Traveling with cats
I’ve had a few people ask about my trip from Korea to Austin with Queso in tow. In the months prior to my departure, I researched online for the best ways to travel such a long distance with a cat constantly. Unfortunately little of it was comforting or all that helpful. Here I’ll outline the process as it happened for me. I know a few people in ROK who are bringing pets back soon, so hopefully this can serve as a comfort for them. As far as other countries go, I think if you are flying to the US the procedure will be roughly the same but make sure to verify everything. Since Queso was a Korean cat, I don’t know what the process is like going from the US to other countries. Click thru to read how we made it from Namyangju to Austin.
- Make sure your cat’s rabies vaccination is current. You will need to get him or her the vaccine at least thirty days prior to your departure. I think Queso’s vaccine was about $50 but I may be remembering incorrectly.
- Call your airline to reserve your cat’s seat on the plane. There are a number of options for pets traveling on planes, but I would be uncomfortable recommending any option other than bringing your animal in the cabin with you. On United, Queso’s ticket so to speak cost $129. You’ll want to call as early as possible because most flights don’t allow more than two pets in-cabin per flight. The pet and carrier will take the place of one carry-on bag. I brought Queso, a backpack, and a big purse on the flight. I upgraded to Economy Plus on my flight so that he would fit better under the seat and I would still have a bit of leg room.
- Your pet will sit under your seat for the duration of the flight so you will need a good quality soft-sided carrier. I purchased a Sherpa carrier for about $40 at PetSmart when I was home on vacation in January. It’s spacious, durable, well-ventilated, light-weight, and approved for pet travel by all major airlines. Queso is a honking 15.8 pounds and he was as comfortable in a size medium carrier.
- You’ll need to carry your cat through security as it is a wee bit inhumane to put an animal through the x-ray machine they use. Queso was all drugged up when we went through in Incheon and Narita, but was fully awake again in O’hare. I worried he would leap out of my arms and be lost in the Chicago airport, but he was scared enough to stay close to me. I’d recommend getting a collar or a leash just in case you’re worried your cat might be a leaper.
- All major airlines require a health certificate of sorts to verify that the animal has no infectious diseases and is healthy to fly. Within seven to ten days of your flight, take your cat to a vet who knows what he’ll need to fly. You can find health certificates online, but the one I got from the vet was much better. I imagine all major cities will have at least one good English speaking vet that specializes in pet travel. My vet in Seoul (ChungWha animal hospital in Itaewon) knew exactly what Queso needed. They were courteous, extremely knowledgeable, and quick. The certificate itself cost about $20 but the other vaccinations, deworming, and pills brought the total to $160.
- To medicate or not? I know my cat. He is a huge, sensitive, easily stressed jerk. He howls when he’s not happy and was so stressed out when I first got him that he screamed for over two hours in a cab. I knew 24 hours of travel was not going to happen for us without drugs. Although some vets and horror stories on the internet might lead to to think otherwise, please consider your pet’s disposition when choosing whether to medicate. If he can self-soothe or won’t scream constantly and be terribly frightened, perhaps medicating is not necessary for your pet. I ended up giving Queso two sedatives before we were on the plane. I administered one just before we left the house for a two-hour bus ride to the airport. An hour and a half after the first pill, he was still yowling and very upset. I somehow managed to give him the second pill while we were on the airport bus and he finally chilled out. I admit I was scared that it was too much and that he wouldn’t be okay, but all worked for the best. He slept or was a woozily awake from Incheon to Narita and Narita to O’Hare. He had woken up by the time we got to customs in O’Hare and was not too happy. I worried he would cry the whole way from Chicago to Austin but he managed to calm down once we were in the air and slept until we landed.
- Potty breaks? Food? Queso is a fucking champ, y’all. He had no bladder problems the whole trip. I limited water while we were flying, but gave him a little from time to time. I think the sedative helped to keep him from having to evacuate, if you will, while we were traveling. He refused the food I offered but again I think that was because of the sedative.
- I was told Queso would need the health certificate and proof of rabies vaccination upon entry to the US. However, when I went to the CDC booth in the customs area in Chicago, the agent did not need to see any paperwork for Queso. All she did was sign us in and staple a paper to my boarding pass instructing me not to remove him from his carrier until outside of the customs area. Still, I did have to show a form to the United agent at Incheon so the thing wasn’t a total waste.
- Stay calm! I had over a year to prepare mentally for Queso’s trip to the US and I was still a nervous wreck when the time came. While the first few hours were trying and I worried I had made a mistake in forcing so much travel on him, he is now happily adjusting to life in Austin. The total cost was pretty high (almost $400, plus the $200 for my extra bag since I didn’t have my big carry on) but ultimately it’s been so worth it to have my Queso home safe with me.
If you have any other questions about traveling internationally with a cat please don’t hesitate to ask!
