Pets as hand baggage?

[Mags 112]

When that little cat of mine has scratched your leg to pieces I hope you feel as smug....

[Tim and Bethanie 1]

Cat as hand-baggage.....

There is a terrible cat carrier photo, I am not going to be the guilty party to post the picture!

[PlatyPius 5]

Cat as hand-baggage.....

There is a terrible cat carrier photo, I am not going to be the guilty party to post the picture!

The one you mention was the one I was actually looking for.... LOL

[Tim and Bethanie 1]

NOOOOOOOOO the furry kitty club would be all over you!

[Jim1969 0]

I just booked my fiancee and her dog on an Aerosvit flight from Kiev to NYC. It was only $100 and yes you can bring them on board. They also said that each airline has it's own rules regarding the number of pets on the airplane. For mine - they only allow one dog per plane - good thing I booked her ticket a month in advance There are also size limits and they need to be under a certain size.

The airline made it very clear that they did not have an issue with the size of the carrier. Only as long as it would fit under the seat. However, they did say that as soon as you arrive in the US you will now be under the jurisdiction of various animal cruelty laws. If your carrier is not an approved one then you may be busted.

Since they do not sell FAA approved carriers in Ukraine I had to buy her one here and mail it to her. The postage for the soft carrier was almost as much as the carrier itself.

I just got an answer from the government yesterday regarding this so I will share with everyone her responses.

Dogs, cats, and most other warmblooded animals transported by air are

protected by the Animal Welfare Act. The U.S. Department of

Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),

Animal Care (AC) enforces this law. Their web site is:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac.

For additional information, see their brochure:

Traveling by Air with your Pet

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/travel.pdf

These IATA cat and dog container guidelines meet or exceed those

required by USDA:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/LAR_33rd_CR1.pdf

These are USDA standards for primary enclosures used in the

transportation of dogs and cats:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/publications/AWR/9cfr3.14.txt

Each airline may have its own set of standards as well.

Additional information on international importation of pets can be found

at these 2 USDA sites:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/pettravel.html

http://awic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index...amp;tax_level=2

&tax_subject=181&topic_id=1131&placement_default=0

[mmb 0]

Cat as hand-baggage.....

There is a terrible cat carrier photo, I am not going to be the guilty party to post the picture!

The one you mention was the one I was actually looking for.... LOL

I remember seeing the one you are both talking about now I can't get that picture out of my mind.

[Girona40 0]

I hope your cats have a safe and happy flight.

It was interesting to read that they allow cats in the actual cabin area. A friend of mine is coming to visit from the UK soon. He is so alergic to cats that his eyes run, he can't stop sneezing, he itches all over and breaks out in hives, if there is a cat in the house. I will have to mention this to him - not that he's flying Delta, but he may want to check whether BA or Virgin has the same policy. It would be a nightmare for him to spend 7 or 8 hours on a plane with a cat.

[Donna A 4]

i had a cat shipped to me cargo frieght once and she was freaking out. im glad u will take them on board with u.

[Anastassia 0]

It depends on a pet and airlines.

I flew from Poland to Washington and bringing chinchillas with me appeared more difficult than flying to the moon (I checked several different airlines). However, somebody on VJ said they brought a chinchilla on board from UK.

In most of the cases (there are always exceptions) you need to make a reservation for a pet prior to your flight. Even though small dogs can travel on your knees, the airlines might refuse taking one on a specific flight simply because "dog allowance" for the flight is used up. I imagine it would be similar with cats.

My experience is also that if you call 4 different times you might get 4 different answers.

Ana

[garya505 2]

I once brought a hamster with me in my pocket, but he ate my free peanuts and pooped in my pocket .

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Good for you for looking into bringing your cats in the cabin with you. I have been on several Delta flights with small animals - twice with a small dog in a carrier for the person sitting next to me. As an animal lover I was delighted to have them near by. In all cases the animals were virtually unnoticeable by anyone else and kept very quiet. I would do the same thing myself if I had to fly my cats - fortunately, we were able to drive which was stressful enough.

