Cat Travelling By Air - Cabin vs Cargo

[travellingcat1]

Hello,

Can anyone please advise the best way for a cat to travel by air?

My cat (female, neutered, around six years old) is very confident with people but nervous about noise and hates other cats and dogs. She has travelled by car once for around 2 hours and was very stressed with lots of panting. Every time she is in a carrier, even for a short time, she cries/yowls and claws/bites the carrier, trying to get out the whole time. I have a few months to help get her used to this.

The flight will be 2.5 hours. Which is likely the least stressful for her - cabin or cargo?

Also, does anyone have advice about getting her used to being in a crate and travelling? I will start with having the crate out at home, putting treats in it, and taking car journeys. Is there anything else I can do?

Thanks.

You will need to check with the airline as pets can not travel in the cabin on every so

On every airline nor every route so it will be a matter of what they allow.

Cabin is not likely to be an option if your trip includes the UK

Thanks for the messages. After some more looking online, it seems cargo could be more popular for cats, anyway, to avoid the noise of cabin.

Any suggestions to help with crate training, apart from the obvious things I've mentioned?

Hi!

Can I ask what crate you ended up going for?
I am just looking now :)

Petmate is the one most people use where I live when moving back to the UK.

This one

If it was a short flight like yours, I'd bring mine in the cabin as he would always be happier with me. Longer flights - I've done 12+ hours and he would go cargo.

Reason being, he can stretch, drink and move around. They will hang on as long as possible out of choice but will eventually need to pee (haven't had one poop though) and you do need to consider other passengers' comfort in that regard.

I don't like using pet travel companies and typically only do my own arrangements, as it's cheaper and I am more invested in my cat's comfort tbh. The only exception would be destinations such as the UK where you have to use such a company.

Hi!

Can I ask what size you usually go for when putting them in cargo?

I have looked on the IATA travellers corner and seen how to measure, but finding it a bit tricky with a very wriggly cat haha

My cat is 4kg and a normal moggy.
Most of the cat crates are around 65cm in length and 45cm tall, which seems a bit small?

Although I guess you wouldn't want the crate too big and them sliding around

I get a bigger dog sized crate and put a special mat in the bottom, which gives him some grip to avoid sliding. It is also absorbent, so he isn't sitting in wee if he needs to go.

My cat is yet to fly as she needs to quarantine, and the waiting list is 6 months long. I've decided she will travel as excess baggage, though, because I think she will be stressed by the noise in the cabin. She will travel in a carrier like the one Mercurial posted, although I have a similar issue with choosing the correct size. Needs to be small enough that she feels cosy and protected, but big enough to stand up and turn around - measuring her is not easy!

Does anyone have tips for crate training, considering how stressful my cat is likely to find the whole process? How long before the trip should I start, how long should I close her in the crate each day, etc?

I would train for months and start my feeding her in it with door open.

Glad you have chosen cabin there have been some awful outcomes when pets have travelled cargo.

Is it absolutely essential she comes on the trip with you? Is it a holiday or are you relocating?

I would watch videos of animals in the cargo hold. It is horrendous. The noise, the literally being treated like luggage by staff, crates tossed around. Left for hours in the airport without water etc. I don't think the hold is pressurised fully like the cabin either. Also the internal noise of the engines is much louder in the hold than the cabin.

All in all I would not put an animal in the cargo hold as it is a traumatic experience for them. I would only take an animal in a carrier in the cabin if they had gotten used to being in a carrier.
If it's a relocation get carrier training now, if it's a holiday find alternative arrangements for them at home.

@travellingcat1

Oh, now I'm worried all over again! I know horror stories will exist, but overall, the info I have read online seems to favour pets flying as checked baggage rather than cabin as (from what I've read) it's quieter with less stimulus. We're relocating, and pets travelling in the cabin isn't an option.

I have no experience of flying animals, but if she finds travelling stressful then I would consult with your vet as you can get mild sedatives which might help (assuming there's nothing about air travel that would make this risky.)

Instinctively I would feel more comfortable with my pet with me so I could know what was going on with them and offer food, water etc, but to be honest I don't really know the pros and cons of both options.

I know many people who have put their cats in cargo. They have all done fine and adapted well in their new homes. Using a pet relocation service is more expensive, but it takes the stress away from you.

Is it Australia you're relocating to?

Sorry last comment I used the medium pet crate for my cat but she was longed legged. If the crate is too small the airline won't let your cat fly

In the cabin, and get your vet to prescribe gabapentin to ease the stress. Mine were fine. I opened the top of the carrier for a little stroke, but I think that was more for my reassurance than his!

Have you definitely looked into all the animal importation rules for the destination? Usually if a country requires quarantine on arrival they will be quite strict and you have to use accredited animal transportation companies. Plus having lots of vaccinations and medical checks before they travel.

TempCat's sister went back to New Zealand last year and it was incredibly complex (and expensive).

Thank you for the responses. It's Singapore we're moving to. Very strict rules and lots of paperwork. It's all in hand, though, and I'm using a relocation company who are dealing with the Singapore end of things. All tests and vaccines have been done. All that's left is a parasite treatment in the week before flying, which she'll have done at our vet.

Regarding the carrier size, I'm choosing between one that is big enough for her and one that's larger than necessary with more room.

Regarding giving her something to keep her calm, I will ask my vet, but it seems to be aginst advice I've read if travelling in the hold.

We got the bigger dog sized crate. Lined with absorbent pet kennel pads. He had a water bowl attached to it. No crate training, no sedative. Just shoved him in on day of travel 😬 He’s done London-Chicago and back again 3 years later without any issues and forgave us as soon as he landed! Flying into the UK he had to take a packed lunch to have whilst he waited for customs. The Americans were much quicker at getting him through so no such requirement there.

Our cat was rescued from Dubai and did the flight as cargo. He was in a similar crate to the one pictured above. As cargo they aren't allowed to be sedated. They also aren't allowed food or water - our boy went 8 hours with an ice cube! From what I understand though they just shut down due to the lack of light and stimulation so it's not that stressful. He was a bit shell shocked when he arrived but nothing lasting.

You said the flight is 2.5 hours, are you living fairly close to Singapore now?

Is there a way you can drive/ferry rather than fly.

I often see pets at airports and wonder about the poor things on the flight

Our cats travelled from Borneo to the UK by air and did really well. They arrived safe and well and settled straightaway. I worried so much beforehand but there was no choice really, we weren't going to leave them behind / re-home them. I know lots of other expats who moved their cats or dogs and all managed fine.