Shipping kittens

I have some friends across the country (in Nevada) who want a kitten. If I can't drive to meet him, can I ship a kitten?

What should I know about in order to ship? And where can I find out how much it costs?

Google: Pet Transportation.

I recently looked into this, and found that it would cost me a minimum of about $400 to ship a kitten from NC to MA, not counting vet fees. Each transport company has different rules, but there are certificates of health that must be signed by a vet showing that the kitten has had all it's shots and tests and has no diseases.

I decided to look locally for a kitten as I just don't have that kind of money - even though my heart is now with a certain little orange boy in NC!

Thanks. I'll probably have to drive if he still wants one.

We ship with the airlines if a person lives more than 5 hours away and can't meet us. I haven't ever had a plane ticket over $170 for flying, but don't forget about the cost of the pet crate, and health certificate from a vet saying the kitten/cat is healthy for flying, sometimes just called flight certificate. I have shipped quite a few kittens, with Continental and Delta, both have been excellent with our babies. I have also had a few shipped to me, with the same airlines, with no problems. Continental has climate control, where the other airlines will have restrictions due to the heat.
If you have friends that live between you, it is nice to get a few friends or willing participants to help in a few legs of the trip. I don't know if that is an option, but might be something to look into.

Here's some basics (check with the individual airline for their specific info).

1. Kitten must be 3 months old or older.

2. Record of all shots and rabies. I don't give rabies shots till minimum of 4 months so none of my kits were shipped until 4-5 months old.

3. Health certificate from your vet verifying all shots and health of kitten within 10 days of shipping. It cannot be more then 10 days old.

4. Usually costs about $75 one way for the ticket.

5. Kitten HAS to ride in cargo (don't worry - its pressurized). And so you need an airline approved heavy duty carrier - not the under the seat kind.

6. Airlines will not ship unaccompanied cats/dogs under or over a certain tempature and that is going from and to the states involved. For example, if you live in Kentucky and its 70 degrees on day of shipping and cat is going to Nevada where its expected to be about 95 degrees on arrival time, then they will NOT ship the kitten. So its probably best to arrange in seasons with no extreme temps - like spring or fall rather then winter/summer.

Hmm... do they not have air conditioning at all? I am worried about them getting overheated, even in 80 degrees...

Continental Airlines is the only airline I know that has cooled and heated area for the pets to ride. The others operate like Goldenkitty mentions, and no they are not air-conditioned. We have used Delta in Spring and Fall, the flights were all early in the morning.
Last year, all flights one way for a kitten to ship out in the cargo area, were all $170, it didn't matter which airline was called, but I would assume the rates change frequently. I haven't shipped any kittens this year.
There is a big variant in what vets charge for the health certificate.
Here is a link to Continental, it may have information you are looking for.
http://www.continental.com/travel/po...ault.asp&SS=CR

I also agree with Goldenkitty, I don't like to give rabies earlier than 4-6 months of age.

In my contracts I have stated that the buyer pays for all shipping costs. I pay for the vet visit and certificate, but they have to pay the plane ticket and carrier cost, unless they ship a carrier to me to use.

I've shipped my own airline carrier via UPS to the breeder for them to use when I bought a kitten. Shipping the empty carrier is pretty cheap.

I charge $250 for shipping and also use Contental as well. The $250 covers the crate, health certificate, air fare, and my gas to and from the air port.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

In my contracts I have stated that the buyer pays for all shipping costs. I pay for the vet visit and certificate, but they have to pay the plane ticket and carrier cost, unless they ship a carrier to me to use.

I've shipped my own airline carrier via UPS to the breeder for them to use when I bought a kitten. Shipping the empty carrier is pretty cheap.

Click to expand...

I was wondering about the cost and procedure for shipping the empty carrier. I was going to send our carrier out to pick up our new kitten, but not if she can buy one out there for less...