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Flying cats overseas
Kuroi Ookami
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
First off, my pride and joy, these are the two cats I wish to take overseas with me;
I'm hoping someone/some people here have experience with doing something like this, even if it's just comments about flying pets in general and not such a long distance. We're leaving from Canada, and ending up in South Africa. Sadly, there is no direct flight so I have to do layovers and catch other planes.
Normally, I would fly from here, to Toronto, to the UK, to South Africa. This is not an option now that I have the cats with me. UK does not have rabies, and so are very strict on the requirements for 'importing' pets. They have a 6 month quarantine period if you do not meet these requirements. I do not have the time nor the money to meet the requirements.
My only option is to fly through the US to South Africa. They have far more lax 'import' laws when it comes to pets. While I find it a huge pain in the ass that a pet going through a country is considered an import into that country, I can understand where they are coming from.
In case it helps for the temperature related questions, we're aiming for me to leave some time in September, when fall is starting here and spring is starting there.
So, here is what I have gathered from my web browsing, plus questions I have;
1: It seems I am very dependent on the weather when traveling with pets, and could be stuck waiting in an airport for the right temperatures. Raiden requires medication every 12 hours. If I am stuck waiting in an airport, will I be able to have access to him to administer his medication?
2: During my layover in the US before getting onto my plane to South Africa, will I have access to my cats to be sure they are ok/administer medication/feed/water them?
3: I imagine for my trip to South Africa I am limited in what airline I can choose to fly with out of the US, but going from Manitoba into the US I suspect I have more leeway in choosing. Is there a more pet friendly airline I could choose over some of the other airlines? Are they pretty much the same? If they are more pet friendly, what exactly does that mean to me, a concerned pet owner? I would prefer not to fly Air Canada if I have other options available to me.
4: Let's assume temperature is not an issue, I get there 2 hours early to drop off my pets to be sure they get checked out and loaded onto a plane, and I have just enough time to get things squared away with customs or whomever in the US about the cats before boarding my next plane. Will I have access to Raiden to give him his medication? If I leave some of his medication with him, will there be a competent person who is assigned some sort of pet care duty who could give Raiden his medication?
5: Back to temperature. Is there a ban on certain months for flying with pets because of the temperatures those months are likely to see?
6: Is this whole thing less complicated than it feels to me? Because right now it feels pretty complicated... Flying into the US, need to have the right documents and papers to show they are up to date in their vaccinations plus any sort of permits I might need to 'import' them, else they can be quarantined for 30 days. Make sure I have enough time between flights to get the paperwork straightened out and make sure the cats end up on our connecting flight. Get to South Africa, do the same thing there with permits to import (for real :P) my cats, take the cats and my luggage, meet up with the boyfriend, and go to our new home. See, it sounds so easy but it just feels like it's more complicated, because of temperatures, and I can't have them on the plane with/next me so I can see them, and know they are ok, and I am terrified of them being quarantined somewhere along the way, or lost, and Raiden's medication. I'm freaking out, please help me H/A!
In total, I'm looking at about 29hrs+ from dropping off the cats, getting to the US, then getting to South Africa, given everything goes in my favour (fingers crossed). My biggest concern is Raiden, and his medications. I don't want to throw off his dosage by a huge amount, because he doesn't do very well when it's not administered properly and around the right times.
Sedation is also not an option. Raiden is too old, and as much as I think Ember would benefit from it, most airlines will refuse to fly a cat who has been sedated. Something tells me that I might want a mild sedative for myself though...
Besides worrying about sitting around in an airport waiting for the right temperatures, and worrying about Raiden and his meds, what are some other things I should worry about, or keep in consideration? What could I be missing? What stories can you share with me about moving your own pets via planes (overseas or otherwise) that are either geared to make me feel better or to strike fear into me :P
Also (and this is SUPER important), giving them to family/friends/up for adoption is not an option. I will be in South Africa for at least 3-5 years, I may choose not to leave for even longer, maybe live a good part of my life there. Even if I stay for 3-5 years, Raiden is old, he might not have that sort of time left, and I want him with me, not with a family member or a friend. My cats mean so much to me, I want them with me. I need to have them with me.
