When Alishah and I are traveling there are a lot of questions. People always want to know how it's even possible to travel with a cat. Is it easy? Is it expensive? What kind of quarantine and restrictions apply to animals from other countries? There's a long list of stuff that needs to get done before you decide to travel with your pet.
But there's no need to get anything in order to take your pet somewhere if you actually can't take your pet somewhere.
But there's no need to get anything in order to take your pet somewhere if you actually can't take your pet somewhere.
How will you know if your pet is even capable of travel? When I first met Alishah I was a true house cat through and through. Even taking me near the door would make me panic. She worked with me for over a month, just carrying me and sitting outside the house with me. She would hold me tightly until my breathing and heart rate slowed down and then she would let me go back into the house.
That's right, she spent over a month just getting me used to passing through the doorway. You can't just pick up any animal and take it on a trip. We all have different temperaments and personalities. Don't try shoving your cat onto a plane just because I can do it. There was a lot of work that went into making me comfortable enough to do these trips.
After that came three months of leash training. I used to hate my leash! I still hate my leash, actually. But now I understand that when the hooman puts it on me, it means I get to go outside! I love being outside. I don't like to venture very far and I hate cars and crowds, but empty spacious parks are wonderful and so is the beach.
When I first got my leash it was a weird feeling. I was walking so strangely that the human thought it was choking me. She took me to the pet store and the vet who all said the leash was actually too loose! So she would make me wear it for little bits at a time. At first only ten minutes. I would follow her around and beg her to take it off. After a while I got used to it and could wear it for hours. I could even sleep in it.
Then she combined that with sitting outside. I would wear my leash and she would take me outside the house and hold me like I was not wearing it. We did this for a while before she let me explore properly on my own. All together it took four to five months to train me, a house cat, for outdoor walks on a leash. Again, preparing for travel with a pet is a lengthy process, especially if you want to take a house cat.
If you're sure your animal can travel, next you will need a carrier to put them in. If you're going on a plane every airline has different rules for animal carriers. Alishah bought a Cat Backpack. I hated that too, at first. She would put me in and I would meow loudly and fight to get out. We would go for short walks around the neighborhood. She even used it to take me to the vet.
That's right, she spent over a month just getting me used to passing through the doorway. You can't just pick up any animal and take it on a trip. We all have different temperaments and personalities. Don't try shoving your cat onto a plane just because I can do it. There was a lot of work that went into making me comfortable enough to do these trips.
After that came three months of leash training. I used to hate my leash! I still hate my leash, actually. But now I understand that when the hooman puts it on me, it means I get to go outside! I love being outside. I don't like to venture very far and I hate cars and crowds, but empty spacious parks are wonderful and so is the beach.
When I first got my leash it was a weird feeling. I was walking so strangely that the human thought it was choking me. She took me to the pet store and the vet who all said the leash was actually too loose! So she would make me wear it for little bits at a time. At first only ten minutes. I would follow her around and beg her to take it off. After a while I got used to it and could wear it for hours. I could even sleep in it.
Then she combined that with sitting outside. I would wear my leash and she would take me outside the house and hold me like I was not wearing it. We did this for a while before she let me explore properly on my own. All together it took four to five months to train me, a house cat, for outdoor walks on a leash. Again, preparing for travel with a pet is a lengthy process, especially if you want to take a house cat.
If you're sure your animal can travel, next you will need a carrier to put them in. If you're going on a plane every airline has different rules for animal carriers. Alishah bought a Cat Backpack. I hated that too, at first. She would put me in and I would meow loudly and fight to get out. We would go for short walks around the neighborhood. She even used it to take me to the vet.
While we were at home she would leave the backpack open and use it for catnip and as a place for me to hide while we were playing. This meant I was used to it and getting my smell in it. So when the day came for our trip I was already familiar with being carried outside of the house, being in the leash, and being inside the carrier. This training took about a half a year all together.
So if you are sure your pet has been properly trained and accustomed to the physical demands of traveling then next you need to take care of the paperwork. The United States Department of Agriculture's Veterinary and Plant Health Inspection Services will need to provide approval for your pet to leave the country. You can read more about that in my Richmond blog post.
Vienna was our first test run. We had a layover and spent most of it in the airport. Alishah met some other hoomans who were very nice to me and bought her free coffee. Then we ventured into Vienna for fifteen minutes or so just to take some pictures. After all, it would be such a waste of our first time in this city to just sit in the airport!
But after a long plane ride and still another plane ride there's no way I should have been dragged around Vienna for hours. I'm certainly grateful Alishah chose to let me have a few hours of rest instead. So enjoy the photos from our very brief, but very enjoyable, time in Vienna.
Stay Sylish,
Gato
So if you are sure your pet has been properly trained and accustomed to the physical demands of traveling then next you need to take care of the paperwork. The United States Department of Agriculture's Veterinary and Plant Health Inspection Services will need to provide approval for your pet to leave the country. You can read more about that in my Richmond blog post.
Vienna was our first test run. We had a layover and spent most of it in the airport. Alishah met some other hoomans who were very nice to me and bought her free coffee. Then we ventured into Vienna for fifteen minutes or so just to take some pictures. After all, it would be such a waste of our first time in this city to just sit in the airport!
But after a long plane ride and still another plane ride there's no way I should have been dragged around Vienna for hours. I'm certainly grateful Alishah chose to let me have a few hours of rest instead. So enjoy the photos from our very brief, but very enjoyable, time in Vienna.
Stay Sylish,
Gato