A flight can be scary for a pet. Learn how to prepare for a trip with a cat, dog or other pet, and learn the tricks to keeping a pet comfortable and calm on the plane.
Traveling with a cat, dog or other animal can be tricky and many pet owners are nervous before their first flight with a pet. But understanding what to expect and how to prepare for the plane ride can help make for a more enjoyable flight for both owner and pet.
Dr. Michael Levine, DVM, offered several hints dog owners, cat owners and owners of other small pets whose travel plans will take them aboard an aircraft.
Acclimate the Pet to the Crate or Carrier
Prior to an airplane ride, the pet should be allowed access to his crate or carrier. Throughout the day, place treats inside the crate for the pet to find and enjoy. Feed the pet inside the crate. Place toys or a favorite blanket inside the crate so that the pet begins to associate the crate with pleasant experiences.
Withhold Food and Water Before a Flight
A pet should not be given access to food or water within 12-18 hours of a flight. Withholding food and water will help lessen the likelihood of an accident during the flight.
Exercise Before the Flight
Shortly before you leave for the airport, take your pet for a long run, or play a long game of fetch at the park. This will help drain some of the pet’s energy, making him more likely to sleep and relax during the flight.
Line the Bottom of The Pet’s Crate or Carrier with Puppy Pads
On the day of your trip, puppy pads will absorb any unplanned messes, making for easy disposal, while also keeping the pet relatively clean and dry. On top of the puppy pads, place a thick hand or bath towel (depending on size) to serve as a comfortable, yet absorbent surface for the pet to relax.
Pack Pet Supplies for the Flight
A scared or nervous pet may urinate, defecate or vomit due to nerves. So it’s vital that pet owners take along at least two extra puppy pads and two extra towels (of sufficient size to line the bottom of the pet’s crate or carrier. If you plan to keep any soiled towels from the crate bottom (instead of disposing of them), bring along a plastic zip-lock bag to contain moisture and odor.
Also bring along a package of baby wipes to clean your pet following any unexpected messes. Dry cabin air, combined with panting that often results from stress, can lead to thirst, so also bring along a portable pet water bottle, with fold-down drinking reservoir.
“I think the most common request I get from pet owners scheduling a trip is concerning tranquilizers. But a cat or dog that’s been tranquilized will be more likely to die during the flight because the medication changes how the body reacts to stressful situations,” explained Dr. Levine.
He added, “Tranquilizers don’t usually have much effect anyway. If you’ve taken sleeping pills and your house is on fire, you’re not going to have any problems staying awake when you’re running out the door. The adrenaline overrides the medication. The same goes for a pet who’s experiencing stress during a flight – its body will override the effects of the drug.”
In addition, pet owners should also visit the airline’s website for information on regulations concerning travel with pets.
The airline’s website will list all required documentation that pet owners must present, along with information on dimensions for in-cabin crates and carriers. In short, if your crate won’t fit under the seat, it will be transferred to cargo, so ensuring that a crate is the correct size will help pets and owners to avoid unpleasant changes in plans.
The copyright of the article Tips for Flying With Pets in Pet Care is owned by Mia Carter. Permission to republish Tips for Flying With Pets in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Just wanted to remind everyone...pets in carriers in the cabin must NEVER
be removed from the carriers. THEY CANNOT FLY IN YOUR LAP, in the seatback
pocket, zipped inside your jacket, out of their carrier at your feet,
sitting on the tray table or in an empty seat next to you. They cannot be
walked up and down the aisle in your arms or on a leash. They cannot be let
free to roam. My airline doesn't even allow them to be poking their head
out of the carrier. The carrier must remain UNDER the seat in front of you,
as any luggage, until the plane is at level altitude. Then you can pull the
bag out from under the seat so that the animal has more headroom, but you
cannot take the animal out! I am a veteran flight attendant. Avoid danger
to your animal, discomfort to other passengers, and possibly arrest. KEEP
YOUR ANIMAL IN THE CARRIER.
Oct 25, 2008 11:28 PM
Guest :
LOL...I've flown with my Shihtzu and flights attendants DO let her come out
into my lap or the seat next to me above 10,000 feet.
Nov 28, 2008 7:13 PM
Guest :
It's true that some flight attendants may have "let" you do this.
They have probably also "let" people bring on bags that are too
big, sit unbelted when the seatbelt sign is on, etc. That does not make it
legal, smart, right or SAFE. Anyone who cares for their pet will keep it in
the carrier throughout the flight AS REQUIRED BY LAW. People like you will
ask why they have to pay a pet fee when the pet takes up space that would
otherwise be for a carry-on bag. You have to pay a fee precisely BECAUSE so
many people like you insist on breaking the rules. Incidents with pets let
out of carriers ARE COSTLY to airlines.....litigation....injuries to the
pets....allergy attacks and bites on other passengers....diversions due to
allergy attacks...pee/poop/vomit that constitutes a biohazard and
necessitates special cleaning and delays on landing, tick infestation (yes,
it happens) etc., etc., etc. I nearly ran over a loose pet with a
beverage cart. I had told the owner more than once (beginning at the
airplane door) that she had to keep the dog in the carrier. It would have
served her right for me to run over it. She wouldn't have had a leg to
stand on in court, since everyone had heard me tell her to keep it put up.
Of course, that wouldn't have been very fair to the dog, now, would it? THE LAW IS, KEEP YOUR PET IN THE CARRIER THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT. THE NEXT
PASSENGER TO SIT ON THAT SEAT MAY BE ALLERGIC TO DOGS. TURBULENCE COULD
HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT AND YOUR DOG WILL HIT THE CEILING. There are a million
scenarios for WHY they shouldn't be let out. I'm running out of space here.
But suffice it to say, THE LAW APPLIES TO YOU AND TO YOUR LITTLE DOG, TOO.
Sep 9, 2009 9:04 PM
Guest :
just wondering im taking a puppy on the plane if there is an accident am i
allowed to go to bathroom and change out the puppy pad?
Sep 10, 2009 9:00 AM
Mia Carter :
Hello. Thanks for your comment.
I'm sure it would probably be
okay to take your dog into the bathroom to change out the puppy pad. I'm
not sure if it's technically permitted, but I doubt anyone is going to stop
you since you'd be eliminating the odor caused by the accident. I know
I've brought my dog into the bathroom during flights (he'd start screaming
if I left his sight!), so it shouldn't be a problem. ;-)
