Need Advice & Help For Airline Travel With Kitty

[Colourcloud]

Hello everyone. In about 3 weeks, I am moving from Tulsa to the San Francisco area..and we are flying with my beloved kitty, Rudy. I would LOVE any suggestions, about carriers, care, and basically anything that might help me. He is 10 years old, I am 70, and my daughter will be flying with us..I am moving back to California...so this is a LONG flight..and a 2 hour drive to the town I am moving to, after the plane lands.
I have a Sherpa carrier now, but want to get him one that he might b able to move around in better...and my airline choices are American, Southwest, and DELTA. He will be in/under the seat WITH me...15 years ago I moved to Tulsa, and flew on American, with my former kitty...and it went very well, but there wasn,t a 2 hour drive after the flight..and yes, I have to change planes. Any advice you can give me will be much appreciated. American has the most room in/under the seats...and although my vet will give me secitives for him, I prefer NOT to medicate him. I was also thinking about getting him a VEST harness I saw,which wraps around the torso and front legs, then attaches to a leash..NOT the neck, for when we might try to have him urinate during the lay over, and after the flight, by bringing cardboard litter pans, etc. so he doesn,t run away. I apologize for the length of this post. I would do ANYTHING for Rudy...and want him to be as comfortable as possible. Thank you in advance.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Not a long post, no worries
Have you considered Over The Counter calming products available in pet stores or from chewy . com etc? There are some with valerian, catnip, chamomile in sprays and collars you could try before you go. Only Natural Pet has a calming spray also.

Here is an article with a recommendation of the Petmate 2 door deluxe, in the Comments Section;
Cat Carriers Recommended By Tcs Members

Traveling With Cats

9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment

This isn't specific to airline travel but it has some good tips;
How To Move With Your Cat To A New Home In A Safe Way

 

[KarenKat]

We just did a very similar move from San Francisco to Denver. We had a shorter flight (2.5 hours). Our cats were 4 years old and 9 years old. We did sedate them, and it was a very low dose. I almost wished it was more because Olive was very restless on the flight. Initially we booked SW, you can’t reserve a spot for the pet but they allow 6 per flight so I don’t think it’s an issue. We ended up on United though due to our flight being cancelled.

I don’t think you need to worry about the litterbox, just don’t give Rudy much to eat/drink that morning and he should be fine. Our guys we fine from the morning, 2 hour wait at the airport, 2.5 hour flight and another hour to our hotel. They went to the box that night but not even immediately.

We also chose not to try a harness since we worried it would be uncomfortable during the flight.

The worst part is security, you have to take Rudy out of the carrier and hold him to go through the metal detector. Your daughter should be able to help a lot here, both our hands were full of cat and it made it hard for us to retrieve the carrier. It might help if you ask them to expedite the carrier on the X-ray machine, we ended up waiting an extra few minutes with a squirmy cat.

We flew first class, but even then there is not much room under the seat. We had to squish the carrier a little bit. That’s normal and they still had a lot of room. Whatever carrier you pick make sure it is the right size for airplane seats.

It was not a fun experience, but overall it went smoothly. Rudy will be fine. We did have a contingency scenario in case one of those nightmare things happen where we are told to put them in cargo. We already agreed we would just leave the airport and try again on another flight. It gave us peace of mind to have that decision ready.

Good luck!

 

[Furballsmom]

We also chose not to try a harness since we worried it would be uncomfortable during the flight.

...or maybe have it on for Security, and then remove it inflight if possible?

 

[KarenKat]

That could work too ... Olive had never worn one before and Gohan flipped out the only time we tried so we felt it was a bad idea to add an extra stressful layer to it. But it may have come in handy during that part.

 

[Colourcloud]

Thank you all so much..these are wonderful suggestions...and will help ME from worrying so much.

 

[Furballsmom]

That's the whole idea let us know if you have any more questions or thoughts as things progress

 

[Colourcloud]

That's the whole idea let us know if you have any more questions or thoughts as things progress

Actually, I found a page that rated the airlines that were really pet friendly...and I also ran into possibly needing a health certificate from my vet..but flying into California, it said they didn,t require one..he has had his 3 year rabies vaccination in 2016...which is good until November this year..but I do not want to get another rabies vaccination kind of EVER again. I think it is unsafe..and he Has never been outsides. There is so much conflicting info out there...one site says some states require a rabies vaccination within one year of the flight..whomwould DOUBLE vaccinate an animal with such a dangerous drug for the cat? Also, they give height requirements for the carrier...9 inches high, when the carriers that are airline approved are 11 inches high. Huh?

