Flying With Your Pet

Traveling with your furry child has become increasingly popular over the years. It can be a very rewarding and fun experience for both of you, but it requires careful planning and training to ensure your pet's safety and comfort. Whether you are emBARKing on a domestic flight or an international adventure, here is everything you need to know.

1. Domestic Flights:

•  Evaluate Your Pet: Is your pet well-behaved and good-natured, a four-legged aggressive heathen who will attack, or a spoiled, rotten, misbehaved brat that will yap nonstop and won't listen, because you forgot to teach and train it?  The airline will deny flying your pet if they deem it a menace or nuisance for liability reasons. Hire a pet sitter or family friend and leave Fido and Whiskers at home. 

• Book Early: Inquire with the airline about their pet protocol, weight limit of pets, type and size of airline-approved carriers, breed, and other restrictions. Airline policies vary by airline. Familiarize yourself with your airline's pet policies.  Make sure to book early, as the space available for pets is very limited, especially in the cabin. Most airlines only allow a maximum of 5 pets in the cabin on any flight, and 2 pets max per traveler in the cabin. So, book early. Don't forget to secure pet-friendly accommodations at your destination.
•  In cabin/cargo: While most airlines only allow smaller dogs and cats to fly in airline-approved carriers to fit under the seat, and larger pets in cargo, there are a few airlines that aren't having any of that and will allow your big dog to fly in the cabin beside you. My recommendations for airlines when flying with medium to large-sized dogs are Southwest, JetBlue, and JSX. 

• Health Certificates: Most airlines require a health certificate signed and issued by the veterinarian within ten days of travel. The health certificate must include the name, breed, color, age, vaccination records, and state that your pet is healthy enough to fly. Make sure to microchip your pet.
• Exemptions: If you are flying with a dog or kitten that is either too young (puppies/kittens under 16 weeks old, too young for the rabies vaccine) or exempt from receiving certain vaccines due to other health reasons, this must be stated either on the health certificate or a separate letter on letterhead, signed by your veterinarian. I always ask for both, a separate letter and notation on the health certificate, for the just-in-case, not so smart and not so polite airport staff who can't think outside the box .... Yes, they do exist. 

• Travel/Flight Anxiety/Motion Sickness: If your pet is a nervous wreck or suffers from motion sickness, discuss possible remedies with your vet. I'm not big on drugging my pets. I have found Melatonin (dosage varies by size) to work wonders on flight and other travel anxieties with my pets, and pheromones work great with cats. 
• Travel Insurance: Buy travel insurance for your pet. 

2. International Flights: 

• Research Destination Requirements: Contact the authorities of your destination country. Check the entry requirements and laws, including breed restrictions, health certificate, vaccination, microchip, and quarantine requirements. You will be denied entry if not all requirements are met.
• Travel Insurance: Buy Travel insurance for your pet.
• Book Early: Limited space for pets also applies to flights abroad.

3. You booked your pet, but there are more preparations to be done. Just like for yourself, you will need to prepare and pack for your four-legged kid. 

• Airline Approved Crate:  There are so many choices these days. The best way to go about this is by checking the type and size requirements with your airline before even shopping for one. Take into consideration if your baby is flying in the cabin or cargo. If flying in the cabin, you can choose a hard plastic carrier, a soft carrier, or a carrier backpack.  If flying in cargo, you must choose a size appropriate airline-approved hard sided plastic crate. Either way, choose a carrier/crate that provides plenty of ventilation and fits your pet. The ideal carrier or crate shouldn't be any bigger than allowing your pet to lie down, stand up, and being able to turn around, and your in-cabin carrier must fit under the seat.

      My favorite in-cabin carrier is the backpack carrier on wheels. It has an extension handle, allowing you 

      to maneuver it through the airport like a carry-on suitcase, instead of having to carry it. 

• Acclimate Your Pet to the Crate:  Buy the carrier/crate early. Set it up in the common area of your home and teach your munchkin to use it. Never force your pet to go in the carrier/crate. Start with just leaving the door open and baiting it with treats, favorite toys, a bed, or blanket inside the crate/carrier, making the crate/carrier inviting. Allow your pet to come and go freely, without associating the crate with punishment, instead learning to appreciate it as a personal space. Feeding and putting the water dish inside is another positive method of reinforcement.

     Do that for a few days, then start closing the door with your pet inside. Make it a game.  At first, only             leave the door shut for a couple of minutes and then reward your pet with affection, praise, and                     treats. Repeat this exercise throughout the day and slowly increase the time inside the locked crate,

     until the day of departure. By the time you're ready to fly, your pet will handle life in the carrier/crate

     like a champ. 

