The following is a must-read for any of you planning to embark on road trips with your pets in tow. And, it’s a must-read for anyone looking for a feel-good story to jump-start your day.
By LaMoine Roth
Published: Friday, June 26, 2009 8:12 AM CDT
Several weeks ago I was out of town. Regardless if I am home or on the road my cell phone is always on and always ringing.
I had received several calls regarding relinquishing cats, wanting to adopt kittens, found cats and at approximately 10:30 a.m. I received a call from Lonnie Berger who owns our local Wendy’s Restaurant. He said he had a couple stop in and ask him if any of his employees had seen his missing cat.
Lonnie said he would call and see if York Adopt a Pet could offer any help. After visiting with Lonnie I asked if I could have the traveler’s cell phone number and could get information directly from him.
The phone had barely rung when Jerry answered his cell phone. He and his wife, Sharon, were traveling from Belton, Texas to Minnesota for the summer. They were pulling a fifth-wheel travel trailer with their yellow lab JJ King (right) and their yellow cat named Ken Kat (top). They had spent the night at Comfort Inn. JJ King and Ken Kat had spent the night in the fifth wheel. Early the next morning before getting back on the road, Jerry took JJ King for a walk.
Sharon thinking he also had Ken Kat (who always wears a halter leash while traveling) left the camper door open. Arriving back at the camper Jerry saw the open camper door and NO Ken Kat. After spending a great deal of time checking out the camper, under the camper, under the truck, in the near by area they were panicked to discover that Ken Kat had simply vanished.
They spread their search to include the surrounding businesses and this is when Lonnie called me.
I told Jerry I couldn’t be back until approximately 5 p.m., but promised to stop on my way into York and we would form a game plan. I talked with Jerry several times in the afternoon and he and his wife had spent an exhausting day checking out the corn field just to the east of Comfort Inn. It was our first day in the 90s and very humid.
Pulling off the interstate I met Jerry and Sharon next to their camper. I had reassured them during the day that I knew Ken Kat would be close by. Cats don’t run like dogs when they are in unfamiliar territory. They usually run to the nearest area that they can hide. You can walk right by them and if they are scared enough they will not come when called. I also know that most cats won’t come when called unless they WANT to, so I wasn’t concerned that with them calling Kitty Kitty that he didn’t come trotting up to them.
As I got out of my vehicle the first thing I asked was “are you sure that he is not in the camper.” Jerry said, “No Ma’am, we checked every crevice and corner; he is not in the camper.” We spent some time checking areas that they had already searched and I said I would get my live trap, some strong fishy cat food and come back to set the trap and wait until night fall when the area quieted down. I was certain Ken Kat would come sneaking out of the corn field. I told them that he was probably sitting there watching us the entire time. I did make one suggestion; I told Jerry to back his trailer as close to the corn field as possible and maybe put JJ King on his lease.
JJ King and Ken Kat were a bonded pair. When JJ King came carrying a little yellow kitten to their front door in Texas several years ago with the head out one side of his massive jaw and the hind legs out the other, Jerry was certain he was carrying a dead kitten. But no, he was just bringing him home. And they have been “best friends” from that day forward.
I drove about a mile when my cell phone rang. Jerry was yelling into the phone and I could hear his wife Sharon yelling in the background. They had backed the trailer as far east as it would go next to the corn field, and when they opened the camper door, BINGO! There sat Ken Kat. Sharon was so excited and relieved.
I came back to take a picture of the happy reunion.
Jerry said, “You know I think when I moved the camper, it woke Ken Kat up from a nap.”
They had searched the camper thoroughly and just knew he wasn’t in there. I laughed and said cats can hide in an empty room and if they don’t want to be seen, you won’t to see them. Jerry and Sharon had an emotional and exhausting day, and all the while Ken Kat was taking a long cat nap. They were so appreciative of our help and I was thrilled that this cat story had such a great ending.
I talked to Lonnie later and he said they came back to thank him and to let him know they were reunited with Ken Kat. He said they were surprised strangers would be so willing to help them find their lost cat, and they would never forget York.
I won’t forget their excitement and happiness when they were reunited with their cat. And as for Ken Kat, well he slept through most of the excitement.
Inspired, perhaps, by The Cat’s Meow’s “Road Trip” series, a plucky tuxie kitten miraculously survived a drive from Maine to New Hampshire this week inside the engine compartment of a car into which he’d climbed.
Firefighters rescued him from under the hood of a car parked at a local hospital. By all accounts, a patient from Kennebunk, Maine, drove to Dover, New Hampshire with the kitty hanging out next to the engine.
Kenney — named by the Cocheco Valley Humane Society staff to honor his hometown — caught the attention of people in a passing car, according to Deputy Fire Chief Eric Hagman.
“The cat climbed out of that car and ran over and climbed up another car,” the chief said. “The second car was owned by an employee of the hospital, so she came out and unlocked the car and popped the hood and that let the crew reach into where the cat was hiding” near the engine.
Animal Control was summoned, and before long, Kenney was a vibrating lump of purr in the arms of Elisabeth Shuter, the shelter’s medical manager.
“He’s just as comfortable in your arms as he can be,” she said.
Kenney’s whiskers were singed, but otherwise appeared to be none the worse for his adventure. The Humane Society’s staff expected that the 10-week, two-pound cutie would be adopted soon after their doors opened for business at 11.
“We’re going to have at least 20 people at the door” after people see his picture in the newspaper, she said, confident he’ll be a “purrrr-fect fit” for the right home.
