So you think you are ready to tackle international travel with your cat? A little knowledge and careful planning can make this trip uneventful. You must be aware of the import regulations of the country or countries you will be entering. Some countries require a specified quarantine period (180 days for many countries), while other countries just require certain vaccinations and health certificates. You will need to check into the requirements for paperwork needed to get the cat into your country of destination. Usually the required paperwork can be obtained from the consulate or embassy in question.
International travel with your cat will generally involve airline travel. Direct flights are always recommended when traveling with pets. Prior to traveling by air with your cat, make sure that when placing your ticket reservation that you ask exactly which carriers are accepted by the airline you are using. It will be most likely that you will need to pay for the cat to travel on the airplane. It’s important to ask your airlines for the documents the airline requires such as vaccination records or a health certificate so you have these on hand at the airport.
Each airline will have their own requirements regarding the size, type and weight of the cat carrier. Today, there are both soft-sided and hard-sided airline approved cat carriers that can fit under the airplane seat. Most airlines will allow you to take one cat per passenger into the cabin of the plane if the flight is under 6 hours in duration, but many only allow so many pets on one flight. The following identification should be prominent on the carriers – your name, phone number, flight number, destination and phone number when traveling and your cat should be wearing a collar and an identification tag or micro-chipped.
If the flight is longer than 6 hours it is probably better to check your cat as baggage and fly them in the heated hold of the airplane. You need to discuss with the airline if temperatures will be above 85 degrees F or below 20 degrees F at your point of origin and/or destination in order to know if they will allow your cat to fly in the hold of the plane. It will be necessary to utilize a hard-sided cat carrier (generally plastic rather than wire mesh) when international travel with your cat in the hold of the airplane.
Because of the long nature of the flight, the hard-sided cat carriers should be larger than what you would use in the airplane cabin so that the cat has room to sleep as well as a small litter box in the corner. Secure the litter box to the carrier and only use a little amount of litter. Hard-sided carriers also come with small bowls that can be attached to the front door. Include a small amount of food in one bowl and a small amount of frozen water in another that can melt during the flight for quick drink. Additional food can be taped to the outside of the carrier in case flights are delayed and the airline staff will need to feed your cat for you.
Sedation of your pet is NOT generally recommended for international travel with your cat. High altitudes and sedatives are a dangerous combination and should never be mixed. International travel with your cat can sound daunting, but if you do your homework in anticipation of the move, traveling abroad can be as easy as a trip down the street.
