Flying with Butch - advice needed

[Madeline528]

Hello Everyone,

Butch and I haven’t been on the forum in quite some time. We are making a big move from NY to FL. I am nervous to make such a change for both of us but want to make the transition as smooth as it can be for him. Butch, China (kitty) and I will be flying. My vet is recommending gabapentin for them both. I will keep all Butch’s meds and Libre sensors in my carry-on. Looking for some guidance from others who have flown with their sugar fur baby

 

[CORKY]

Welcome to Florida, I’m in Miami, Let me tag a member that might know or knows of a member about plane traveling with fur babies
@Bron and Sheba (GA)

 

[Madeline528]

Welcome to Florida, I’m in Miami, Let me tag a member that might know or knows of a member about plane traveling with fur babies
@Bron and Sheba (GA)

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.

Thank you, I’ll be in Delray Beach. I am excited but nervous about the travel and change for Butch.

 

[CORKY]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.

Thank you, I’ll be in Delray Beach. I am excited but nervous about the travel and change for Butch.

it's been raining but the weather and beaches and sand in Delray Beach are off the chart! and we are having good weather in the mid 80's during the day and mid 70's at night! I am hoping for what we call a cold winter
I am sure he will experience high glucose levels from the plane sound, and that can be fixed, I've traveled in the past inside the plane with a apple head chihuahua, but not my cats. have a great and safe flight

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I flew with Neko from Vancouver to Denver, on our way to Fort Collins. @Dyana used to fly to see family from the east to west coast and back, with her first diabetic cat.

I did not use gabapentin on Neko, just some Rescue Remedy and Feliway wipes in her carrier. Lots more hints on how to travel with a cat in here: Travelling with Diabetic Cats
Are you planning on having Butch in the cabin with you? I can recommend the Sherpa carrier. At the time I flew, they were designed to fit under the seat in front of you.

Some notes not in that link are making sure you get documentation from your vet that he is diabetic and what meds are needed. Possibly also a list of up to date vaccinations. I had a small lunch sized container with a freezer pack and Neko's meds in it. As well as some food and HC. Which I stored in my backpack along with a make-do litter box. Get a small box, like a Fancy Feast sized cardboard box, wrapped in a garbage bag, and a very small bag of litter. Extremely important, store the litter in the original litter bag! I didn't, got pulled into secondary screening. Apparently it looked like something you can make bombs with. When you stop at the airport you can put out the litter box and see if he wants to go before you board. And immediately after.

Good to hear his stuff will go on carryon. The cat in carrier counts as a carryon, so I could only carry the backpack in addition and checked my other luggage. Thankfully I had a couple days food for Neko, as well as her dishes in my backpack, cause my checked luggage took at extra day getting to my destination. Sigh! I had scoped out where the local pet store was closest to my hotel. Also make sure you know where the ER vet is at the destination, just in case.

Make sure he has a microchip and/or tattoo. I got a harness (Kitty Holster brand) and got a tag from Petsmart with her name, "diabetic" and my phone number on it. You will need to remove the cat from the carrier to go through screening and walk through the xray with them. Make sure the leash is well attached.

Depending on what his numbers are doing, you can skip or do half dose, or maybe just reduce a bit a couple days before you leave. The downside to high numbers is he may need to pee more. I was lucky that Neko's nadir was after we landed so I gave full dose.

And lastly, from experience, I can say that travelling with a cat in airports during US Thanksgiving week is not a good time to travel. Neko was very quiet and mellow the whole time thankfully. It was me that was nervous. Best of luck with the trip. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Hello Everyone,

Butch and I haven’t been on the forum in quite some time. We are making a big move from NY to FL. I am nervous to make such a change for both of us but want to make the transition as smooth as it can be for him. Butch, China (kitty) and I will be flying. My vet is recommending gabapentin for them both. I will keep all Butch’s meds and Libre sensors in my carry-on. Looking for some guidance from others who have flown with their sugar fur baby

Hi Madeline, it's so nice to see you! I hope Butch and China are doing well!
Good luck with the big move! Exciting news for all of you, no more cold winters!!
Sending good vines your way, hugs to the kitties!

 

[Inky & Olivia]

Hello Everyone,

Butch and I haven’t been on the forum in quite some time. We are making a big move from NY to FL. I am nervous to make such a change for both of us but want to make the transition as smooth as it can be for him. Butch, China (kitty) and I will be flying. My vet is recommending gabapentin for them both. I will keep all Butch’s meds and Libre sensors in my carry-on. Looking for some guidance from others who have flown with their sugar fur baby

Hello! I flew from Norfolk, VA to Buffalo, NY with my cat earlier this year. My husband was on a work trip and I had received news that a family member had some health problems. I didn't have time to get Inky familiar with a cat sitter, so I took her with me. The document that Wendy & Neko linked was super helpful for me so check that out if you can. Here I will provide my own experience on flying with a diabetic cat:

Flights: Both flights were American Eagle/American Airlines. The total travel time (from leaving home to arriving at my parents' place) was around 10 hours (4am - 2pm give or take). I chose the flights by trying to balance the smallest total travel duration that still had a layover >90 minutes as a buffer just in case.