This week is “Take Your Pet to Work Week”, and we celebrated a bit early by taking Skeezix into Catster headquarters last Thursday.
I’m no stranger to cats in the workplace. Years ago when my Siamese, Mao, was a kitten, I had the opportunity to take him to work. One of the engineers at work had a kitten, too, a tabby named Oski. At the time, both Mao and Oski had older female cats at home who held them in low regard, so we wondered if Mao and Oski would enjoy playing together at work.
Turns out, they did, and they quickly became very best friends. This presented some problems. Oski’s owner usually came in to work pretty late, which meant that Mao had no playmate for an hour or longer in the morning. Mao took this as a cue to wander through the office calling for Oski in his eardrum-piercing meezer yowl. He’d shut up the minute Oski arrived, at which point the two would happily play and nap together all day long.
Mao’s pre-Oski-arrival yowling wasn’t really appropriate for the work environment, so I’d sequester him in my office. When it got really bad (or when I had a conference call with clients), I’d put him in a closet in my office that had his cat bed and toys inside. (Note to PETA: it was a large closet, and he was content inside.)
Oski’s dad was hesitant to get Oski neutered, and he waited too long. One day, Oski sprayed the office (but good!) and cats were thereafter banned from the premises. I’m sure that Mao looks back on his days with Oski as the best time of his life.
Generally, cats are not as easy to take to work as dogs are. They require a litter box and a scratcher, co-workers may claim to have allergies, and there’s the risk of people getting scratched or bitten.
If there are a number of dogs who typically come to work in an office, you may have to alternate days on which you bring one or the other to work, depending how your cat reacts to dogs, and vice versa.
So before you take your cat to work, carefully evaluate whether it’s a good idea or not:
If yours will be the first cat to visit among the office dogs, talk to your boss and co-workers beforehand. Don’t assume that because dogs are okay in the office, cats will be, too.
If your cat–male or female–is territorial and has a propensity to spray (even occasionally), leave her home. One surreptitious blast of cat pee will ruin it for all cats–and maybe all animals–in the office.
If your cat is prone to biting–even non-threatening “love nips”–leave her home.
Are you frequently in meetings? Who’ll mind the cat while you’re away?
Is there an empty office or quiet room in your workspace where you can stash Fluffy if the work environment is too crazy for her?
If you have your own office and can contain the cat inside, great. If you’re in a cubicle or work in an open floor plan, give some thought as to how you will contain your cat, and any dangers she might encounter as she wanders through the office, including:
Doors that open to the outdoors. Could she escape?
If she were to jump up on shelves, is she in danger of bringing heavy or breakable objects down on top of her?
Are there windows that open through which she could escape?
Are there any hidey places in which she could get stuck or refuse to exit?
Do you work in a rocking chair factory?
If you think you cat will acclimate well and safely to your office environment and you’ve got the OK to bring her in, it’s time to make preparations. Here’s a checklist:
Chip, tag and bell your cat.
Your cat should be both flea-free and up-to-date on flea treatments (and that doesn’t mean dousing her in flea powder before you leave the house).
Your cat should be up-to-date with all her vaccinations, including a rabies vaccination. If she bites someone and does not have proof of a rabies vaccination, she could face a mandatory health department quarantine or worse.
Consider taking her to the groomer, or bathing and FURminating her before her visit so she makes a good impression. Cats will tend to shed more fur when stressed, and you don’t want your co-workers’ clothing or workspaces covered with a fine patina of cat hair and dander.
Trim her nails and consider applying Soft Paws for the visit to reduce the risk of a co-worker getting scratched.
If your cat has special dietary needs or habits, communicate that to your co-workers. For example, “no people food” or “no treats, please.”
If possible, do a trial run–for example, on a day when you’re working a half-day.
If you take public transportation to the office, make sure that pets are permitted, and that Fluffy is comfortable riding public transportation during the craziness of a commute.
I recommend a covered litter box for the office. If your cat doesn’t currently use a covered box, you’ll need to acclimate her to it beforehand.
If you are a manager, be mindful of the way the employees react to the workplace animals. Some may not speak out in front of a group against having pets in the office, but still have issues. At one office in which I worked, management would distribute a survey periodically (responses were anonymous), evaluating the pet policy. The survey asked if the pets were disruptive, what could be handled better, etc. This provided an incentive for pet owners to behave well, as well as an outlet for those negatively impacted by bad owner behavior.
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On a not-altogether-unrelated-note, during our Road Trip series, several of you left comments asking how Skeezix travels in the car.
The answer is, he’s generally a very calm traveler. He’s a little vocal for the first few minutes on surface streets, but when we get to the highway, he settles down for the ride. I open the side door to his carrier, and he sits in it–half-in, half-out–for the trip. (We are going to get him a “booster seat” we can hook him into.) Here’s a short video clip of him riding in the car to Catster HQ last Thursday for our celebration of Take Your Cat to Work Day:
Turns out, Little Coqui knows quite a bit about traveling. Born in Puerto Rico, Little Coqui was rescued flown to Madison, Wisconsin and her furever home. She celebrated the first anniversary of her gotcha day last month. You can read more about Coqui here.
Concats, Conqui, and thanks to everyone who entered.
Throughout the summer, we’ll continue to publish travel stories from our readers. Send me your story!
Today, Air Canada announced that it is reintroducing its service allowing pets to travel in the cabin of its jets:
Our cabins are now pet friendly
In response to requests by customers wishing to travel with their pet in the cabin, we are reintroducing the service for travel on or after July 1, 2009 on all Air Canada and Jazz flights.