Raiden
Ember
Ember
I'm hoping someone/some people here have experience with doing something like this, even if it's just comments about flying pets in general and not such a long distance. We're leaving from Canada, and ending up in South Africa. Sadly, there is no direct flight so I have to do layovers and catch other planes.
Normally, I would fly from here, to Toronto, to the UK, to South Africa. This is not an option now that I have the cats with me. UK does not have rabies, and so are very strict on the requirements for 'importing' pets. They have a 6 month quarantine period if you do not meet these requirements. I do not have the time nor the money to meet the requirements.
My only option is to fly through the US to South Africa. They have far more lax 'import' laws when it comes to pets. While I find it a huge pain in the ass that a pet going through a country is considered an import into that country, I can understand where they are coming from.
In case it helps for the temperature related questions, we're aiming for me to leave some time in September, when fall is starting here and spring is starting there.
So, here is what I have gathered from my web browsing, plus questions I have;
1: It seems I am very dependent on the weather when traveling with pets, and could be stuck waiting in an airport for the right temperatures. Raiden requires medication every 12 hours. If I am stuck waiting in an airport, will I be able to have access to him to administer his medication?
2: During my layover in the US before getting onto my plane to South Africa, will I have access to my cats to be sure they are ok/administer medication/feed/water them?
3: I imagine for my trip to South Africa I am limited in what airline I can choose to fly with out of the US, but going from Manitoba into the US I suspect I have more leeway in choosing. Is there a more pet friendly airline I could choose over some of the other airlines? Are they pretty much the same? If they are more pet friendly, what exactly does that mean to me, a concerned pet owner? I would prefer not to fly Air Canada if I have other options available to me.
4: Let's assume temperature is not an issue, I get there 2 hours early to drop off my pets to be sure they get checked out and loaded onto a plane, and I have just enough time to get things squared away with customs or whomever in the US about the cats before boarding my next plane. Will I have access to Raiden to give him his medication? If I leave some of his medication with him, will there be a competent person who is assigned some sort of pet care duty who could give Raiden his medication?
5: Back to temperature. Is there a ban on certain months for flying with pets because of the temperatures those months are likely to see?
6: Is this whole thing less complicated than it feels to me? Because right now it feels pretty complicated... Flying into the US, need to have the right documents and papers to show they are up to date in their vaccinations plus any sort of permits I might need to 'import' them, else they can be quarantined for 30 days. Make sure I have enough time between flights to get the paperwork straightened out and make sure the cats end up on our connecting flight. Get to South Africa, do the same thing there with permits to import (for real :P) my cats, take the cats and my luggage, meet up with the boyfriend, and go to our new home. See, it sounds so easy but it just feels like it's more complicated, because of temperatures, and I can't have them on the plane with/next me so I can see them, and know they are ok, and I am terrified of them being quarantined somewhere along the way, or lost, and Raiden's medication. I'm freaking out, please help me H/A!
In total, I'm looking at about 29hrs+ from dropping off the cats, getting to the US, then getting to South Africa, given everything goes in my favour (fingers crossed). My biggest concern is Raiden, and his medications. I don't want to throw off his dosage by a huge amount, because he doesn't do very well when it's not administered properly and around the right times.
Sedation is also not an option. Raiden is too old, and as much as I think Ember would benefit from it, most airlines will refuse to fly a cat who has been sedated. Something tells me that I might want a mild sedative for myself though...
Besides worrying about sitting around in an airport waiting for the right temperatures, and worrying about Raiden and his meds, what are some other things I should worry about, or keep in consideration? What could I be missing? What stories can you share with me about moving your own pets via planes (overseas or otherwise) that are either geared to make me feel better or to strike fear into me :P
Also (and this is SUPER important), giving them to family/friends/up for adoption is not an option. I will be in South Africa for at least 3-5 years, I may choose not to leave for even longer, maybe live a good part of my life there. Even if I stay for 3-5 years, Raiden is old, he might not have that sort of time left, and I want him with me, not with a family member or a friend. My cats mean so much to me, I want them with me. I need to have them with me.
