? regarding cat transporting

[John VN]

DS must send cat from TX to NY by itself.

Has anyone had personal experience regarding pet transportation?

Thanks.

 

[goofy4tink]

Is it an absolute neccesity to ship the cat by itself? I did check into this a year or so ago. My ds moved from Mass to Florida but had to leave the cat behind. We looked into getting the cat to him via the airlines, a pet transport company, etc. I finally decided to take the cat with me when I flew to WDW and have him meet me at MCO. I hated the thought of the cat being by itself for such a long time. And, I've heard horror stories about pets being shipped in what is basically cargo areas. Yes, the area the pets are in are supposed to be climate controlled and pressurized but accidents still happen. And you can't fly an animal if it gets below such and such degrees or about 80..seems the animal could spend an inordinate amount of time sitting on the tarmac, waiting to be put onboard....so it can't be too hot or too cold.
Each airline has specific details...you might want to check the different airline sites and see what they suggest.

 

[John VN]

Is it an absolute neccesity to ship the cat by itself? I did check into this a year or so ago. My ds moved from Mass to Florida but had to leave the cat behind. We looked into getting the cat to him via the airlines, a pet transport company, etc. I finally decided to take the cat with me when I flew to WDW and have him meet me at MCO. I hated the thought of the cat being by itself for such a long time. And, I've heard horror stories about pets being shipped in what is basically cargo areas. Yes, the area the pets are in are supposed to be climate controlled and pressurized but accidents still happen. And you can't fly an animal if it gets below such and such degrees or about 80..seems the animal could spend an inordinate amount of time sitting on the tarmac, waiting to be put onboard....so it can't be too hot or too cold.
Each airline has specific details...you might want to check the different airline sites and see what they suggest.

Yes, DS will be going to Korea and cat must go to NY.

This is why I was hoping to hear from owners who had personal experiences. Online there are many carriers but hearing from someone who has gone through it would be most informative.

 

[Inkmahm]

DS must send cat from TX to NY by itself.

Has anyone had personal experience regarding pet transportation?

Thanks.

I've purchased two kittens from California (1999 and 2006) and had them flown to me from LAX to Milwaukee both times on Midwest Express-cargo. No problem at all. The kittens needed to have current papers from the vet within so many days of the flight. They had food and water in their carriers from the breeders but I don't think either ate or drank on the trips. Both were direct flights (less chance of losing the cat).
If you can use Midwest, I'd highly recommend them.

 

[John VN]

I've purchased two kittens from California (1999 and 2006) and had them flown to me from LAX to Milwaukee both times on Midwest Express-cargo. No problem at all. The kittens needed to have current papers from the vet within so many days of the flight. They had food and water in their carriers from the breeders but I don't think either ate or drank on the trips. Both were direct flights (less chance of losing the cat).
If you can use Midwest, I'd highly recommend them.

Thank you but it looks like they have no flights.

 

[beccasmom]

I have flown with a dog (a small one who fit in a carrier in the seat in front of me). She did exceptionally well on a four-hour flight. I was flying from Dallas to PHL on American, and they were great. But I have not flown a dog or cat in the cargo hold, although many breeders do this routinely. I have heard that Delta is one of the best at flying pets as cargo. There is also an airline dedicated to this service, although I do not know the rates – the link is listed. You might also try to see if an on-road transport might be available. Rescue groups routinely do this to transport animals from one area to another and one might accept a “hitcher” – although most cats are not wild about being in a car for any length of time.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_pets/
http://www.petsonthego.com/transairlineregs.html
http://www.flypets.com/
http://www.delta.com/planning_reser...avel_information/pet_travel_options/index.jsp
http://www.thetravelerscompanion.com/Traveling_with_Cats.html
http://www.foxvalleypets.org/cats/?details=29&page=701
http://help.jetblue.com/SRVS/CGI-BI...0000000000006248703,K=558,Sxi=2,Case=obj(2032)
http://www.jetpets.com.au/transport/index.html
http://www.comair.com/passengerinfo/animaltransport/
http://www.petswelcome.com/milkbone/frameairtrav.html

- Airlines will not fly any pet if the temps are below or above a certain temperature. They also prefer that you choose a non-stop flight if at all possible.
- The pet must have certain information with him/her – a recent (within 10 days) certificate of health, be in good health the day of the flight and over a certain age (over 8 weeks, I believe). Inoculations required by law must be up-to-date (e.g., Rabies) and should not be given too close to the departure date.
- There are mixed opinions on whether tranquilizers are a good idea or not for the animal. That is something that must be decided along with a veterinarian. I would personally not do it, but it is an individual decision. If you choose to do it, do a “trial run” at home first to see how the pet handles the medication.
- The pet must travel with a certain amount of water that is available at all times; unless the flight is really a long one - not advised anyway - food offered should be minimal.
- You are usually asked not to feed the pet within a certain number of hours before a flight to avoid stomach upset
- There are certain requirements for the pet’s crate – size, labeling, etc. There may also be requirements for whether a collar is worn or not - keeping in mind that they can sometimes catch on the crates. Cats usually wear snap-off collars anyway. I would think about tatooing or micro-chipping my cat if he were flying for id purposes.
- There may be a limit on how many pets they accept for each flight; it is usually 2 for the passenger cabin.

