Pet Travel Question: How To Make Cat Air Travel A Smooth Process

Name: Ewelina
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Cat
From: Poland
To: United States

Hi,
We love our cat so much that we decided to take her with us to the USA for our six month holiday. We will have her in a travel crate under my chair, but I know she will not like it.

Like other cats, she hates to be closed in a small space. My question is, what we could do to make her travel easier and less stressful? Please give me some advice.

Thanks,
Ewelina
 

Hi Ewelina,

Thanks for your question, we'd be happy to advise. Cats can definitely be anxious about air travel, and the best thing you can do is work to get your cat used to the travel crate well in advance of your trip. This means keeping the kennel out in a visible place, placing toys and treats in it to encourage exploration, and practicing with short rides. Here's a post on our blog with tips for crate-training cats.

Note that we do not recommend sedation, and in fact strongly advise against it. Sedating pets during air travel can be dangerous and airlines will most likely not even allow your cat to board if they think she has been sedated.

As for your trip itself, here are the pet import requirements for Poland and the pet import requirements for the United States. In addition to following airline procedures you'll also need updated an updated rabies vaccine and a health certificate.

Please contact us if you have any  more questions, and good luck with everything!