If you plan on travelling with your cat or small dog on or after that date, you’ll need to pre-register your pet by contacting Air Canada Reservations within 24 hours of completing your booking, because the number of pets per flight is limited. If you booked your flight before June 17, 2009, it’s not too late to call and request the service. We’ll do our best to accommodate your pet.
You’ll need to carry your pet in an approved pet carrier and stow the carrier under your seat throughout the entire flight.
We are sensitive to the concerns of allergy sufferers, and we understand that some of our customers may not wish to be seated too close to a cat or small dog during their flight. For this reason, we ask that, if you are an allergy sufferer, you advise the check-in agent or gate agent prior to your flight departure to ensure you are not next to a customer travelling with a pet. We will make reasonable efforts to move you or the pet and pet owner.
A lot of readers were kind enough to share their stories about traveling with their cats during our recent series on Traveling with Your Cat. This week I’m sharing those stories with you.
Elaine in Las Vegas writes about their cat, Purrsie (pictured above):
We moved from NYC to Las Vegas 5 years ago. We didn’t want our 18-year old calico cat to go in a plane, sot Purrsie drove cross country with us. We had her littler box set up in the back seat, and she spent most of her time in my lap (where her blanket resided).
The trip took 5 days. Purrsie would look out the window, sleep and – amazingly enough – she actually used her litter while the car was in motion. No accidents!
We had started taking small trips before we moved so that she’d get used to the car. She wasn’t thrilled early in the game, but she got used to the car and gave us no problems as we made the long trek west. We had mapped out the trip using the Triple-A Traveling with your Pet guide – so our hotels were waiting for us. We drove approximately 8 hours a day – making a couple of stops to rest where my husband and I took turns getting out of the car. We never left Purrsie alone.
Purrsie ate before we left the hotel – and then she’d have dinner as soon as we stopped. We brought along several cans of one of her favorite foods, and she was never fusyy or refused to eat. We’d bring her litter box into the hotel room each night, and she never had any problem adjusting to the new location. Again – no accidents.
We’ve always been amazed how smoothly Purrsie went west. For other travelers I’d advise getting the cat used to the car, bringing along a favorite blanket so they can nestle in, and bringing a food you know they like – so you’re not running around in a strange community looking for cat food.
Purrsie’s not with us anymore – she’s been replaced by the 3some that are registered on Catster. We will always be grateful to Purrsie for her presence on our trip west. Our focus on her made the trip more pleasant and fun than it would have been by ourselves. And the fact that we drove allowed us all (Purrsie included) to see a lot of the country we’d never have seen otherwise.
Purrsie’s headstone reads “Purrsie 1986-2004 Thanks for the Ride.” That says it all.
Kisu & KuJu Ku recommended a wheeled pet carrier:
Oh boysie, cool prizes! When we were 12 weeks old we flew from Sunny Callifornia to New Joisey via continental to meet our need mommie to bought us!
Now we travel by car to different shows around the metropolian area, mommie got us a TUTTO pet carrier – if you interested in what it is its a PET carrier on wheels
Go to Tutto.com its a luggage place and they have all cool stuff, by the way.. we need stuff to keep us busy on our road trips cause mommie gets annoyed when she hears “meow meow meow for about an hour on end.. shes said.. OH my would you please shut your little kitty mouth now? How dare her! Finally we settle down and then shes happy (until the ride home and it starts all over) Meow Meow Meow.
Sarah describes the perils of traveling with a cat loose in the car:
Traveling with Pineboy & Omar
My cat Pineboy and I regularly go from Louisville to Berea, KY for weekends and vacations. At first it was because my mother lived in Berea and we wanted to spend time with Pineboy’s grandma. Berea is about a hundred miles from Louisville and we make about 20 to 30 trips a year. Pineboy rides in his carrier and usually settles down for a nap. Occasionally he will let me know that I should be paying attention to him, so I give him a few scritches through the carrier door. If he is fussy, I make up songs to sing to him. Since the trip is usually less than two hours he does not need to use the litter box and eat in the car. I think he would do fine loose in the car, but I have not wanted to risk doing that when we are alone in the car.
Before Pineboy came to live with me, I had a cat named Omar. Omar did not like traveling in the car and would cry the whole way from Louisville to Berea and also on the return trip. A friend suggested that he might be happier loose in the car. On one of our return trips to Louisville, I pulled off on the shoulder and opened the carrier. We sat on the shoulder for a while to let Omar check out the car. Everything seemed to be fine until we started moving. Omar would not settle down. He jumped from the front seat to the back seat and then up on the back of my seat. Just as a semi was passing our car, he planted his front legs on my right arm and his back legs on my left arm, leaving me virtually blind as to what was happening on the road. As quickly as I could, I pulled onto the shoulder and Omar went back into the carrier. I will never let a cat loose in the car again, unless I have someone else with me.
Animal Rescue shared a funny poop-n-puke story:
Oh man do I have some cat traveling stories. Whenever I would go home for the summers or other breaks from college in Northern, WI, I would have to drive all the way to Eastern Tennessee and then on to Texas from there. Needless to say I have spent lots of time in the car with my pets, which includes cats. Probably my best (or worst, depending how you look at it) stories is when my cat Zane puked and pooped on me at the same time while I was driving. It was great…
Cherry wrote:
I moved to SC from East TN in 1977 with two cats, one dog, and houseplants that included a Very large Phylodendron all tucked into my 1964 Falcon Van. I had everyone’s favorite blanket tucked among the boxes and plants and everyone settled in. The trip was five hours long and no one complained. Everyone was peaceful because it must have felt like home!
