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Cats are lucky. Most of them fit under the average 20 pound weight limit (if not, you might want to put your cat on a diet before flying). That means they get to fly with mom or dad, in the passenger cabin. You, of course, want to make it as painless a process as possible for your kitty.
First, make sure your cat’s carrier is well-ventilated and large enough for her. Make sure your cat has her collar with i.d. on. Don’t let your cat be put through the x-ray machine at the airport. Sooth your cat with pets and touches (through the carrier) and treats on the flight. If you have a nervous cat, check with your vet about medication ahead of time. Your cat will thank you and so will the other passengers. Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
You are viewing entries tagged 'carriers'.
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Before I moved from Sweden to California, I was pretty nervous about the trip. Some cats like to get stuffed into little tiny boxes and move all over the place. I don’t. And I didn’t want to do it.
But there were two things that my human dude did that made my trip easier (not EASY, I said easier). Here they are: 1. He left my cat carrier (a new one, because he had to get one that would fit under the airplane seat) open in the house for about two months before we actually left. That way I got used to it and it didn’t scare me that much. 2. He sprayed that carrier with Feliway before the day before and the day of our trip. I have no idea what Feliway is, or even really how to say it, but it works. It made me feel a little more relaxed during the trip. Do you have any Feliway stories? Leave me a comment on this tip and let me know! OR, you can hang out with other Feliway fans in the Feliway Felines group on Catster! Tailer is a cat from Sweden. kthxbai! |
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When picking a carrier you need to determine what its function will be. If you only intend to take the cat a short distance to a vet or groomer, then a basic top-opening carrier (plastic or a soft-sided bag that opens on top) is all you need. The most important aspect is that the vet can reach down into the open carrier and lift the cat right out, rather than trying to drag him from the far end of a front-opening plastic carrier. |
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The most important quality to look for in a carrier is that it fits the cat. The way you know that a carrier fits your cat is that she can lie down, stand up straight, and turn around. A useful rule of thumb is that a carrier should be no more than one and half times the size of your cat – or, said another way, the length of your cat, plus half as long. |
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The reason you have to acclimate your kitty to a carrier is because there are frequently situations when transportation is necessary. It’s that simple. Some reasons a cat would need to be in a carrier are to go to the vet for routine or emergency visits, to go to the groomer, to be taken to someone’s house for pet sitting, or in an emergency evacuation situation. Make your cat aware of the carrier by having it out often and even feeding the cat or placing some favorite toys in there. That way when it’s time to actually use it, the cat won’t have a “hissy fit.” |
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If you want to build up your cat’s acceptance of the carrier and trust in you, how you get him out of the carrier affects his perception of it. No matter how you get your cat out of the carrier, you should never just tip it and have him tumble out – you’d think it would be unnecessary advice, but you’d be surprised how many people do this without thinking of the effect. |


