How to prepare your pet for a long-haul flight

The preparation timeline

1. Health formalities up to 6 months ahead, or more

   The AVMA points out that international travel can need six months or more of preparation: microchip, rabies vaccination, sometimes a titre test and an import permit. The destination sets the timetable; see veterinary documents.

2. Buy the crate and start training weeks or months ahead

   IATA recommends letting your pet get used to its crate a few weeks or months before departure, which means buying it early. Measure your pet first: how to choose an IATA crate size.

3. Book the flight as soon as dates are set

   Nonstop if possible, timed for the season, with your pet's place confirmed by the airline.

4. Vet visit in the days before

   A general check, a certificate if the airline or destination asks for one, and a review of any ongoing treatment.

5. Reconfirm at least 48 hours ahead

   IATA advises reconfirming the booking at least 48 hours before departure, in case the flight or your pet's place has changed.

Crate training

A pet that knows its crate travels far more calmly, and the AVMA stresses that getting your pet used to its crate can really reduce travel stress. This is the progression we recommend:

• Leave the crate open in a living area, with something that smells of home, and let your pet explore it without ever forcing it in.
• Feed meals next to the crate, then inside it.
• Close the door for a few minutes while your pet eats, then build up the time, first sitting nearby, then leaving the room.
• Take short car rides with the crate closed, to get your pet used to motion and noise.
• Never use the crate as a punishment. If your pet whines or scratches at the door, go back a step.

Fit the travel water bowl during this period: your pet should know how to drink from a bowl clipped to the door before flight day.

Vet check and fitness to fly

IATA notes that most airlines require a vet's certificate stating the animal is healthy and fit to fly, and that sick, injured or debilitated animals may not be suitable for travel. Use the visit to:

• get a full check, heart and breathing included, especially for an older, overweight or snub-nosed pet;
• discuss feeding before, during and after the journey, as the AVMA recommends;
• talk about anxiety rather than reaching for a sedative: IATA and the AVMA both advise against sedation for flights;
• plan medication for the whole trip, with prescriptions, and paperwork for any chronic condition;
• check the health documents required by the destination and any transit country.

IATA's rules add some special cases: shipping females in heat is not recommended; pregnant dogs and cats should only travel in the first two-thirds of pregnancy, and females with suckling young are not accepted.

Food, water and exercise on departure day

What goes in the crate, and the departure-day checklist

• Thin absorbent bedding. The AVMA advises against thick blankets and fluffy towels: a thin blanket or flat newspaper is enough.
• Something familiar that smells of home; IATA notes it helps to settle the animal.
• A fixed water bowl that can be filled from outside (no drip bottle), and a little food attached to the crate in case of delays.
• No collar, harness or clothing in the crate, as IATA recommends. A GPS tracker must comply with dangerous goods rules and be declared to the airline.
• Labels: "Live Animals", "This Way Up" on two opposite sides, your pet's name, your contact details and those of the person meeting it.
• For you: your pet's original documents, a recent photo of it (the AVMA suggests carrying one in case something goes wrong), its lead and its medication.
• Final check: bolts tight, door locked, cable ties at the door corners, bowl half full so it does not slop over.

For a pet in the hold, IATA suggests checking in early so it can rest somewhere quiet and dimly lit. For the cabin it is the reverse: as late as the airline's deadlines allow.

Stopovers and transit

The AVMA advises booking a nonstop flight and avoiding layovers: it is on the ground, with the aircraft parked, that hold temperature is least well controlled. In warm months, choose early-morning or late-evening flights; in cold months, afternoon ones.

If a stopover cannot be avoided, there are two situations:

• Pet in the hold on your flight: depending on the airline, you may have to collect it and check it in again. Air France does this, requires at least 4 h 30 to connect at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, 3 h at Orly and 2 h elsewhere, and reminds passengers that they must then clear immigration in the connecting country.
• Pet flying as cargo: it stays with the airline or its handling agent during the transfer, under the carrier's procedures.

Either way, check the health rules of every transit country: some require documents even for a simple transfer. We check them when we build the route.

Arrival day

A pet in the cabin stays with you; a pet in the hold is collected at the arrival airport under that airport's procedure; a pet flying as cargo is collected at the cargo terminal once formalities are done, provided it is open, which IATA suggests checking with the airline. Health checks on entry depend on the country; for France, see airports and points of entry in France.

Once your pet is out, we suggest:

• offering water, then a short walk on a lead somewhere safe;
• only a small meal, a few hours after arrival, then a gradual return to the usual routine on local time;
• a quiet first few days, keeping an eye on appetite, breathing and toileting;
• seeing a vet if your pet stays listless, will not drink, struggles to breathe or is limping.

Older pets, puppies and kittens

Older pets. The AVMA notes that elderly or obese pets, and those with underlying conditions, may be at higher risk in transit. IATA warns that the combination of altitude and tranquillisers is potentially fatal in old, chronically sick or stressed animals. For an older pet, the vet's opinion comes before the booking, and whether it should fly at all is a fair question to ask.

Puppies and kittens. IATA rules out unweaned animals and animals under 8 weeks; airlines often set a higher minimum (15 weeks on Air France, except on some domestic routes). Health rules are usually stricter still: in the European Union, rabies vaccination is given at 12 weeks at the earliest, and travel can only take place 21 days after the primary vaccination. See rabies vaccination and the titre test.

Frequently asked questions

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