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traveling with new born kittens

7.1K views 32 replies 11 participants last post by  doodlebug  
#1 ·
hey everyone, first time on here.
I am owned by 2 ragdoll cats. One of them is pregnant and due to give birth tomorrow(nov 3)!
I have been given till next monday(nov 9th) to move out of my apartment as my roommate hasnt paid her share of the rent in 3 months(unknown to me until i received the letter this morning).

They only place i can go is to my parents which is on the other side of the country(i attend college in california and my parents are in new york).

So my options at this point are putting the mom cat with the new born kittens on a plane, as carry on so that they arent in cargo this weekend(when the kittens will be less than a week old) or keeping them all in my car until i can find a new place to live(wont be until end of january).

My parents and friends have no idea what the right option would be and when i asked the vet they said to take the cats to a shelter and surrender them.

Anyone have any experience taking new born kittens on a plane for a long flight or any ideas on what i should do?
 
#2 ·
A long flight would be too stressful for the mom and kittens.
If you cannot take them with you and cannot find someone to foster them until you are back on your feet, the surrendering them to a NO KILL shelter is their best chance for survival.
 
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#3 ·
Hi Bevys!
WOW! What a rough situation...:(
Is there any chance, you could borrow enough from your parents, to cover, and catch up with your rent? And find a different roommate?
It might be at least as cost effective, as plane fare, and having to move cross country...

Do you have any relatives in California, or really good friends there, that you could trust with the Mama cat, and kittens, for a while,
while you get resettled?

I would think it would be very stressful for a new mama cat, with newborns, to have to travel by plane...
There's just to much noise, scents, etc....
I hope other's will have some ideas for you...
Sharon
 
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#4 ·
Thanks for the suggestions. I do have friends here in California but we all live in apartments as we are college students. Most apartments don't allow pets at all. My cats are allowed in mine because I registered them as service animals.
I do not have any family in California. My closest family is in New York.

I asked the apartment if I could cover her share of missed rent and they said no. The apartment manager doesn't like me because I have the cats and he didn't want any pets at all in the building.
So staying in the apartment is not an option anymore.

At this point I will be bringing my other cat to New York this weekend on a plane while the mom cat and kittens stay in my car over the weekend while I am gone. When I get back I have school all week so plan on keeping the mom cat and kittens in my car all week while I'm in classes. Then I'll be deciding between taking them on a plane ride to New York or keeping them in my car for the next few months.

I called another vet, this one a cat specialist, and they suggested putting the kittens to sleep when they are born so I can move the mom cat with as little stress as possible. :( horrible sounding idea.
 
#6 ·
I called another vet, this one a cat specialist, and they suggested putting the kittens to sleep when they are born so I can move the mom cat with as little stress as possible. :( horrible sounding idea.
Absolutely not. I cannot fathom what sort of vet would suggest this. This mother cat needs to be in the hands of a good rescue so her kittens have a chance.
 
#5 · (Edited)
You're going to leave the mom cat and her kittens alone in a car over the weekend? That would be terrifying for them, and who would be there if something happened to a kitten? Or worse, what if she goes into labor alone and has complications and dies?

With the cost you're spending on airfare, why not just get a hotel this weekend? Put them in boarding? Something. If your best option is keeping these cats in a car, a no-kill shelter or good rescue would be a MUCH better option for them. I'm horrified for this mother cat and her kittens just reading this post. :sad2If I weren't all the way in Ohio, I would take them.

I'm confused as to why this cat was bred in the first place when you were testing your landlord already by having the cats you have? This is just such a poorly planned situation.
 
#7 ·
They are show cats and under obligation from the breeder they were purchased from to be bred. My apartment manager was aware of the situation.
Also under the contract the cats are not allowed to be put in a shelter. I have to give them back to the breeder if I can no longer keep them... The breeder is also in New York.

I have called every bording facility in a 2 hour drive from me and no one will take a nursing cat.
I have also posted on Craigslist for someone wiling to foster them but no one has replied.

