Flying with your cat: the cabin, airline rules and what to know before you book
The good news is that almost every cat fits in the cabin, which is far better than the hold. The bad news is that places for animals are few, conditions change, and there is one critical moment almost nobody plans for: airport security. This is what you need to know.
First: should it fly at all?
Before the logistics, the honest question. Cats are very territorial animals that cope badly with change, and for many a flight is a very stressful experience. If the trip is a short holiday, it may be better off at home with a sitter who visits. Flat-faced cats, such as the Persian, Exotic or Himalayan, have more compromised airways, and stress and heat increase the risk; several airlines restrict carrying them, especially in the hold. Very old cats, cats with heart or breathing problems or with extreme panic in the carrier are also candidates for not flying. If the flight is part of a house move, plan it further ahead and with your vet.
Cabin or hold
On airlines that accept pets, the dividing line is the weight of the animal plus the carrier. To take the main Spanish airlines as an example: Iberia accepts cats in the cabin if the combined weight is no more than 8 kg (17.6 lb) and the carrier is no larger than 45 × 35 × 25 cm. Vueling specifies a soft carrier of up to 45 × 39 × 21 cm, with a maximum weight that its information gives as between 8 and 10 kg, and does not accept animals in the hold. Air Europa also accepts dogs and cats in the cabin with similar limits. Each airline sets its own rules and reviews them often, so check them on your airline’s website when you book. Most cats, except very large ones such as a male Maine Coon, fit in the cabin, which is always the best option.
Places are few: book the cat first
Each aircraft accepts a very limited number of animals in the cabin, often between two and five in total depending on the airline and the aircraft, and they are allocated in order. That is why the right approach is to add your pet at the same moment you buy your ticket or, if that is not possible, to call the airline first and confirm there is space. Some airlines require a particular fare to carry a pet, and others ask you to arrange it a minimum number of hours before the flight. It is worth reconfirming a few days beforehand, because an aircraft change can leave an already accepted animal without a place. Buying first and asking later is the most common way to be left on the ground.
What it costs
Each airline sets the price and it varies with the destination. As a guide, on Spanish domestic and European flights, taking a cat in the cabin usually costs around €30 to €70 each way, and considerably more on long-haul flights or in the hold. The exact amount appears during booking, and that is the one that counts. On top of that come a suitable carrier, €25 to €60, the vet visit and, if you are leaving Spain, the EU pet passport and rabies vaccination. The cat does not take up a seat and does not usually count towards your hand luggage, but some airlines do count it: check the conditions of your fare.
The cabin carrier
For the cabin, airlines usually ask for a soft or semi-rigid carrier, ventilated, with a waterproof base and a secure fastening, that fits under the seat in front, where it has to stay for the whole flight. Some airlines do not accept rigid carriers in the cabin, and others give very precise dimensions, so do not assume that one sold as “airline approved” suits your airline. It must let the cat turn round and lie down. Put an absorbent pad in the bottom and a garment that smells of home. And get your cat used to it over several weeks, as we explain in the article on choosing a carrier.
Airport security, the critical moment
This is the point almost nobody anticipates. At airport security, the carrier goes through the X-ray machine empty, and you have to walk through the arch holding the cat in your arms. A frightened cat in a place full of noise and people can wriggle free and escape, and a loose cat in a terminal is a nightmare. That is why it is essential for it to wear a well-fitted harness with a lead, put on at home and tried out before the trip. At many airports you can ask to be screened in a separate room; ask when you reach security. Hold the cat firmly against your body and do not let go until it is back inside the carrier.
The paperwork
For flights within Spain, a cat normally needs a microchip and an up-to-date vaccination record, and some airlines ask for a passport or a recent veterinary certificate. To fly to another EU country it needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, respecting the waiting period after the first dose, and an EU pet passport. Cats, unlike dogs, do not need the tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment that some countries require. Outside the EU, each country has its own rules and some require antibody tests months in advance. We explain it in the article on the EU pet passport.
To sedate or not
The general advice from vets is not to sedate a cat that is going to fly, because sedatives affect temperature regulation, blood pressure and breathing, and a sedated cat cannot steady itself in a moving carrier. Several airlines refuse sedated animals. What you can consider with your vet, in good time and after testing it at home, is a mild anti-anxiety medicine prescribed for that cat, which reduces stress without putting it to sleep, along with facial pheromones in the carrier. Never give it human medicines or medicines for other animals on your own initiative.
On the day of the flight
Do not feed it in the four to six hours beforehand, to reduce the risk of travel sickness and vomiting, but do give it water until shortly before. Put the harness on at home. Get to the airport in plenty of time, because checking in with an animal usually means going to the desk. In the carrier: spare pads, a garment with your scent and nothing that could catch. Keep the documents, a recent photo of the cat and the phone number of a vet at your destination on you. You cannot take it out of the carrier during the flight. If it cries, talk to it calmly and, if allowed, cover the mesh with a light cloth so it feels more hidden.
The train alternative
For many journeys within mainland Spain, the train is a better option than flying: no security check with the cat in your arms, no check-in and a calmer trip. As a Spanish example, Renfe accepts cats of up to 10 kg (22 lb) in a carrier of up to 60 × 35 × 35 cm on AVE, Larga Distancia, Avlo, Avant and Media Distancia services, one animal per passenger. On AVE and Larga Distancia, the pet ticket is free with a Prémium fare and costs €10 with Básico or Elige; on Avlo it is €10; and on Avant and Media Distancia, 25% of the standard fare. On Cercanías commuter trains it travels free. Renfe updates these conditions, so check them when you buy, and in other countries ask the rail operator directly.
Arrival
When you land, do not open the carrier in the terminal or in the car. Offer it water as soon as you can, somewhere quiet. At your destination, prepare a closed room with its litter tray, water, food and a hiding place, and open the carrier there. It is normal for it to spend hours hiding and to eat little on the first day. Check windows and balconies before letting it explore. If in the following hours you notice open-mouth breathing, repeated vomiting, that it is not passing urine, or marked listlessness, find a vet: that is why it is worth having one lined up before you travel.
Almost every cat fits in the cabin, but places are few: book the cat at the same time as your ticket and check your airline’s conditions. Put a harness on it for airport security, do not sedate it and, for journeys within mainland Spain, consider the train.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.