If you’re a cat, the only thing worse than having to fly on a plane is having to do so dressed as a pirate.
Fortunately, we did not make our cat Albert fly in this pirate outfit, but we did put it on him for the photo opp. We think he makes a good-looking pirate cat which is totally different from a canoe cat (see end of post)
When we moved to Alaska we had to do so by air if only because traveling by car with our kids and two cats sounded so much worse. I will say flying with cats was a learning lesson. And my husband says that’s the best kind of lesson.
A few things could have made the experience better for all of us, especially for our cats Albert and Georgie (who refused to get in her sheriff costume for a photo)
1: Pick the right pet carrier
I got two “airline approved” carriers off Amazon, and I planned to decide which one was best and order a second. But moving chaos got the best of me, and I ran out of time. So, we went with two similarly priced but very different carriers.
Albert is bigger, so he got the bigger and better carrier, the one that held its structure and provided plenty of head room.
Georgie is smaller, so she was stuck with the smaller floppier bag. I figured she’d be out cold most of the flight anyway. What I didn’t know at the time was that our vet’s prescription wasn’t for a sedative, it was for crack.
In flight, Albert kicked back in his luxury penthouse carrier. Meanwhile, stowed underneath the next seat, Georgie’s pet carrier caved in on her. She hissed and growled and put up a good fight for almost the entire flight, but it was no use. Her pet carrier looked like it was eating her alive.
This is Albert’s larger and better pet carrier. Definitely the way to go.
2. Don’t let the cat out of the bag. Or do. I give up.
Despite my objections, the kids couldn’t help themselves. The kids wanted to save and console Georgie by taking her out of the bag and petting her. I had already failed Georgie in her accommodations, so I let them take her out. For a time, this worked. Georgie looked out at the view and even started purring.
But then it started:
“It’s my turn to hold her!”
“I just got her!”
“Give her to me. Mom!”
Georgie made a break for it, scratching then scurrying under one seat then another as the kids tried to retrieve her…
“Who is this obnoxious family?” I thought, joining the surrounding passengers by throwing irritated glances at my family, “And how did I get stuck sitting next to them?”
Sometimes the only escape is to pretend you have no relation.
3: Be Careful with the Vet Recommended Sedatives
In this “prepare a cat for travel” article, it is recommended that you make multiple airport visits with your cat so she/he can get used to the sounds of an airport. Um, we didn’t do that.
I do wonder if we shouldn’t have taken the advice of doing a trial run on the Vet’s prescribed cat sedatives. Tried a half a dose first.
Before take-off, we gave both cats the advised dose. While Albert chilled out a bit, Georgie had the opposite reaction. One of her eyes veered off in another direction (and stayed that way for hours after we landed), and she was also totally wired. Most of the flight she spent fighting the bag, but then she’d suddenly go quiet, and looked stone cold dead. Flat on her back, claws up and still entangled in the mesh. It was scary enough that I’d poke her a little to make sure she was alive and then she’d be up and fighting for freedom again, but at least alive. I’d never hear the end of it if our big move kicked off with one pet dying on the way there.
https://www.wikihow.pet/Prepare-a-Cat-for-Air-Travel
FINALLY, A WORD OF ADVICE ABOUT HELPING YOUR CAT ADJUST TO A NEW HOME.
It takes time. It is recommended that you keep your cat indoors for at least 1-2 weeks before you let him go canoeing.
Fun fact:
Albert’s DNA test results aren’t back yet, but we are sure he is a descendant of an ancient clan of “Canoe Cats,” a powerful clan that once ruled the Pacific Northwest. The Canoe Cats were forced to migrate to Alaska (in their fleet of canoes) whence they were never seen or heard from again. Legend has it that there exists a cave with thousand-year-old paw prints decorating the walls, the last testament of this once proud breed.
