Items You NEED When Flying with a Cat

 Everyone, meet Oliver!

He's a gorgeous brown tabby cat. We got him about 3 years ago and he is the most snuggly kitty I've ever owned. He is my daughter's best bud and they get along so well together. He will let her do anything and he loves her unconditionally.

Needless to say, we couldn't move to Mexico and leave him behind. So the research began on the requirements to fly and bring him with us.

We are flying United. They allow small cats and dogs to fly with you in-cabin, in a carrier to put at your feet. They charge $125 for the pet and require a copy of a rabies vaccination and a certificate of health to fly, signed by a vet no longer than 30 days before travel.

I'm pretty sure the airlines are more strict than actually getting him into Mexico. Mexico just requires that you allow an employee to look at the animal, making sure it looks healthy and not diseased, then they let you go on your way. *Update* At customs they had me show Ollie's information and wrote down his name, breed, sex, and other information and looked at him(through the carrier-didn't take him out) to make sure he was healthy and alert. They also ask for your address where you will be staying so be sure and have that info as well.

With my research done I started thinking of everything I would need to make this trip as smooth as possible for all of us. Who wants a stressed out, yowling kitty on top of an already stressful situation? Not I! 

Here is a list of items that I bought and which may be helpful to you if you are flying or travelling anywhere with a pet. 

*Please note, I may receive a small commission from purchases made through my links.

    1. Pet Carrier- If you are frugal like me, I would rather not spend an arm and a leg on something I will only use occasionally. I think $30 or less spent on a carrier is more than enough, however, I have included a higher priced option in case you feel like splurging a little on your furball. I looked on craigslist first and found a brand new carrier with tags still attached for $10! So don't forget to check all of the resale sites! Here are a couple of carrier options:

https://amzn.to/37cH11o

https://amzn.to/368OEWc

Here is the one I found on craigslist.

I also recommend when you get your carrier in, to open it and have it in the living room or other area your cat frequents so they are curious and start laying in it and using it before travel. This will help it have their scent and feel familiar to them when you take them on a trip.

    2. Feliway Spray or wipes. This brand gets such great reviews! I didn't want to have to get a prescription and drug up Ollie so I started doing research on calming products for cats. This spray apparently mimics the scents kitties use when they rub their faces on things. It's a calming pheromone. During his vet visit, the nurse said they use the Feliway diffusers in their exam and surgery rooms to calm kitties and make them more comfortable. She even sprayed some in his carrier for the ride home, and what a difference! On the way to the vet he was constantly moving around trying to push his way out of his carrier and he was meowing a bit. On the ride home, not one peep! And he maybe pushed around one time but he just laid there subdued the majority of the ride home! I was amazed! I ordered one of these sprays right away! It says it works on 9 out of 10 cats and is perfect for travel or new home/environments and vet visits. It also says it lasts for 4-5 hours! Wow!

https://amzn.to/3tO70Uv

    3. Harness. Ollie hates this thing but I need him to wear it through security because they make you take your pet out of the carrier. Maybe it's a good thing that he can't walk correctly with this on so if he did happen to get loose, he'd be caught easily. He has trouble walking forward with a harness on. It's pretty funny. He just walks backwards with his booty in the air. I have been putting it on him for a little bit a day to get him used to it but it hasn't happened yet. There are tons and tons of harnesses out there and this may be where Amazon comes in handy, because you can order a few, see which ones work, and return the rest. The ones listed are the ones I purchased. I didn't want it to be too bulky and him not be able to move(Although he can't function anyway so...). I also feel the skinnier harness keeps him from being able to escape. However, I also purchased the second harness listed below as well because it was on sale for $6.99 and I thought, why not?! This one is a thicker one and is held closed with velcro. Ollie still hates it, but it does have a larger surface area for me to grab. I have yet to decide which one he will wear on the plane.

https://amzn.to/3pWSusu

https://amzn.to/3IvE9d4

  

    4. Potty Pads: Just in case there is any kind of accident it's good to have a couple of these under the cushion in the carrier.

    5. Collapsible bowl- I brought one of these to give Ollie water between flights but he had no interest in eating or drinking. Your pet may appreciate one though!

Overall Ollie did much better on the plane rides than the car ride-so that's something!

Making sure your pet is as comfortable as possible in a stressful and unknown situation eases your stress as well and can make for a better trip overall.

~Bee