For those with allergies to cats it is almost always to the saliva which is on the cat hair and dander. Just having a cat in the same environment will not set off allergies unless he/she is exposed to the cathair and dander - extremely unlikely under these circumstances. If your friend ends up sitting next to a person who is hand-carrying a small animal in the cabin all he needs to do is mention it to the attendant and ask if he can have another seat - he will NOT experience difficulties unless he is directly exposed to the animal's environment - which will not happen with the animal inside its carrier. He is more likely to experience difficulty from a fellow passenger who has cathair or doghair over their clothing sitting next to or up air current from him.

[garya505 2]

Good for you for looking into bringing your cats in the cabin with you. I have been on several Delta flights with small animals - twice with a small dog in a carrier for the person sitting next to me. As an animal lover I was delighted to have them near by. In all cases the animals were virtually unnoticeable by anyone else and kept very quiet. I would do the same thing myself if I had to fly my cats - fortunately, we were able to drive which was stressful enough.

For those with allergies to cats it is almost always to the saliva which is on the cat hair and dander. Just having a cat in the same environment will not set off allergies unless he/she is exposed to the cathair and dander - extremely unlikely under these circumstances. If your friend ends up sitting next to a person who is hand-carrying a small animal in the cabin all he needs to do is mention it to the attendant and ask if he can have another seat - he will NOT experience difficulties unless he is directly exposed to the animal's environment - which will not happen with the animal inside its carrier. He is more likely to experience difficulty from a fellow passenger who has cathair or doghair over their clothing sitting next to or up air current from him.

The carrier would have to be ventilated for the animal to breathe. In the case of an allergic reaction the pet owner (and the pet) should be asked to move, not the allergic person.

[MHandMB 0]

I brought my dog with me from Atlanta to Paris and back from Paris to JFK. She flew with me in the cabin with Delta Airlines and it was no problem. I talked with my vet at length prior to the trip, and she prescribed a mild sedative. She was totally fine in her carrier as long as I was by her side.

I tried to use Continental on the way back as their return trip was cheaper and via their website they allowed reservations for pets, but I was told after reserving the ticket that the service had been discontinued, and they were going to charge me $700 to have my dog fly in the cargo hold. I went back to Delta, and had no problem reserving the spot for her in the cabin with me on the return trip. They usually allow 2 pets in coach and 1 pet in first class for each flight. It's first come, first serve, so I just had to find the flight I wanted online, and I called the customer service number and verified that the pet quota for that particular flight had not been filled. Then I booked the flight and reserved the spot for my dog.

If I recall correctly, the fee was $75 or so one-way. They only allow 1 pet on board per person, so you would have to have your son or someone else flying with you take your other cat. We used a Sherpa bag for my dog and it worked just fine.

As far as vaccination/health certificate rules, I would be sure to have the rabies vaccine given at least 30 days prior to departure, but no more than 6 months prior to departure, if possible. I had a little check-up done for my dog in France before I left (we were there for a year, so her previous check up and vaccine had long expired). They provided me with paperwork at the vet's office and I showed that to the customs officer when I arrived in the U.S.

All in all, I had a pleasant experience and no big issues with bringing my dog with me. Delta was very helpful, and I would recommend using them when bringing pets over.

[Anna C. 4]

That's funny! (the piture of the cat as carry-on)

I saw several cats on my flights from CA-Germany (vice versa) and Frankfurt-New York. Also, the cats are mostly sedated (you can buy a sedative at the vet) and sleep most of the time of the flight.

The cats were super - no noises, no "accidents".

As for allergies, why do they hand out peanuts if people are allergic? On my flight to NY a girl had an allergic reaction because people next to her ate them. It is life - if you are allergic to peanuts or cats, tell the flight attendants and you will be reseated.

I also agree it is horrible to put the cats into the cargo area. OMG!

Good luck Mags!

Edited November 15, 2006 by Anna C.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

My vet told me not to give an animal a sedative when you fly because it can cause problems in high altitudes -- does anyone know about this?