Well, we did it. We flew the boys up to Washington State and they are in good hands with family until we finish wrapping up our move from Louisiana.
It was a long day of travel for all of us but we made it with no unfortunate incidents.
I was terribly worried about the process of going through security at the airport. I was prepared for them to ask us to remove the boys from their carriers but I was so nervous about how it would actually go. Leading up to the trip, I talked our travel plans over extensively with our vet and she gave us Acepromazine to help calm the boys during the long day. We gave the boys their first dose at the house before starting the 3 hour trip to the airport. By the time we reached the security checkpoint, they were groggy and docile and, thankfully, the Houston airport has private screening rooms which are completed enclosed, not just curtained areas. Both boys (one at a time) stayed quietly in my arms while their carriers were scanned through the x-ray machines. And for me, knowing that we were in an enclosed area where I wouldn’t lose them if they fought me was a huge relief.
Once we got through that hurdle we had hours to wait for our plane. Shortly before boarding we gave the boys another dose of Ace. (The vet recommended every 4-6 hours.) We got on and settled fairly easily. We had upgraded our seats to Economy Plus that morning for a little extra room for us all and boy am I glad we did. We flew back sans kitties to Louisiana this week in Economy and the difference in space was significant. I think we would have had a massively difficult time maneuvering the carriers under the seats in Economy. Economy Plus was definitely the way to go, and might be our choice for all future traveling.
We were delayed almost an hour before take-off for a ‘maintenance issue’ and then the flight was 5 hours long, so about an hour before landing the boys started to wake up. They were starting to meow and scratch at their carriers in protest. I took each in turns to the bathroom and gave them one more dose of Ace which carried them through the rest of the flight, waiting for baggage, and then the drive to Don’s parents’ house.
Finally after about 12 full hours, we were DONE. No potty accidents. No lost kitties. What a relief.
Mission 1: Accomplished.
We were with the boys for a full week in their temporary home. They were a little uncertain at first but settled in fairly quickly.
Olli kept his distance for the first day. His ‘stranger-danger’ sense was on high alert but eventually he came out to investigate the surroundings.
He even remembered those strangers whom he had seen at his house a year or two before.
Milo, ever adventurous, wanted to explore the outside.
We allowed a few supervised visits. And even one unsupervised until he escaped the backyard and was found looking guilty on the FRONT porch.
Olli is not the adventuring type but he came out to sniff the surroundings. Just a little.
Milo found a perfect lounging area, just his size.
Of course, Olli stole it.
Wait a minute, something isn’t right in this picture! 😛
With so many snuggle spots and a house twice the size of our apartment, the boys probably hardly notice that we are gone!
But I MISS MY KITTIES!!! Thanks to the benefits of technology, I get photos every day or so by text. Thanks Jean! 😉
Mission 2 was also accomplished – we found a house! Cross your fingers folks. We close June 2nd if all goes well. It all feels very unreal and exciting at the same time.
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.
~ Proverb
Related articles
- Travel Safely with Your Pet by Car, Airplane, Ship, or Train (humanesociety.org)
- Amtrak Launches Pilot Program Allowing Dogs And Cats On Trains (stunningguidance.wordpress.com)
- Flying with Fluffy? (yourcatwaterfountain.org)
- The Fur is Flying: How to Bring a Cute Kitty Cat as an Airplane Carry-On (jaunted.com)
The Journey of Two 