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Kuroi Ookami on
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The worst of the red tape is making sure I give money to the right departments for the right forms for my vet to fill out before I leave so they can clear that and inspection. The fear of quarantine I think is mostly me being paranoid. Raiden is OCD in his old age and chews off his fur in certain areas. I worry it will get him flagged for extra inspection/quarantine. Hoping if the vet makes special mention of it though that it won't be a problem. I really do think this whole thing will be more stressful for me than it will be for them.
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Either way, that's a lot of complicated stuff, and I would suggest you call the airport, or several airports, and ask your questions a little bit at a time.
Any chance they weigh under 20lbs together? http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/specialAssistance/travelingWithPets.jsp#TypesofPetsAllowed
You will not have access to the cats in between flights if you check them as cargo, if you wanted to get them, you would have to go pick them up at the cargo terminal, which is definitely outside security and sometimes a good drive away from the passenger terminal.
Have you considered driving/flying somewhere there is a direct flight and then spending an overnight there so that you can get them and feed them and water them and medicate them? Also, have you looked into cargo flights (not passenger flights)? You may be able to find a direct flight that isn't a passenger flight and that way it would be a single flight for your cats and less worry for you. Of course, you would need to either have somebody else pick them up or somebody else drop them off if you go that route.
Don't call the airports, call the headquarters of a given airline. The low level workers that man the phones at airports get rules wrong all the time. Whatever you do, print out the pet flying regulations of the airline that you are flying and have them with you at all times and have a lot of copies of their health paperwork in case misinformed airline employees want to keep a copy. Don't be afraid to demand that the flight attendant double check with the baggage handlers that two cats got on the plane before leaving the gate.
This seems like it would be the best way to do it if possible.
I recommend obtaining several larger cats that you can fly in tandem, such that they can carry you and your luggage consistently and efficiently across the great Atlantic. You might also try changing their fuel to something more turbo-charged; Fancy Feast, perhaps?
Regardless, I wish you luck on your endeavor. Flying cats is a very difficult yet rewarding task.
are you traveling with someone else? if so you could split them up and get around teh 20lbs that kistra posted
those quarentines can usually be gotten around with a little help from your vet. its just a process of certifying the animal, but you probably looked into that
Even with the extra cost, I'd recommend hiring a service to make these arrangements for you. It would be a nightmare to think you have everything arranged only to have the government reject your cats on arrival and send them back to the country of origin. A service will also be able to make arrangements to medicate your cat on the way if it is at all feasible.
Just a note, it doesn't sound like you're planning to sedate them, but in case you are I'd caution against it. It will increase their risk of death. Airlines just aren't great about transporting pets and the welfare of the animal is only minimally considered. They are unlikely to feed, water, or change the bedding of your animal during any layovers so keep that in mind. The cargo hold can get cold so make sure they have a blanket to curl up in. Be very careful about the type of travel crate you buy as many airlines and countries are very specific about the types they will allow (especially in regards to ventilation).
Do some googling, a lot of pet transportation services will give you a free quote on their services and you may find them affordable.
But flying animals is always very hard on them especially through layovers and international red tape, and you have one with special needs. If you go through with this you need to carefully consider and prepare yourself for the fact that at least one of them might not survive the trip.
if you cannot stand to possibly lose one or both of them, you will do no less than find a carrier that will fly them in the cabin with you.
