Jul
Seattle Cat
Posted in Cat Supplies | No Comments »Seattle Cat
 |
| No items matching your keywords were found. |
How well do Cats travel on a plane?
My friend is planning on taking a long plane trip from New York to Seattle.
Are there any special preparations she should do first?
She is worried the cat will get overly scared or excited and have a bad experience. Is there some medicine she can give him to keep him calm?
A sedative should NEVER EVER be used on a cat on a plane. Cats can have adverse reactions to medications especially since the effect of the meds will be greatly increased due to the altitude. And if the cat gets sick or starts siezuring mid-flight - what then? The pilot isn't going to make an emergency for the landing for the cat and the CAT WILL DIE.
Hopefully the cat is flying in the cabin with her so she'll be able to talk to the cat and/or put her fingers in the front of the carrier by her feet to give him a scratch. If she has the option - definitely recommend her carrying the cat on. Note that some airlines, though, don't allow pets in the cabin and ALL airlines limit the number of animals in the cabin at a time (most as little as two per flight) so she needs to let the airline know she intends to have a cat with her onboard. She'll also pay a fee - usually around $100.
As for getting the cat ready for the flight if it's not a cat that's used to going in a crate to vet she needs to start doing that right away. Get a hard crate - NOT a fabric one - as a) the hard crates are more secure, b) they permit more airflow, c) they give the cat a better view out and d) they are easily cleaned up. The airline can let her know what the maximum dimensions of the crate can be. Tell her to get the crate and set it up without the front gate in. Put a soft blanket inside the crate and toss a few toys or catnip inside of it. The key is getting the cat to go into it ON ITS OWN. You do NOT want to just force the cat into it and assume it'll be OK.
When I moved from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Seattle, WA five years ago I flew with my ferrets in the cabin and my dog and cats in cargo. Everyone did just fine, but, like I said, if it's just the one cat recommend that it's with her in cabin. I also recently flew to California to a show with one of my cats. She was a bit scared during takeoff - which makes perfect sense as the plane gets very loud and rumbly - but the rest of the flight she was just fine. Going home she just stuck a paw out on put it on my foot during takeoff - and then settled down and napped.
