Help! Pet owner in distress

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Good to know! We have cats back in England and if we bring them over I will be very worried!

[raphael7546 0]

When I brought my two cats. I was told there is a window of certain times that you can bring animals on a plane as cargo becuz there isn't any heat or air conditioning in there. I was told the only way they could fly as cargo was between february to July 1.st. They also said that there was no gaureentee that they would survuve the trip. I called around for Pet Transport companies and they were very expensive. I ended up using Delta Airlines. They let me put the cats in coach with me but I had to pay 150.00 for each of their flights. (That was still cheaper then what I was quoted for the pet transport companies.) There was still a slight problem as they only allow 1 pet per person and only 2 pets were allowed per flight. They also only had 1 flight per week that allowed pets on board. Luckily I had my daughter with me and so she was able to take one cat & I counted for the other one. We had to buy soft sided cat carriers ( $70.00 each) becuz the regular hard case kind wouldn't fit under the seat. ( they have to fit under the seat ahead of you or else they won't be admitted to fly coach)

I had to book the flight well in advance to make sure I got in under the no fly time.

Each cat needed to have a signed health certificate from a vet , that was less then two weeks old before the flight. They both had to have all their shots and be spayed/nuetured .

Some Airlines will not let the animal fly if its been tranquilzed , so make sure you know before you decide to have them tranqilized. Also, don't give it alot of food as the flight will probably upset its tummy.

My cats were relativlely easy to fly with. During security, I had to take them out of there cat carriers so the carriers could go thru the xray machine. Then I just popped each one back inside and we were on our way. ( Had alot of looks when I took the cats out of their carriers from other passengers, Lots of oohs & ahhs LOL )

The cats didn't make a sound the whole flight.

They were pretty easy to fly with.

GoodLuck !

[Collie 122]

I can answer this one! Do NOT go Continental! They have the worst record for animals dying in transit due to poor handling practices. I flew American airlines with my Border collie puppy who at the time was 7 months. They are the ONLY airline that I would trust. BA are generally good but they have a habit of changing aircraft at the last moment and that aircraft may not be suited for animal transport leaving you and your pet stranded. This happened and i had an 18 hour delay with a change of airport from Manchester to Gatwick when i flew another dog from Northern Ireland for an agility competition.

With my BC Pup I flew Dublin to Chicago and then on to Dallas Fort Worth, Texas (total of 21 hours crated, cost was around 70 GBP) and my pup was not in the least bit stressed. It was snowing in Chicago and they had her inside the building to keep her warm and she was loaded after the last passenger was boarded

Most airlines operate a heat/freeze embargo even though their planes are temperature and atmospheric pressure controlled. With American they will not fly an animal if the departure point or destination is more than 85c. You will find most airlines are the same so this is a problem you may come up against if flying in june when its very hot. You would be best to take a night time flight when its cooler for your kitty.

Rabies vaccinations are required in most states even though the uk is DEFRA approved rabies free. You also must have a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinary surgeon and you wont be permitted to sedate your pet due to high risk of impaired consciousness which can compromise respiration. You also must have a microchip implanted which needs to be done prior to the rabies vaccine. If its done too close after the rabies vaccine, the rabies vaccine is compromised. Vaccinations, worm and flea treatment also will be done by the vet.

Your cat carrier must be airline approved. it should have a ventilated door, sides and rear ventilation, (sky kennel or vari-kennel are the best type to buy). On the carrier your contact details and the animals details must be clearly visible in addition to a signed statement saying the animal has been offered food and water not less than 4 hours prior to travelling and you must attach a water bowl to the crate.

Animals are not allowed to fly in the cabin on trans-atlantic flights.

i worked at a veterinary surgery and frequently was supplying health certs for many people and also have had the experience of flying my dogs. If you need any more information just give me a shout.

Kat

[TracyTN 237]

Thanks for that concise post, Kat. My fiance is now reconsidering about bringing his dog. We will most likely fly American so this is really good to read.

[Reba 2]

you could always sail across on the QM2

[ChasUK 0]

Thanks for that concise post, Kat. My fiance is now reconsidering about bringing his dog. We will most likely fly American so this is really good to read.

I'll have to give serious thought as to whether I will take my dog over with me. I will decide closer to the time. I can get the vaccines etc but I'm not sure about microchipping costs here. The other MAJOR factor for me is her age. She's 15 now but still healthy and active. Are you aware of any age restrictions?

[maria_b84 0]

I had to leave my cat at home. tha is still making me suffer a lot

maria

PS: Im in Ohio as well, 2 hopurs south of Cleveland. Wherer gonna stay in ohio at?

[Linababe 0]

That is terrible - I too will be moving to ohio from Leicester UK and I have 3 cats (two are around 14 years old and one is arouind 9) i want to take with me - I cant decide weather I want to take an Indirect flight from Birmingham - Newark - columbus or a Direct flight from London - cincinnatti (Columbus being the final destination). I contacted continental airlines to ask if they had any times in the year when they dont fly animals cuz of the heat and I got this response:

Continental transports pets year round. We have no temperature embargo. We move all pets under our PetSafe cargo service. We will protect your pets from long exposure to the extreme temperatures.