 

[Colourcloud]

BTW, I LOVE this site! Everyone is so helpful, and knowledgeable...

 

[Colourcloud]

...or maybe have it on for Security, and then remove it inflight if possible?

That sounds like a good idea..he is going to be miserable enough inside his carrier...but this has been a horrible week as I live in Tulsa...and he has spent ALOT of time in his carrier running back and forth to our storm shelter when the sirens went off.

 

[lutece]

Rabies vaccination is not required for cats in CA (although it's a good idea because there are definitely rabid animals around). Rabies vaccination is not required for the flight itself, either. Health certificates are not required for flying within the United States if the cat is in the cabin.

I do think it is a good idea to use a harness when going through airline security. My cats fly frequently and are used to it... but I still use harnesses when going through security, just in case. In the unlikely event that a cat might get out of your arms and a stranger tries to catch your cat as it runs by, it's MUCH easier for a stranger to grab onto a harness, compared to grabbing a cat without a collar. I use bright colored harnesses that contrast with the cats' coat color. After you are through security and in a comfortable place to wait for your flight, you can reach into the carrier and unclip the harness pretty easily.

Also, they give height requirements for the carrier...9 inches high, when the carriers that are airline approved are 11 inches high. Huh?

Soft sided carriers are designed to squish down to fit the available space. If you have an airline approved Sherpa carrier you should be fine. It's fine for him to be in his regular Sherpa carrier, you don't need to buy a bigger carrier unless the Sherpa is too small for him to be comfortable.

Most adult cats can travel all day without using the litter box... but if it is really a long trip, or he needs to use the box frequently, and you feel he needs access to a litter box during a layover in the airport, or during car travel, one option is to get a "pop up cat crate" that is small enough to fit in your carry-on when it is collapsed. One popular one that has been on the market a while is called "Necoichi Portable Stress Free Cat Cage" on Amazon, but there are many more available now, and many of them come with their own included pop up litter box and other accessories. Bring a ziplock bag with some lightweight litter and you are all set.

 

[daftcat75]

Get his ears checked out before you fly. I wish I could fly with my Krista but she has recurring ear infections possibly due to a polyp or food sensitivities. I don’t want her to tell me how very painful an ear infection at altitude or descent is. I already know that one myself.

 

[daftcat75]

That said. If I ever did fly with Krista, I’d probably get her this carrier. It has an extension handle so you can roll your cat like a carryon. But it also has shoulder straps so you can wear it like a backpack. This was someone else’s cat and carrier at the vet so I can’t tell you which is it is or where it was purchased. Maybe another cat traveler recognizes this and can share a link.

 

[Furballsmom]

And we're so glad you're here!

 

[Ardina]

Definitely use a harness with leash, at least to get through security. The last thing you want is a panicking cat squirming out of your arms and disappearing into the bowels of a busy airport. I put the harness on before placing them in a carrier, attach the leash through a small opening just before the security line, get them through while holding tight to the leash, and then when they are safely back in, I remove both harness and leash through the small opening in the carrier so they can be comfortable in the flight.

 

[Colourcloud]

I don.t remember if I thanked all of you...this is great advice. He has a Sherpa carrier, but I ordered one from Chewy, that can be expanded on each side..just to see if it was a better option...and I ordered a long vest harness that fastens with Velcro..but had a loop for the leash..also to try it out...this is supposed to be escape proof, but now I am thinking how to get it OFF of him, if I unzip the carrier, when we get to our seat, as it looks like it would b uncomfortable on a long flight.

 

[Furballsmom]

...thinking out loud, maybe practice once or twice at home to see how things go? Do you have time ?

 

[maggiedemi]

The worst part is security, you have to take Rudy out of the carrier and hold him to go through the metal detector.

I've heard that you can ask to bring the cat to a room at the airport and close the door, while they take the carrier to be scanned...I wish they would find a way to scan it without taking the cat out of the carrier. It seems like an escape waiting to happen.

 

[KarenKat]

Oh wow! Didn’t knew that was an option. Hopefully I will never need to know that again lol.

 

[Doody]

My brother and SIL flew with two cats last year. They asked for a private screening at security and where able to remove the cats from the carriers in a small room. The attendant took the carriers away and scanned them and returned. All went well. One of the cats thrashed quite a bit in the carrier under the seat -- she probably could have used a low dose of something.