Tara wrote:
I have a funny Cat Travel story.. I took my cat on her first plane ride last X-mas. Well I get to the Airport and go to the Screening area. Well there are no signs anywhere about how to check your cat through security so I put her on the X-Ray belt.. She goes through and they get all in a tussle saying I wasn’t suppose to do that and almost tried to arrest me or something. I didnt know.. They then mentioned that you have to take the cat out of the travel bag and carry her though the metal detector.. Yeah take a cat out of a bag in a area full of people.. Well I get on my way home and that time I take her out and she actually just clung to me and didn’t try to escape.. Now I know how to travel with a cat on a plane…lol.
Suzanne wrote:
My previous cat, Alley, hated to drive in the car. She mrowed the whole time in her travel cage. I found out though, that if she was out of the cage, sitting on my lap, and with her paws on the wheel, she was super calm and seemed to enjoy the trip!! Guess she just wanted to drive
EA wrote:
A few weeks before finding EA in a Walmart parkinglot, we moved from West Texas to Georgia with two rabbits, a pair of parakeets, and a dog crammed in a mini-van. Since then we have gone on numerous visits to Ohio, a ten-hour drive from Atlanta, with EA in the backseat. Talk about hectic.
Don’t forget the earplugs if you travel with Bubbles:
When we drove from Louisiana to Georgia we also had to stay in our PTUs the whole trip. Mrs. B did not mind at all and Madness only screamed for about one hour. But Bubbles basically screamed the whole way (10 hours!). But we all made it OK and in the end it all worked out.
Pumpkin Puss likes to lead the car ride singalongs:
I’m also a road trip veteran – I’ve driven with my pawrents from New Jersey, down to Florida, then to Texas, and back to Florida. Who knows what other state we will live next? My mom got some really useful tips from this article, and she’ll check into the disposable litter boxes next time.
I also usually have free range around the car, since my Mom and Dad don’t put me in a PTU. I really enjoy seeing what’s out there at night – it’s a lot less hectic and I have better vision because I’m a cat. And like Libby, I also like leading car ride sing alongs, MOL.
Don’t forget: you have until June 20th to enter the Iams Giveaway here at The Cat’s Meow. Just leave a comment on any or all of the posts in the Road Trip Series to enter. Details here.
A lot of readers were kind enough to share their stories about traveling with their cats during our recent series on Traveling with Your Cat. Today and tomorrow I’ll be sharing those stories with you.
Mai sistur, Luna, refused to drink oar use the litterbox on the furst leg uv their move from NY to SD, so she spent the whole first nite in the hotel drinking and turning the clumpy litter into one giant boulder, and in between, guarding the door standing liek a meerkat.
Teh next day in teh car she slept all day.
One of the best things about getting reader input is in discovering things that never occurred to me. Like training your cat to brace himself when going around corners.
Sue clued me in to the “Here we Go!” trick:
“The trick is to start small – drive your kitty around the block, etc… then work up to longer trips. My kitty just made a round trip to/from Denver and went on a plane! He was purrfect – no meows, no clawing, just sleeping and purring. He is the purrfect traveler.
When we drive to the vet, he knows how to brace himself in his carrier so he will not fall down when we go around the corners! I taught him this by placing my hand in the carrier and supporting him, then saying “here we go!” and bracing his body for him. Now, whenever I say “here we go!” when we are driving, he braces himself against the carrier! No kidding! He’s smart!”
Gandolf is a veteran Florida-to-Midwest Traveler. His mom Sheryl wrote:
I have an older Manx, Gandolf, born 3/1/01 who has traveled with me and on occasion with my grandsons and my adult children on many trips from Florida to the Mid-West. Since he is an epilepsy medical companion he has also gone via plane domestically on Airtran but doesn’t like the noise of the engines very much.
The most memorable trip was in 2005 when I drove from Sarasota FL to Moline IL for my 30 year class reunion. This was suppose to have been a trip just for myself and of course Gandolf, but at the last minute (and I mean a couple of hours before I left) my grandson’s mother decided that she needed me to take Nathan, then age 2, with me! Well Gandolf and I adjusted our plans and packed Nate’s things and we set off in my Mazda for Illinois. I had packed a quilt and pillow for Nate so he would feel comforted by home things on the long trip so we secured his car seat on top of them with an extra strap so that he would be able to see out of the windows as we traveled the long distance. Gandolf had his travel litter and food/water things on the floor in the back and once we got on the road Gandolf was allowed out of his containment to sit with Nate. He sat quietly on Nate’s lap and purred and they both slept most of the trip, even during the awful traffic jam outside Atlanta that took us 4 hours to negotiate. Gandolf sat in the car and patiently waited while I went to my class reunion (Nathan stayed with his Aunt). He was very sociable with all of my friends and relatives that we visited while in Illinois and we calmly packed back up at the end of our 10 days and headed back to Florida and all was well.
The second memorable trip was the trip we made from Florida to Iowa this January. My husband was diagnosed with a rare disorder and required treatment at University of Iowa Hospital so I packed up our meager belongings in a rental truck, signed the house over to my sons, put Steve, my husband, and Gandolf in the truck and off we went to the cold north…..he doesn’t appreciate the cold weather though and has decided that “kitty in the blanket” is a good thing and will crawl under the blanket next to me so he can stay warm.