Due to the age of your pets, Continental recommends a more extensive health examination to include a kidney and liver screen.

Your pets will be safe traveling on Continental. You will not be able to visit your pets while in transit. Your pets would make a connection in Newark and will be provided with water. We can also arrange for on-site service which includes food, water, a walk, etc. The pets would probably travel on the same flights as yourself. Pet reservations must be made through our cargo office in Birmingham. Sorry, I can not give you the cost, the cost will be determined by our cargo office in the UK. Please call our handler at 44-121-782-2447 to get an estimate, learn about the requirements and to make the arrangements.

Best regards,

Bob

You may want to check this out!! What other injections did your cat have to have other than Rabbies - any other information I would really appreciate as I love my cats as my own babies and really want them to be safe - lol as my beloved in ohi tells me I love my cats more than I love him lol

Lina (UKC)

[Collie 122]

There is no age restriction as far as I am aware for flying pets. Microchipping isn't very expensive (around 20 GBP) or if you get it done by the dogs trust (formerly canine defence league), its around ten GBP. Call them and ask them when they are doing road shows in the uk with the mobile microchipping unit.

For the cats: vaccines needed are the rabies and the yearly booster consisting of feline calicivirus, feline leukemia, feline influenza.

Kat

[jelti 0]

Hi Kat,

Where have you read that animals are not allowed to travel in cabin on trans-atlantic flights? I was almost positive that I read on the DEFRA site that small animals were allowed in cabin as long as they fit into a 20"x9"x13" (or thereabouts) airline approved carrier. Now, of course, I can't seem to find where I read that.

This news is most disconcerting to me because Aidan and I have adopted three children pets since we've been living here, and are most definitley taking them back with us should we move back to Ireland. I was comforted in knowing that my animals would be safe on board with Aidan and I. Now I'm very worried! I don't think my babies will do well at all in the cargo-hold, but leaving them behind simply isn't an option.

Edited May 22, 2006 by jelti

[MHandMB 0]

I am also curious to the trans-atlantic rule. I know continental wouldn't let me bring my dog in cabin on a transatlantic flight, but I had no problems with Delta/AirFrance last September and in 2004. I just had to pay the supplement.

That's something you might want to call their customer service line about to get a direct answer.

[Collie 122]

Give me a tick and I'll get the American airlines site where they state that. Other airlines may be different but its actually better for the animal to travel in the hold where they don't have to deal with the stress of having people around them and can just relax and stay calm in their darkened crate.

American airlines-traveling with pets

Transatlantic, Transpacific and Central/South American flights

Carry-on pets are not allowed on Transatlantic, Transpacific or Central/South American flights. Animals traveling as checked baggage may be allowed, however, some international destinations may limit the number of animals allowed per passenger as checked baggage. No pets are accepted for travel to the United Kingdom. Please call American Airlines Reservations at 800-433-7300 and check with the consulate of the country to which you are traveling for further details as the answer varies from country to country.

[jelti 0]

Give me a tick and I'll get the American airlines site where they state that. Other airlines may be different but its actually better for the animal to travel in the hold where they don't have to deal with the stress of having people around them and can just relax and stay calm in their darkened crate.

American airlines-traveling with pets

Transatlantic, Transpacific and Central/South American flights

Carry-on pets are not allowed on Transatlantic, Transpacific or Central/South American flights. Animals traveling as checked baggage may be allowed, however, some international destinations may limit the number of animals allowed per passenger as checked baggage. No pets are accepted for travel to the United Kingdom. Please call American Airlines Reservations at 800-433-7300 and check with the consulate of the country to which you are traveling for further details as the answer varies from country to country.

Oh, whew. So it's not all airlines that do not allow pets in the cabin? That makes me feel much better. My animals do ok around people and hub-bub. It's other animals that stress out the cats, and being alone that stresses out my dog. He was handed from owner to owner before I got him, and leaving him alone causes him to be destructive. We're working on this, though.

Thanks for that link, Kat!!

Edited May 23, 2006 by jelti

[Kajikit 65]

I love animals, but I'd HATE to have to make a long plane flight with pets in the passenger area... it would be okay for a short hop, but they're not likely to be able to 'hold it' for twelve hours travel time, and pee/poop stinks! Not to mention doggy body odour... ugh.

[MHandMB 0]

You'd be surprised. My dog didn't pee or poop in her bag on either trip. I took her out and walked her when we got to the airport, gave her the vet-recommended tranquilizer, and she was good to go. I did put a towel in the bottom of her carrier just in case. She was MUCH better when she was next to me. WHen I got up to go to the bathroom and left her for a second, she freaked out, but as soon as I came back, she was fine. When I had the layover, I took her out to the bathroom.

Some pets would be better off in the cargo or baggage hold, but my dog has major separation anxiety, and I knew that would be the worst thing for her. Luckily, she was just small enough to fit under the seat. It's not something I would do if I were just going for a visit, though. It takes a toll on everyone involved!