{"id":1832,"date":"2022-03-30T18:56:30","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T00:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/?p=1832"},"modified":"2022-04-01T07:20:07","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T13:20:07","slug":"trouble-in-paradise-part-2-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/trouble-in-paradise-part-2-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"Trouble in Paradise, Part 2: Traveling with a Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
It takes a lot of money, care, and attention to successfully incorporate a cat into a traveling lifestyle.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We travel with a very sweet cat, Kaylee. She\u2019s a petite Maine Coon, very affectionate but also very nervous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
She technically belongs to our oldest child, Aryk, but as Aryk is still finishing grad school in England, Kaylee travels with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she doesn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not easy for us, either. But we wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cats and Planes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Flying with a cat companion is a logistical challenge. Here are the many steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You have to call the airline to reserve the cat\u2019s spot, hoping that she won\u2019t exceed their quota of pets per plane.<\/li>
You have to pay a fee; in the case of Southwest, it\u2019s $95 each way.<\/li>
You have to purchase a carrier that fulfills their requirements.<\/li>
Then you have to tote her all over the airport, make sure the skittish kitty doesn\u2019t have a panic attack, and get her through the security line without her bolting. (Hint: Make sure she\u2019s on a leash so she can\u2019t run, but since she can still shred you in a panic, also ask for a private screening. That\u2019s where they take you and the cat into a small room and then take her carrier away to be x-rayed.)<\/li>
During the flight, you have to listen to her cry from inside her carrier between your feet (so comfortable). If you\u2019re lucky, the middle seat will be clear and you can put her there instead. We have an expandable carrier, and it greatly reduces her anxiety to be able to spread out.<\/li>
During transfers between planes, you have to find a place for her to do her business in the portable litter box you packed (with the litter that made security red-flag your backpack as a security risk), and give her some food and water, all of which she will ignore.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
In addition, to bring Kaylee to Puerto Rico, we had to get an international health certificate, which entailed finding a specific kind of vet and paying $240 for the paperwork, an extra exam, and extra shots. And then the authorities in PR didn\u2019t even ask to see any of it! We have done this twice. I spoke to a dog owner here who did it for three dogs, at much greater expense because of their large size, and no one asked to see their paperwork, either. I know if we skip this step, though, the authorities will ask for it and send her back to the States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hiding Places<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kaylee can always tell when we are about to move. When our suitcases come out, she starts looking for hiding places — and we start looking for ways to keep her out of those hiding places. We once had to practically disassemble a bed in a motel when she climbed up inside the box frame. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThis hiding place in the stairway in Isabela didn’t work.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Music and Meds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Alleviating Kaylee\u2019s anxiety about flying is crucial, so we got gabapentin, an anti-anxiety medicine, from the vet, which has helped Kaylee endure the terrifying airport screenings and long periods stuck in the carrier. Usually. It does wear out, though. You can tell because she starts thrashing and meowing. A friend who operates a doggie daycare suggested I play a calming playlist from Amazon music. This works miracles! I just place the phone on her carrier to act as her private concert hall, and she is calmed instantly. Thank you, Cesca Ferrante Segalas<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kaylee-on-a-blue-suitcase-1-1024x658.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kaylee-in-the-plane-573x1024.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kaylee-in-a-hotel-in-Mexico-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kaylee-at-AC-Condado-686x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kaylee-on-Bob-in-DC-1024x971.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kaylee-on-my-lap-in-Isabela-1024x584.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kaylee-no-my-lap-1-461x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/messysuitcase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Kaylee-says-goodbye-to-Noxy-1024x768.jpg\")