I recently flew with my bengal kitty named Maui from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL. There was so much uncertainty on how to fly with a cat, how to keep our cat calm and what forms needed to be completed. Here is everything you need to know for flying with cats in-cabin.
HOW TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR CAT?
First and foremost you have to get your cat acclimated with traveling. Take your cat on a few car rides so that your cat doesn’t associate leaving the house with going to the vet. The first few times I took my cat in the car, he was nervous and peed in his carrier. After we started taking him on short trips through drive-thrus or errands, he calmed down. He even felt comfortable enough to sit on the passenger seat and in our lap.
You’ll also want to get your cat familiar with their carrier. Feed your cat in the carrier for a few weeks before your flight. Leave the carrier out in the open so your cat can get used to it.
Bring your cat to the vet to make sure they are up to date on all of their vaccinations.
Microchip your cat just in case you’re separated from your furry baby.
HOW TO BRING YOUR CAT ON THE PLANE?
Next step is booking the flight. Call the airline to make sure that there will be enough space on the airline for your pet. Some airlines only allow a certain amount of pets to fly in the cabin. Make sure you search the animal policy of the airline of your choice before you book. We flew United from San Diego to Jacksonville and on our way home we flew American airlines.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TAKE A CAT ON A PLANE?
Service and emotional support animals often fly free. Check with the airline to see if there are any fees. If your animal is not a service or emotional support, then you will have to pay the flight fees each way. This can range anywhere from $100-$200 each way.
HOW DO YOU GET YOUR ANIMAL AS AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT?
Both United & American airlines required three forms to be completed and uploaded or emailed to them.
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Mental Health Form – includes a signature from a medical or mental health professional.
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Veterinary form – includes a signature from a veterinarian and a list of all of your cat’s vaccinations. Our vet is through Banfield Animal Hospital and they charge $50 to sign the forms. The vet also provided us with a wellness certificate. The certificate price was included in our plan. However, the certificate can be pricey if your pet is not on a wellness plan.
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Guest Confirmation/Liability & Emotional Support Animal Behavior form – Completed by you.
HOW DO YOU FLY WITH AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL?
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Do not feed your animal 3-4 hours before takeoff. That will help to avoid any accidents on the plane.
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Line the cat carrier for the plane with a towel or potty pad.
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Take breaks often. Allow your cat to stretch their legs every few hours. There are pet relief areas at the airport but in my opinion they have a strong urine smell. We ended up setting up the travel litter box in the family restrooms. However, our cat didn’t go until we got to our final destination.
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Reward your cat for good behavior. Give a treat once you’ve landed at your final destination or when the cat uses the travel litter box.
HOW TO TRAVEL WITH A BENGAL CAT ON A PLANE?
Bengal cats are high energy and social creatures. Just like humans, cats can get anxious at takeoff and landing. It’ll take some effort to help calm them down. Our cat had quite a few “meows” during takeoff and landing, which made me think that they’re probably experiencing the same change in air pressure as we do. Traveling can be deeply stressful for a cat so I wouldn’t recommend flying them in the cargo area of the plane. They’ll be much less stressed out if they fly in-cabin with you. On our flight, we were allowed to hold our cat on our lap since he is an emotional support. Our cat slept on our lap the whole flight! I was pleasantly surprised with how well my bengal cat traveled! This behavior isn’t typical for a bengal but you can definitely bring their favorite toys or use other methods to keep your cat calm on the flight.
HOW TO KEEP CAT CALM ON FLIGHT?
Check with your vet to see if they recommend sedating your cat for the flight. Our vet recommended giving our cat half of a Benadryl. We gave our cat half of the Benadryl wrapped in turkey right before we boarded the flight. We also put a pheromone droplets in his mouth and cat carrier. Below is the cat anxiety pheromone drops we used:
WHAT TO BRING WHEN YOU TRAVEL WITH A CAT:
It is better to be overprepared than underprepared! Pack extra supplies just in case of any layovers or changes in schedules. Check with the airline on what cat travel carrier will fit under the seat in front of you. I recommend a soft-sided carrier as it is easier to fit under the seat. You’ll need to pack the following items:
What are some tips you have for flying with a cat? Comment below!