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- #21
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Anybody transported cat as cargo/baggage?
- Thread starter kkh
- Start Date
Yeah - UK/Ireland is rabies free as well. We can take our cats easily to North America/European continent...it is just getting them back which would be a pain (as my friend knows - her moving over here was delayed by 7 months because of all the cat-related rabies issues!).
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- #23
I just wanted to weigh in on the discussion, because it's so very nerve wracking to fly your cats via cargo! I flew from NYC-Dublin Ireland four years ago with 3 cats. I'm returning with 5! Forgive the length of my reply!
On the way over to Europe, I basically had to quarantine them to my home. 7 months, like someone mentioned. They get a microchip, then their rabies vaccine. After time passes, they test the cats blood to make sure that they're still rabies free. 24-48 hours before, they get de-worm/ticked. There was more paperwork for me, because I wasn't on an approved flight route & needed permission from Ireland's Dept. of Agriculture. When they landed in Dublin, they were met by an approved Vet who whisked them off to Lissenhall vet practice.
On the way out I also encountered the ventilation issue with the Petmate carriers. They had to drill holes in the back. One of my cats is a little nuts, so I couldn't remove her, but she came to the front of the carrier & was safe. All of their eyes were dilated to the size of coins & they were scared, but quiet & not clawing at their cages. There was a poor dog back there, too & he was petrified!
When I went to greet the vet in Dublin, I got to see the cats being lowered on a fork lift! Ack! I was so happy to see them all alive & well... They were fine. They came out of their carriers immediately & explored their new homes. I lined their carriers with an absorbent material, but now you can buy "Dry Fur." Also, I cut up my comforter with my smell on it to keep them comforted. Feliway wasn't used much then. It was a pain, I had to sew the open ends & feathers flew around the neighborhood, but they're worth it.
Flying BACK to the states I am LESS nervous. I CHOSE Continental. They did an AMAZING job coming over & I will fly continental going back. It's more expensive, but I trust them. They have Quick Pak for pets... It's cargo, but Continental has CLIMATE CONTROLLED areas. I have read lots of reports & the only animals that die in their care were on their way out to begin with.
I will use the 3 petmate carriers that I brought over (they were fine) and I'm purchasing 2 more Vari Kennels, also recommended to fly international. I will also spray their carriers with Feliway a half hour before loading them in.
One of the new guys is noise sensitive & I'm most worried about him. The 3 oldest know that I love them enough to be waiting on the other side! I hope... Flying from here is easier... I just need a health certificate & rabies shot administered within 14 FULL days. I also need to send the paperwork to the Head Vet in NY State.
I guess the most important thing to do is choose your airline carefully. They have released all of the airline pet deaths & you can see who is reputable & who is not. DO choose a climate controlled area, DO look into Continental. DO remember that this is one day out of the rest of their lives & their lives will be better with you.
Oh, I found a HANDY calculator to figure out what size carrier your cat will need...::
http://cyuat.baplc.com/biztools/pcst.shtml
On the way over to Europe, I basically had to quarantine them to my home. 7 months, like someone mentioned. They get a microchip, then their rabies vaccine. After time passes, they test the cats blood to make sure that they're still rabies free. 24-48 hours before, they get de-worm/ticked. There was more paperwork for me, because I wasn't on an approved flight route & needed permission from Ireland's Dept. of Agriculture. When they landed in Dublin, they were met by an approved Vet who whisked them off to Lissenhall vet practice.
On the way out I also encountered the ventilation issue with the Petmate carriers. They had to drill holes in the back. One of my cats is a little nuts, so I couldn't remove her, but she came to the front of the carrier & was safe. All of their eyes were dilated to the size of coins & they were scared, but quiet & not clawing at their cages. There was a poor dog back there, too & he was petrified!
When I went to greet the vet in Dublin, I got to see the cats being lowered on a fork lift! Ack! I was so happy to see them all alive & well... They were fine. They came out of their carriers immediately & explored their new homes. I lined their carriers with an absorbent material, but now you can buy "Dry Fur." Also, I cut up my comforter with my smell on it to keep them comforted. Feliway wasn't used much then. It was a pain, I had to sew the open ends & feathers flew around the neighborhood, but they're worth it.
Flying BACK to the states I am LESS nervous. I CHOSE Continental. They did an AMAZING job coming over & I will fly continental going back. It's more expensive, but I trust them. They have Quick Pak for pets... It's cargo, but Continental has CLIMATE CONTROLLED areas. I have read lots of reports & the only animals that die in their care were on their way out to begin with.
I will use the 3 petmate carriers that I brought over (they were fine) and I'm purchasing 2 more Vari Kennels, also recommended to fly international. I will also spray their carriers with Feliway a half hour before loading them in.
One of the new guys is noise sensitive & I'm most worried about him. The 3 oldest know that I love them enough to be waiting on the other side! I hope... Flying from here is easier... I just need a health certificate & rabies shot administered within 14 FULL days. I also need to send the paperwork to the Head Vet in NY State.
