Flying w/ cat as checked luggage, 8 hr flight - ??

I've read so many horror stories, I would be very reluctant to fly my cats or dogs anywhere, and the general consensus among people whose opinions I respect is that it's too risky.

I currently reside in Central MA; when I move to Texas (God willing), I intend to drive my crew and I there, stopping at pet-friendly hotels along the way.

Animals are not allowed on board over here. Cats, dogs etc. are shipped everyday from breeders or pet owners.

My girls fly several times a year, and I've had numerous cats shipped to me or sent by me. Everything went fine every time. I use a pet transport company, they collect the animal do all the paperwork and can deliver on the other end or owner collects at the airport.

I put a puppy pee pad under the blanket for young kittens, adults just a blanket.

Hmmm, it's possible I've become a bit paranoid about airline issues and so I've only remembered the negative stories I've read and heard.

Good to know there are positive transportations going on!

Animals are in fact shipped daily with very few incidents( of course the few that happen make national to worldwide news)...

In cabin is much better as it is Truly acclimated ( ie stable pressure and temp)and you would be able to see and hear the cat... Cargo is a often Not pressurized or at a constant temperature... Some airlines are ...

My main worry is your timing as Most airline have a cut off in date and Temp that they will take an animal in cargo ... some even in cabin have cut off s... Ie In my area the last travel for an animal in cargo is sept 30th for most


Yes you do have to remove the cat from the carrier to go thru the detectors ( at least in the US you do )
Talk directly to the airline On Which carriers they accept , most are very picky

- Anyone had their cat get sick from cold temperatures? Travelling or in general.
Ku Ku is a tropic-born kitty, she would absolutely hate cold temperatures. Luckily she didn't get sick when we traveled.

- Anyone flown cats with SAS?
No, I never flew with SAS but you can probably find the info from here: http://www.petflight.com/
I also found this article:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-97791154.html

- Petmate Sky carrier reviews? I keep reading that they changed the design for the worse... Vari kennels? Iris? Others?
I used the smallest Vari kennels crate.
This is where I purchased it from:
http://www.discount-pet-superstore.c...sky_kennel.htm
I'm sure there's more deals you can find on-line.
Regardless of where you purchase it from or whichever manufacture you choose, always stick to the airline approved(IATA approved) product. My advise for crate is to stay away from the one that also opens on the top.

- Are you EVER allowed to put anything except absorbent pads in the carrier - like a wool sweater, blanket, foam bed?
I used dryfur (http://www.dryfur.com) but also put an old towel so she could have something to snuggle under.

- When you're going to check the cat, do you still have to take her out of the carrier to walk through a metal detector? If not, does the staff do this to inspect the carrier?
In short, will she still need to wear a harness?
Pets traveling in cargo are not allowed to wear a collar...for a safety reason, I believe - Ku Ku wasn't allowed to wear anything either. However, that may be different for in-cabin travel. Unless any restrictions, I'd definitely use a harness if I were to bring Ku Ku into cabin.

- Ear drum pain, how bad? Anyone heard of using numbing ear drops on cats for this?
I haven't heard of this but you should consult your vet if it should be necessary for your kitty.

- Is in-cabin really so much better?
Oh absolutely! So much better for both you & your kitty. If I were given the option, I'd definitely bring Ku Ku with me in cabin!
You can be with your kitty all the time & monitor her during flight. I'm sure your kitty would be comfortable staying with you than traveling alone in a crate in cargo area.

Cons -
- Most airlines don't even allow pets in-cabin on this flight
True, depending on the airline, also the destination, though.

- 8" high carrier restriction, cat is about 17" high standing, top of head-feet. Healthy?
It's the size of carrier as I'd use for bringing Ku Ku to a vet. She hates going to vet in it but she does sleep in it when I leave it out in the room all the time. Maybe you should "carrier train" your kitty?

- Even a slightly bigger soft carrier wouldn't be great for her for 8 hours, and they might not let me on with it
- I'd have to take her out to go through the metal detector, so she'd freak out, and so she'd have to wear a harness which she would loathe.
- She would complain loudly for the entire flight...
- If anyone is severely allergic, that could be a big problem too.

- Any other survival strategies?

Ku Ku had to fly in cargo when I relocated from the mainland(Tampa) to Honolulu on Continental. It was 12 hours in total with 1 + 1/2 hour layover in Houston. I could've brought her into cabin for the flight from Tampa(2+ hours) but I still had to put her into a cargo for the Hawaii flight from Houston. Knowing how Ku Ku is like, also putting her through excess stress: pre-board inspection, going through metal detector, taking her in/out from carrier, put harness & leash, then check her in again for cargo...AND the quarantine in Hawaii.
ALSO, I probably had to purchase 2 carriers(soft one for in-cabin, crate for cargo) as pets travel in Cargo must be in crate....I thought it wasn't worth it. I thought it should be better for her to stay in a crate all way - the crate must be secured with locks, bolts & nuts, and cable ties BEFORE check-in, so I knew she'd be safe as long as she remains in the crate. Of course I was really worried until I picked her up at quarantine station but I guess I was overwhelming. She traveled and came out fine as if nothing happened. My guess is, except for the first few hours, she must have been slept through.

I'm not sure if your kitty will travel with you in-cabin or in cargo but either way, do not use any sedation or medication.(Airlines do not accept sedated animals for traveling anyways) The product I'd highly recommend is Rescue Remedy. Start using it by dropping it into her drinking water about a week or two before the day of travel. Feliway spray is also great as well.

Make sure to "crate(or carrier) train" your kitty early in advance, start as soon as possible so she'd be comfortable staying in it for a long time & traveling. If you're traveling in October, you still have a plenty of time to train her to get used to it. Good luck

Sending mega prayers and vibes that your girl (and you) have a safe journey
On the side, if you let us know your flight date and number, your TCS family can track your flight by visiting www.flytecomm.com It can be very exciting for us, as the site will show a little pic of your jet and where it is, relative to the land, plus your altitude, airspeed, and estimated time remaining in flight, and, best of all, we know when you're landed

I had a kitten imported to me from Germany (to Finland) last November. My friend was flying with the kitten, she was also in the cabin and the staff allowed her to be taken out of the carrier during the flight (I was told beforehand by other cat owners that it's quite common that they let you hold the cat during the flight). She had warm blanket in the carrier too.

Over here you need to book the cat into the flight very early if you want her/him to the cabin, that's because they have limited amount of pets accepted to fly on the same flight, and so that they can tell possibly allergic passengers in advance that there is going to be a cat in the cabin (so it's up to the passenger if they will rather take another flight or if they can handle the situation).

The kitten was fine after the flight, didn't like the very short car ride though. the staff and other passengers were very delighted to see a kitten on the flight and she got lots of cuddling and fans during the few hour flight.