Features of transporting a pet (cat)

A person does not always live in one house; sometimes he moves, changes his place of residence. And of course, a pet – a hamster, a cat, a dog – moves with the owner. Residents of Magadan living in the North are familiar with the situation when the whole family goes on vacation for the summer, but there is no one to leave the cat with. Therefore, you have to take it with you.

I would like to share my experience and observations on the behavior of our cat Timofey.

Animal characteristics

Timofey is 12 years old. European shorthair black cat. Weight – 7 kg. He has been living in our family since he was three months old. Domestic predator. Very curious. When scared, it does not run away from danger, it rushes, bites and scratches. Does not like loud speech and sudden movements. Therefore, it is not easy to transport our cat.

Moving to another place of residence is stressful for a cat. Therefore, you need to be prepared for various surprises.

In the summer of 2008, we took Timosha on vacation to Ukraine. We flew by plane, drove by car. To transport a cat, we issued special documents - a foreign veterinary passport, a travel certificate. We bought a bag for carrying animals.

Timofey is calm about the harness and collar, doesn’t tear it off, doesn’t try to break free. Therefore, it is not difficult to put a harness on a cat.

They put the cat in a bag and drove off by car. In the car he was restless and meowing. But he soon got used to it and fell asleep. When checking hand luggage on the plane, I again had to worry. The cat was taken out of the bag and examined. He was very scared - there were strangers around and it was very noisy. It's good that the cat was on a leash, otherwise he would have run away. On the plane I had to put my bag with the cat under the seat. During takeoff, he would “cry,” opening his mouth wide and covering his ears. He began to foam at the mouth. The eyes became big with fear. Timofey calmed down when the plane gained altitude. Our cat slept the entire flight, woke up when the plane landed and meowed again. Probably, the pressure difference when ascending and descending altitude is a very difficult test even for animals. In the Moscow airport building I had to worry again. Our cat was trying to get out of the bag because of the excitement he had experienced; it turned out he wanted to go to the toilet. I had to “walk” him on a leash, like a dog.

Of course, during the trip the cat did not ask for food, he only drank water from a small bowl. At the new place, Timosha sniffed everything for a long time. He quickly “dealt with” the local kitten and slapped him in the face. And how an adult cat became a leader. The first one ate the most delicious pieces and slept on the window. He was eager to hunt for birds, deftly chasing flies.

Before taking your cat anywhere you need to:

Obtain a veterinary passport. To do this, you need to buy a passport form at any veterinary pharmacy;
get the necessary vaccinations at the city veterinary hospital at least 30 days before departure, and put vaccination notes in your veterinary passport;

one day before departure, obtain a paid certificate for the removal of the animal.

When purchasing an air ticket, ask the airline representative about the conditions for transporting animals. Some carriers do not carry animals or carry them only in the luggage compartment, where the animal is cold and scared. Before departure at the airport, you must obtain a boarding pass using your veterinary passport. This service is paid. At the box office you need to buy a ticket for the cat. Carriage of an animal is paid as excess baggage - 250 rubles per 1 kg of weight of the animal including the cage.

You need to buy a cage or carrying bag at the veterinary store. The animal also needs to be taught to walk on a harness

Before the trip, it is better not to feed the cat; it would be better for him to starve than to rush around the cage, unable to go to the toilet. If the trip is long, you need to put a tray with cat litter in the cage, stock up on special napkins, garbage bags and fresh litter.

When flying, it is better to place the cage in the back rows or under the seat.

You can give the animal a sedative, which you can buy in advance at a veterinary pharmacy.

I wish you and your pet a successful trip!