Travelling with your Ragdoll Cat by airplane

There are things to consider before actually getting your Ragdoll cat or Ragdoll kitten on a plane. You cannot just simply buy a cage and then bring the cat to the airport. Cats will be scared of planes and noisy things, and flying is included in their biggest fears, so you just might scare the life out of your Ragdoll kitten in flying it all of a sudden.

First of course, you need to get a cage. And what I mean is a pet carrier; an airline approved one at that. I always advice my clients, to get a new carrier around 3 weeks prior to flying, and then try simply bringing your Ragdoll kitten inside the crate to get him accustomed to it. But take note, your kitten will not be agreeable to being inside a cage so you would have to find a lot of ways to get him inside the carrier. Usually a toy will do, but never ever use food, because feeding them in flight is not a good idea. When your Ragdoll kitten is in the carrier, he will not take traveling lightly and he will be quite grumpy, so to say. So for the first few trips, try to make sure that your end destination is someplace where the cat enjoys, or always ends up home. This will really help take off the tension from the cat after traveling inside such a cramped carrier. Traveling repeatedly will help make the cat adjust better to the actual flight itself.

A note to consider at this time will also be checking out the flights or airplane carriers that are pet friendly. There are some flights that do not allow pets, so be sure beforehand when booking the ticket to mention that you have a cat with you, and then make sure that you specify if the cat will be in the plane or in the cargo. Of course inside the plane has a much more expensive charge and airport security is much stricter if it is inside the cabin. But since the cat is small, it is recommended that you get the Ragdoll kitten in the cabin instead of cargo.

Once you have actually accustomed your ragdoll kitten to traveling inside the pet carrier, then it’s about time to be anticipating what will happen when you bring the cat to the airport on the day of the flight. Make sure not to give food to the cat on the night before the flight day, and make sure you have a leash too because if the cat is going to the cabin, the carrier must pass through x-ray, and you have to get your Ragdoll kitten out of it and remember, a scared cat is very slippery. If you don’t have a leash, it could give you hell inside the airport.

Some people told me also that you have the option to actually drug your Ragdoll cat, but it depends on what the vet will tell you actually. I think it is better to train your strong Ragdoll cat to be a good traveller instead of drugging him, but as per vets too, they say there are now drugs that does not really drug a cat into sleeping, but rather an anti-anxiety medication so that the cat will be relaxed during the flight, and it sounds much more better than tranquilizing your beloved Ragdoll cat.

Now once the Ragdoll cat is with you in the cabin, it is recommended that you put your cat’s carrier under the seat in front of you so that you can always see him, and in turn, the cat can also see or sense you. This will help ease his tension better; if in the cargo, however, you should make sure to ask the plane staff where you can pick him up as soon as the plane lands.

I know how difficult it is for you to see your Ragdoll cat stressing out when you arrive in the airport due to so many people and the noise of the planes; your Ragdoll cat will keep meowing and making noises. After the first flying you will feel much more confident bringing your Ragdoll cat with you to a plane flight once again in case you are traveling again in the future.

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