Pet Carrier Inserts

Make sure you get pet carrier pads/inserts for your trip. I used the brand Dry Fur, and there are different sizes, so you can choose the right one for your carrier. Dry Fur inserts come two in a bag and they were excellent. I had them both placed inside the carrier and removed the first one after Chip used it, so she was left with one more. However for her one insert was enough. From California to Romania via Germany she actually did number 1 in Romania only, before the last 30 minutes flight. She held it for almost 24 hours, but the truth is the refused to drink water during the entire trip, so I had to wet her lips constantly. She did not do number 2 at all.

Feline Travel Checklist

Before traveling with your cat make sure you go over this check list:

- have a vet exam the cat to make sure the cat is healthy to travel;
- get a vaccination record as per the requirement of the country you will visit;
- get a well-ventilated pet carrier and get the cat used to it at least few days before the trip;
- have a pet carrier pad in case the kitty has to "use the litter box";
- do not feed the cat 6-8 hours before the flight to avoid an upset stomach;
- avoid tranquilizers since they block the respiratory system.

The Thought of Traveling with a Cat

The thought of travelling with a cat long distances, and especially by plane, can be a dreading one. Those of us in love with the tiny domestic felines know their sensitivity to changing location and being exposed to loud noises, and traveling through airports, by planes, to new location is just that for kitties.

I recently had to travel with my cat from California to Romania, and I have been thinking about the moment for about six month, trying to go over every detail and imagine how it would be like. I finally did it, and it turned out to be a very different experience than I expected. The preparation process was much more difficult and tedious than the trip itself. With this thought in mind, I have decided to make a blog sharing my experience, so that others planning to engage in such an endeavor could read about how it can be like. I will also be open to questions if any.