By: Gord DoC Routley
My Daughter is coming home to BC for Christmas agan this year. She's been in College & University in Ontario for the past 5 years. We've brought her home for Christmas every year including this one. Can't wait to see her.
She told us she's bringing a "male friend" home for Christmas this year. His name is "Cosmo" and he's about 3 months old right now. He's a cute little gray striped kitten and she's nicknamed him "Cozzy". Guess that goes with her nickname of "Rozzie". It's cheaper for her to bring him home with her on the plane than to put him into a kennel or beg a reluctant friend to take care of him. It's about $106 for his round-trip home. She joked that he was 1/100th of her size, but still required 1/5th of the fare!
Our's has always been a "cat house" (lol) and we used to breed Ragdoll cats. We've still got 2 Ragdolls in the house and it's going to be fun to see how they react to Cosmo. We have our 13 year old retired lover-boy Romeo and Rozzie's cat Igor who's been living with us since she left for school about 5 years ago. Romi is also Igor's Grandpa. They get along great together and still love to play "chase" and "stalk the cat". Another cat in the house for a few weeks will be a blast - especially a kitten.
Then the reality sets in. Traveling with a very young animal always requires some keen planning. First, you need to know what the Airline rules are. A phonecall to their help centre or a visit to their website will usually answer that question. You'll also need a suitable sized pet carrier. We saw the small Hagen model on sale for $19.99 at our favourite Pet Store (www.petcetera.ca). This line of Hagen products is approved for airline use, so this is a good product and a great deal. It will comfortably hold one medium sized cat for their whole traveling career if flying solo and multiple trips to the Vet.
Next, it's a good idea to let kitty get used to the carrier long before your flight. Put a nice fluffy towel or baby blanket into the bottom part. Take the top off for the first few days. You'll gradually put it back on before the flight. The reasons for this are obvious - a more relaxed cat. You also need to decide what you need to take with you. We've used a small plastic dish with a snap-on lid with a small amount of dry cat food that kitty is used to and likes. Maybe get a small bag of cat treats if the kitten is old enough.
DON'T give him any water for about 6 hours before the trip. Treat it the same way as if you were taking him to the vet for minor surgery. Keep the food to a minimum too. Just enough to keep the hunger pangs away but not cause a natural reaction you want to avoid. If you're leaving your car at the airport maybe take a small litter box along. Make sure he goes before you head out. Pack along some paper toweling, paper napkins, hand cleanser pads and a large zippie bag. The Hagen carrier we have has a small compartment on the lid that fits most everything except the paper towels and food. Some even have a built-in dish in the lid.
Make sure you get to the airport at a time that will give you about 2 hours before your flight. It takes a little longer to check-in with a pet. Most Airlines will also recommend this. Some Airlines even let you "book" your pet when setting up your flight. Don't give him any cat sedatives for the flight - they may make him sick. Taking your pet on a couple of outings in the car before your flight day is also a good idea to get him used to the motion.
To sum it all up, proper planning will make your first trip with your kitten a big success, always be ready for the unexpected and enjoy your trip.