The illness caused my husband to lose more than 100lbs and he was completely catatonic the entire trip. My feline companion made sure that I was aware of the medical condition of my other companion. If Gandolf felt that there was some issue with Steve he would insist that I attend to it before we could continue with our travel. We are now living in Iowa so we can be close to University Hospital and Gandolf does his very best to take care of both of us now, but he still likes to get in the car and go….a couple of weeks ago we went to visit with friends about 30 miles from here and they have a small bar in their home. Gandolf made sure that everyone was on their best behavior.
Peggy told a hilarious cat sitting tale of woe:
I have a 16 lb., extremely spoiled, male Bengal , who walks on a leash and loves golf cart rides.
I had to leave and hired a gentleman to come to my home and take care of him for a week. My request of him was to take “Chin Chin” out on his leash everyday and let him watch birds and be sure he had golf cart rides.
Calling home each day, I was told all was well.
Upon returning home, my “sitter” picked me up at the airport and seemed strangely eager to get away from me when he drove to my driveway. I handed him his $500 and he told me it was the worse week he had ever had.
I asked why and he replied that he took Chin Chin out each morning at 9 and it was really difficult to stay outside and wait on him to watch birds until about 4 or 5pm and that he hoped he never saw another golf cart because Chin Chin hopped on it 5 or 6 times during that period and he had put many miles on that cart. He said he would appreciate my getting another sitter next time.
Such is the power “Chin Chin” has over people to force them into obedience.
The only time we’ve stayed away from home for even a night was a few years ago. The house needed flea-bombing, so Mommy and Daddy arranged for one of their friends to take us for a night so they could treat the house and let it air out completely.
Mommy and Daddy put us in carriers and a bag (Tabby & Carbon in one carrier, Skylar in his own carrier, and Lydia in a backpack that she preferred over a traditional carrier) and took us, with toys and a litter box, over to the friend’s. The two resident cats inspected us, and were very nice to us, then we were introduced to the spare room and shown our litter box. Mommy and Daddy said goodbye and told us they’d be back for us the next day, gave us hugs and kisses, then left.
The lady was very kind to us. She fed us on our schedule, made sure to lock the resident cats out of the room so we had it all to ourselves, and even came in to play with us. We explored every corner of our temporary digs, finding the empty packing boxes and the deep closet.
When Mommy and Daddy came back the next day, they were so happy to see us and we were very happy to see them. We all started purring and ran to greet them. They realized that we hadn’t used our litter box at all during the time we’d been there, but as soon as they came all of us hopped in and used it! Then, they collected us all, even after Lydia ran into the deep closet and they had to step in there to get her. She wanted to stay!
Top and bottom photos are of Ansel, whose owner says, “Ansel travels like a complete rock star. We made three trips between California and Texas, plus several other trips for work in 2007.”
This is Part 7 of a series on Fluffy’s Staycation: What to do with cats who stay behind while you travel. In conjunction with this series, PetSmart is sponsoring a giveaway in which the lucky winner will win an overnight stay and TLC at a PetSmart PetsHotel. To enter, just leave a comment on this post, and on every post in this series. Each comment serves as your entry in the giveway; no more than one entry per post per household, please. Winners will be drawn at random on June 15th. Details here.
I challenge any one of you to admit that you’ve never suffered even a twinge of separation anxiety when you travel without your pets. Today we’ll cover a few things that might help mitigate those mournful pangs.
SKYPE VIDEO CALLS
Have you considered video conferencing so that you can get your Fluffy fix while on the road?
If you have 1) a laptop with a webcam, 2) a home computer with a webcam, and 3) an agreeable cat sitter, you can make FREE computer-to-computer calls from anywhere in the world. You can see Fluffy, and Fluffy can see you. The results are amazing (you get better results the better your hardware is and the faster your connections are).
Just go to Skype.com, sign up for an account, and install the FREE software. You’ll be up and running in minutes.
If you don’t have a webcam, a cheapo $30 model will work fine for this. It’s a small price to pay for some QT with Fluffy every evening.
Words of Warning: This works better if the cat sitter is a trusted family member. It’s always a good policy to password-protect your computer files before you travel.
STREAMING WEBCAM VIDEO
When shopping for kennels, some have webcams, so you can tune in anytime for a glimpse of Fluffy.
If Fluffy’s staying at home, you can install a webcam pointed at her favorite lounging spot. (Not for techno-phobes, though, since it can involve reconfiguring your firewall.)
PHOTOS
Many boarding facilities (like PetCamp) and cat sitters upload photos of their guests each day so you can sneak a peak at Fluffy whether she’s enjoying her time at the spa, or a home staycation.
BRING FLAT-CAT WITH YOU
OK. You have to be a little nuts to try this one. But trust me on this, it’s fun and definitely a conversation starter.
If you’re familiar with the concept of “Flat Stanley,” you know what I’m talking about. A Flat-Cat is a feline Flat Stanley, a stand-up version of your cat that you can take on vacation with you and pose for vacation photos.
I have several versions of “Flat Skeezix” that travel with me anytime Skeezix can’t. Flat Skeezix has logged about 15,000 travel miles and has even kissed the Blarney Stone. Your flat-cat will definitely make your set of vacation photos more interesting.
Making a Flat-Cat is easy:
Take a photo of your cat. It’s best if she’s sitting up facing the camera.