Sedation: My vet recommended NOT to give her gabapentin. I have her on it for driving and vet visits, but my vet explained that combined with the elevation, the sedative can affect their blood pressure. A lot of airlines actually have it written in their terms that they won't accept sedated pets on the plane at all due to the risks. My vet recommended a supplement called "Composure" or "Calm & Confident" by VetriScience (they changed the name and packaging recently), which is what I gave her and it seemed to help a little bit.

Bexacat: My vet recommended that I skip her dose the day before the travel, and to skip it the day of the travel if she isn't eating well or has odd numbers, but this wasn't necessary so I only skipped it the day before. I don't know how that would work for insulin so I would 100% say call your vet to see how to handle it.

Carrier: I took Inky in an airline-approved soft-sided Sherpa carrier, and she was my "personal item" and went below the seat in front of me, so she was with me at all times except going through TSA (more on that further down). In her carrier, I lined it with a t-shirt I had been sleeping in (both to smell like me and because its easily washable), and got some Feliway calming spray for the inside. Throughout the duration of the travel, Inky was in a neon-coloured vest-style harness that contrasted with her fur, and had her rabies and ID tags on her.

In my backpack (carry-on item):

• A change of clothes and toiletries for me
• Inky's Bexacat, and her blood sugar + ketone monitor kit
• Several boxes of backup test strips
• Cotton pads and a new, sealed box of lancets from the drug store
• Several days worth of wet cat food, some high carb wet food Inky really likes, high carb crunchy treats, and a handful of Churu tubes
• A foldable litterbox (from TravelCat), a mini scooper, and a couple of ziploc bags containing a mix of clean and used litter (kind of gross, but there were no poop or pee chunks, just old litter that would smell like her so she'd be more comfortable using it)
• A binder containing her paperwork like her rabies vaccination certificate, recent vet bills, other vaccination certificates, etc.

TSA: You can absolutely request a private screening room. That's what I did, and 2 agents took the carrier (with Inky inside) to the private room while me and my backpack went through the normal scanner machines. Then one of the agents came back and brought me to the private room, where they had me put Inky on her leash and take her out of her carrier while they looked inside it. She hissed at the TSA agents when they tried to pet her, but they both laughed it off because cats are gonna be cats LOL.

Using the bathroom: I got up extra early and gave Inky some food with enough time that she went to the bathroom (both poop and pee) right before we left. At the connecting airport (about 6 hr. after we left for the airport), I went to a family bathroom with a locking door and set up her portable litterbox, but she didn't use it. My dad picked me up from the airport, and on the drive home we stopped for gas (about 10 hr. after we left for the airport), which is when Inky started meowing and scratching at her carrier, so I set up her litter box and she used it in the car in the parking lot. (I have never flown with her, but I have done the multi-day drive from Norfolk to Buffalo with Inky five or six times before, so I knew from prior experience that this was her telling me I have approximately 30 seconds to get her litterbox ready or she's peeing in the carrier).

On the plane: both flights, Inky was a little bit meowy during the boarding and deplaning, but mainly rested quietly during the remainder of the flight and during the layover.

What I would do different for next time:

• I would pack a medium-sized towel in my backpack. I got lucky that she did actually let me test her in the airport and in the car at the gas station, but I'd bring the towel in case she doesn't want to cooperate next time.
• After I landed, I got a specialty tag made that says "DIABETIC," and lists my phone #, husband's phone #, and our main vet's phone #. I would put this on her collar/harness before going to the airport next time.
• Again, I got lucky that Inky didn't use the bathroom in her carrier, so next time I would bring either disposable puppy pee pads, or extra t-shirts and a garbage bag to contain dirty ones.

Please let me know if you have any other questions! I am by no means an expert, but I know how stressful traveling with a kitty can be, so I will try to help however I can!

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I’m glad others have answered your questions as I have no experience with flying with kitties.
Good luck with the move.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Hi Madeline and Butch! I have nothing to add to this excellent list of advice, but wanted to say hello and wish you the very best in your travels.

 

[Madeline528]

it's been raining but the weather and beaches and sand in Delray Beach are off the chart! and we are having good weather in the mid 80's during the day and mid 70's at night! I am hoping for what we call a cold winter
I am sure he will experience high glucose levels from the plane sound, and that can be fixed, I've traveled in the past inside the plane with a apple head chihuahua, but not my cats. have a great and safe flight

I am looking forward to what you call a Florida winter. I can’t wait to see palm trees every day and enjoy the weather and beaches and sand. Thank you so much

 

[Madeline528]

I flew with Neko from Vancouver to Denver, on our way to Fort Collins. @Dyana used to fly to see family from the east to west coast and back, with her first diabetic cat.

