Overseas with a Kitty Cat
[Warning: Long Post! But I swear it is ALL important!]
For some reason I had this crazy notion in my head that taking my cat to Germany was going to be a 3 step process:
1. Vet visit
2. Embassy approval
3. Fly
God was I wrong.
As I did the research, there are of course was millions of sites giving you a checklist or advice on little aspects of the travel process, but no place with a fully comprehensible list of everything I needed. So after weeks of stress, annoyance, and too many unnessasary trips to the vet, we successfully brought our cat to Germany. Here is my FULL LIST OF THINGS YOU NEED TO TRAVEL WITH A CAT OVERSEAS!
(Also check out How to Travel long distance in a car with a Cat)
Things you will need:
Health Certificate and Medical Records
Cat passport (yep. They get one too.)
Leash
Toys
Cat food and water
Catnip and/or treats
Kitty litter
Plastic bags (poopy bags.)
Pooper Scooper
Blanket (or an old t-shirt of yours with your scent on it.)
Identification tag
Photo of your Kitty
Sedative (Optional - read below)
Cat Carrier
Steps to take:
(Read ALL beforehand!)
1. Decided you are going to travel the world with your faithful feline companion? Before you click “Complete Purchase” on that sweet flight deal from Priceline (I’m a sucker forKaley Cuoco) make sure the airline is Cat friendly. Not all airlines allow cats in the cabin and all airlines have limits to the number of cats on board (not just from one owner, but also in total) so make reservations early. Some airlines have limits to the size and weight of the animal as well. We booked with Lufthansa which only allows one cat on the flight at a time ($100 / 70€ one way), so if you plan on bringing more than one cat, you will need to do some research. Prices vary too (and change too often for me to keep track of), so make sure to shop around.
Check with the airlines to find one that will allow you to take a pet in the cabin with you. The cat must be in a small carrier that would fit under the seat. It would probably been worth it to upgrade to 1st class for more room by your feet (but frugal gal that I am…). One thing to be aware of is that when you go through the security checks you have to take your pet out of the carrier and walk through the metal detector with them. If your cat is at all skittish get her in a cat leash harness so you can hang onto her if she tries to flee.
(Creative Commons, Don McCullough)
Pet Fees for Domestic Trips in the USA:
• Delta: $125 each way
• Jet Blue: $100 each way
• United: $125 each way
• Southwest: $75 each way
• US Airways: $125 each way
• American Airlines: $125 each way
The biggest debate is always whether to take the cat in the cabin or in cargo - My advice = ALWAYS CABIN. If you have the option, never let your animal go in the belly of the plane. As the daughter of a pilot, I know of may horror stories where the cabin pressure below was not maintained, the belly gets to sub-freezing temperatures, and the worst imaginable happens. If you are worried about your animals anxiety levels i recommend many alternatives to the cargo hold:
• Get your cat used to traveling beforehand - take them on a longer car ride, in the carrier she will be
in on the flight, with a leash, and a piddle pad, exactly how it will be on the flight. Get them used to the movement, the sounds, and the confined space.
• Test an anxiety pill - We didn’t even have to give our cat one even though we bought it just in case, but if you are really worried, give your feline a veterinary prescribed anxiety pill days before the flight in a controlled environment where you can monitor their reaction to the new medicine. If they do fine with it, PROBLEM SOLVED! You can even give it to them at the airport or on the plane when you see they are starting to get nervous.
• Tranquilizer - I do not highly recommend this, and I know many veterinarians don’t either, but it is still an option. If your cat goes complete bonkers at new sounds, weird smells, crowds of people, and change in air pressure, this may be necessary. ALWAYS get your cat medicine and tranquilizers from a trusted USDA and ASPCA approved vet, NEVER from a pet store.
WARNING: Mild sedation can calm a cat, but do this only if you will be with your animal. The ASPCA advises against tranquilizers for cats traveling in an airplane. Your cat needs to react to what’s around it, the Alley Cat Small Animal Hospital in Napa, California, says. The hospital says most animals that die in flight do so because of tranquilizers.
If you take the cat with you in the cabin, he will be put underneath the seat in front of you. This way, you will be close and able to talk to him during the flight. Also, you usually don’t have to check in as far in advance as when checking him in cargo.
Book a flight that requires the fewest stops. Transfers from one airplane to the next, or workers making noise while handling baggage can stress your animal even more. Plan layovers with weather in mind. A hot southern sun won’t be the best environment for a cat in cargo hold during summer — the same goes for those areas with subzero temperatures in winter.
Now you can book your flight and make sure to tell the agent that you would like to reserve a spot for your cat!
2. Booking your hotel - Plan for stops at hotels that welcome cats. Hotels that accept cats are less plentiful than those allowing dogs. Search hotel websites, call area pet shelters or visit animal-oriented associations to find cat-friendly locations. Ask about weight restrictions, deposits or fees, number of animals allowed and whether you can leave the cat alone in the room.
(Derag LivingHotels: Maximilian is where we are staying and they are cat friendly!)