Make a print of the photo, as close to life size as possible, usually 11″X14″. If she’s about 12 inches tall standing up, her image should occupy about 12″ of the vertical space on the photo, with about 2″ left over (see example, right).
Adhere the print to a piece of foam core board(fig 1 below). You can get foam core with an adhesive back at any office supply store. Or, use spray adhesive or a glue stick.
Weight it down overnight.
Using an Exacto knife, cut out around the cat image(fig 2 below). Put a self-healing mat or several layers of cardboard beneath the foam core so that you don’t score your dining room table.
Cut a strip of foam core about 1-1/2″ wide and not quite as tall as your cat. This will prop your cat up as you pose her.
Affix it to the back of your foam core cat with packing tape or duct tape (depicted in green in the figure), about 2/3 of the way up (fig 3 below).
Try it out, trimming the length of the support as necessary. The flat cat should tilt backward slightly for stability. Once you have the angle correct, put a second length of tape about halfway down the support that connects the support to the flat cat about an inch or two away. I take 2 lengths of tape and stick them sticky-sides-together in the middle, with the last inch on each end used to affix it to the support and the flat cat.
I can stow Flat Skeezix in my backpack, and pull him out whenever necessary for photo opps. It’s like having him on the trip with me … without a litter box to clean.
What are your strategies for dealing with the anxiety you experience when separated from your cat?
According to the Air Transport Association (ATA), over 500,000 animals are shipped via the air every year. Approximately 1% of the shipments encounter problems including transport in unapproved kennels, missed flights, lost pets, and animals’ deaths. We’ll cover all the precautions you’ll need to take to ensure that you and your cat have a safe, pleasant flight.
To see a first-hand account of what flying with Fluffy is like, check out Anders Porter’s video log of his trip to Sweden to transport his cat Tailer to San Francisco. In his 6-part video report, Anders takes you through the entire process, from conferring with veterinarian Eric Barchus to safely (and sanely) arriving at SFO with Tailer.
Anders and Tailer make it look like a piece of cake, right?
Let’s face it. Flying with your cat can be a crap shoot. You never know exactly how your cat will react until you do it. But if you’re fully prepared, you’ll be better positioned to relax and focus on your cat’s comfort and less likely to have to chase your cat through the airport after she escapes at the security checkpoint.
In our post on Travel Preparations, we covered the high points of preparing for a flight with your cat:
Chip, tag and bell your cat before you travel.
Thoroughly research the airline’s pet policy and charges.
Reserve your seat as early as possible if your cat is flying in the cabin. Most airlines limit the number of pets on each flight.
Check in with your vet before you fly. You’ll need a health certificate and vaccination records. You may want to sedate your cat for the trip, but most vets recommend against it (tranquilizers and sedatives can affect the temperature regulation of the body and cause other adverse effects), so a quick conference with your vet can help you determine what’s best for your cat.
Your cat carrier must meet airline regulations and be FDA and FAA approved. Acclimate your cat to the carrier before the flight and make sure she can move within it comfortably.
Here’s a checklist to help you prepare for your flight:
Obtain a health certificate and your cat’s vaccination records from your vet. Be sure the health certificate meets BOTH the requirements of your state or nation of destination AND your airline carrier. Be sure to check on the time restrictions. Most airlines require that certificates be obtained no more than 10 days prior to the flight.
If you’re taking an international flight, check the quarantine restrictions at your destination.
Carry the health certificate and your pet’s vaccination certificates with you, not in your checked baggage.
Label the carrier with your name, home address and phone number, and a contact name, address and phone number in the city to which you are traveling. (It doesn’t hurt to write it in indelible pen on the carrier itself.)
Take a photo of your cat and keep it with your airline tickets.
Make sure your contact information is updated with your microchip company and pet recovery service.
Put a wee-wee pad in the carrier with your cat so that any accidents are easier to deal with. Bring along 1) Nature’s Miracle wipes in a ziplock to facilitate clean-up, 2) spare wee-wee pads, and 3) a small amount of dry food and treats.
Feed your cat 4 – 6 hours before the flight, then withhold food. Offer her a small amount of water before you leave for the airport.
Put on a harness before you crate her.
NEVER let your cat go through the x-ray machine. You will be asked to remove the cat from the carrier for inspection at the security checkpoints. IMPORTANT! Be pleasant, but insist on being taken to a private enclosed room before you take the cat out of the carrier. Attach the leash before letting her out of the carrier. (I don’t like leaving the leash attached to the harness while the cat is crated due to the choking hazard.)
When you land, let the other passengers deplane first rather than diving into the aisle scrum.
Bring sufficient cash to buy drinks for everyone around you on the plane in the event that Fluffy starts singing Carmen during the flight and your fellow passengers are not opera buffs.
US Airlines was also very good and I flew with them in the cabin when mum adopted me from Best Friends. They charged $100 for me.
One tip is to see if you can upgrade to 1st class when you check in. It only cost $50 to upgrade at check-in and we got much more room under the seat for my carrier and we got to use the 1st class/premier lane through the security check which was much much quieter.
Mum asked Pet Airways about whether cats and dogs were together on their planes and they told her that cats and dogs are in 2 different areas on the plane.
If your cat is flying cargo, take the following steps to ensure she has a safe and comfortable ride:
Call the airline to verify requirements for pets traveling as cargo. During the summer there are many limitations as to what time of day pets can travel. On some routes they’re prohibited altogether in the summer months.
Make sure your carrier shuts securely, but do not put a lock on it, in case airline personnel need to assist the cat.
