Transportation of a cat by plane
If you are faced with the question of transporting a cat over long distances, air transportation will be a very effective solution. With proper preparation for the flight and compliance with the rules for transporting pets put forward by the carrier and the host, this process is not at all as complicated as it might seem at first.
You may have heard stories more than once about how unprepared owners with pets were turned right at the airport, crossing out all travel plans. To prevent this from happening, you need to prepare for the flight in advance by carefully studying the information about the transportation of pets in the selected airline and with the host.
The rules for transporting pets may differ depending on the carrier company, so please read this question carefully before purchasing tickets.
A ticket for a cat is purchased separately. Transportation of animals is charged as non-standard baggage.
It is necessary to inform the airline about the transportation of the animal no later than 36 hours before departure.
To transport a pet, you will need documents: a veterinary passport with up-to-date marks on all necessary vaccinations (vaccines must be affixed no earlier than 12 months and no later than 30 days before the date of departure) and a parasite treatment mark (required for some countries, find out the conditions). If you are traveling to Europe, you will need a microchip according to ISO 11784 (11785) standards.
The transport carrier (cat container on the plane) must comply with the requirements of the airline (for example, carriers for MPS aircraft are popular). More about this in the article “”. This is a very important issue, since in the vast majority of cases it is the non-compliance of the carrier with the airline’s standards that is the reason for the refusal of the flight.
Do not forget that you can carry a cat in the cabin only if the combined weight of the pet and the carrier does not exceed 8 kg, and the sum of the length, width and height of the container is 115-120 cm (check with your airline). In other cases, pets are transported in the luggage compartment.
Good luck on your way!
