Tips to Travel with Your Cat on Air

Traveling on air along with your cat will always be a hectic experience until and unless you follow certain instructions. Cats are one of those animals who prefer to stay in their comfort zone and often don’t like to get out of it. Hence, there is always the probability that your cat might not be comfortable on a flight journey. But still, if you have no other alternative, then it’s better to abide by certain rules and regulations that will make your air travel hassle-free. 

Check the Airline Policies

The very first thing that you need to do is to inform the airline that you are traveling along with your cat. All the airlines have their own policies regarding the pets and if you don’t inform them beforehand, they might even prevent you from boarding on the plane. 

There are also many airlines that charge a certain amount of fee for carrying pets. Some of them even have limitations regarding the number of pets. To clarify all these things, always interact with the airlines prior to your journey.

Consult with your Veterinarian

Also don’t forget to fix an appointment with your veterinarian. Most of the airlines ask for a medical certificate, where it is to be clearly mentioned that your cat is fit to travel on air and also vaccinated for rabies.

Purchasing a Pet Carrier

It would also be advisable to buy a pet carrier for your cat. However, while purchasing, make sure that it fits underneath the seat.

You should also start preparing the cat for air travel at least few days in advance. What you can do is keep one of your old garments or any other thing that the cat is familiar inside the carrier. Leave the carrier open and allow the cat to get acquainted with it.

Things to Do Inside the Airport

Once you arrive at the airport, the carrier will be examined via an X-ray machine. However, before that make sure to remove the cat from the carrier. You also have to walk through the metal detector by holding the cat on your arms.

While boarding on the plane, once again place the cat inside the carrier and keep it below your seat. It would always be a wise decision to put some dry cat food along with a bit of water inside the carrier. However, don’t try to take the cat outside the carrier during the journey as it might cause problem for the other passengers.