Affix Live animal signs to the top and sides of the crate.
Attach a food dish and a water dish to the inside of the crate. Position them so they can be filled without opening the crate. Freeze water in the water dish ahead of time so it will provide water without spillage when loading.
Attach a container or ziplock bag of food to the outside of the crate. You may securely attach a bottle of water, as well.
Watch your cat being loaded and unloaded.
Travel evenings midweek when planes are less crowded.
Book on direct, non-stop flights. In the summer avoid trips during the middle of the day.
Always travel on the same flight as your cat. If there is a prolonged delay, you will be able to feed her and if necessary, take her to a hotel with you.
Don’t travel during temperature extremes.
Tell a flight attendant you have a pet traveling as cargo.
Don’t fly snub-nosed breeds such as Himalayans or Persians in the cargo hold.
CHOOSING AN AIRLINE
Pet Airways has received a lot of press recently, and it will begin flying its pets-only airline in July.
But before you make your reservation, be advised that this is probably not an ideal setup for canine-averse cats. The cats will fly in close quarters with dozens of barking dogs (see photo below), and if your cat is frightened of or unaccustomed to dogs, it could be terrifying. It might be better than shipping them in the cargo hold, but it’s not the panacea we’d imagined when the news was first announced.
If your cat isn’t bothered by dogs, it’s an exciting concept, and they’re running promotional fares that are as low as $149 (one-way).
Petfinder recently rated their top five pet-friendly airlines in the U.S.:
Petfinder’s Top Five Pet-Friendly Airlines of 2009
1. Continental – Safety First
Continental is proud of its PetSafe program, which has a 24-hour Live Animal Desk (1-800-575-3335) that tracks the pets from origin to destination. It’s pricier than other programs, but it’s climate-controlled, allows roomy carriers and has designated cargo staff. Travelers using PetSafe can even earn miles. The airline also allows small cats, dogs, pet rabbits and household birds to be carried in the cabin on most domestic flights for $125 each way.
Pets allowed in cabin: Small dogs, cats, rabbits and birds
Pets allowed as checked baggage: No
Pets allowed in cargo: Yes, all pets that are checked travel in climate-controlled cargo, not as checked baggage
2. JetBlue Airways – Full-Service Pet Love
JetBlue really embraced pet-toting travelers when it launched JetPaws last summer. For no additional cost, JetBlue provides a pet carrier bag tag, two TrueBlue points each way, a welcome e-mail and a free pet-travel guide. However, like other airlines, JetBlue has hiked its in-cabin pet charge: one-way fees range from $75 to $100.
Pets allowed in cabin: Small cats and dogs
Pets allowed as checked baggage: No
Pets allowed in cargo: No
3. Airtran – Budget-Friendly
Airtran won’t make you break the bank to fly with your pet beside you (well, technically, under your seat). It’s currently the least-expensive airline to fly with your small pet: just $69 each way.
Pets allowed in cabin: Small dogs, cats and birds
Pets allowed as checked baggage: No
Pets allowed in cargo: No
4. American Airlines – Zoo-Trusted
American Airlines’ animal-trained staff has assisted in transporting animals from popular zoos in cargo. While they only allow a limited number of pets in the cabin, they ask pet parents to make special notes for their animal companions flying in cargo and promise to abide by all requests.
Pets allowed in cabin: Small dogs and cats
Pets allowed as checked baggage: Yes, larger dogs and cats
Pets allowed in cargo: Yes
5. United Airlines – Non-Discriminating
United Airlines loves animals of all kinds. They accept small cats, dogs and birds in the cabin; rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs as checked baggage and other animals including parrots, cockatiels and ferrets in United Cargo. (Shipping by cargo is for items, like some pets, that you can’t check as baggage. Your pet may or may not be on the aircraft with you.) Have a short-nosed dog that you can’t bring in the cabin? Check your date of flight; some breeds and mixes are not allowed in cargo or as checked baggage from June 1 through September 30 of each year.
Pets allowed in cabin: Small cats, dogs and birds
Pets allowed as checked baggage: Depends on the aircraft
Pets allowed in cargo: Yes; however, the type of animal allowed depends on destination and arrival locations
If your cat loves peanuts and a good cattle call, she’ll be happy to hear that Southwest Airlines just reversed its no-pets-on-board policy and will now allow up to five pet carriers in the cabin per flight for an additional charge of $75. Read their policy here.
As you can see, flying with Fluffy is not simply a matter of loading her in her carrier and heading for the nearest airport. But as with car travel, it can provide a way for you to enjoy your vacation with your favorite feline rather than suffering through a week or two of separation anxiety.
If Fluffy can’t wait to start racking up those frequent flier miles, check out these additional resources on flying with your cat:
Today’s guest contributor is Murray the First, a veteran of the open road from the Lone Star state. Murray has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge, but while he was here, he loved nothing more than a good road trip. His mom admits that Murray was not “a normal cat,” and loved riding in cars. Here’s his story, as told by Murray the First himself:
When alive, I loved riding in cars. For that matter I suppose I still could as a ghost cat, but it doesn’t seem practical.
Often we would drive from Texas to Missouri to visit grandma. I would take a travel sized litter box along since it’s a 12-hour trip, and I’d get really excited when we got in the car. I would yowl for the first 20 miles or so and then use the litter box because I got too excited. I won’t repeat here exactly what Dad said, but it usually included the sentiment that I should have done that before we left. Didn’t have to go before we left. And I DID warn him it was coming.