I did not use gabapentin on Neko, just some Rescue Remedy and Feliway wipes in her carrier. Lots more hints on how to travel with a cat in here: Travelling with Diabetic Cats
Are you planning on having Butch in the cabin with you? I can recommend the Sherpa carrier. At the time I flew, they were designed to fit under the seat in front of you.

Some notes not in that link are making sure you get documentation from your vet that he is diabetic and what meds are needed. Possibly also a list of up to date vaccinations. I had a small lunch sized container with a freezer pack and Neko's meds in it. As well as some food and HC. Which I stored in my backpack along with a make-do litter box. Get a small box, like a Fancy Feast sized cardboard box, wrapped in a garbage bag, and a very small bag of litter. Extremely important, store the litter in the original litter bag! I didn't, got pulled into secondary screening. Apparently it looked like something you can make bombs with. When you stop at the airport you can put out the litter box and see if he wants to go before you board. And immediately after.

Good to hear his stuff will go on carryon. The cat in carrier counts as a carryon, so I could only carry the backpack in addition and checked my other luggage. Thankfully I had a couple days food for Neko, as well as her dishes in my backpack, cause my checked luggage took at extra day getting to my destination. Sigh! I had scoped out where the local pet store was closest to my hotel. Also make sure you know where the ER vet is at the destination, just in case.

Make sure he has a microchip and/or tattoo. I got a harness (Kitty Holster brand) and got a tag from Petsmart with her name, "diabetic" and my phone number on it. You will need to remove the cat from the carrier to go through screening and walk through the xray with them. Make sure the leash is well attached.

Depending on what his numbers are doing, you can skip or do half dose, or maybe just reduce a bit a couple days before you leave. The downside to high numbers is he may need to pee more. I was lucky that Neko's nadir was after we landed so I gave full dose.

And lastly, from experience, I can say that travelling with a cat in airports during US Thanksgiving week is not a good time to travel. Neko was very quiet and mellow the whole time thankfully. It was me that was nervous. Best of luck with the trip. Let us know how it goes.

Hi Wendy, thank you so much. I will be keeping Butch with me under the seat. I purchased a Sherpa carrier and harness & leash for Butch as well. I will look into the PetSmart tags. Butch recently got his rabies shot, which I have his rabies certificate and tags. Also, his certificate of health. I will ask his vet for documentation that he is a diabetic and what meds are needed. I am planning on having Butch wear a cat diaper because when he’s nervous he pees. I am worried that when he is taken out of the carrier and held he will pee. He will also have his T-shirt on for his Libre sensor.

I’ll watch his numbers to know how to dose the morning of. I am just waiting to see what time I am flying, hoping it accommodates his shoot times.

I will have his food with me too. I already scooped out the local pet stores and will look up the closest ER vet. Thank you for this advice! I’ll keep you posted.

 

[Madeline528]

Hi Madeline, it's so nice to see you! I hope Butch and China are doing well!
Good luck with the big move! Exciting news for all of you, no more cold winters!!
Sending good vines your way, hugs to the kitties!

Hi Staci, thank you, they are doing well. I plan to be back on the forum soon. I hope you and Ivy are doing well too. Thank you so much, I am excited and looking forward to no more cold winters but always worrying about Butch.
Sending hugs and scratches!

 

[Madeline528]

Hi Madeline and Butch! I have nothing to add to this excellent list of advice, but wanted to say hello and wish you the very best in your travels.

Hi Mary and Jude. How are you both doing? I hope that you both are doing well. Thank you so very much!

 

[Madeline528]

I’m glad others have answered your questions as I have no experience with flying with kitties.
Good luck with the move.

Thank you so much!

 

[squeem3]

Re: tags - You want a medical alert tag in addition to the regular ID tag. You can buy one made for Humans or a cutesy pet one like Leroy had (from this Etsy shop but there are other sellers plus other web sites).

You'll want an insulated padded cooler of some kind for the insulin just in case there are delays. There are small travel cases and larger backpacks diabetic Humans use. The backpack might be roomy enough to double as your personal carry on. And a travel sized Sharps container.

Carrier - are there any hard sided approved carriers that fit under the seat? A really determined cat can claw its way out of a soft sided carrier (don't ask how I know). A manicure before the trip might help. Calming products may help if you don't want to give gaba.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Carrier - are there any hard sided approved carriers that fit under the seat?

Yes, but at the time I looked, the size of the approved hard side ones was smaller than the soft side ones. With Neko at not quite 15 lbs, I wanted as large as possible for that many hours. Carriers are rated for max weight inside.

You can get carriers and coolers for insulin. I used a Frio cooling case. ADW has a good selection but you can get them elsewhere too. Frio came in handy one time after when we had a power outage.