International travel for cats

[valanhb]

A friend of Earl's has been living in South Africa for ~6 months and while there a cat adopted her.

Kitty was born "wild" and lived outside all her life but absolutely adores her new person and the feeling is mutual. She will be returning home to Canada in a few months and has a few questions about the return trip and Earl volunteered his wife either knows or knows people who know.

Her biggest question is about the 23 hour plane trip home.

I don't know how I would deal with that ride, let alone a cat! Anyone with experience taking cats on a long plane trip? How can she make Kitty comfortable for that long??

Since Kitty has been outdoors most of her life, she was wondering if a 5 year old cat can be litterbox trained. I gave her the potting soil tip (start out with dirt in the litterbox instead of litter since Kitty won't know what to do with that!), and also said that it possibly going to be more of an issue of whether Kitty wants to go outside. Any other tips on transitioning an adult cat from indoor/outdoor to indoor?

Since South Africa is not recognized as a rabies free country, it looks like all she will need is the certificate of rabies vaccine to bring her home.

Strange that she will actually need less paperwork than if she were coming from a rabies free country.

Thankfully no quarantine period.

This won't be a problem since she is up to date on shots, spayed and quite healthy.

 

[Willowy]

I don't think there would be a lot of paperwork if she were coming FROM a rabies-free country. . .but going TO a rabies-free country is sure an ordeal! Anyway, when I was 15 we moved from Japan (a rabies-free country) to the U.S. with our 2 Japanese-born cats. We needed a signed vet health certificate and proof of rabies vaccination. I think the health certificate had to be less than 2 weeks old. Maybe it was a month.

We just dropped the cats off at the counter (in their airline-approved carriers, of course) and picked them up at the counter when we got there. We didn't see them for 24 hours. We just put thick blankets (it gets cold that high up!) in their carriers and they were fine. One of them didn't even pee in her carrier, but the other one did. So something absorbant in the bottom of the carrier would be a good idea. I don't think airline employees will feed or water the animals, and it's not really a good idea to put food or water in there. The cat will probably be too nervous to eat anyway. She'll be fine for that long.

It's not fun for anybody, but our cats got over it quickly. Just one bad day out of her entire life. . .

 

[abnihon]

I flew from Japan with my cat and I just had her in a carry-on case at my feet.
I didn't hear a peep out of her.
I think she slept the whole time!

 

[coolcat]

My goodness is a really long trip!...

I´ll send since now good vibes for this kitty can arrive fine!..

...

 

[rad65]

Originally Posted by abnihon

I flew from Japan with my cat and I just had her in a carry-on case at my feet.
I didn't hear a peep out of her.
I think she slept the whole time!

The airline allowed you to keep your cat in a carry on?! I have never heard of them letting animals in the main cabin.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by rad65

The airline allowed you to keep your cat in a carry on?! I have never heard of them letting animals in the main cabin.

The majority do, with size restrictions...

 

[rad65]

Originally Posted by Carolina

The majority do, with size restrictions...

Wow, I did not know that, that's interesting. I figured if they wouldn't even let a bottle of shampoo on, they would guard against some sick person injecting explosives into a cat or small dog and blowing up the plane.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by rad65

Wow, I did not know that, that's interesting. I figured if they wouldn't even let a bottle of shampoo on, they would guard against some sick person injecting explosives into a cat or small dog and blowing up the plane.

OMG Poor little kitty, or doggy!

They go through the metal detector just like we do, and the carrier though the x-ray machine... You never seen them inside of a plane? Interestingly enough, they are often quiet... The carriers are the soft carriers that are sized to fit underneath the seat in front of you. No place for your feet, but kitties and doggies are comfy!

 

[cosabella]

Originally Posted by Carolina

OMG Poor little kitty, or doggy!

They go through the metal detector just like we do, and the carrier though the x-ray machine... You never seen them inside of a plane? Interestingly enough, they are often quiet... The carriers are the soft carriers that are sized to fit underneath the seat in front of you. No place for your feet, but kitties and doggies are comfy!

The cats go through the metal detector now? When I flew with my cat about 7 years ago, they made me take him out of his carrier, but he did not need to go through the detector. The carrier was the only thing going through the detector. This was at SFO and Oakland International.

My cat was very, very quiet on the plane. The people sitting next to me probably didn't even know the "bag" sitting at my feet contained an 18lb giant.

 

[missymotus]

Originally Posted by rad65

The airline allowed you to keep your cat in a carry on?! I have never heard of them letting animals in the main cabin.

Depends on where you live, over here no animals are allowed in the cabin or in the terminals even for domestic flights.


Cats are imported and exported all the time with no issue, puppy pee pad and a blanket, cats tend to handle travel well.
As she's an outside cat I'd get her used to a carry box and being confined a bit beforehand, they may also want to get a larger sized carrier.

 

[ldg]

Heidi, PM Kellye.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by Cosabella

The cats go through the metal detector now? When I flew with my cat about 7 years ago, they made me take him out of his carrier, but he did not need to go through the detector. The carrier was the only thing going through the detector. This was at SFO and Oakland International.

Yep, now they go through it with you, on your lap...

 

[sarahp]

For domestic flights (in the US), you can travel with the kitty with you, but I wouldn't expect that to be the case for an international flight. No passengers want to spend that long on a plane with a urine soaked animal cage near them...

 

[Willowy]

Originally Posted by sarahp

For domestic flights (in the US), you can travel with the kitty with you, but I wouldn't expect that to be the case for an international flight. No passengers want to spend that long on a plane with a urine soaked animal cage near them...

That's what I would think, but we were once on an international flight, and the lady in the next row over had a cat in a carry-on. He didn't make a sound the entire time, and she took him back to the bathroom a couple times to change his pee pad. Just like having a baby with you, I guess. Except most cats are quieter than babies, LOL.

I don't know if my mom was given the choice for our cats to come as carry-ons or not. . .they usually only allow one or two per flight. If she was given the choice, she probably thought it was best to have them checked so we wouldn't have to fuss with them.