Is it safe to sedate my cat when I take her on a 12 hour flight?

Question

she is 1o years old in good condition but very shy and nervous in general.

I have to take her with me. I am moving. She will be in a climate controlled area of cargo.

Answer 1

I have spoken to my vet about this before & the airlines. They both recommend not sedating an animal before flying. The reason for this is because if they wake up during the flight they are going to be more fearful then if they were awake when they got onto the flight. If the airline doesn't allow you to take your animal on board with you they will put the animal into a controlled room in the baggage area. The controlled room is heat &/or a/c regulated & usually kept dark to keep the animal calm. Call the airline & find out how animal passengers are handled & go from there.

Answer 2

talk to the vet, and make sure the vet knows your cat well. Sometimes medication makes things worse. If you decide to do this, give kitty medication at home for a trial to be sure there are no serious side effects. Don't feed the cat right before you leave because the cat will have to go to the bathroom and 12 hours is so very long in a carrier, make sure it is a big carrier so kitty can move around and those carriers slide up and against the others that result in animal's deaths because they suffocate. This is worrisome. Call and ask the airlines if this has been corrected and if you have to call the news stations or even ask this again but differently and direct this to the airline workers. If they do have stalls now that prevent them from sliding against each other, a light breatheable sheet, not doubled, over the carrier so it can't see the other cats or dogs will help the cat stay cool. Good Luck to you.

Answer 3

You also must check with the airlines. They have rules on how "with it" the pet can be while in flight. If they are too sedated, they cannot control the body temperature well. And don't think the cargo area is all that climate controlled!! Animals die ever year in the cargo hold from heat stroke.
You have to see a vet anyway for the health certificats, so ask the vet and the airline should supple you with the rules and regulations for flying a pet with them.

Answer 4

You should really consult a veternarian. I would say, though, if she is shy and nervous, you ought to consider not bringing her on your flight. Airplanes can be very inhospitable places for a pet, and twelve hours is a long duration. If your animal isn't kept with you, but placed else where, there is a danger of your pet inadvertently being harmed. Temperature, for instance: in cargo holds, the temperature can rise and fall drastically, hurting your pet. Maybe you should consider leaving her at home?

Answer 5

Speak to your vet.

My littlest one doesn't travel well and we were moving 850 miles. The vet did give me a sedative for the long car ride.

It was almost funny, and I almost took a picture... "This is your cat... This is your cat on drugs"

A little stoned kitty, in the passenger area may well work. I wouldn't suggest checking her through with the luggage.

Answer 6

If you get your meds from a vet and they give you the exact amount to give the cat, considering her age she should get something.

Answer 7

for long trips I use pet remedy and it has drops that makes my cat calm and relaxed