I live in Santa Barbara which is a VERY expensive city. Finding a hotel that will allow me to keep cats would be a solution for 1-2 nights tops and then I would be right back in this situation but with no money left for a flight to New York.

I really have looked at all the possible solutions to this and my options at this point are keeping the mom cat and kittens in my car until I find a place to live(which will be in January when I get my next housing disbursement from school) or flying the mom cat and kittens to New York.

So basically does anyone know how damaging it would be to bring new born kittens onto a plane?
 
#8 ·
Apart from all the concerns mentioned by everyone else, I was under the impression that you can't have more than one cat in the cabin. I can't see how you even go through security (they need to go through the metal detector with you), how are you going to hold a freaked out/ very protective mom and a handful of kittens in a high stress situation?
I know California has a mild climate during the winter but is it safe in the car? Wouldn't it get hot during the day with the sun shining?

I know you're in a tough situation but I don't think either of these options is going to end well. Can't your parents lend you some to find a new place now? Otherwise my only suggestion would be to keep looking for someone to foster them.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I am genuinely confused at what sort of breeder REQUIRES someone who is inexperienced (no offense) and a college student with limited funds and non-secure living situation to breed the cat they purchased from them. If this breeder *requires* you to do this, then they should be paying for the expenses and should be paying for these cats to be taken care of. This makes absolutely no sense.

Honestly, at this point I think your only option is driving these cats to New York or surrendering them to a rescue or no-kill shelter. Forget a contract, these cats could DIE or be stolen alone in a car for an entire weekend. Purebred animals of ANY kind are high targets for stealing.

At this point I would be calling every single rescue, every single shelter, every single vet within an hour or more distance and asking for reputable pet sitters or fosters that could take these cats in for atleast a short time. Believe me, there is someone that can if you can pay them.

Zuma is right, you can only bring one pet per person onto the plane with you.
 
#10 ·
I flew the cats out here at the same time, both as carry on. Most airline workers don't know the rules so don't question it.. In my experience at least.
I would be more concerned with the car being too cold where I am for the cats over too warm. It's been in the 60s here.

I am still looking for someone to foster them in the mean time but I have to figure out my back up plan come Monday when I have to be out of my apartment.

My parents don't have money to lend me. They are both retired and on fixed income.
The only way I live in CA is with a full ride scholarship from my school and they give me a stiffen for housing.
But since I paid my housing for the quarter when the quarter started I have only $320 to last me till I get my next disbursement.. Which is at the end of January.
Barely enough for the one flight to New York to take my cats.

I want to do what is in their best interest so if anyone has any knowledge of flying new born kittens please let me know if it's an option.
 
#11 ·
You will not be allowed to bring 2 cats (let alone with nursing kittens) in one carrier on a plane. It would never fit under the seat. You MAY be able to get by with one (the momma) but not two. You may be able to rehome the one non nursing cat (I'm assuming it's the sire) easily since it's a Ragdoll. Leaving those cats in a car for months is cruel. You are in a tough situation that you should not have gotten yourself in in the first place. Not to scold too much, but I hope this is a lesson learned. I would not tempt fate with taking two again. The TSA agents may not all be very bright but there are some that DO know the rules and if caught, then were will you be?
 
#12 ·
Call the breeder. Cat breeders often have connections nation wide from cat shows. They may know a ragdoll breeder or enthusiast who would take them in and keep them safe. If you signed a contract, you are under legal obligation to let the breeder know.
Fwiw, That is how I wound up with my darling ragdoll Skye. The family who bought him no longer could care for him or wanted him, and I gratefully snatched him up. There's no way any cat should be living in a car let alone a ragdoll who is nursing kittens.
 
#13 ·
I personally know all the show breeders in California since my cats have been competing in cat shows out here for over a year. I have contacted them about fostering the cats for me and no one is willing to because bringing an adult cat into their home would disrupt the whole flow of things for their cats.
A few were interested in purchasing them but that is against my contract with the breeder they are from.

