we're moving to madison, wi...and our two cats are coming with us. and this means flying. we've done our homework but i'm concerned that tsa agents might have their own take.

no health documents needed for pets when flying within the 48 states, right?

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Matt,

You're asking the wrong place. Contact the TSA _and_ the airline. Each may have different rules that you must follow.

Robert

If your going to check them in carriers, you will want a nonstop, or at least no connections.

Ask your vet for mild tranquilizers, they will be tense and scared - that can lead to yowling, which is not welcomed on a plane.

You may want to let them go hungry ahead of time to clean out their bowels. No litter boxes at 30,000 feet.

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"Those who cannot accept the past are condemned to revise it." -- Geo. Mathias

The German word for contraceptive is “Schwangerschaftsverhütungsmittel”. By the time you finished saying that, it’s too late

In 1962, I drove from NYC to southern California with my two cats. Any chance that you could drive instead of flying?

In my case, I had given up my car after moving to Manhattan from New Rochelle, so I ran an ad in a NY newspaper offfering to drive a car to California. A Dutch engineer answered my ad and the rest is history. The kittys did well and lived happily for many years out here.

Good luck on your move!

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gl @ Dana Point, CA

Body harnesses might be needed even if they will be In the cabin with you. Some carriers have a ring inside to which you can attach a leash. Some TSA agents make you open carriers and people have lost pets that way. You can request a private screening, however.

My vet encouraged documents to confirm inoculations when I was driving just from California to Arizona and back. You might need similar documentation for a smooth trip.

Best of luck!

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=wr=

It's been years since we flew with one of the kitties. But....
Soft sided carrier that will fit UNDER the seat.
Get 'em used to the carrier.
Kitty tranquilizers recommended.
Hopefully you're flying non stop.
Definitely prepare to have the kitties on harnesses without metal buckles if possible. TSA metal detectors, etc.

[traveltips.usatoday.com]

Really consider the two day drive instead. Baby, cats, you and the mrs., luggage, etc.... your hands will be beyond full. Renting a one way car and a hotel room halfway will be cheaper than flying all of you. Lots of hotels are pet friendly.

Would this sort of thing be a good option for you? [www.glennsdrivingservice.com]

The above job sounds interesting, actually.

• Check with your vet for all required paperwork and inoculations.
• Don't even think about driving.
• Take the kitties with you in the cabin (even if it means buying an extra seat); now is not the time to pinch pennies.

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My daughter has flown from NYC to Atlanta twice with her kitty, in the last year.
Check with the specific airline that you will be flying on, each have their own rules.
Delta limits the number of animals on any one flight.
Delta requires a soft sided carrier that will fit under the seat in front.
You do need to have a current statement of your pet being healthy, from your vet. I am not sure how close to your flight date the certificate has to be.
Delta at least charges for each pet, but it is a flat fee not a full ticket amount.

That's all I can think of but you need to check with your airline and do it well in advance of your flight as they can have a lot of rule. HTH

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2017 01:49PM by rgG.

That assumes the TSA agent at the gate knows what headquarters said.

I've seen so much conflicting info on whether pets need health documentation WHEN FLYING DOMESTICALLY that I'm inclined to think that you better bring it or someone may tell you that you can't fly.

Quote
Robert M
Matt,

You're asking the wrong place. Contact the TSA _and_ the airline. Each may have different rules that you must follow.

Robert

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Matt,

I'm not even sure how to respond to your reply to my post. How hard is it to visit the TSA's web site as well as actually call them on the phone? Here's a link to make it easy for you:

[www.tsa.gov]

Do the same for the airline.

Robert

You have a much higher opinion of TSA employees than I do.

Quote
Robert M
Matt,

I'm not even sure how to respond to your reply to my post. How hard is it to visit the TSA's web site as well as actually call them on the phone? Here's a link to make it easy for you:

[www.tsa.gov]

Do the same for the airline.

Robert

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Matt,

I'm not sure why you're responding in a such a cavalier manner. But, really, you asked for guidance in the thread and I've given you what I feel is actually very good advice. You should be thanking me as well as everyone else who has responded to your post. Call the TSA, call the airline and, now that I am thinking about it, call your vet. They can provide you a great deal of useful information.

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2017 02:36PM by Robert M.

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

I started this thread to hear people's experiences and hear how they might vary from whats expected.

For instance, rgG says a statement of health is required. Delta said its not as long as we're in the 48. I'd rather be careful than get caught in bad info / conflicting ideas of how this should work.

Quote
Robert M
Matt,

I'm not sure why you're responding in a such a cavalier manner. But, really, you asked for guidance in the thread and I've given you what I feel is actually very good advice. You should be thanking me as well as everyone else who has responded to your post. Call the TSA, call the airline and, now that I am thinking about it, call your vet. They can provide you a great deal of useful information.

Robert

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Matt,

Even though you said you did your homework in your first post, it didn't come across that way since you still sounded very unsure of how to travel with furry members of your family. Have you actually called the TSA and your vet. If you did, what did they say in comparison to what has been posted here?

