11 Tips for Travelling with a Cat: Learn from My Mistakes

I have travelled a lot with my cat over the past few years, so I have plenty of tips for travelling with a cat and plenty of mistakes I’ve made along the way too! Traveling with a cat can be a daunting experience, but with the right preparation and a little patience, it can be manageable.

So, after a few hiccups of my own, I’ve learned some valuable lessons on how to make the journey easier for both you and your pet. Here are my top tips for travelling with a cat that I wish I had known from the start!

(I’ve also included some cute photos of my cat for reference because, y’know, important.)

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1. Book Directly with the Airline Operating the Flight

One of the first mistakes I made was booking my cat, Spiru, on his first flight. The flight was from Malta to Cyprus direct with Air Malta. So I called Air Malta to go over the booking process (book myself a seat first, then call them back to add the Pet in Cabin option).

Once I had booked and paid for my ticket, I called Air Malta and suddenly it was a different story. The flight was booked with Air Malta but operated by Emirates and the aircraft was an Emirates-owned plane. Note: Emirates has a strict no-animal policy in the cabin.

Long story short and many angry yet futile phone calls later, I had to pay EUR500 to put Spiru in the hold (definitely not ideal for Spiru, especially for our first international journal), which was the only option for this flight. Plus, I was refused a refund so I could book with another airline.

Lesson: Always book directly with the airline operating the flight to ensure you’re getting the most accurate information about pet accommodations, fees, and procedures.

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2. Check Pet Availability Before Booking the Flight

When travelling from Spain to Greece, I had a direct flight booked with Iberia. As above, I booked myself a ticket first and then called the airline to add the Pet in Cabin option.

However, when I called, they told me there are only a limited number of pets allowed on each flight and my flight was already full. And so was the next one the following day. And the one the next week.

In the end, I had to book a second flight with Aegean, which included a layover in Athens. So, I had to pay for two flight tickets and poor Spiru got a much longer journey. Of course, Iberia would not refund the flight, even though there was no way I could travel without my cat.

Lesson: Even if airlines instruct you to book your ticket first, call ahead to make sure there is pet availability on that specific flight before parting with any money.

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3. Take All Information With a Pinch of Salt (even from vets)

Part 1: This one is a complicated one, so I’ve separated it into three parts and three well-learned lessons.

In the UK, Spiru and I went to the vet to get his regular health certificate check in his passport, ready for onward travel to France. He was also due a rabies vaccination, so we planned to do both in the same visit.

For reasons I still don’t really understand, the British vet said they could give the health check and vaccine but could not record it in the passport, which would be pointless. We scrambled to find another vet who would do the health check in time for our flight (the second vet couldn’t understand the issue the first one had either) and that second vet advised me that it would be better to get the rabies booster in France, as Spiru has an EU pet passport.

Lesson: Not every vet thinks or acts the same way, even when the rules are the same. Get a second opinion if you’re not sure about your vet’s advice.

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4. Keep Vaccines Up to Date

Part 2: Jump ahead to France and a visit to the French vet, who tells me that the rabies vaccine has now expired and because Spiru is not registered in France, she cannot administer a rabies vaccine for him. What’s more, even if we did do the vaccine, the titer test that shows rabies antibodies in the blood (required by some countries) is now invalid because of the lapse of a few days between vaccines.

The only option given was to administer a new vaccine (with permission from some governing body the vet phoned up about this issue), wait 2-3 weeks to conduct a new titer test (which has to be sent off to an EU-approved lab), wait for the results, then wait 3 months before travel to our onward destination, which required the titer test.

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5. Do What is Best For Your Pet (bend and break the rules where necessary)

Part 3: This waiting period put us in a predicament with our onward travel plans, which included work that couldn’t be rescheduled. We thought up every plan possible a) stay in France with Spiru, b) leave Spiru with a petsitter, cat hotel, or friend in France, c) take a risk.

In the end, we thought about what was best for Spiru. Would he be ok being left for months on end with strangers? No. Was it fair to put him in a cat hotel for such a long time? No. Was he at any risk of catching or transmitting rabies? No.

So we went ahead with our travel plans. Interestingly, we were not asked to show the titer test at any point in during our journey from France to our onward destination, which included a layover. There were no issues.

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6. Airline Check-In Staff are Not Experts

In our experience, the only person who checks Spiru’s paperwork is the staff member at the check-in desk (or, every now and again, someone in Customs in Arrivals photocopies Spiru’s paperwork). They are not experts and they are not vets. They have their own arbitrary list of things to ask for, which I’ve found are not as comprehensive as what is actually required by law. Sometimes, they don’t ask to see Spiru’s paperwork at all!

On the other hand, I’ve also had airline check-in staff who insist we do not have the paperwork required. Once, I was asked for an import permit that was not required for pets travelling with their owners. I smiled, asked if they can check with a superior, and it all got sorted out. The staff member was just as confused as I was why her computer had prompted her to ask me for a document that wasn’t required. I get it: this is my cat travel life.