• Pet Supplies: Aside from packing the obvious, bowls, food, treats, and a couple of toys, make sure to bring blankets and pee pads for the crate, so if your flight runs into any delays, your pet won't have to lie in wetness inside the crate. Buy incontinence pads for humans, or absorbing, washable pads, instead of puppy training pads.  Training pads are scented to encourage pets to pee there. Buy poop bags, wet wipes, disinfectant wipes, and a roll of small garbage bags from the Dollar Store, for any pre-flight or during flight bigger accidents. 

     I once ran into an unexpected flight delay with my German Shepherd on a flight from Charlotte to San           Francisco, with a stop in Atlanta, where I had to switch flights. My German Shepherd, who was traveling         in cargo, ended up in Fort Lauderdale, and I in San Francisco. 20 hours later, I got my girl back.                         Surprisingly, she didn't mess in her crate, wasn't traumatized, and flew back with me without any                   further incidents. 

• Pet Medications: Pack your pet medications in a Ziploc bag and carry these in your carry-on or purse. Have your vet refill any prescription medications and preventatives. Certain medications require refrigeration. Ask your vet if these medications are available in a non-refrigerated version. If the medication requires refrigeration, buy a small, insulated bag and ice packs. Store these in the freezer until the day of departure. Just like your medications, make sure all prescriptions have the proper labels featuring the prescribing vet's name, patient's name, the name of the medication, and the dosage. This is especially important if the prescription is a controlled substance. 

• Clothing, Leashes, Harnesses/Collars: If you live in Southern California and are flying to visit your relatives in Maine for Christmas, it is wise to pack a winter coat or fleece sweater for your pet, especially if they are shorthaired. Make sure dog tags are attached to the harness or collar, and make sure your pet is wearing the harness or collar during travel. Carry your leashes in your purse or carry-on.
• Travel Documents:  Make copies and screenshot health certificate, vaccination records, and any veterinarian-issued letters related to the trip. Put your pet's travel documents in a folder and put these with your travel documents. 

4. The Day Before Take Off: Put travel documents and copies in your purse or carry-on. Pack all of your pet supplies and start administering calming remedies, if needed. Take your dog out for a long walk and playtime.

5. EmBARKation Day:  Get up early enough to take your dog out for a long walk and play time. That'll tire and relax your dog as well as allow your pet time to take care of business before the flight.

• Feed: A light breakfast or skip breakfast and provide access to plenty of water before the flight. Administer another calming and/or motion sickness remedy about 2 hours before the flight, if needed. Make sure your pets wear their collars/harnesses with tags.
• Pack all medications. Put refrigerated medications in insulated bag with ice packs.
• Crate/Carrier: Put a blanket, favorite toy, a shirt that smells like you (familiar scents provide comfort to your pet), a water dish (I always freeze water in the water dish to avoid spillage), and disposable or washable absorbing pee pads inside the crate/carrier. NO FOOD OR TREATS INSIDE CRATE OR CARRIER!!!

• Cats: Instead of litterbox use, incontinence pee pads (layer a few since cats like to scratch to bury their deposits) to avoid tracking or spilling of litter. Put your cat in its carrier before leaving your home to avoid the cat from escaping at the airport.

• Arrive Early:  Get to the airport early to avoid the lines at check-in. All pets must be checked in at the airline counter. Once checked in, if your pet flies inside the cabin, clear TSA before everyone else does. This will allow you time to take your pet to the designated relief area for pets inside the airport, before the flight.
• Pets Traveling in Cargo: Pets flying in cargo will be checked in and handled by airport personnel at the airline counter. Check with the airline, where to retrieve your dog at the destination airport. Make sure to fill out and put an airline tag with your information and, pet's name on the crate/carrier.

• Boarding Plane: Store the carrier under the seat in front of you. 
• MOST IMPORTANTLY: STAY CALM. Your energy determines your pet's state of mind. If you are worried, stressed, and scared, so are they. Our pets feed on our energy.

6. Upon Arrival:  Take your dog to the airport relief area before leaving the airport. If your dog traveled in 

     cargo, verify pick up location with airline personnel and proceed to the designated area.

• Maintain Routine: Keep the feeding and exercise schedule the same to allow your pet to adjust to its new surroundings.

7. Special Consideration for Cats: You know the old saying, "Dogs Have Masters, Cats Have Staff". This 

     can make flight preparations a little more difficult, since cats are more sensitive to changes than dogs.           Familiarizing Sir Whiskers with the carrier can be quite challenging. Start extra early familiarizing your           cat with the carrier. Flying with your cat, you might want to consider a hard plastic carrier, so Sir                     Whiskers can't scratch a hole into the mesh of the soft carrier and escape. Use pheromone sprays or             calming collars to help ease anxiety, and consider absorbable pads, in lieu of a litterbox.

Most importantly, I can't stress this point enough: 

STAY CALM TO EASE YOUR PET'S STATE OF MIND.

HAPPY TRAVELS