the airline you are using and get details on traveling with your cat. ASK QUESTIONS if anything seems "off" to you. If all seems well, and the written policies are safe and reasonable, all should be well. I'd consider getting a copy of the policies and carrying on with you, just in case. Some attendants are less aware of actual company policy than they should be.

If you decide to sedate your cat, and she'll probably be much happier if you do, I agree that whatever sedative you use should be tried out once at home. You'll know how long you can expect it to last, and how she reacts when she begins coming out of it, all while your vet is only a phone call away.

 

[artiemom]

Keep your cat under your seat.. do not allow an animal anyplace else--not in the cargo hold, nowhere else.... It has been extremely dangerous for pets, recently. Please.. United Airlines has had a few very horrible things happen to pets, recently.

You can order some zyklene from Amazon. It works really well as an all natural anti-anxiety medication. When I have given it to my guy, it just kind of mellows him out enough, that he finds a spot to sleep for a long while.. once up, he is fine.

Make sure she has here vet papers with her, is collared with name and your contact info. I would also take some water for her, and perhaps just a few treats.. Not anything heavy for her stomach. If you can keep a harness on her, that is even better.. and a leash.. just in case...

Line the carrier with puppy pads.. disposable and easier to deal with if there is an accident of any type. Grab a small package of baby wipes also.. just in case..

Good Luck.. keep us updated as how things go..

 

[white shadow]

I find it interesting that medications are being suggested......whereas, the TCS article recommended to the OP - written by an "expert" in pet travel - specifically recommends "Say No to Drugs": "It is now widely recognized that tranquilizers are the number one cause of illness and deaths in pets shipped by air." That said, she does write "A product like Benadryl can make the cat sleepy without the dangers of tranquilization; however, do not use these products without your vet's recommendation."

N Nat&Tigger I understand your concern about "the busy airport" - an opaque covering for her carrier (if it doesn't already have privacy 'flaps' or the like) would shield her from all that stimuli. You shouldn't use it when she's safely under the seat, though.

I agree with offering her some 'dry runs' in the car.....you should add in some 'covering the carrier' too.

And, I would have a thorough physical exam done, with some serious listening done to her chest.

Hope that helps! (oh...you know, here at TCS, we never refuse pics!)
,

 

[LTS3]

The passengers were told to put their small dog that was in a soft side carrier that supposedly didn't fit under the seat into an overhead bin. They did. There's no air in the overhead bins, and it didn't survive.
This was so bizarre to me that I wondered if it was fake news.

Several news web sites have reported that the bag in question wasn't even a soft sided pet carrier with mesh. It was just a regular luggage duffle bag.

 

[Etarre]

I should add that I did give my cat some supposedly calming herbal drops that went in her water, but I'm not
sure how much she ingested or whether it helped. I think it was fear as much as anything that kept her quiet
and still. She also didn't meow much in her younger years, come to think of it.

 

[foxden]

N Nat&Tigger
Just a few more ideas
Since Malta and the UK are part of the EU, it should be easier to move your cat within the EU than to move to a non-member country. Antonio65 drove his Pallina from Italy to Belgium for treatment, and I believe he obtained a European "passport" for her. I would want to have hard copies of her vaccinations and vet records traveling with me.

One option to get your kitty from the UK to Malta is to contact a pet transport agency. These couriers will pick up your cat in the UK, and will drive her (including ferries) to your new place in Malta. I don't know how much that would cost, and I'd guess she would be in transit for at least 1 extra day. I believe @pendragon used a pet transport service like this in 2017 and relocated from Italy to the UK. I don't know if that member is still active on TCS. Brian007 used a pet transport service to move Dudley within the UK last summer.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

"It is now widely recognized that tranquilizers are the number one cause of illness and deaths in pets shipped by air."

I will only note that that refers to animals that are crated and shipping in cargo holds, which is far different from an animal in the passenger cabin.

 

[Brian007]

I used a pet transporter thanks to foxden 's suggestion (for which I can't thank you enough). I put in 'pet transporter' in Google and it came up with a link to sites. So, I clicked on one and found that you post an advert of your requirements: dates, destinations, type of pets (with photo helps), and within a couple of hours to a couple of days transporters were contacting me with bids. I chose the lowest bid but it meant that I had to move on a different day and caused minor problems. But all in all the transporter lady was very efficient and friendly, and came to pick Dudley up from the Isle of Wight and take him to Edinburgh for about £250.

As luck would have it, the transporter's daughter's ragdoll was due to give birth any day, so I asked if I could bagsie one if it were a boy and blue. This was because I was desperately trying to find Dudley a chum but it proved impossible from my particular circumstance. Anyway, the next day when I arrived in Edinburgh Parker was born, and the rest is history.

 

[cat princesses]

I flew my very shy and timid cat across the country a couple of times. The scariest part for her seemed to be going through security, when I had to take her out of her carrier and walk her through the scanner. If your cat is a bolter or climber, consider leashing her so that you can keep ahold of her easily.

During the flight itself, my cat simply shut off and went to sleep, which was a big relief. She didn't eat, drink, or pee during the very long flight, and we did once get stranded on the runway in Dallas for a couple of hours during a freak thunderstorm. So I'd recommend a direct flight if possible!

All this to say that if you plan ahead, your cat should be fine. And of course, avoid the overhead bins! Very scary that they would do that.

I travelled with a cat that was ferrel and I told them at security that she would bolt and they let me keep her in the soft carrier but just for good measure you might want to get a full body harness and have a leash just incase they force you to take the kitty out. I would also take a towel to put around the carrier incase there is cold air blowing by the feet, you don't want kitty feel that cold air the entire flight

 

[Antonio65]

N Nat&Tigger
Just a few more ideas
Since Malta and the UK are part of the EU, it should be easier to move your cat within the EU than to move to a non-member country. Antonio65 drove his Pallina from Italy to Belgium for treatment, and I believe he obtained a European "passport" for her. I would want to have hard copies of her vaccinations and vet records traveling with me.

That is an excellent advice! Probably not all EU citizens are aware of the need of the EU Pet Passport.
It is required the microchipping of the pet and proof of the rabies vaccine.

Here are the photos of Pallina's Passport that I applied for some weeks prior to travelling to Belgium for the I-131 treatment. I have masked some sensible details, like my surname, home address, phone number, part of Pallina's microchip number and part of the Passport number. As you can see, it's a proper booklet with several pages, in A5 size. The blue color is the official color of EU.
In Italy, where I live, rabies vaccine and microchipping for cats are not compulsory, but they are absolutely required to have the passport issued. The photo of the pet is optional.

The cover of Pallina's Pet Passport

The pages with owner's details and pet's details

The pages with the pet's microchip details and Animal Health Office that issued the Passport

The pages for the vaccines

I have just realized that the vet who issued the Passport messed with the date of injection of the microchip! He marked a date 2 years earlier! How could he be so dumb???