How well do Cats travel on a plane?

My friend is planning on taking a long plane trip from New York to Seattle.

Are there any special preparations she should do first?

She is worried the cat will get overly scared or excited and have a bad experience. Is there some medicine she can give him to keep him calm?How well do Cats travel on a plane?A sedative should NEVER EVER be used on a cat on a plane. Cats can have adverse reactions to medications especially since the effect of the meds will be greatly increased due to the altitude. And if the cat gets sick or starts siezuring mid-flight - what then? The pilot isn't going to make an emergency for the landing for the cat and the CAT WILL DIE.



Hopefully the cat is flying in the cabin with her so she'll be able to talk to the cat and/or put her fingers in the front of the carrier by her feet to give him a scratch. If she has the option - definitely recommend her carrying the cat on. Note that some airlines, though, don't allow pets in the cabin and ALL airlines limit the number of animals in the cabin at a time (most as little as two per flight) so she needs to let the airline know she intends to have a cat with her onboard. She'll also pay a fee - usually around $100.



As for getting the cat ready for the flight if it's not a cat that's used to going in a crate to vet she needs to start doing that right away. Get a hard crate - NOT a fabric one - as a) the hard crates are more secure, b) they permit more airflow, c) they give the cat a better view out and d) they are easily cleaned up. The airline can let her know what the maximum dimensions of the crate can be. Tell her to get the crate and set it up without the front gate in. Put a soft blanket inside the crate and toss a few toys or catnip inside of it. The key is getting the cat to go into it ON ITS OWN. You do NOT want to just force the cat into it and assume it'll be OK.



When I moved from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Seattle, WA five years ago I flew with my ferrets in the cabin and my dog and cats in cargo. Everyone did just fine, but, like I said, if it's just the one cat recommend that it's with her in cabin. I also recently flew to California to a show with one of my cats. She was a bit scared during takeoff - which makes perfect sense as the plane gets very loud and rumbly - but the rest of the flight she was just fine. Going home she just stuck a paw out on put it on my foot during takeoff - and then settled down and napped.How well do Cats travel on a plane?Most cats travel very well in planes. To check to see if your friend's cat can do this, try taking the cat for a long car ride (at least 2 hours) in a cat carrier. Cats don't have as much trouble with the air pressure as humans, and since they are safely stashed where there are fewer people to see, most of them simply go to sleep and wake up ready to go when they get where they are going. I've flown from Seattle to LA with two cats, one 'extremely pregnant' ... they rode beautifully, came out of their carrier at the end, got their leashes on, and marched out of the airport like 'world travelers.' If your friend is terribly worried, tell her to have the cat examined by a vet and to get a slight sedative to give to the cat at the beginning of the trip. Most cats don't need a sedative, and cats usually fly much more easily than dogs, for some reason.How well do Cats travel on a plane?I moved from Florida to Germany and took my cat. She did beautifully, and I didn't have to give her any sort of tranquilizer. It's very important to make arrangements with the airline to have the cat with her, though . . . NOT in the luggage area. It gets VERY, VERY cold there, and would be miserable.How well do Cats travel on a plane?
Cats travel better in planes than dogs so if you follow all of the directions she should do well check out this website for more info.