Up, Up and Away

Flying with a Cat

You are allowed a personal bag and 1 carryon. A cat's crate is the carryon, and instead of a purse, use a backpack with your purse in it. Traveling with a pet is much like traveling with a baby.

Try to be prepared for any emergency. This can be tricky when you have a limited amount of space so you will need to be creative. If your pet has a small comfort toy, put it in the crate with them to help reassure them that everything is fine.

Have a copy of his shot record with you, along with his health cert even if you don't think that this is requred. You do not want to be left stranded without the documents for your beloved pet. And you should know, that if you travel anything and everything can go wrong. Keep the document safe.

If you have flown before you know that planes are pretty cold places. Make sure that you bring along a small blanket that your beloved pet can snuggle up in to keep them warm.
A Must

You'll need to take a a short leash and collar. The small cat harnesses are better, but you will have the problem of getting them in and out of it. So while I am all for the harness, if your cat cannot comfortably wear it you should skip it in favor of the collar which they should be accustomed to.

I say all of this because you will need to take them out of their crate when you go through security, mke sure that they are restrained at all times. I have experienced TSA who insist that pets should be out as soon as you step into line. Then other times the TSA instructed me to wait until the last minute. Be prepared for both and do no make assumptions, let them instruct you, or ask for instructions.

If you have to wait on a lay over you should find a quiet corner to relax in, your cat is stressed and a little togther time will be good for you both. I will say that most employees won't mind them being out of their crate, just so long as they are on a leash and in your lap.

Bathroom Break!

You will need to pick up the water an hour or so before you go so that you pet has a chance to drink and purge, yet will not be thirsty when you are on the flight. This is a part of the trip that can become an ordeal so you will need to try and do your best. Unfortunately, since you have to start somewhere, experience can only be made once you have done it. And a lot can go wrong here.

But ensure that you give them plenty of chances to drink. You should also make sure that you have plenty to drink before boarding. This will give you both time for a last bathroom trip.

If the trip is short you should be in good shape. But if you are going cross country you might need to look at other options. The options you have available to you really depends on how long the trip will be. And I should note, that it also has to do with the temp. If you have a layover you have your pet may need more water during the wait. And this will unfortunately lead to...

Diapers

Diapers. Ugh. We wanted to avoid this right?

Seriously all that it will take is a bad landing on the flight and are left with an unusable crate which will be hard to clean and a pet which may be both terrified and in desperate need of a bath.

This is why I make sure to carry a tiny 3oz bottle of shampoo and a hand towel.

I would also pack a small package of baby wipes. I have found them an important part of traveling with pets, even if it isn't in a plane. You will quickly see why they work wonders in a variety of situations when it comes time to clean up accidents.

I will also mention that you will also want to pack a change of clothes. I assume you don't want to travel the last leg of your trip in soild clothes. I for one don't.

Given the cramped conditions on planes neither you or the other guests want yoi traveling in dirty clothes!

I wish you and your beloved pet the best of luck in your journey.