Big Boy--Remember me & flying with cat??

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Chris - 20 Mar 2004 17:00 GMT

Well here I am again. Big Boy is still with me--now runs around in my
bedroom quite nicely--he's discovered my bed which is his very favorite
place to sprawl out... I'm still desperately looking for a home for him. I
did find a local no-kill shelter that would take him but before I make that
decision, I felt I needed to makeone more try for a real home.

A couple of things I wanted to let you know re: transport. I found all
these groups on Yahoo groups that organize transports for cats & dogs all
over the country--volunteers drive legs of the trip; some take in overnight.
Anyway, I pass that on if anyone ever needs that sort of help.

Right now, I do have a possibility for BB but its way out of state (I'm in
NY). I would not put BB anywhere without taking him there myself so my
question is whether anyone has flown with a cat recently. I did this a few
years ago when I brought one of my guys from Az (that's another long
story!). She flew in carrier with me & it was fine. Thing is, I've hear
horror stories about how with new security regs they make you take the cat
out of the carrier and I know I could not do that with BB--he would
absolutely freak out! Does anyone have any recent first hand experiences?

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Dave - 20 Mar 2004 17:51 GMT

Hi,

Have you checked with Best Friends sanctuary in Utah? I don't know if they
would take him. They tend to take animals when other options have been
exhausted, or when the cat has special needs. But you never know. Check
out bestfriends.org if you haven't already.

I recently was in the same situation as you. I volunteer at a no-kill cat
sanctuary near Austin, and when my vet asked me if I could place William the
stray tabby in the sanctuary, I said "probably so". This stray stayed at my
house for a few days, and by then I got so attached to him (and vice versa)
that I couldn't let him go. He now has a home with my other 12 cats. But I
know that for most people, a multicat household is not an option. But if it
possibly is for you, I hope you can keep him.

Best of luck -
Dave

> Well here I am again. Big Boy is still with me--now runs around in my
> bedroom quite nicely--he's discovered my bed which is his very favorite
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> out of the carrier and I know I could not do that with BB--he would
> absolutely freak out! Does anyone have any recent first hand experiences?

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Chris - 20 Mar 2004 18:12 GMT

I had contacted Best Friends & they could not take him--as I said I do have
local shelter that might take him... I also have a POSSIBILITY out of state
but now am trying to figure out how best to fly with him there if it works
out...

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
> > out of the carrier and I know I could not do that with BB--he would
> > absolutely freak out! Does anyone have any recent first hand experiences?

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IBen Getiner - 20 Mar 2004 21:56 GMT

Man, you sure got a lot of white liberal guilt. If you're worried THAT
much about what kind of home he gets, then why don't you keep him
yourself..?

IBen G.

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Chris - 21 Mar 2004 02:11 GMT

He is FELV+ & I have 4 non + cats--does that answer the question?

By the way, when did guilt become the sole purview of whites & liberals?
How would you ever know what I am!

> > Well here I am again. Big Boy is still with me--now runs around in my
> > bedroom quite nicely--he's discovered my bed which is his very favorite
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> IBen G.

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MacCandace - 21 Mar 2004 06:49 GMT

<< By the way, when did guilt become the sole purview of whites & liberals?
How would you ever know what I am! >>

Chris, don't pay attention to that guy. Most of us have him killfiled.

I was wondering about BB. I'd be very wary of flying with him. If you do and
they make you take him out, I would turn around and leave rather than do that.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

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zuzu22@webtv.net - 21 Mar 2004 07:52 GMT

Candace wrote:

>I'd be very wary of flying with him.

Other than shipping in cargo, which is a big no-no, flying with him in
the cabin is her only option as she needs to see the new home and meet
the people where he is going and make sure it will be a good situation
for him. Apparently it's too far a distance for her to drive.

>If you do and they make you take him
>out, I would turn around and leave rather
>than do that.

Then he won't go to his new home.
There is a safe way to do this. If she puts a walking jacket on him
(http://www.hdw-inc.com/walkingjackets.htm ) with a leash attached and
uses a top loading carrier it should be ok. I don't recommend any other
harness as this one is secure and *escape proof* when it is properly
adjusted. She can get Big Boy used to the harness and being put in and
taken out of the carrier so he is familiar with this procedure when it
happens for real. She can also call the airline, explain the situation,
and see if she can make arrangements to go to a small room within the
airport to do this. Getting him back into the carrier shouldn't be an
issue as most cats look for a hiding place when they are scared and the
carrier will be the closest thing available. For example, I know when I
take my cats to the vet, they don't want to come out of the carrier, but
they sure are happy to go back in it.

Megan

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Chris - 21 Mar 2004 19:10 GMT

Thanks for link...Is the neck part elastic? He really is quite strong & I
worry because my other guys have gotten out of every harness I ever got...

> Candace wrote:
> >I'd be very wary of flying with him.
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
>
> - W.H. Murray

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zuzu22@webtv.net - 21 Mar 2004 19:59 GMT

>Is the neck part elastic?

No, it's the same as the webbing that fastens around the stomach. Very
sturdy.

>He really is quite strong & I worry
>because my other guys have gotten out of
>every harness I ever got...

I have never liked the H or figure 8 style harnesses they sell in stores
and consider them to be fairly flimsy and escapable.
I have used this harness several times including with a feral that I was
taming and had to have complete physical control of when out of the
cage. I also bought one for a cat that was known for escaping from
harnesses and, to his dismay, he couldn't get out of this one. Cats
can't get out of it once it is *properly adjusted* although it's
extremely difficult to get out of anyway and looking at the photos you
can see why. You'll have time to adjust it properly and make sure the
cat can't get out of it. Once you have it right it stays that way so
it's not something you would have to do every time.

Megan

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IBen Getiner - 21 Mar 2004 11:17 GMT

> He is FELV+ & I have 4 non + cats--does that answer the question?

Then why would you adventure so far outside your own emotional limits
and start up a task that you could never hope to finish? We (my wife
and I) have picked out and had tested half a dozen strays, and never
once committed ourselves emotionally to any one of them until we knew
for sure that we could take them in with our others.
YOU just can't control your emotions, buddy-boy. THEY control YOU. And
now, here you are. At another painful crossroads. Hopeless.

> By the way, when did guilt become the sole purview of whites & liberals?
> How would you ever know what I am!

White liberal guilt is a disease that has spread far beyond its
original borders. I think you know what just I mean. But if not, it
doesn't matter. All who read your pitiful little fugue must by this
point concur.

IBen G.

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Tracy - 20 Mar 2004 23:17 GMT

Yes. I flew last year with Callie in a carrier with me, and yes, I did
have to take her out of the case and through security with me. She
clung so hard to my shoulder it hurt, and wasn't in the least bit
inclined to dash off into the scary place. It was clearly less scary
with me than any place else she could see :>

That said, she's a well trained cat.

I would despair of doing that with my other cat, who's a former feral
who still has a pretty healthy fear base and the ability to do
virtually anything when the adrenaline gets going. Honestly, if your
cat is this fearful, I wouldn't try anything but driving him to
wherever he's going.

If you can get a harness on him, then I guess you can at least make
sure he won't run off, but whether or not you can wrestle him back
into the case in the middle of airport security can be a very open
question with a scared cat.

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Chris - 21 Mar 2004 02:11 GMT

Thing is, its really too far to drive!

> Yes. I flew last year with Callie in a carrier with me, and yes, I did
> have to take her out of the case and through security with me. She
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> into the case in the middle of airport security can be a very open
> question with a scared cat.

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