Flying with Your Cat How to Deal with Airline Restrictions

If youre a cat lover who loves to travel, it may be hard to imagine a trip without your cat beside you. Unfortunately, figuring out the various airline restrictions on traveling with pets can be very difficult, as every airline has its own policies. Some airlines will allow your cats to be seated with you in the plane, while others dont allow it. There are also some airlines that will let your cat fly in the cargo area, although theyll almost certainly have restrictions on what type of crate is acceptable and what elements must be inside.

If youre planning an air trip with your cat, check with the airline youll be flying with for their rules especially if youll be traveling during the summer or winter. Many airlines have their own restrictions during extreme temperature levels, as they may not provide adequate ventilation or heating for pets traveling in the cargo area during these seasons.

Whatever you do, dont book flights in advance without checking the airlines rules about traveling with your cat. If she isnt allowed by a certain airline, you should be able to find another airline with more flexibility although you may wind up paying more for the flight.

When booking flights for you and your cat, its best to look for flights without a lot of stopovers. Stopovers can stress your cat, causing illness and discomfort while shes aboard the plane. In addition, the inconvenience of moving your cat from plane to plane can be pretty frustrating for you, so look for direct flights whenever possible.

If your cat is allowed to stay with you during the flight, youll also need to check about the policies on pet vaccinations and health status, as they can vary from location to location. You may be required to provide a certificate demonstrating that your pet is in good health and current on her vaccines before you can board the plane. Some airlines require certificates dated within the last 10 days, while others offer a 30 day window during which your certificate is good. You wont know what you need to provide unless you check with the airline!

If everything is good to go, youll still need to get your cat ready for the trip. Plan a visit to your veterinarian to ensure that your pet has received all of the vaccinations needed, and inform your vet about your travel plans and destination. The vet should evaluate your pet to make sure shes completely healthy and ready to travel, and give you some suggestions about how to minimize her stress during your trip.

If your cat usually gets anxious during travel, your vet may be able to recommend a mild sedative or tranquilizer to help the flight go more smoothly. However, if your vet doesnt recommend them in your case, dont use them on your cat! Using sedatives and tranquilizers can have harmful side effects for your pet cat, so they should only be used under the direct supervision of the vet.

Throughout your trip, be sure that your cat wears a collar with a tag that includes your contact details and her rabies vaccination status. This way, your pet can be easily identified and youll be contacted immediately in case something happens. A microchip is also a great way to identify your pet, and theyre relatively cheap and easy to implant. Typically, microchips are implanted in the skin on your pets neck and contains your contact details. Most shelters will scan lost pets for microchips a practice which has reunited many lost cats with their owners on vacation.