I'm not exactly new to ragdolls. I started showing them 12 years ago and breeding them 10 years ago under the influence of a very experienced breeder. I wanted to start my own cattery a few years ago(before I had any knowledge I would be moving to CA for university).
Both my cats are females and this will actually be my 3rd litter while out in CA and my 29th litter since starting with the breed. So I'm not exactly new to it.
Just explaining that as answers seem to be coming as negative from the breeder I got the cats from when her contract is a normal one.

This was just an unforeseen mishap that has me in a horrible situation so now I'm trying to work within the laws of contacts I have signed to solve it.
Surrendering or selling the cats is not an option. I can't afford much for a foster situation(I can afford their food and any vet bills that may occur but I can't offer compensation beyond something like $1/per day for watching the cats).

I did have someone answer my Craigslist add about fostering but they were only willing to do so if they got to sell the kittens and keep the $$ from it. Which isn't an option as the whole litter is already sold.

So, my options are keeping them in my car until I get a new place to live at the end of January(which is where I will be living until then so the only time the cats would be alone in the car is when I'm in classes mon-fri) OR flying them to New York.
I see everyone keeps saying I wouldn't be able to fly them at the same time but I have before and it would be the best shot I would have at getting them somewhere safe.
 
#15 ·
You will not be allowed to take new born kittens onto the plane. They youngest age is 3 months and they will require proof. While I understand it is hard to give them up by keeping them, honestly you are being incredibly selfish, unfair and cruel to think you can keep your cats in a car. If you are homeless then you need to drive back to your parents, cat and all. You have to do what's right for them and that's not your present plan
 
#16 ·
Driving to New York isn't an option. I have school Monday-Friday so can only do things on the weekend. But more importantly, my car would NEVER make it all the way across the country. It's an old '92.. It has problems even driving 2 hours away. If I tried to drive it to New York it more than likely wouldn't even make it out of California.

I called the airline I would be using and they said I could bring the mom cat and the kittens as carry on as long as they fit in the approved carrier size. And since my other cat is registered as a service animal she could sit in my lap.
I booked the flight for the 14th so we will all stay in my car next week before the flight.
 
#17 ·
I find it extremely alarming that this is the 3rd litter with your current cats and the babies are already promised back to the original breeder? That sounds very much like BYB, not responsible breeding practices.
I find it very upsetting that you'd consider keeping your cats (and yourself ) in a car for a week?! There must be someone with a basement, a sofa,....
I find it incredible that the NY breeder would EVER let you keep newborn kittens and breeding cats in a car! With all due respect, have you called them to explain the situation? A good breeder would be paying for boarding or plane tickets to get their cats back.
I don't understand this at all....

I am sorry you seem to be in such a distressing situation, but I am freaking out about the horrible solution of keeping them in a car.
 
#18 ·
As a breeder myself, I am beyond speechless at what you are describing. There is no way I would let one of my kittens in such a situation. Despite asking for our suggestions on what to do, it sounds like you have already made up your mind and have no intention of paying any mind to any suggestion that isn't what you want to hear. WE are concerned about your cats....all of what you are proposing doesn't sound like the BEST INTERESTS of the cats, just of you and what you want. I feel for your cats and the kittens-to-be. Hopefully they all survive. Good luck living in a small car with a litter box and a bunch of cats...it seems to be animal cruelty to leave your pets in a vehicle here...
 
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#19 ·
The kittens are NOT promised back to the breeder. The adult cats are if at any time during their life I can no longer keep them. The breeder does this to make sure no cat she produces ever ends up in a shelter or a rescue. Which is what any responsible breeder does.
The kittens are already sold from a waiting list.

I have talked to the breeder my girls are from and told her the situation.. She feels badly and is who will buy the plane ticket for me to get the cats back to New York(I just have to reemburse her once I get there).
There is not a single boarding facility in a 5 hour drive of me that will take a nursing cat. I skipped school today to call every place I could find online.

I have talked to my friends here in CA and no one can allow the cats.. Yes they would let me sleep on their couches but the apartments just don't allow animals. Plus, they all live in situations like 1 bedroom apartment with 4 roommates. So everyone would have to agree to let the cats there and hide them from management.. So I simply isn't an option.

