Suggestions cross country move w/cat

In mid April 2004, I will be moving from Oregon to Central New York.

It looks like I have two options:

1. Have my household items moved via a cross country moving company.

Then drive my '97 Jeep Wrangler (I hope it makes it) across the
northern part of the US by the following route:

Eugene, OR to Twin Falls, ID; Twin Falls to Cheyenne, WY; Cheyenne to
Des Moines, IA; Des Moines to Cleveland, OH; Cleveland to Syracuse,
NY.

Total roadtrip = 5 days, about 3,000 miles.
Estimated cost = $3,500
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2. Have my household items AND Jeep moved via a cross country moving
company.

Then take an airplane from Eugene, OR to Syracuse, NY.

Total trip = 10 hours, 3 plane changes
Estimated cost = $5,200
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Even though it is quite a bit more, I would much rather have all of my
belongings and my vehicle moved by a professional moving company, and
then fly home; hoping and praying that my '97 Jeep makes it for five
11-12 hour days driving on long stretches of interstate highways.

I have driven across country twice, by myself, and believe me it isn't
something I look forward to doing again (this was pre-cell phone
days). I have also had a professional mover move my vehicle and
belongings across country, and I found it to be quite painless (I
suppose I was lucky).

OK, here is my problem.

I have a 11 year old female cat (she weighs 10 lbs), that will be
moving with me. Moving her puts a damper on option 2, where I would
move all of my stuff by a professional mover, and then fly back home.
I have read horror stories about traveling with a pet on a plane.

Any suggestions on which option I should choose that would be the best
way to go when traveling with a cat?

I would love to be able to take the cat on the plane and place her
under the seat in front of me for the three flights. Except:

1. She has never traveled on a plane before.
2. What do I do if she throws up or goes to the bathroom in her cat
carrier when she is in the cabin with me.
3. I can't guarantee she won't howl while in the cabin.
4. I can't guarantee that the airline would allow her to fit in a
sherpa cat carrier, even though she isn't a particularly large cat (a
short and stout 10 lbs).

Checking her with the baggage which would require three plane changes
(no one-way flights from Eugene to Syracuse), and again no guarantee
the airlines would take her if the temperature in mid April, dropped
below 40 degrees for any of my legs of the flight.

Looks to me like driving across country with my cat is the lesser of
two evils, even though I dread it.

Any suggestions from others who have made a cross country move with a
pet are greatly appreciated.

PS: Anyone out there know of a good nationwide prepaid cellular plan
for someone like me, making a cross country move? Currently, I do not
have any cell phone, and would like to get one for emergencies and to
call roadside assistance. But, I would also like to be able to change
my cell phone number once I get to NY. I have read Tracfone's web
site, but again I have heard horror stories about them.

Also, I currently do not have AAA membership. Is it worth it to get
one just for the cross country move? It would be around $100 for the
AAA plus membership with free 100 mile towing available.

Mary

In mid April 2004, I will be moving from
Oregon to Central New York.
It looks like I have two options...

Actually another option would be to have someone drive the Jeep
for you. I believe there are companies that link up people who need
this done with people who are willing to do it. But I have no idea how
much it costs, etc.


Also, I currently do not have AAA membership. Is it worth it to get
one just for the cross country move?

Hard to say if it would be worth it. It certainly can provide some peace
of mind, because if you run into any kind of roadside problem you can
just call an 800 number and they'll send someone to assist you.

I've been a member for around 20 years and have only had to call them
maybe 6 times, but yet on those six or so occasions I was really glad I was
a member. (Once I locked myself out of my car while on vacation, another
time I skidded into a ditch in the winter, another time I ran out of gas
in the middle of nowhere and they brought me a few gallons (yes, I felt like
a total idiot), another time my water pump failed and they towed me to
a service station, and a few times I just needed a jump start in cold weather.)

They also offer some other benefits, like excellent maps, route-planning
assistance (called "triptics"), bail bond services, etc. But the main reason
most folks sign up is just to have access to emergency road service.

