What Should I Do? Very Stresed Out By This

[shesmylight]

I am going to make a move to be with my boyfriend in 2 to 3 months, here is my conundrum.
He is cross country, which means i will have to take Hikari on a flight. I was reading a site that said she will ned to ride in the cabbin with me. Problem is this.
She has never been leash trained. She is four years old, and i am afraid she won't like the harness. She gets terribly rambunxious at the vet already, clawing, scratching, hissing, screaming and growling. She can't even be examined without them having to knock her out.
She growls when she is in unfamiliar situations where she feels stressed or threatened. She is just fine when she is indoors and with just me. She took to my boyfriend well enough...but not sure what to do about all this.
I will have to get her certificate of health for the airline. Also I may have to get her on meds to keep her calm during the trip. I will also need a soft carrier so she can fit beneath the seat in front of me. I am afraid she will not like the leash aspect of things. She already does not like being held or being in laps. I can only hold her for like a second, literally, until she wriggles away from me and runs away.
What do you guys suggest? I do not want to rehome, but trying to figure out how the heck to get all my stuff across country is plenty stressful enough.
London

 

[abyeb]

Do you need to have her on a leash? Can you carry her through the airport in a hard, plastic carrier and then transfer her into a soft carrier once you’re on the plane?

To make the plane ride itself less stressful for Hikari, I’d recommend spraying the carrier with Feliway (a calming spray for cats), and putting some of her favorite toys and blankets from home in it.

Some other posters will probably be able to give you more advice.

 

[shesmylight]

Do you need to have her on a leash? Can you carry her through the airport in a hard, plastic carrier and then transfer her into a soft carrier once you’re on the plane?

To make the plane ride itself less stressful for Hikari, I’d recommend spraying the carrier with Feliway (a calming spray for cats), and putting some of her favorite toys and blankets from home in it.

Some other posters will probably be able to give you more advice.

thanks for your post hun.
Hikari is a bolter. She escapes whenever it takes her fancy. I would need to run her thorugh security, and I'm afraid if I tried carrying her in my arms when I went through security she could bolt.
I could try the hard plastic carrier method but they may want me to carry her through while they scan the carriers...silly tsa crap. Heh.
London

 

[abyeb]

Here’s what I found out online: Traveling is for the dogs...and cats and other small pets

Apparently, you need to have her in a hard carrier until security. Then, you need to carry her, or walk her through the security checkpoint. After security, you can put her in the carrier immediately afterwards. So, the good news is that you only need to get her used to walking on a leash for a very very short time. Since you still have 2-3 months, you have plenty of time to get her used to the leash. I’m glad you came to TCS, for help. I think we should be able to figure this out.

The first thing I think you need to do is to get her a comfortable harness. The holster-type harness is usually the most preferred by cats; they generally find it more comfortable than the strap-type harness. Cats who hate harnesses LOVE the Kitty Holster cat harness! Walk your cat!

Then, you leave the holster lying around the house, so Hikari can get used to the smell. Eventually, you can move on to putting the holster on her. Starting with putting it on her and then taking it off immediately. Give her a treat to have her associate the holster with a positive experience. You can gradually increase the time she’s wearing the harness, until she’s comfortable having it on. After that, you can attach the leash, and practice walking her around the house.

She will likely be more stressed when she’s at the airport than in your home, with all the unfamiliar sights, smells, and sounds. The goal is to get her so comfortable in the harness/leash, that when she has to walk in it for that short time in the airport, she can feel like she knows what to expect.

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Here’s what I found out online: Traveling is for the dogs...and cats and other small pets

Apparently, you need to have her in a hard carrier until security. Then, you need to carry her, or walk her through the security checkpoint. After security, you can put her in the carrier immediately afterwards. So, the good news is that you only need to get her used to walking on a leash for a very very short time. Since you still have 2-3 months, you have plenty of time to get her used to the leash. I’m glad you came to TCS, for help. I think we should be able to figure this out.

The first thing I think you need to do is to get her a comfortable harness. The holster-type harness is usually the most preferred by cats; they generally find it more comfortable than the strap-type harness. Cats who hate harnesses LOVE the Kitty Holster cat harness! Walk your cat!

Then, you leave the holster lying around the house, so Hikari can get used to the smell. Eventually, you can move on to putting the holster on her. Starting with putting it on her and then taking it off immediately. Give her a treat to have her associate the holster with a positive experience. You can gradually increase the time she’s wearing the harness, until she’s comfortable having it on. After that, you can attach the leash, and practice walking her around the house.

She will likely be more stressed when she’s at the airport than in your home, with all the unfamiliar sights, smells, and sounds. The goal is to get her so comfortable in the harness/leash, that when she has to walk in it for that short time in the airport, she can feel like she knows what to expect.

That is very good advice. I would suggest, if you are buying that felliway spray, spraying the harness with it too.

 

[ArchyCat]

What ever you do, don't put a leash on a collar. A cat can slip off a collar in a New York minute! Go with some form of halter or holster.