3. International Regulations can be a Pain in the Behind - When flying internationally, all countries have their own rules and regulations for allowing cats to be admitted into the country. Almost all countries require rabies shots, usually given at least a month in advance, and with official papers written by a vet, which should include the name of the vaccine, the date it was given, and the batch number. With current vaccinations and the right papers, not all countries require quarantine. Your vet has a current list of these requirements available and should be able to help you with any specific questions. England is a special case with very strict laws. They have changed their laws recently for animals from many Western European countries, but be sure to check up on current regulations before you leave!
(Creative Commons, Kerri Lee Smith)
Be sure to get recent information, and don’t assume the information you got when you or a friend travelled to the same country several years ago is still correct. If you intend to return, don’t forget to check regulations for re-entry, too!
For layovers, be sure the country where you have a layover allows such. I could, for example, not have a layover in London where I would have to fly in to one airport and fly out the other, because that would have meant I had to take my cat out of the airport, past immigrations, and through the country. Although most countries do allow the cat on the airport itself, problems might arise in cases such as the two London airports, or in case of an over-night layover -you might be stuck in the airport if you miss the last connecting flight, not being allowed to take the cat off the airport to a hotel!
4. Consult your Vet - Be prepared to ask a billion and a half questions, I mean we did, and don’t be shy! I can prepare you to the best of my abilities and only from my experience, so make sure to ALWAYS consult your vet before. Ask about what diseases are in your destination, and if you need to take any precautions. Make sure you know what are the vaccination requirements and if there are any additional paperwork necessary for allergies, medicine, etc. if you are flying the cat will need a health certificate signed within 10 days of your departure, but only within 30 days if traveling by car.
INTERNATIONAL KITTYS: NEED a European microchip (yay…) that is 15 digits long (ISO 11784/11785). You have the option of bringing your own scanner if your cat only has an American Microchip, but I recommend just implanting a second microchip instead. My reasoning - what is the point of a microchip? If your pet gets lost, the humane society or vet who find them will read the microchip and contact the owner. When the rescuer finds your beloved and their scanner cannot read it what in the world can they do? Now you are down one family member and up one useless microchip scanner. Because the microchips run on different frequencies, they cannot be read at the same time. Now don’t worry, they only emit a VERY small amount of radiation when read by the scanners, nothing that will be enough to cause any damage or risk of cancer to your cat, and it is well worth it to ensure a safe return in the scary event of escape. The microchips are also smaller than a grain of rice so they will not be felt by human or pet alike after implantation, but because it is larger than a typical needle, you will need to put your cat under anesthesia.
This is also the perfect opportunity to have all of the rest of the vaccines administered when they will feel no pain and the vets can take their time and make no mistakes. VACCINES NEED TO BE ADMINISTERED AFTER MICROCHIP IS IMPLANTED! Very important if my all caps didn’t give that away. And the vaccines need to be given MORE than 21 days before the flight, so my suggestion is do this ASAP, then while you are there schedule a visit again for less than 10 days before your flight (closer to the 10 days away the better, gives you more time to deal with sending your paperwork to the USDA office for the approval of importing animals to Germany).
The freakin’ USDA endorsed bilingual Annex II (or Pet Passport) for Germany traveling from the USA. (find the Passport paperwork Here and an explaination about it Here) This was the only hitch in the almost flawless planning of our cats travels… But it was still a massive one. In our case, we lived in Sarasota, FL where we had Bailey (our 4 year old kitty) had all of her vet visits, microchip implanted, and paperwork filled out. After over $500 (vaccines, rabies, microchip, anesthesia, and paperwork fees) we checked everything off our check list and drove 3 hours south down to Miami 3 days early so we could get everything ready before our flight left. We arrived at the USDA office to be immediately turned away because our vet did not fill out the paperwork properly. DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE WE DID AND ASSUME EVERYONE KNOWS HOW TO DO THEIR JOB! Double check, and triple check that ALL information is entered into all of the 6 pages (page three is only for dogs), and that it is the correct information too. Of course my luck, we go to another vet, pay another $100 for them to check our cat again, fill out the form again, and drive back to the USDA office for them to tell us the name on the front page was some guy we had never heard of! (Thank you to Country Walk Veterinary for going out of their way to drive the paperwork to us at the USDA office before they closed because our flight was the very next day.) After the USDA office, you can breathe easy, the rest is cake in comparison.
5. Choosing a Pet Carrier - Select a carrier that is well-ventilated and big enough for your cat to get up, move around in and stretch. Avoid letting the cat out of the cage, unless leashed, until you reach where you are going. Ensure any crate is USDA-approved for shipping if you plan on having your cat in the Cargo Hold.
To take the cat in the cabin, the carrier has to fit underneath the seat, so it will be pretty small (19 inches long by 13 inches wide and 9 inches high to be exact). Soft-sided pet carriers made of water-repellent, padded nylon with mesh ventilation on two or more sides may exceed size limits slightly because they are collapsible, but animals must still be able to stand up, turn around and lie down naturally. Pet kennels are counted as a passenger’s carry-on bag or personal item, and a cabin pet charge is added the cost of the plane ticket. Still, I think the advantages of keeping the animal with me at all time outweigh the disadvantages of the smaller carrier size.