So I guess it really depends on how reliable you feel your car is, and how
much the extra peace of mind would be worth to you.

James


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"m" wrote in message
...

I've traveled with a cat in the plane cabin once. The cat was semi-feral,
she'd never seen me before, and she'd just come from a traumatic situation,
so she was terrified to begin with. I'm posting to reassure you that it's ok
to fly with your cat.

2. What do I do if she throws up or goes to the bathroom in her cat
carrier when she is in the cabin with me.

First, don't feed her for 12-18 hours prior to the flight. Don't give her
water 6 hours prior to the flight. Do not tranquilize her for the flight, as
that makes some cats ill.

My cat peed in her carrier on the plane. I didn't know it until I exited the
plane upon landing, because there was someone seated next to me. I knew
before takeoff I wouldn't be able to check on the cat during the flight
because there would be no room to lift the carrier up to my eye level. There
was no smell whatsoever, despite her large, uh, output. That was probably
due to the plane's ventilation system, and the location of the carrier under
the seat, next to the wall. (I suggest you ask for a window seat to minimize
the movement around the cat's carrier.)

3. I can't guarantee she won't howl while in the cabin.

I'm quite positive you'd never hear it if she did. I've no idea if my cat
howled while on the plane; the cabin noise masked it if she did.

4. I can't guarantee that the airline would allow her to fit in a
sherpa cat carrier, even though she isn't a particularly large cat (a
short and stout 10 lbs).

My cat was 15 lbs and she was in one of those carriers made specifically for
under-seat airline travel. Even though I was told by the airline the
specific dimensions required of the carrier, I saw all sorts of people in
the airline's terminal using non-standard carriers, including sherpa bags.
(For some reason, La Guardia was rife with animals that day.) As far as I
know, they weren't denied boarding.

Call your airline for the allowable dimensions.

Checking her with the baggage which would require three plane changes
(no one-way flights from Eugene to Syracuse), and again no guarantee
the airlines would take her if the temperature in mid April, dropped
below 40 degrees for any of my legs of the flight.

I would never recommend checking her as baggage. Too many horror stories of
cargo holds with no pressure or climate control, and broken carriers
resulting in escaping animals running down the tarmac never to be seen
again. And if anything happens to the animal, the airline's liability
typically extends only to the monetary value of the animal. ie., what you
paid for her.

If she's in the cabin with you, she's safe. She might not smell good once
you get her home, and it's possible you might hear faint, muffled cries, but
she'll be safe. Flying with an animal is stressful if you've never done it
before, but it's only ~8 hours of stress, compared to days of stress on the
road and in hotels. Do her and yourself a favor and get it over with as
quickly as possible.

You might also post the cat question to rec.pets.cats.health+behav. Good
luck.

Cate

Flying with an animal is stressful if you've never
done it before

In fact you might want to acclimate her a bit to travel
by putting her in that same carrier and taking her on
occasional trips with you when you drive to the grocery
store or whatever.

While it's not the same thing as a plane trip, it might
help reduce her stress level at least a little if she
becomes used to travelling in that carrier.

James

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I would suggest having the personal effects and jeep moved and RENTING a car
and driving yourself and your cat across country in a reliable vehicle.

From the horror stories I have heard about pets on planes, I wouldn't
consider flying my pets for an instant.

You could make a holiday out of it, take a couple of extra days so you only
have to drive 6 or so hours a day.

Bless you for taking your pet into consideration. So many people do not.

SD

Mary:
My mom and I moved from Chicago here to San Diego 9 1/2 years ago with our
second cat. We had to fly to San Diego with the cat. First of all I suggest if
you fly take the cat in the cabin with you instead of putting the cat with the
baggage. Also call the airlines and ask them if they take cats in the cabin
with the passenger and ask how much extra does it cost for the cat? When we
flew with the cat with us in the cabin. Continental Airlines was the only
airline that would allow cats in the cabin with the passenger. If your cat can
tolerate the long distance driving, that is the best thing to do, but call
ahead to the hotels that you will be staying at to make sure they take cats in
the room with you.

Barbara Booth