 

[John VN]

I have flown with a dog (a small one who fit in a carrier in the seat in front of me). She did exceptionally well on a four-hour flight. I was flying from Dallas to PHL on American, and they were great. But I have not flown a dog or cat in the cargo hold, although many breeders do this routinely. I have heard that Delta is one of the best at flying pets as cargo. There is also an airline dedicated to this service, although I do not know the rates – the link is listed. You might also try to see if an on-road transport might be available. Rescue groups routinely do this to transport animals from one area to another and one might accept a “hitcher” – although most cats are not wild about being in a car for any length of time.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_pets/
http://www.petsonthego.com/transairlineregs.html
http://www.flypets.com/
http://www.delta.com/planning_reser...avel_information/pet_travel_options/index.jsp
http://www.thetravelerscompanion.com/Traveling_with_Cats.html
http://www.foxvalleypets.org/cats/?details=29&page=701
http://help.jetblue.com/SRVS/CGI-BI...0000000000006248703,K=558,Sxi=2,Case=obj(2032)
http://www.jetpets.com.au/transport/index.html
http://www.comair.com/passengerinfo/animaltransport/
http://www.petswelcome.com/milkbone/frameairtrav.html

- Airlines will not fly any pet if the temps are below or above a certain temperature. They also prefer that you choose a non-stop flight if at all possible.
- The pet must have certain information with him/her – a recent (within 10 days) certificate of health, be in good health the day of the flight and over a certain age (over 8 weeks, I believe). Inoculations required by law must be up-to-date (e.g., Rabies) and should not be given too close to the departure date.
- There are mixed opinions on whether tranquilizers are a good idea or not for the animal. That is something that must be decided along with a veterinarian. I would personally not do it, but it is an individual decision. If you choose to do it, do a “trial run” at home first to see how the pet handles the medication.
- The pet must travel with a certain amount of water that is available at all times; unless the flight is really a long one - not advised anyway - food offered should be minimal.
- You are usually asked not to feed the pet within a certain number of hours before a flight to avoid stomach upset
- There are certain requirements for the pet’s crate – size, labeling, etc. There may also be requirements for whether a collar is worn or not - keeping in mind that they can sometimes catch on the crates. Cats usually wear snap-off collars anyway. I would think about tatooing or micro-chipping my cat if he were flying for id purposes.
- There may be a limit on how many pets they accept for each flight; it is usually 2 for the passenger cabin.

John

 

[goofy4tink]

THanks Penny, for posting those sites. I had a bunch of them from when I had to transport my idiot ds's cat, but got rid of them afterwards!! Just goes to show, don't dump any useful sites!!!
Hope they help John VN!!!

 

[swillis]

I am a certified vet tech and hopefully I can give a little advice also. I wouldn't recommend a sedative for shipping an animal in cargo. Yes your cat may cry and howl, but if there is an emergency siutation due to the sedative there will be nobody around to notice. Cats and sedatives can be tricky.

Yes, your cat will need a health certificate to fly within 10 days of travel.

One last thing to consider....the airlines are trying to shift the liability of animal casualties onto the vets who sign the health certificates. The health certificate should clearly state the highest and lowest temperatures that the cat can be exposed to, and the length of time in minutes that the exposure can occur. The reason for this is that animals are often left in "holding areas" while waiting to be loaded onto a plane. This is most often a warehouse type facility that is not temperature regulated (no heat or a/c) or if not there, then directly on the tarmac itself.
So...what happens when the flight is delayed? Nothing...the animals keep waiting (same as you in the terminal)
If they (the airline)can not guarantee that your pet will not be exposed to the temp limits listed on the health certificate...then the pet will not be allowed to fly. This is for your pet's protection. Not to annoy you.

Bottom line...be prepared to stay at the airport until your cat's flight has actually taken off. Also book the earliest flight possible if flying to and from a warm weather state, or book an afternoon lfight if flying from a cold weather state. And don't be surprised if they tell you that the weather conditions for that day will not allow your pet to fly. I can't tell you how many angry clients we get calling us demanding that we adjust the health certificate so the pet can fly. Again...it's in your pet's best interest, and that's what the health certificate is for.
Hope that helps.

 

[snowbunny]

We had a puppy shipped from California last summer. There are only a few commercial airlines that will ship unaccompanied pets, and if any leg is on a commuter jet (common at our airport), it won't work because the cargo hold is not pressurized sufficiently for live animal transport. And as mentioned, if the ground temp during any layover is expected to be in excess of that which the airline says is safe for live cargo, the animal will be taken off. Our pup shipped on a red-eye flight to Atlanta with an early-morning connection to the northeast to avoid the heat on the tarmac. There turned out to be only one set of flights on one airline that would actually work.

Your best best is to find the flights that seem like they work and then call the airline directly to talk with a person who can answer questions about shipping live animals.

 

[skjuls]

I had flown Cats from Bulgaria to the states but I was with them...

It was a big pain...

Make sure the carrier door locks properly. My cat was lost for 6 weeks in the Indianapolis airport because she was able to get out. I don't know how. I saw her in Newark and the door was closed properly. I think an employee wanted to pet her and didn't close and lock the door properly.

 

[John VN]

Thank you for all your insights and concerns.

You are the best.

John