What more to do to help air travel with cats?
October 23, 2011 11:24 AM Subscribe
What more can we do to make the international trip with 2 cats doable (aka not hell for everyone)?
We are flying with our 2 cats (15lbs) in January. Trip from wisconsin (4hr drive) to chicago to paris, then train from paris airport to south.
Total trip will be about about 18hrs. Considering driving to chicago the day before so they can rest.
We got new carriers 3 months ago, they are out in the living room , i give them their favorite treat in it everyday. We tried the no stress spray and getting them used to the car.
trip1: no spray or anything . 10 minutes. 2 cats meowing like insanity.
trip 2: 30 minutes with stress free spray. 1 cat mewoing like insanity. 1 cat totally calm
trip 3: 1hour with spray. 1 cat meowing like insanity, 1 cat totally calm, then threw up everywhere mid trip, and went on to freak out and drool all over for the rest of the trip.
called the vet. Got prescription sedative. tried 1/2 tablet. little effect.
a week later. tried 3/4 tablet. still just a bit drowsy/high looking. did a trial run in the car for 15 minutes.
cat 1 meowing insanely. cat 2 calm with a little meowing.
We are freaking out. we have 2 months to figure this out, with a transitional move to my in laws 4 hours away by car during these 2 months. I feel awful.
HELP!!!
We are flying with our 2 cats (15lbs) in January. Trip from wisconsin (4hr drive) to chicago to paris, then train from paris airport to south.
Total trip will be about about 18hrs. Considering driving to chicago the day before so they can rest.
We got new carriers 3 months ago, they are out in the living room , i give them their favorite treat in it everyday. We tried the no stress spray and getting them used to the car.
trip1: no spray or anything . 10 minutes. 2 cats meowing like insanity.
trip 2: 30 minutes with stress free spray. 1 cat mewoing like insanity. 1 cat totally calm
trip 3: 1hour with spray. 1 cat meowing like insanity, 1 cat totally calm, then threw up everywhere mid trip, and went on to freak out and drool all over for the rest of the trip.
called the vet. Got prescription sedative. tried 1/2 tablet. little effect.
a week later. tried 3/4 tablet. still just a bit drowsy/high looking. did a trial run in the car for 15 minutes.
cat 1 meowing insanely. cat 2 calm with a little meowing.
We are freaking out. we have 2 months to figure this out, with a transitional move to my in laws 4 hours away by car during these 2 months. I feel awful.
HELP!!!
Response by poster: thanks.. they are so huge i am not sure about putting them in the same carrier. my calm cat also gets pretty grouchy at the other cat trying to cuddle or play with on a daily basis, so i am also scared about thta. i amhoping maybe we can get a stronger sedative for the loud cat. he seesm to just dislike being in the carrier (pushing out of it with head)
posted by kirikara at 12:00 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by kirikara at 12:00 PM on October 23, 2011
My cat hates his carrier no matter what I do. I figure I will just overnight him where ever next time I take a trip.
posted by Samizdata at 12:27 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by Samizdata at 12:27 PM on October 23, 2011
The two I was double carrier-ing were 20 and 16 lbs ... so heavy to lug ... big carrier ... but yes, may not be practical.
However, crying in the car for 13 solid hours did my cat no harm. He cried the next day for 5 more hours. He was fine as soon as the trip was over. It will be unpleasant if he cries the whole time, but he (and you) will survive even if it's awful.
I think the treats and the practice runs are exactly the right thing but some cats relax and some don't.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:52 PM on October 23, 2011
However, crying in the car for 13 solid hours did my cat no harm. He cried the next day for 5 more hours. He was fine as soon as the trip was over. It will be unpleasant if he cries the whole time, but he (and you) will survive even if it's awful.
I think the treats and the practice runs are exactly the right thing but some cats relax and some don't.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:52 PM on October 23, 2011
The American Veterinary Medical Association now recommends against sedating cats for travel. Talk to your vet about alternatives (Feliway, placing previously worn pieces of your clothing in their carriers, and preventive methods to aid against stress-induced illnesses). I feel for you, but you may just have to listen to the unhappy sounds on your travels. More practice runs with positive reinforcement may be a big help.
posted by vers at 1:00 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by vers at 1:00 PM on October 23, 2011
Moved two cats to and from from the Caribbean, one was a 24hr + fiasco with cancelled flights, the other 14 hours - a couple of things I learned.