I have posted more adds on Craigslist hoping to find a foster for them until January when I can get into a new place but there are a few other people posting looking for foster homes for their cats as well. I'm trying to play up that they are ragdolls and whoever fosters them can play with the kittens all the time but so far no luck!

So it's looking like my car for a week then a plane ride is the only option.

If anyone has any idea how a plane will affect new born kittens PLEASE let me know.
 
#20 ·
If anyone has any idea how a plane will affect new born kittens PLEASE let me know.
You can ask the vet when you go to get your health certificate that airline should be requiring.

How do you plan to handle taking all the cats out of the carriers when you go through security. Carriers usually have to go through the x-ray machine.

A cat as a service animal? Seriously?
 
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#21 ·
Plane rides are extremely stressful for adult cats.....never mind an adult cat who just gave birth...never mind a newborn kitten. If mom or babies survive, I will be surprised...and you, as a breeder, should know that as well. We are told to reduce all stress for the moms leading up to birth and to let mom/kittens be after birth. You want to put them through that stress.,,,,my bet is that those on your waiting list for a kitten will remain waiting. It is far better for you to promise pick of the litter to someone willing to foster the cats until you can provide for them. Losing one kitten as payment is a lot less than losing your whole litter and possibly the mother too (as I don't suspect you can afford vet care if you can't afford even a motel room).
 
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#23 ·
This situation makes me really sad. I'm sure you know that there's no guarantee your mom cat is going to deliver on her due date, especially with the stress of living in car and a presumably much noisier environment. What are you going to do if the kittens are a day old when you're due to fly out?

I've never heard of an airline that would allow you on board with two adults and who knows how many kittens. I've always been told one cat per person.

If they happen to survive the ordeal I assume they would be shipped back again? I hope you're not doing this for the money. And I do hope you have the cash to refund the deposit to the families you promised a kitten, I honestly can't see this end well.
 
#24 ·
Call one these many people on your waiting list and trade fostering for the cost of their kitten. If you're back in January then that will be just at weaning age.
 
#26 ·
Bevys,
I Strongly agree with everything that Mochas Mommy had to say in post #21...

I work as armed security at our local airport, and help out our TSA agents...
You WILL be REQUIRED to take the cats OUT of their carriers, and WALK thru a scanner with them! The carrier will go thru the belt scanner, with any other carry ons you have...
I hope you have VERY well fitting harnesses for them!
The Mother cat will be INCREDIBLY scared and stressed...AND...you haven't even left the ground yet!

I had to help corral a cat just last week, that was TOTALLY Terrified because of all the noise and tons of people...
I had worries about that cat making it...

You do know right, that stress can cause other health issues??
And that's for a normal healthy cat...not a mother that's just given birth, that should have peace and quiet, and A Non Stressful place for her and her babies to rest, and bond, and feel SAFE!!

I'm feeling incredibly sad...for this mama cat...and babies...I just have a horrible feeling, this isn't going to end well for some of them...:'(

I've flown before, and put up with screaming, crying little kids, because the pressure is to much for their ears, and it causes extreme pain, it's ten times worse even, if they have a cold...

I just don't understand this situation at all...
There's SOMETHING very wrong...with this whole thing...:banghead:
 
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#27 ·
I just talked to a cat expert vet who came over to see the mom cat, the breeder my cats are from, and my parents.
They all agree that flying them is the best option.
The mom cat has been on a plane more times than most people and is not a nervous cat even when on a plane. She has flown a few times without a carrier even, just being on a leash.
The vet said flying them before their eyes and ears open is the best bet for it not affecting them.
The vet also suggested for me NOT to look for a foster home for them as she has seen a few cases in the area where the cat in foster is sold by the person who's supposed to be fostering it.

My cats have health insurance so seeing a vet is never an issue.
 
#28 ·
Oh, and there is 3 kittens based on x-rays that were done. Mom cat and 3 babies will fit perfectly in a carrier that it regulation airline size. I'm going to encourage the mom cat to give birth in the carrier so she is comfortable having the kittens in there to start.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help but it looks like I got it figured out now! This vet was truly heaven sent. ?
 
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