Kistra - Together they weight 25lbs. Raiden is 10lbs and Ember is 15lbs, hrm... maybe it was 13lbs. Still, too heavy. I don't have the option to drive elsewhere to cut down on the amounts of flights taken, sadly. I have never heard/considered just finding a cargo flight that might go straight there. I'll look into something like that. If they end up in cargo on a plane I will be on, trust me, I plan to be asking a number of times to various people "are you sure my cats have made it onto/off of the plane yet?"
mts - from what I have gathered, I can have only one cat on the plane with me, but not both. I would rather then that they both fly in cargo so they can tell the other is near by and perhaps be less worried. Sadly, I am traveling by myself or else I could have the other person take the second cat on board the plane and then yay, I can see them! I think only certain airlines do this though.
HK5 - My vet also recommended a pet relocating service but I don't know if there is one in my area that does anything besides land travel. How did you find yours? I checked in my Yellow Pages, and some of the websites I checked came up land only relocating services. Some just looked downright shady. I'd love to know how you found yours. Why are they still going to quarantine if the titer test was fine? Was it not done soon enough? If I was going through the UK I'd need to have the titer done about 6 months before or something silly like that else they would quarantine for 6 months. Also, I don't plan to sedate them, most airlines won't even fly a pet who has been sedated, it ups the risk of death and they don't want to be held liable. I have googled and googled but I can't find a service that seems like it could help me. Maybe it's my state of mind. Like I said, I think I'm taking this worse than the cats will.
ceres - Like I said, my vet is aware of what I am trying to do. He feels they are both able to handle this trip. his main concern is Raiden getting his meds, at least once, due to the extreme amount of time between point A to finish. I also remembered he told me that due to Raiden's age, Raiden will have problems moderating his temperature (mostly he can't handle cold into extreme cold), but from the research I have done, all cargo holds that carry animals must be temp controlled. I just have to let the pilot know that there are cats down there so they can keep an eye on the temperature. The main think will be down on the tarmac, but I think then it will be a heat thing and not a cold thing.
I get that Raiden is old, I do, but I believe he can make this trip (and so does my vet), and then he'll have a wonderful life ahead of him, be it for one more year, or 5 more or even more than that.
MrDelish - That was not really good advice, but it helped... it made me laugh. I thank you so much for that, really ^^
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If you can't drive, have you considered flying somewhere and taking an overnight or really long (like 6 hours long) layover in the US so that you can get them out and checked back in without worrying?
temperature - either too hot or too cold
pressurization issues
oxygenation of the air
darkness
dehydration
stress from any of the above or in general on the animals
also consider how many things go missing on flights every day
but #1 reason not to: putting your loved ones in the care of lowly paid strangers
try googling for how many airlines have LOST or KILLED people's beloved pets due to negligence and general human fuckup. Consumerist has several stories, alone
you wouldn't fly your baby or child alone down there, so don't fly your cats. you can't replace them.
You can only take ONE animal in cabin with you and it has to be able to fit under the seat in front of you. This pretty much precludes taking two animals unless you buy up the extra seat. You will NOT be able to put both cats in one carrier and fit it under your seat.
Honestly, in your cat's best interest, find them a loving home with a friend and leave them behind. The trip you're talking about sounds hellacious for them and possibly deadly.
EDIT: Well, it must have been my airline that only lets you take one. I see that SOME will let you take two, but I can guarantee you, two full grown cats are not going to fit in a kennel under the seat together. The only way you're getting two is if they're kitten size.
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I went about finding a pet relocation service first by asking my veterinarian who she would recommend. She gave me the name and I got a quote from them on relocation service to Perth, Australia. That company that she recommended was this one:
http://www.animaltravel.com/services
They're actually a Canadian company and the plan with them was to drive my dog up into Vancouver (I live in Seattle) to fly over to Australia. I wanted to comparison shop, however, so I hunted down airlines that I knew flew from the U.S into Australia. Through that process I located a company that works with United airlines that I liked the best, they operated out of LAX which is where my family lives. So basically I'm flying my dog down to L.A first, and then off to Australia. That company does work exclusively with Australia and New Zealand importation so I don't think they'd be any help to you. Give that other service a call or email, though, my vet recommended them pretty highly as they had apparently been a great help to a previous client of hers. Finding a veterinarian that had prior experience sending dogs to Australia was really helpful to me in many ways so if you can get a referral to a vet in your area that has done it, so much the better. Give your countries department of agriculture a call as well, they may be helpful.