Flying: if carrying on (recommended!) make sure you notify the airline ahead of time and "reserve your spot" since they only allow so many carry-on pets per flight. You will have to take the cats out of the carriers and carry them through the screening machines while sending the carriers through the conveyor belt machine. I started getting my cat used to a harness about 2 months before the trip. He was not happy but I certainly was when I had him leashed to me during the airport craziness. They will hate it, fall over and not move, try to walk backwards out of it. But for one hour a day get them used to a harness if you want to go that way. Try to associate the harness with fun things, I would take my indoor cat outside as a treat on the harness and now he will actually bring me the harness when he wants to go outside. He kind of loves it...
Car rides, great idea. We did that and it definitely helped. After about an hour and a half they settled down...
Cover the carriers with a towel or blanket to make them dark, it's soothing (or something) and tends to quiet down the mewing. Try not to acknowledge their noises and its almost reinforcing a behavior you're trying to discourage.
If you are checking the cats in baggage, DO NOT give them drugs. No one will be down in the luggage compartment to see if something goes wrong. If you can avoid the drugs, do it, because again, even if they are with you in the plane, what can you do if they have a reaction or something...? (coming from the owner of an asthmatic cat so I get paranoid about that kind of thing)
Hope this is helpful! Good luck!
posted by danapiper at 1:06 PM on October 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
Flying: if carrying on (recommended!) make sure you notify the airline ahead of time and "reserve your spot" since they only allow so many carry-on pets per flight. You will have to take the cats out of the carriers and carry them through the screening machines while sending the carriers through the conveyor belt machine. I started getting my cat used to a harness about 2 months before the trip. He was not happy but I certainly was when I had him leashed to me during the airport craziness. They will hate it, fall over and not move, try to walk backwards out of it. But for one hour a day get them used to a harness if you want to go that way. Try to associate the harness with fun things, I would take my indoor cat outside as a treat on the harness and now he will actually bring me the harness when he wants to go outside. He kind of loves it...
Car rides, great idea. We did that and it definitely helped. After about an hour and a half they settled down...
Cover the carriers with a towel or blanket to make them dark, it's soothing (or something) and tends to quiet down the mewing. Try not to acknowledge their noises and its almost reinforcing a behavior you're trying to discourage.
If you are checking the cats in baggage, DO NOT give them drugs. No one will be down in the luggage compartment to see if something goes wrong. If you can avoid the drugs, do it, because again, even if they are with you in the plane, what can you do if they have a reaction or something...? (coming from the owner of an asthmatic cat so I get paranoid about that kind of thing)
Hope this is helpful! Good luck!
posted by danapiper at 1:06 PM on October 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: hi thanks for the advice. Honnestly I dont personally care about the whining they are my cats and I will take it. What I strongly worry about is the comfort of my fellow passenger. We are traveling by air and train therefore sharing a small space for many hours with many passengers.
The plane might be loud but there is no way it will cover my cat's loud meow (ironically he meows very lightly at home, but screams in the car) and the high speed french train is not really noisy at all...
We all now sedation is not a good idea, but I need to consider all factors too. I am afraid people are just going to riot against us...
posted by kirikara at 1:06 PM on October 23, 2011
The plane might be loud but there is no way it will cover my cat's loud meow (ironically he meows very lightly at home, but screams in the car) and the high speed french train is not really noisy at all...
We all now sedation is not a good idea, but I need to consider all factors too. I am afraid people are just going to riot against us...
posted by kirikara at 1:06 PM on October 23, 2011
This is sort of a long shot, but do you already have contacts in France? Could they send you some Zylkene? I don't know if it is available in the US, but it has been used for a few years in Europe with provable results. Maybe try it combined with Feliway as a last resort before you go for a full-on sedation drug, especially if you will need to top-up the sedative mid-journey. Health concerns aside, some sedatives can cause nausea and vomiting - you'll no doubt want to avoid a situation where your cats could potentially be sitting in their own mess for hours.
posted by wigsnatcher at 1:57 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by wigsnatcher at 1:57 PM on October 23, 2011
I feel for you.