Robert

Ok. I asked my daughter just now and she said she had been told to have one, but they didn't check this last time, so I think it is a real YMMV type of deal.
I would err on the side of caution and have one, just in case. I would imagine your vet would give you one at no charge, if you go frequently, and fro reading about your kitty's health issues I'll bet you do.

Edit: She also said it depends on which states you are travelling between. They don't make it easy, do they?

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2017 03:11PM by rgG.

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mattkime
You have a much higher opinion of TSA employees than I do.

Amen to that. The fear of getting "caught" doing who the hell knows what they decide its OK now, where 1 hour ago it wasnt -- and/or where one rule is in one airport, but not another -- and a million other things make the whole concept frustrating at best.

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

Tranquilizers are NOT recommended. You will be required to take the cats out of the carriers and walk them through the metal detector - so harness and leash are a good idea - you can also request a separate room screening. You do not need a health certificate for in cabin, but a copy of the most recent vaccination records are probably a good idea.

The fee for pet in cabin is variable - most airlines are $100-$125 per cat.

Direct flights are preferable - but connecting are no problem.

I suggest a small zip bag of cat litter and a collapsible litter box - especially if you have a connecting flight, as there is a chance you might miss the connection or be delayed. Line the carrier with several layers of disposable bed pad material in case of an accident - easy to pull out the top one and have a clean carrier.

decades ago i was moving from california to georgia. i had a cat who yowled continuously whenever in the car going to the vet. when i asked the vet for something to help with the long, cross country drive she offered to prescribe valium. i then asked her if that would be for me or the cat.

i did try the valium but it so relaxed the cat's muscles he could hardly move and he looked at me as if i had betrayed him. i think he stopped yowling by the time we reached louisiana.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2017 09:43PM by graylocks.

Technically you do need a health certificate per Wisconsin rules: [datcp.wi.gov]

I've flown with a cat before as carryon, ~15 years ago (post-TSA era). Use a soft-side carrier, and make darn sure it'll fit under seat (this means double and triple check the plane size you are on and even the seat assignments because many of them have reduced under-seat storage.). Use extra puppy-pads as cushion and for accidents. Put your cat in a harness, and make sure it has an ID tag on. When you go through security, you will have to take the cat out and carry through the human scanner, and let the carrier run through the baggage scanner. Try to get a seat over the wings or further up, it's a smoother ride which makes for a happier cat.

Your vet will likely recommend no tranquilizer unless there's an underlying anxiety issue. The cat will probably meow, but in flight you really can't hear it more than a couple of seats away given engine noise.

If you take the flying route, and don't already have a harness and carrier, suggest getting them early and getting the cat used to them. Leave the kennel out with door propped open and put some toys inside to help the cat see the carrier was nothing threatening.

I wouldn't particularly worry about driving if that was going to be your choice ordinarily, but given the other threads on car issues, that may not be an awesome idea. If you did drive, it's ~1k miles, easily doable in a day with tag-team driving but better done in 2 with a cat-friendly hotel stay. They do exist but generally require a pet damage deposit. Additionally, it doesn't seem like you are used to driving, and going from none to all-day is going to cause significant fatigue which could put you and others on the road at risk.

Quote
graylocks
decades ago i was moving from california to georgia. i had a cat who yowled continuously whenever in the car going to the vet. when i asked the vet for something to help with the long, cross country drive she offered to prescribe valium. i then asked her if that would be for me or the cat.

i did try the valium but it so relaxed the cat's muscles he could hardly move and he looked at me as if i had betrayed him. i think he stopped yowling by the time we reached louisiana.

My vet prescribed a "muscle-relaxant" for my cat a few years back for a cat who freaked out over car trips. Turned out to be a low-dose horse-tranquilizer when I looked it up. Was not happy with what it did to my cat. He was dazed for days afterwards, took an obvious effort to stand up, bumped into walls, could barely eat or drink and drooled uncontrollably. I was pretty pissed off and would not do that to my cat again.

More recently, I had another cat with severe anxiety issues about the vet. Cute little ball of cuddles at home. Screamed like a banshee, clawed at everything, vomited and pooped herself from fear at the vet. Couldn't complete the exam. They prescribed Gabapentin and with about 50mg in her via pill-pocket 2hrs before the next visit, she behaved like a normal docile slightly scared kitten at the vet's office. Effects seemed to last through the whole day, but nothing dramatic. She just napped a bit more until the stuff wore off. From my research on this stuff, there is some confusion about the appropriate dosage to treat anxiety in cats as this is an off-label use of the drug and 25mg is a typical dose for the neurological disorders it's meant to treat. The 100mg capsules that vets get are for dogs, way too big a dose for a cat, but 50mg poured into a pill-pocket seems to have been just right for a one-time anxiety-treatment for my 10-pound fuzz-ball.

What I'm getting at is this: There are potential pharmaceutical solutions that aren't so bad. Talk it over with your vet.

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