Australian quarantine is a minimum of one month. I got the rabies titer done in February so that I could get him the minimum amount of time in quarantine but they require it anyway. It's probably best practice even though I grumble about it.
Deusfaux - I am not thrilled about having them in cargo, but from my searching it seems most airlines these days temperature control the cargo hold if there are pets down there. I think the darkness will add to relaxation, hey, it's time to sleep. So long as they are not just tossed into the hold, they should have water in a dish that attaches to the kennel. The going missing part is one of the things freaking me out, it's why I'm going to be constantly asking them if my pets are loaded/unloaded yet. I don't need them forgotten and flown somewhere else once the plane refuels. I'll avoid the Consumerist... I love reading articles there but for every horror story I can find there, I can find happy stories about people who's pets had an uneventful trip. See, I know about all the bad things that can happen, I'm hoping people here have some happy stories to share.
Esh - to leave them behind would devastate me and upset them. Whenever I have to go away, be it a few weeks or a couple of months, my cats take it terribly and don't do very well. Leaving them behind isn't an option. Once the hell of the move is over with, they will be happy and content in their new home. I see this as a huge improvement for both myself and for them. I also like to think Raiden has another 5 or so good years left, at least. If he's going to pass away from age while I'm in South Africa, I want to be there for that, he deserves that. More so if he needs to be put down due to health complications. I'm not going to leave that up to anyone else if he ever needs to be put down. It will be my choice, and I will be there with him through it.
lyrium - I'm not sure about the two tickets thing. I'll keep it in mind to ask the airlines when I start calling them in a couple of months. It's also up to my boyfriend to some extent, since he's paying for the trip.
HK5 - I was at the vet today, told them I couldn't find anything helpful in my Yellow Pages and could she recommend anyone. She doesn't know of any services but suggested I contact some airlines, see if they know of any, or to check the Human Society webpage to see if they have links for any. So far on the webpages I have found that don't look shady, all they do is ground transport. I'll check out your link though, see what it's got on their site. So far as I've found, if the vet certificates are in order with the right paperwork, the US and South Africa will not require a quarantine period. Still, I worry. I can't help but seem to worry. It's a huge move for me, and everything that needs doing, I'm quite stressed and worrying over every little thing.
HK5, I do have a question about the vet documentation/import papers. I know it has to be filled out within 10 days of travel, but if I wanted to, could I pay the fees now and get the documents this early, and that way it's one less thing to worry about doing later, or did you need to do the obtaining of documents closer to the time of leaving?
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I've moved cats (4 of 'em) from FL to CA, CA to AZ, one back to FL and from AZ to China. I've had them in cabin, in cargo and used a pet mover on different occasions. Every airline, every airport and every country will have different protocols and standards. Not once have we not met with a major change in plans or glitch because no matter how many times you call or people you talk to, if you get a different person on a different day, the rules seem to change. I cannot advocate enough getting a reputable business that has local contacts and can ease you through this.
The company we used specializes in cross continental moves. It was fucking pricey the way we did it (almost $2k per cat) but we chose door to door, top end and it was the best money we ever spent. They were able to keep a much better track of the animals, had people who were ground crew certified in the airports to check them in areas we would not have been able to access and were able to interface with the USDA vets and China customs MUCH better than we were able. The quote was free through them, and I think I had a $100 quote through another company, and you can specify exactly what you need from them (perhaps you just want them to do game planning and help route you through the best airports/airlines....maybe you want them to get your paperwork in order, and double check the regulations, but the cats fly with you...they are very adaptable.)
If you decide not to use a mover, PM me and I can give you a lot of points you need to double check and some problems you might encounter but I would strongly advise against this, especially with a cat with special needs. If you want the name of the company we used, send me a PM as well.
Good luck to you and your moppets!
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