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7. Don’t Trust Online Information

This leads on from the last one. My first point of call when researching pet/cat travel requirements is googling and there are a lot of websites out there that claim to have the exact list of every document needed. They don’t.

I’m talking about sites like PetTravel.com, PetRelocation.com, BringFido.com, and similar. I rarely find them to be accurate or consistent. Similarly, airline websites may advise what you need, but always take it with a pinch of salt. Rules are changing all the time.

Instead, try to find official government websites of the destination you are travelling to. Caveat: this can be very difficult to find. Some countries don’t have this information online or, at least, not in English. If they do, it’s with very vague and confusing wording.

Next, search in forums like Reddit or Quora for people who have first-hand experience travelling with their pets to those countries. Often, I find that information far more accurate, realistic and comprehensive.

If I’m struggling, I’ll reach out to anyone I know who is local or an expat in those places who might be able to put me in the right direction. Expat Facebook groups are a godsend in this regard. See also some general Facebook groups for pet travel below.

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8. Don’t Travel to the UK

I’ve already mentioned the issue with the British vet above, but that wasn’t even the most difficult part of travelling with Spiru to the UK. Getting out of the UK with a pet is much easier than getting in.

If you’re unfamiliar, the UK has some of the strictest rules about entering the country with an animal. I plan to write a separate post about this because it’s truly so complicated, but the gist is:

• No animals can arrive into the UK in a plane cabin, only in the hold.
• The pet carrier has very specific requirements.
• Not every airline or airport is authorised to allow pets to travel; only approved routes.
• You will pay an arm and a leg to get your animal into the country, likely paying an agency, a broker in your departure country, plus the airline.
• It is easier and cheaper (though by no means easy), to travel with your pet via ferry from France or the Netherlands, and maybe Ireland.

Seeing as the actual health requirements for Spiru are minimal and the focus is solely on the mode of transport, my personal opinion is that these ridiculous rules are only to make airlines and agencies money. In no way is the welfare of the animal considered.

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9. How to Make Your Pet Comfortable in Transit

Often, people ask me: is travelling with a pet cat on planes internationally difficult? And I say yes and no. The difficult part is trying to follow the rules, which are inconsistent, nonsensical, require perfect timing, and lead to a lot of stress.

The physical part of travelling with a cat on a plane is a breeze in comparison!

I’m lucky that Spiru does not mind being on a plane at all. He’s happy just to be under the seat, curled up sleeping, not bothering anyone and not being bothered. He may miaow a little on take-off or landing, but that’s it. Nothing compared to how he yowls at home when he wants his dinner!

However, over time, I’ve learned the things that make it easier for both of us:

• Airports are noisy. Where possible, we make check-in and security as quick as possible, then we go and find somewhere quiet (see below).
• I make sure he eats plenty before we travel, but we stop feeding a couple of hours before leaving for the airport. I have some dry snacks in my carry-on backpack if it’s a long journey.
• Travel light with the carry-on: I just have my laptop, essential docs and cat stuff, so it’s quick and easy to find what I need.

Next, I’ll post a list with all the cat travel accessories Spiru travels with, including his carrier and a travel litter box.

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10. Find a Quiet Bathroom

This is the best tip for traveling with a cat I’ve found. Once check-in and security and done, I make a beeline for a quiet family or disabled bathroom. Unlike dogs, cats prefer peace and quiet. They can’t just do their business out on the grass somewhere or go for a walk to stretch their legs.

Once in the bathroom, I let Spiru out of his carrier to stretch and calm down a bit after a lot of stimulation in the airport. I set up the travel litter box in case he wants to use it, I give him some treats and we sit there in peace for a while. Usually, he will crawl up on my lap for a cuddle because that is his favourite thing to do (did I mention that Spiru is the best cat in the world, my fluffy baby, 10-out-of-10 cat?).

This really helps him reset before the plane journey ahead. Likewise, if we have a layover, I will do the same thing.

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11. Join Facebook Groups & Follow Instagram Accounts for Tips

If you need more specific advice or support, I recommend Traveling With Your Pets Tips and Chartered Air Travel With Pets.

I also follow these accounts on Instagram, which offer more inspirational content than informational (I promise my cat’s travel is nowhere near as aesthetic as this!):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adventure Cat – General Picchu (@adventure.cat.picchu)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sponge Cake + Mocha + Donut (@spongecake_thescottishfold)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Helene vincent (@bestadventurecat)

@bestadventurecat have also put together an adventure cat “training school” program if you’re planning to travel with or have outdoor adventures with your cat, which is pretty cool.

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More Tips for Travelling with a Cat

Travelling with a cat can be complicated, but with these tips in mind, you’ll be much better equipped to handle the journey with your pet. It may take a bit more time and patience, but making sure your cat is comfortable and safe will be well worth the effort.

Let me know if you have any cat travel tips of your own to add in the comments below.

Safe travels!