I did a 12 hour trip with two cats in the cab of a moving truck once. Sounds like drugs may be your only guarantee, but one thing I found was that they calmed down if they could see me through the front of their carriers. They definitely meowed much less often when they were pointed towards me rather than towards the door or dashboard.
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 2:02 PM on October 23, 2011
I did a 12 hour trip with two cats in the cab of a moving truck once. Sounds like drugs may be your only guarantee, but one thing I found was that they calmed down if they could see me through the front of their carriers. They definitely meowed much less often when they were pointed towards me rather than towards the door or dashboard.
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 2:02 PM on October 23, 2011
I also started talking to them and that helped, but I'm not sure how much. Insanity may have been setting in at that point.
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 2:03 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 2:03 PM on October 23, 2011
Not to be gross but their going to pee in the carriers. I bring towels/dishcloths I don't care about so they can just be thrown away after they've been soiled and a new one put in. Its something do definitively keep in mind.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 2:48 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 2:48 PM on October 23, 2011
What is your carrier like? Mine has a grill at one end where the cat can see out. I find that she meows if she can't see me, but as soon as I turn the carrier around so the grill faces me, she calms right down. YMMV.
posted by lollusc at 4:02 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by lollusc at 4:02 PM on October 23, 2011
Response by poster: they both can see us when we take them in the car. The first 2 trips I sat right next to them in the back. That did not change anything :(
posted by kirikara at 5:05 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by kirikara at 5:05 PM on October 23, 2011
Just did a 6-day cross-country road trip with our 2 cats. I gave this to the one who tends to freak out during travel. The stuff smells terrible (a bit like sour milk + vitamins), but I dosed him twice a day and he slept just about the entire time. And when he was awake, he just looked out the window watching the scenery go by.
On the other hand, I tried giving it to the other cat as an experiment and she HATED it. It just made her antsy and yowly. But since you have a while to test out your cats' reactions, I highly recommend it.
Good luck!
posted by TG_Plackenfatz at 8:56 PM on October 23, 2011
On the other hand, I tried giving it to the other cat as an experiment and she HATED it. It just made her antsy and yowly. But since you have a while to test out your cats' reactions, I highly recommend it.
Good luck!
posted by TG_Plackenfatz at 8:56 PM on October 23, 2011
This stuff does a really good job of getting my cats to go the fuck to bed instead of playing hide-and-seek all night in my room. Also works great when its time to go to the vet.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 4:39 PM on October 24, 2011
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 4:39 PM on October 24, 2011
Response by poster: hey just wanted to give an update for other people in my situation.
We took other rides and it was a nightmare. On the day of the move though, we were all stuck in the moving truck (1 driver, 2 passengers in the front with 2 cats on our laps) and they were quite scared. They meowed and howled for about 1.5 hours and then settled down. They 'd wake once in a while when moving a little more or in hills (they are not roller coaster fans).. So they did end up shutting up after a while.
Our vet mentionned that if they were not getting much sleep with the med they just would not. So she prescribed xanax and I gave them that. I dont think it did much but who knows really.
fyi, a friend recommended dramammine since he uses it for his dog but this is NOT recommended for cats according to our vet. so dont use that..
posted by kirikara at 9:00 AM on December 5, 2011
We took other rides and it was a nightmare. On the day of the move though, we were all stuck in the moving truck (1 driver, 2 passengers in the front with 2 cats on our laps) and they were quite scared. They meowed and howled for about 1.5 hours and then settled down. They 'd wake once in a while when moving a little more or in hills (they are not roller coaster fans).. So they did end up shutting up after a while.
Our vet mentionned that if they were not getting much sleep with the med they just would not. So she prescribed xanax and I gave them that. I dont think it did much but who knows really.
fyi, a friend recommended dramammine since he uses it for his dog but this is NOT recommended for cats according to our vet. so dont use that..
posted by kirikara at 9:00 AM on December 5, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
We had a small dog carrier, so it fit both cats comfortably, and this was mostly just for trips to the vet. I'm guessing it's not possible for the flight. But you could try it for some of your trial runs to see if it calms the panicked cat down, maybe helps him get used to the carrier/motion.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:45 AM on October 23, 2011