How to Fly With Your Pet

     Most families in the USA have a cat or dog or both in their homes. You too, might have one. When it comes to traveling, you would want your pet to accompany you. As long as you are taking your animal in your used VW, it is okay. Your used Volkswagen will provide comfort to the animal just as it does to you. However, when you are considering an overseas trip which will involve an airplane, you might worry a little. While some of the animals may find it easy to travel in an airplane, others might not be so. This is the reason why you need to be well informed about pet travel in an airplane.

     At first you need to make sure if your dog or cat is safe or not. For this, many people prefer to keep their animals in a kennel. The kennel should be a place that is comfortable for the pet. Thus, your critter should be able to sit, stand and move about in it. To make it more comfortable, you can place one of your pet's favorite blankets or mats.

     As for the rules, most airlines, as long as your animal weighs less than 100lbs, it can accompany you as your baggage. If that is not the case, then your pet will travel as cargo. The problem here is that many cargo sections have high temperatures which can be dangerous for most animals. Therefore, you must make sure that your animal is not old or does not have any other problems with its health before it can travel in the cargo compartment.

     The next thing is to be acquainted with the airline rules. Usually, different airlines will have different rules about the temperature, species, size, breed, kennels, etc. Therefore, it would be better if you call the airline prior to your departure, and ask them about all such regulations. This will also save you from panicking at the eleventh hour.

     Your animal's safety is a big issue. This should be one of your primary priorities before you depart. Before your departure, see the veterinarian and get to know if there is anything wrong with the health of your pet. Ask him for a health certificate that mentions the latest immunizations, illnesses and general health of your dog or cat. This certificate should be issued to the airline seven or ten days prior to the departure date. The airline personnel will also make sure that the temperament of your animal makes it able to travel or not. In general, the airline personnel will not allow wild and violent animals.

     Finally, make the kennel identifiable. You can put reflectors on the kennel, or you can even place a card saying "LIVE ANIMAL". With that, you should also place your name and contact number on the card. Another idea is to take a picture of your dog or cat and place it on the kennel for identification. The last thing you should do is go back to the boarding area and watch as your pet is loaded on the plane.