He would pull over to a parking lot, and empty the litter box for me. Then we all settled down for a long drive. I often offered to do some of the driving, but Mom and Dad never accepted the offer. Their loss – I was free to sit on the center console in the sun and nap leaning against Mom.
Fur a short time we had a van and that was very cool. Mom and my other grandma would sit in the middle seats and I was free to ride shotgun.
Every time we got fairly close to our destination, we passed through a small town (which I won’t name here) that had the BEST smell. It smelled like catnip, except not exactly. I’d stand on somebody’s lap so I could press my nose to the vent and get all the smell.
Mom said they couldn’t smell it, but it must be somebody growing pot. She told my I should be a drug enforcement cat (DEC)! I didn’t have time to do that, but I would have loved having a badge…
As I mentioned in a prior entry, I enjoyed the drive through restaurants where people would hand us food. Sometimes even fish! Not only did I get to share, but usually the purrson in the window would make a fuss about how well-behaved and/or handsome I was.
One time when we had the van Miles went with us. He slept through the drive and missed a lot of the fun, but he was delighted with the destination. He sat in the window all day watching the farm cats that live outside at grandma’s house. He wanted to stay longer, and ran away from Mom to hide when it was time to go home. MOL It didn’t work – she caught him anyway.
But grandma was very happy that he liked her house so much that he wanted to stay. So I’m glad he made her feel good and loved.
A few years ago we went to visit grandma and Mom and Dad decided not to drive all the way home in one day, but I don’t remember why.
So, they found a hotel that let me stay with them. It was my first time in a hotel and I loved it. First we got in this little room that moved up and down. Mom said it was an elevator. I’d heard of these but never had seen one in real life. Mom said my eyes got wide when it started to move – it was so much fun!
Then we went into a room that had 2 beds and a TV and a bathroom. Since I had my travel litter box and food, I was all set. But there were lots of places to explore. My only complaint was that I wasn’t allowed to explore the hallway and I really wanted to go out and see who else was staying there.
The next morning we got up, Dad got us some breakfast, and we hit the road again. WELL, we just got to Oklahoma City when the car died! Mom got it to the side of the road ok, but it wouldn’t go any further. None of my suggestions worked either.
Mom started calling on her cell phone and soon a taxi arrived and he waited with us until a tow truck arrived. Well through the stupidity of humans, Dad had to go with the tow truck and Mom and I took the taxi to try to find a rental car. The tow truck driver wanted Dad to go with him all the way to Dallas for some reason.
Mom wanted me to ride in the back of the taxi with her, but I insisted on sitting up front with the driver in case he needed help. (I’m not trusting my mom to just anyone.) The driver laughed and said it was ok for me to ride shotgun and we went in search of a rental car. I rearranged his paperwork a little on the front seat so I could see out the window. When he really seemed baffled, I put my front paws on the dashboard to direct him – he seemed appreciative.
We drove around and around, and the driver wanted to drop us off at the airport. Mom said NO – she was not going to cart me through the airport to find a rental counter (they didn’t have one outside). Darn – I wanted to see inside the airport.
But we found a Hertz local place, and Mom and I went inside. They couldn’t believe how polite and calm I was just walking around their offices. (They had a serious mouse problem, but I didn’t have time to deal with it for them.) They were very impressed, and gave me a bowl of water while I waited. I recommend Hertz!
Meanwhile, it was a good thing I was there to help, because the whole time we were in the taxi Mom was on her phone yelling at the roadside assistance place because they lost Dad. Finally she said that if they didn’t bring him to us right THERE at the Hertz place, she would call the police. Pretty soon the tow truck pulled in and Dad got out of it. Heh-heh! Go MOM!
We rented a car and drove the rest of the way home. The tow truck driver got his brother-in-law to ride with him to Dallas to take the car back to the dealer, and Mom calmed down a lot. After all of that, the dealer said there was one loose screw that cut the connection between the computer and the engine and that’s why the car quit. Technology is sometimes frightening.
But they paid for the tow, tightening the screw, the taxi and the rental car, so it turned out ok. And I had the best time riding in a taxi, staying in a hotel, and renting a car. Not to mention laughing at Mom!
The phone had barely rung when Jerry answered his cell phone. He and his wife, Sharon, were traveling from Belton, Texas to Minnesota for the summer. They were pulling a fifth-wheel travel trailer with their yellow lab JJ King (right) and their yellow cat named Ken Kat (top). They had spent the night at Comfort Inn. JJ King and Ken Kat had spent the night in the fifth wheel. Early the next morning before getting back on the road, Jerry took JJ King for a walk.
Little Coqui!
The trip took 5 days. Purrsie would look out the window, sleep and – amazingly enough – she actually used her litter while the car was in motion. No accidents!
Purrsie ate before we left the hotel – and then she’d have dinner as soon as we stopped. We brought along several cans of one of her favorite foods, and she was never fusyy or refused to eat. We’d bring her litter box into the hotel room each night, and she never had any problem adjusting to the new location. Again – no accidents.
we flew from Sunny Callifornia to New Joisey via continental to meet our need mommie to bought us!
Making a Flat-Cat is easy:
One time when we had the van Miles went with us. He slept through the drive and missed a lot of the fun, but he was delighted with the destination. He sat in the window all day watching the farm cats that live outside at grandma’s house. He wanted to stay longer, and ran away from Mom to hide when it was time to go home. MOL It didn’t work – she caught him anyway.