I guess the most important thing to do is choose your airline carefully. They have released all of the airline pet deaths & you can see who is reputable & who is not. DO choose a climate controlled area, DO look into Continental. DO remember that this is one day out of the rest of their lives & their lives will be better with you.
Oh, I found a HANDY calculator to figure out what size carrier your cat will need...::
http://cyuat.baplc.com/biztools/pcst.shtml
My Cleo came on Continental and everything worked out fine.
She came from North Carolina to Houston to California.
Do you have the report of what airlines are good to fly on?
My sister has a kitten coming soon.
She came from North Carolina to Houston to California.
Do you have the report of what airlines are good to fly on?
My sister has a kitten coming soon.
I can only personally recommend Continental.
And I would never use Delta. They have a pretty bad reputation, losing animals, having animals die... I read up on Continental a lot & they're among the best. If she can use them, tell her to do it!
And I would never use Delta. They have a pretty bad reputation, losing animals, having animals die... I read up on Continental a lot & they're among the best. If she can use them, tell her to do it!
A person I know had a almost dead cat come in on Delta.
Most the breeders I know use Continental.
My sisters kitten is suppose to come on Continental but the flight times are not looking good.
My sister is going to Ireland on vacation in a few weeks.
Most the breeders I know use Continental.
My sisters kitten is suppose to come on Continental but the flight times are not looking good.
My sister is going to Ireland on vacation in a few weeks.
Is your sister flying her cat to Ireland to live soon?
Delta is frightening. I read a report from a woman who says that Delta lost 2 dogs for 72 hours! Lost them??? They were found unharmed, but still. I also personally encountered a woman crying in the JFK Delta terminal who said that Delta had lost her dog. I won't even fly Delta, let alone put a pet in their cargo!
I haven't read the reports on Virgin, but I hear that they give animals special Virgin logo tags & prizes, which is cute. Again, haven't read up on their statistics...
There used to be a whole site, Rambin' Cat, which was a forum for people traveling with pets. I wish it were still up. It's very needed. My friend is about to put her 3 cats on Continental as per my recommendation, too, so I'm happy to hear more stories about their true concern.
Delta is frightening. I read a report from a woman who says that Delta lost 2 dogs for 72 hours! Lost them??? They were found unharmed, but still. I also personally encountered a woman crying in the JFK Delta terminal who said that Delta had lost her dog. I won't even fly Delta, let alone put a pet in their cargo!
I haven't read the reports on Virgin, but I hear that they give animals special Virgin logo tags & prizes, which is cute. Again, haven't read up on their statistics...
There used to be a whole site, Rambin' Cat, which was a forum for people traveling with pets. I wish it were still up. It's very needed. My friend is about to put her 3 cats on Continental as per my recommendation, too, so I'm happy to hear more stories about their true concern.
My sister is just going on vacation for 10 days.
Her pets are staying home.
I might have to go take care of them.
It is her first trip out of the Usa.
A lot of breeders use american also.
Her pets are staying home.
I might have to go take care of them.
It is her first trip out of the Usa.
A lot of breeders use american also.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #30
I flew with Continental and I really liked the way they treated Ku Ku.
Everybody at the cargo office was soooo nice to her.
She was literally treated like a princess
P.S. I meant to post my experience lot lot earlier but been swamped out, didn't get to do it at all. I'll try & post it shortly
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #31
BTW, this is where I checked on the airlines' safety report:
http://www.petflight.com/
http://www.petflight.com/
In the Spring-Summer of 09, this great service is starting: Pet Airways! This is going to be a PET ONLY airline - no cargo shipping... Plus, you can drop the pet off the day before at their hotel, they will transport the pet on a limo to the airport, load them into the plane, serve on them (yep - it's pet only, and the flight attendants will serve them!Originally Posted by KKH
I do not want to put my cat in a cargo/baggage area for the flight to HI but seems I've no choice over it at all
I am taking a connecting flight since there is no direct flight from where I live(Tampa, FL) to Honolulu. First flight is probably 2 hours, a couple of hours lay-over, then the second flight would be 8 hours.
I have to buy a crate very soon to have her "crate-trained" prior to the actual travel date(end of August to early September) but I'm not too sure which one to buy. My agent's recommendation was either Vari-kennel or Iris USA. I've already checked some from petmate vari-kennel at a nearby petco store but I wasn't too impressed on the sturdiness or even the appearance of items I saw at the store.
I know that my cat can probably open the locks/doors as I'm quite sure that she'd try to escape if being contained in a small crate for longer hours - 12 hours at least. I'd definitely need to get a crate with unbreakable/ uncorruptible door comes with a reliable lock(or double-locks, maybe?).
Which crate would you recommend for longer transportation in air cargo?
I think it's going to be a wonderful service - since you are going to travel in August/September, you might want to consider it...
