A successful air travel with your cat needs adequate knowledge about shipping your cat by plane or cargo hold. This is not an affair that you have just planned last night and about to execute by the next day. The whole process needs proper planning and perfect precautionary requisitions to make it smooth and safe for your feline friend. It is really very much important to train your cat according to the phases it would have to face while traveling by plane or cargo.
Even though your cat is normally docile and stays relaxed all the time at it’s familiar places, it can behave strangely when taken to a new place like airports. It could get overwhelmed by the new smells, such rush in there and so many unknown facts to it. In this situation, you must keep your calm and handle your cat with so much care.
In this following article, we are going to enlighten all you about some certain tips that will be useful to make your cat’s air shipment enjoyable.
Here you go:
- Before planning to transport your cat by plane, inquire all your preferred airlines’ pet travel policies. Ask them if they allow your cat inside the cabin with you. Select one among them with which your requirements get matched. If you are afraid of keeping the cat under your seat, you can buy a seat for it. Of course ask the certain airline if it is allowed.
- Try to book your flight as earliest possible, as some airlines have restrictions on how many pets can be carried to the cabin. So, secure your cat’s place before getting it filled. Also ask the certain airline company to provide you the exact measurements of the space under the seat. So that you can buy a transport carrier according to that size.
- Never choose a seat against the bulkhead and in the exit row of the plane. Always remember that there must be a seat in front of your seat to keep your pet’s carrier under that.
- Select a suitable carrier for your cat’s perfect shipment. Instead of choosing a fabric crate, choose a crate made of hard plastic. The crate must be well ventilated from four sides and should contain multiple exits. The crate’s main exit should have a spring lock system. Select a spacious crate so that your cat can easily move or stand up inside it.
- Take your cat to an accredited vet for a proper health check up. Ask him if there is any kind of immunization or any other urgent vaccine should be given to your cat before traveling to the plane. Apart from that you must provide Rabies vaccination to your cat as it has been mandated. These medical procedures should not be older than 20 days as per all the airlines’ policies.
- It will be helpful if you can minimize your cat’s food quantity before boarding to the plane. If possible make the process done at least 3 to 4 hours earlier before flying. Let it drink less liquid than usual. Give it wet food to keep it full and hydrated at the same time.
- Ensure your cat’s security by providing it a proper travel tag that must contain your exact contact details and destination address. Secure your cat with a customized microchip equipment while transporting by plane.
- If you have not harnessed your cat ever, get one this time. So that you can hold it while it’s carrier goes for the luggage x-ray screening. Carry your cat when you go for the human screening process in the airport. Keep the cat inside the crate before collecting your belongings from the screening machine.
- Instead of tranquilizing your cat while flying, you can ask your vet to prescribe any suitable pheromones and nutraceutical protein supplements. These medications will keep your cat calm and relaxed throughout the transportation process.
- Some airlines have restrictions to carry pets inside the cabin. In this case, you can register your cat as a service animal or as an emotional support animal to get permission to take it inside the flight cabin.
- Keep a disposable litter box and absorbent potty pad inside the carrier bed, as cats don’t like wet surfaces.
- Pack a travel kit for your furry friend too! The kit must include travel permits, medical records, cat foods, bottled water, grooming kits, one of your cat’s favourite stuff, waste bags etc.
Hope, the above guide will help you to make a hassle-free air shipment of your cat.