I used a tough, plastic carrier I purchased a local pet store I measured before purchasing. Remember that some airlines do not only limit the size of the carrier, but also the weight of the cat itself.
Tip: Set the carrier out in your house a few days before you travel so your cat can get used to it. Let it explore the cage as it pleases. Take a few short car rides with your cat in the days before you leave if traveling by car.
And another : Write on the carrier in dark marker your name and destination address, along with “Live animal” and arrows pointing which way the carrier should sit to be upright. Do this especially if the carrier is going in cargo hold. The CatWellness News website and ASPCA recommend pasting a photo of your animal on the carrier in case your cat escapes at some point.
6. Pack a Kitty Suitcase - Not a real backpack, but a small bag of supplies you can carry with you in your 2nd carry-on bag. Fill it with your cat’s favorite toys and food, plastic food and water bowls or bowls that fold, catnip, kitty litter, elimination bags and a scooper.
Tip for Master and Human: Purchase a Brita water bottle. Bring it empty to the airport, and once past security, fill it with fountain water or tap water from one of the fastfood stops in the terminal. The Brita filter will clean out the water making it fresh and refreshing for both of you. This way your little one’s stomach wont get upset with unfamiliar water.
Bailey kitty fasted 5 hours before takeoff, giving her plenty of time to use the restroom before having to go in her crate for the grueling 9 hour flight to Frankfurt, and the following 30 min flight to Nuremberg (total trip was about 15 hours). We offered her a few treats before takeoff and before decent to help with air pressure on their eardrums, but she did not eat them all, and like most cats, refuses water, food, and litter box opportunities for the entire trip. It’s a good idea to have something lining the carrier, both to catch waste & spills as well as for comfort, of course. I folded up my nightshirt and placed it over the piddle pad so she had my smell and of course something comfortable to lay on, and I know that helped a lot.
As soon as I arrived at our destination, I made sure I put out a real litter box, but even then our cat was too nervous and curious to bother with bowel movements. My vet warned my more to watch his waste than his food and water intake, as it can cause constipation of both solids and liquids when a cat holds it up during a long trip. It is advisable to watch that both solid and liquid waste are being passed soon after arriving at the new location. If there were more cats traveling, or the cats come into a household with other cats, be sure they all go and watch their behavior. If they do seem constipated, contact a vet.
(Creative Commons, Leo Papandreou)
7. Arriving at the Airport - When you are traveling with a cat as a carry on, you have to go to the counter to get your tickets. If you weren’t asked to pay the fee over the phone when you checked with the airline, this is also when you would pay the pet fee. After you get your tickets, you make your way to the security check point. This is the only part that may be slightly nerve-racking because you need to take your cat out of the carrier, and carry her through a metal detector. Bailey is normally pretty calm about being carried, but there are lots of people, noises, and you are now clenching them tightly to your chest, and I can imagine that would freak any cat out. Our cat is leash trained, so we make sure to have her leash on her at all times, and this will help if you have a runner. Once you have put all of your belongings, belt, shoes, and coins (don’t forget your laptop and liquids out please!) in the bins, slowly but confidently take your cat out of the carrier and hold them to your chest. Once waved through the metal detector (you cannot go through the full body scanner with a cat, so make sure to take EVERYTHING metal off your person before going through or you will have to be patted down, and trust me… the longer you are standing there holding the cat the worse it gets. Typically a TSA agent will ask to swab your hands, so one hand at a time, show the agent your palm and wait for clearance. After the carrier goes through the scanner, you can then put the cat back in and keep her in until you get to your destination.
8. Taking Off - Most airlines don’t let you sit in the middle seat when you are traveling with a pet, so hopefully you have reserved an aisle or a window. If you didn’t, try to get reassigned or ask to switch with someone. The duffle goes under the seat in front of you. Place the bag under the seat in front of you with the mesh facing you so that your cat can watch you the whole time and feel safer. All cats are different of course, but Bailey being part siamese is a talker, and mid flight meowed a few times for attention. Some may have a hard time with the noise of people boarding, or the popping of their ears on take off, but unless they are howling (which in this case i would immediately give an anxiety pill and a handful of treats) whisper to them and feed one or two treats into the carrier without opening it.
Tip: Inform the flight crew including captain that you have a cat on the airplane if your pet can’t travel with you in the passenger area. It helps to have someone else thinking about checking on the animal in case of a delay or in an emergency.
9. Landing - Same procedures as take of, but this is much easier. Of course make sure to thank the crew and pilots! If you are traveling between different climates, don’t forget something for your companion as well! Bring a vest or extra blanket for the cold, and a brush for the hot (oh the shedding!)
10. New home or Hotel - Apart from immediately setting up the litter box, it is a good idea to give a cat in a new place a chance to settle in and get some rest before introducing him to a whole new place. A quiet room would probably be best for a few hours, to make sure he gets to eat, drink, use the box, and perhaps rest a bit before investigating a whole new house and perhaps even meeting other cats.
Please feel free to let me know of any suggestions, concerns, or questions!