Would my 8 year old cat survive a 30 hour journey including layovers from China to Tampa florida?

dog crates tampa image

Lloyd

He is healthy but the flight time and layovers are so long I just cant imagine how he will cope with the situation. I am also worried about customs, i.e. will he be isolated for inspection, or whatever.

Answer
8 years is not old at all for a cat.
I assume he is in good general health, as you mentioned no problems.

All my cats and dogs have travelled by air when I have moved.

Animals are imported and exported all over the world this way.
It can be slightly traumatic during the journey, but they get over it remarkably quickly.

I would take my pets with me if I moved over seas...
No way would I give them up!

Coming over here (to Australia), all imported animals also face a four week quarantine before you can collect them (used to be 6 months, years ago).

So 30 hours is nothing.

PS - I would start getting him used to travelling around once or twice a week with you, in a cat carrier in your car. Start with short trips, and of course dont leave him in the car unattended.

There may be much crying and carrying on initially.
But they get used to it quite quickly.

Also make sure when you do send your cat OS - That you are already there to greet him.
A familiar person at the other end, will help him settle much quicker.

I always left my cats at their home with a trusted friend to care for them and prepared to take them to the airport etc.
So that when they arrived a day or two after me - I was already settled in with their things organised (beds, kitty litter, food etc).
You dont want to be moving furniture into the new home, at the same time while trying to settle your cat in.

Good luck with your move!
You should also phone the relevant people to ask about any quarantine issues, vaccinations etc.
And contact transport companies regarding, costs, crating, etc.

I'm flying with my dog in Cargo I've read online about something called the crate mate, where can I get one?

bk

We're flying USA 3000, from Tampa to Detroit, in about 3 weeks. The "Crate Mate" thing is supposedly made of heavy duty backpack like material that bolts to the dogs crate, it holds all paperwork required to fly, and spare water and food, in case of any problems. I read about it on this website: http://www.bcrescue.org/flying.html

Answer
First, let me start by saying that I read the article on which you were referring to. I can't say that I found it the least bit correct or even educational. It is full of garbage. A few things I found completely incorrect were:

Try to get a wide-body plane. Ask what type of plane you'll be flying in. If you don't know which plane is which, then ask them if it is a wide-bodied jet (for instance, a 767 isn't - it's a cigar, a DC-10 is). A 767 is a wide body aircraft. Most airlines do not even fly the DC 10s anymore...they are being phased out with 767 or 777 aircraft.

I always keep my dog until about 25 minutes until the plane's scheduled to take off. Don't let them push you into taking your dog earlier than that. If you do this, you will miss your flight...it takes time to get through security and to your gate. And the cut-off time to board is 10 minutes before departure.

You could tip the guy that is taking your dog. I always have given the guy a few dollars, saying that he is supposed to take good care of this dog. I don't know if it has helped, but it certainly can't hurt. Don't tip...we are just doing our job. And if you are shipping your dog via cargo, you have already paid us.

Ok, now that I have said that, let me explain something to you. The air cargo facility should package all of your papers neatly together for you and seal them in a plastic bag on the outside of the crate. I don't recommend bringing spare water. Most places have free water (water fountains and such). And if you are shipping your dog via cargo, upon arrival at your destination, the air cargo facility will be more than willing to give your animal some water. As for the food, I have seen many people ziploc a bag full of dog food and try taping it to a crate. These bags always rip or fall off. Trust me...I deal with it all the time. The best solution to you is that you pack a small bag in your checked luggage or just buy it when you get to your destination. If you feel the need to bring some, then I would recommend you finding a plain ole fanny pack and fill it with dog food pellets. You can also put the leash in there and strap it to the crate. I wouldn't waste time or alot of $$$ with a "crate mate". It will just become something you may not need or use in the future. At least with the fanny pack, you can still use it on walks for treats and such.

And one last thing about that article and then I'll be quiet. Most baggage handlers love pets. We see them everyday. We want you and your animal to get there safely and very comfortably. If you do not want anyone to feed or give water to your animal, write, "Please do not feed me". I recommend you put your animal's name on the outside of the crate. We will call your dog by their name and they will feel like they have friends when you are not around. We will keep your pet out of the heat (and most airlines do have pet embargos during the hot/cold times of the year). We will not "forget" to put your dog in the heated part of the cargo hold. That is just ridiculous.

I hope that something I have said will help you in your journey and have a great flight.

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