I’ve now been living in Mexico City for almost a full year. For the past two years, I flew back and forth with my cat Marley a couple times per year as I was exploring the idea of moving permanently.
With these many flights, I discovered solutions to a few pain points that I want to share with you to make your trip with your cat easier. Whether traveling international or domestic, these tips should make your time in the airport and in the air less stressful for both you and your cat.
You can read my first post “Cat Travel- Mexico to Michigan, USA” where I looked into the best airline to travel from Michigan and the regulations of pet travel between Michigan and Mexico.
In summary from my past article: I love flying Delta with Marley. It’s easy to use the chat feature on Delta’s website to verify the flight has available space for a pet onboard, then they can easily add the pet to the flight(s). To reserve a spot on the flight, they will need your pet’s breed, age, weight of the pet + carrier, if the carrier is hard or soft, the dimensions of the carrier. You do not need to pay anything with Delta when reserving the spot on the flight, but you do have to already have paid for your flight. You will not be able to do online check-in. At the desk, they will check your pet’s paperwork and you will pay your pet fee. Pet Fees with Delta. Another piece of advice: your pet carrier will be your carry-on and must be placed under your seat. I take a backpack with my purse in it, laptop, medications, and any other important things I want on board with me.
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Marley’s Favorite Carrier
The carrier that I love to use for Marley’s airline travel, car travel and veterinary trips is the Sherpa Delta Airlines Travel Pet Carrier, Airline Approved & Guaranteed On Board. It is 18.0″L x 11.0″W x 10.5″H and fits pets up to 16 lbs. It has a fuzzy liner at the bottom to keep your pet warm and cozy. The liner is removable to wash if needed. Both hand and shoulder strap are included. The shoulder strap was hugely important to me, as it’s long enough to use it as a cross-body and makes it much easier to navigate having your hands free. There are mesh windows and roll-up “curtains” so you can modify for your pet’s best needs – if they like to look out or if it stresses them out.
The carrier has a medium-sized pocket which I initially kept folded up paperwork – I now keep this in a folder in my backpack. I now include Marley’s harness and leash, her portable/collapsable litter box and foldable water/food dish.
How to take your cat to the bathroom?
I’m very fortunate that Marley is a really chill cat. She is older so it’s important that she does get to use the bathroom often. I usually take early flights, so I pick up her water bowl the night before our flight. I don’t take her out of her carrier while on the plane, so we make sure to get to a safe place for her to use her litter box before and after the flight.
Currently, I use my Priority Pass, one of the perks of my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, to spend some relaxing time at a lounge with Marley before our flight. The Minute Suites at DTW airport are “purrfect” for us. They are private rooms with a couch and TV to hang for an hour. I set up Marley’s portable/collapsable litter box and foldable water/food dish and let her roam and stretch out before our flight.
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Here’s a pain point that I learned after my first two flights. Figuring out how to clean the portable litter box was a hassle, trying to rinse it out awkwardly in a public bathroom, wiping it dry with toilet paper. Yuck. I started traveling with 2-3 litter box liners. These are the ones I buy from Amazon: Jonny Cat Litter Box Liners: Heavy Duty – Tear & Leak Resistant with Drawstring Close. Using these litter box liners has changed my life!
If the suites are not available, I try to find a family bathroom. I set up her litter box with liner, and if it’s a private space, I let her out to roam and go potty. If a private restroom isn’t available, I will try for a back corner bathroom stall and use her harness and leash.
Do you medicate your cat for your flight?
It is not recommended to medicate your pet prior to flights. Marley meows a bit when we get into the car, but she’s quiet as a mouse once we’re arrived to the airport and during the entire flight. I reach my hand into her carrier a few times to check on her and she just sleeps.
I recommend acclimating your cat to its carrier before any trips. Allow your pet to get used to the carrier in the house, throw treats into it. Then move on to placing your cat in the carrier, zipping it and walking around. Then proceed to a short car trip. This will give you an idea of how your cat will react.
When you visit with your veterinarian for a general check-up, health certificate and/or vaccinations, you can chat with your veterinarian if you find that your cat suffers from panic/anxiety being in the carrier and what your options are.
What happens during security?
I think it’s important to understand how security check will go with your pet. Prep all of your personal belongings as normal. You are permitted to bring one day’s worth of food and litter with you on the flight (check your airline for details). Remove the bag of cat food and litter and place them in a separate bin. It is highly likely that they will pull you aside after you go through the metal detector to test the litter. Due to this extra time and to not cause yourself anxiety, be sure to show up to the airport early for this – although it doesn’t take very long and it’s a simple process.
Let the agent know that you have a cat. You will need to remove your cat from the carrier and place the carrier on the belt. At this time, you may want to already have the harness and leash on your cat (you can do this in the bathroom before security) or just attach the leash to your cat’s collar for safety. The airport can be heavy-stimulation for your cat, so it’s important to know how to hold your cat where they will feel safe while you walk through the metal detector together.
After the metal detector, place your cat back in the carrier and carefully remove the harness/leash. This is where security will likely pull you aside to test the litter.
After your flight
After your flight, I suggest finding the nearest restroom. Set up the litterbox with a liner and let your cat have a potty break. If you’re in Mexico, you will go through customs and then stop at the SENISECA desk to receive documentation permitting your cat into the country. They will have you fill out some paperwork and have a quick visual inspection of your cat to ensure they are healthy.
Buen Viaje
I hope this article helps make you and your pet’s experience traveling smooth and anxiety-free. Please comment if you have any questions!
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