Take in note before flying with a cat in cabin
Good afternoon, today I come to tell you a little more about our first experience traveling with a cat by plane, which I hope will help you if you are thinking how is this to flying with a cat in cabin. Solve your doubts and fears that we had before doing it. But do not worry because it is easier than it seems!
Thinking about flying with your pet can be for many reasons, the most common, vacations or change of residence for whatever reason, in our case was the second, and we weighed several possibilities. I am going to talk about an internal flight from Spain, so it depends on where you want to fly, you have to review the regulations of the country where you travel and restrictions to avoid problems.
My trip with a cat in a cabin
Our trip was to an island, so we only had two options: Ferry or plane. We discarded the ferry for the number of hours that were from Zaragoza to Barcelona, Valencia or Denia, which is where the ferries came from, plus the ferry time. At first I thought, we take it by ferry, then take cabin and during the crossing Chocolate can be in a room with us. But that is not possible since the animals go in a secluded area in Cages that provide you or your transport can see them a couple of times. They cannot physically be with you all the way, so we throw it away.
Preparing to travel by plane with your cat
1- Airlines:
The first thing was to inform us that airlines are departing from our city allowed to travel with pets and could go in the cabin. From Zaragoza, the companies that accept pets are Air Europa, Vueling, and Volotea paying a supplement (as if it were their ticket). For example, Ryanair does not accept pets in the cabin or the warehouse.
2 – Papers and passport in order:
Your cat must have the European Passport (yes, like us), which is a document in which all the details of your pet appear as owner, description of the animal if the date has a chip and where it is located, vaccines and treatments, etc … like our vaccination card when we were small 🙂 This booklet will be your veterinarian, they gave it to us when we adopted Chocolate with all their data since birth.
3- Carry Chip:
Very important and mandatory that your cat carries a chip. When we adopted Chocolate, it already came with a chip that had been used by its former owners, so if you are thinking of traveling with your pet, it is essential. For example, our old cat, who was given to Dani when he was little, did not carry a chip and if we wanted to travel by plane with her, we would have had to wear it.
4- Vaccines a day:
Another important point is to have the vaccines up to date. Otherwise they will not let you fly as they check the cat book at the airport.
5- Vaccine of Rabies:
This vaccine is also mandatory. We did not know it and almost did not let us fly. As soon as we can, we are going to put it to avoid problems.
Before flying I called the airline, the city council of the new city … and they only told me what vaccines were up to date, but no one commented on rabies, now we know it, and it is mandatory.
Mandatory things
We wanted Cocholate to travel with us in the cabin because there were going to be a lot of changes, it was very scary, and we did not want to put it in the cellar, besides I do not like the idea.
Tickets: Once we knew which companies to fly with, we bought the tickets. In some companies, you can contract directly from their website, in others, you have to call and buy the tickets by phone as they check if there is free space on the flight because most only leave 2 pets per flight. Vueling, for example, lets you take it from your website, but Air Europa does not, and you have to call. Also, they charged me € 6 per person for management expenses that I did not like very much since they forced me to call because from their website you cannot take the pet trip. The cat ticket for Peninsula and Balearic Islands costs 25 to 40 dollars.
Carrier: So that a pet can travel with you in the cabin (in the companies that transport pets) it has to go in its transport of a maximum m of 55 x 35 x 25 cm and a maximum weight of the pet + 8 kg. In any case, always review the travel information with pets in each company as it may vary.
Relaxing the cat: As Cocholate was not used to travel, we were recommended at the veterinary to give her a little pill a few hours before to relax her and make her sleep a bit and prevent her from suffering from the flight, noise, many people, changes. It had to be added the little that he likes to enter the transport. A few days before we rode her in the car several times for short trips or errands in which one stayed in the car with her and the other towards things to get used to the fact that nothing happens to go in a car and that it is not always Go to the vet.
Preparations before the trip: you have to avoid eating and drinking a lot of hours before the trip, since you will be in the transport for a few hours and will not have a place to do your needs, besides us, as we gave you the pill to make her sleepy, so we also prevented her from vomiting. The truth is that they told us that it would last about 8 hours, but it took a long time to work on it, more than an hour, and then it started waking up, but each cat is a world.
Check-in: Once at the airport, we went to the check-in window since, when carrying a pet, it could not be done online. There they reviewed the passport, papers, and vaccines of the cat.
Pass for safety: And here comes the most important moment of the trip, to pass the security arch with the cat on top and the transport by the scanner tape. This was also one of the reasons to make her sleepy, since taking a cat out at an airport, surrounded by many people and crossing her fingers so that it does not escape is a challenge. The truth is that as I was a little asleep (when we go to the vet, and that does not leave us or the carrier), it was easier than expected, stuck to Dani as if there was a morning and it was not very difficult to put it back to transport … A good idea (which we tried) is to buy a harness just in case you run out to avoid losing it since a dog is much more used to go for a walk etc. I think it would be easier.
They told us that in some cities there is room to pass the security zone. You are only with the cat and the security so if you run away or something is in one room and it is easier. But in Zaragoza, we cross fingers and luck so that everything goes well.
Plane: on the plane, no problem, as if we were carrying a backpack or suitcase more. You put it between your legs, and that’s it.
Being the first time we were traveling by plane with the cat, we had many doubts, nerves, but everything went great, so on the next flight we tried to fly without sleeping, putting on a harness, I’ll tell you.
In many countries, living things cannot carried for the foreigners and locals. So, confirm the condition. I hope it has helped you if you are thinking about how to travel with a cat by plane and if you have any questions, that are what we are for!
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