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #33
Originally Posted by carolinalima
In the Spring-Summer of 09, this great service is starting: Pet Airways! This is going to be a PET ONLY airline - no cargo shipping... Plus, you can drop the pet off the day before at their hotel, they will transport the pet on a limo to the airport, load them into the plane, serve on them (yep - it's pet only, and the flight attendants will serve them!), and upon arrival take them to the hotel again.
I think it's going to be a wonderful service - since you are going to travel in August/September, you might want to consider it...
I've already moved but wish there was something like this when I moved.
I checked the site but seems they don't show a route to/from Hawaii...hope they will add it so my friend can use the service when she relocates from the mainland.
You cannot travel on board with pets to Hawaii. They have to go in cargo and be checked out and go to quarentine for awhile.
We just had Jack flown by himself to us in cargo. They put plastic locking straps on the carrier doors to secure them even more. A good sturdy carrier will be fine for the trip.
Jack was flown on Delta - no problem other then they sent him to the wrong part of the airport in MN and we had to wait for them to get the truck over to the other terminal. But we can't fault Delta - they were in the transition of combining NW and Delta and they were still crossing over.
We just had Jack flown by himself to us in cargo. They put plastic locking straps on the carrier doors to secure them even more. A good sturdy carrier will be fine for the trip.
Jack was flown on Delta - no problem other then they sent him to the wrong part of the airport in MN and we had to wait for them to get the truck over to the other terminal. But we can't fault Delta - they were in the transition of combining NW and Delta and they were still crossing over.
Another vote for Continental here. My friend just had her cats fly with Continental from NJ to KS with a transfer & she wasn't even on the flight. All went well! Yay!
My cats are flying Continental in 5 days!
eep!
I'm most worried for my 2 youngest guys who haven't done this before.
One was a stray rescue & he's still noise sensitive. I'm SO very worried for him. I keep having to tell myself, it's one day out of their lives, just one day.
Keep my 5 kitties in your thoughts!!!! I was a nervous wreck when I flew them here 4 years ago & feel more confident now, but still....
My cats are flying Continental in 5 days!
eep!
I'm most worried for my 2 youngest guys who haven't done this before.
One was a stray rescue & he's still noise sensitive. I'm SO very worried for him. I keep having to tell myself, it's one day out of their lives, just one day.
Keep my 5 kitties in your thoughts!!!! I was a nervous wreck when I flew them here 4 years ago & feel more confident now, but still....
My sisters kitten is coming on Continental this friday from Florida to california with a stop on texas.
It's rabies. We don't have it here.Originally Posted by wendyr
I think the issue here is the quarantine. Hawaii (like the UK and Ireland) has this sort of thing in effect - the animals have to be handled as cargo because they have to go through special sort of handling on either side.
Also, just for the record, most airlines (I can't say all because I haven't checked all!) won't let you travel with your in the main airplane for trans-Atlantic flights anymore. This is fairly recent. My friend did all sorts of research on this when she moved from Canada to Ireland - she was hoping that she could fly to the continent (the cats with her in the main cabin) and then have them vetted there - and then somehow transport them from France/wherever to Ireland. Very complicated, obviously, and it wouldn't have worked anyway because all the airlines she contacted said the same thing - no matter where she was flying trans-Atlantically she would have to put them in cargo. Maybe if she flew first class they would bend the rules...
You can sometimes get around these things though by flying into another EU country first, and then travelling to Ireland.
I know someone who brought his dog from Canada via Germany and then the UK because the UK had an agreement with Germany and we had one with the UK. It was to avoid a lengthy quarentine - the dog still had to spend 6 months in Germany under the care of a vet, but it was in a house, nothing more stressful. The UK would accept this in place of formal quarentine, and apparently you if you can get your pet into the UK, it only has to spend two days there and we'll accept it. Admittly, this was about seven years ago, so that may have changed.
In any case it's possible (though not necessarily probable) that if you flew to a continental EU member state you could keep the pet in the cabin, and then arrange to bring your pet to Ireland/UK. Even if you still couldn't bring the pet into the cabin the time in cargo would still be significantly shorter. (Obviously, this is all assuming your pet's all vaccined up in time to avoid quarentines etc.)
mews2much, please update with your experience. i actually found this site while looking up info for flying cats, so i think we could aid people in an ultimately really stressful time! i'll update when the kitties fly again!
Everything went fine with Continental yesterday.
The kitten went from Florida to Houston to San Jose.
The kitten went from Florida to Houston to San Jose.
My wife and I are moving to Seattle in a month or two, and the majority of Continental flights from Orlando to Seattle have a one hour or more stopover in Houston, TX. We have three cats, but one of them is small enough to fit inside a cabin carrier -- the other two will have to fly in cargo.
Where do the cargo cats stay when there is a layover? Are we able to visit them, or do they sit in a staging area until the next plane arrives?
Also, does anyone know how much extra the cost would be for flying with three cats?
Where do the cargo cats stay when there is a layover? Are we able to visit them, or do they sit in a staging area until the next plane arrives?
Also, does anyone know how much extra the cost would be for flying with three cats?
