A sedative is a Very Bad Idea:

http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/livingwithpets/sedate.asp

United transported my cats and did a superb job, no complaints at all

HTH

Helen

I'm not an airline authority & so not the final word on anything: but from
my experience flying cats to n.CA & from s.FL to CO will try to help: first,
have you researched cat-flight @ all yet? Your biggest problems are *not*
getting flight cages! My experience last year w/Delta is that most bargain
(smaller) airlines have an absolute "pet embargo" from mid-May to Sept.
simply because of cargo-area heat in warm weather (very few have a/c
pet cargo holds down in there). I *dunno* re United....we went Delta & it
was no piece of cake: had to ship 2 cats alone a week b4 leaving (1-pet
under-seat limit in coach) *at 2am* I drove down to Ft.Ldl-Hlwd Int. and
finally found Delta cargo bldg. (way off on other side of airport perimeter
from terminals) in dark
as cargo/animal flights are *never* non-stop & temps @ all stops between
departure point & destination *must* be
below 85oF! These 2 cats stopped @ Atlanta & Dallas b4 arriving @ DIA where
relatives were waiting @ cargo bldg. to take them. I flew a week later
w/Rowdy, worst-behaved huge male half-blind striper w/'tude in soft-sided
carrier under my seat. Delta warned me repeatedly *NOT* to plan on taking
the 2 in cargo hold w/us same day, even if I booked a "red-eye" and flew @
night....because if the slightest thing went wrong down in the cargo hold,
anywhere on the stops (again, no non-stops) there would be *no one* to take
those cats and I'd be up s*** creek somewhere I didn't want to be w/them
all, LOL. YOU have a problem I didn't have: all 3 of mine flew w/vet's
shots/inspection papers taped to their carriers for anyone to see if needed.
P.R. may, like foreign countries, although it's not one, have a pet
quarantine in force for animals entering the country: check into that
pronto!
One more thing: (minor) a drunk dude fell on Rowdy in his carrier as he'd
removed his seatbelt when plane gave a big downward lurch and he flew *up*
and then came forcefully *down*. Aside from fellow passengers yelling @
drunk and me giving him looks that would fry bacon, no harm done. (major):
our plane/Dallas Int. was having tornado when we arrived there around 11pm
after circling 1-1/2 hours over Dallas. Airport shut down & Rowdy & me were
forced to stay overnight @ "Benton, TX" - never did look that up on map -
Holiday Inn, checking in @ 1am. That itself was an added excitement to our
adventure. S***
happens......some things you can't prepare for! Your plan will require
heavy-duty coordination and planning, dude. Good luck.P.S. - forget the
sedative; most vets tend to err on safe dosage & I tried it twice: no
visible effect on cats.

Suddenly, without warning, Richard exclaimed (24-Jul-05 8:46 PM):

Petsmart sells (or sold, a while back) a cheap cage, that's pretty much
exactly like the Pet Dens at www.drsfosterandsmith.com :
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3357&Ntt=pet%20den
&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=0&Nty=1

Mine's seen a lot of international travel, so I know it meets the
requirements in multiple countries. Got it at the PetsMart in Sterling
on Rt 7.  My best advice is research thoroughly the rules for the
country you're going to.  You'll need a health certificate from the VA
State Vet, airlines only accept them 10 days before the flight.

Sedative is a very bad idea.  Most vets will tell you that, and why.
There are few exceptions.

Get the box now, get a nice comfy liner for it (something that'll be
comfortable even if your pet has an accident), then leave it open in
some part of the house.  Leave some treats in there maybe, but the idea
is to make the cat comfortable with it.  Ideally, they'll see it as a
safe haven, a place to sleep.

Good luck.  Plan carefully, know the rules, and make sure your paperwork
is correct.

jmc

I would never fly a pet as cargo.

-L.
**paste** - Just FYI:

Airlines must begin tallying pet casualties

6/3/2005
Daily Journal
Associated Press
http://www.djournal.com/pages/ story.asp?ID=194649&pub=1&div= News

WASHINGTON (AP) Plenty of vacation guides list camps that allow
dogs or rank pet-friendly hotels, but until now there's been no
way to know which airlines are safest for four-legged travelers.

That's about to change. Starting June 15, airlines must report
how many pets are killed, lost or injured on their flights.

The government estimates 2 million animals fly commercially every
year. Many airlines allow small pets to travel in portable
kennels under seats, where the owners are responsible for their
safety. Larger pets travel in cargo holds, where they can be
exposed to extreme heat or cold and loud noises from plane engines.

Nobody knows how many pets are killed or injured. Lisa Weisberg,
spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, suggested 1 percent, which would mean 20,000
animals per year. The airlines say that's far too high.

But no one disputes that accidents do happen.

When Sarah Stano's husband was transferred from Portland, Ore.,
to Greensboro, N.C., she chose Delta Airlines to fly them there
because it was the only carrier that would let her carry her
three cats in the cabin.

But at the airport she discovered one of the containers was too
big to fit under the seat. Hereford, a fluffy white cat with
black spots, had to go in the cargo hold.

"I'll never forget the look he gave me when they took him away,"
Stano said.

When Stano and her two children arrived late at night in
Greensboro, they found out Hereford had died from either cold or
lack of cabin pressure. "We were really kind of devastated about
the whole thing," Stano said.

Stano sued Delta and reached an undisclosed settlement.

Delta spokeswoman Benet Wilson said the airline does its best to
accommodate pets but doesn't comment on individual cases.

Weisberg's organization pushed Congress to pass the law requiring
the airlines to report animal casualties. Supporters wanted it to
cover animals shipped to zoos and those used for research and
breeding, as well as household pets, and to require that cargo
holds be temperature-controlled.

Airlines fought the effort, and lawmakers ended up approving a
rule that requires tallying injuries and deaths of household pets.

Jack Evans, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, said the
requirement could produce misleading information because the data
will not include a casualty rate. An airline that carries many
pets may appear to have a worse record than an airline that
carries far fewer because it will have a higher number of
injuries and deaths, said Evans, whose organization represents
major airlines.

David Stempler, president of the Airline Travelers Association,
said the new requirement may make some airlines reluctant to
carry animals.

"Be careful what you wish for," Stempler said. "Some carriers
might do what Southwest does, which is not carry pets at all."

Southwest spokeswoman Edna Ruano said the airline can't guarantee
that animals would be comfortable and safe because it doesn't
have extra staff to take care of them between flights. Like most
airlines, Southwest does allow seeing-eye dogs and other service
animals in the cabin.

United Air Lines transports all types of animals, from household
pets to silverback gorillas and beluga whales. It even has
awarded extra frequent flier miles to people who bring their pets
with them.

"A lot of our customers enjoy traveling with their pets," said
United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski. As more hotel chains offer
perks like pet massages and dog walkers, more people are bringing
their animal companions along on trips, she said.

On the Net:

Transportation Department Airline Consumer Report:
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov /reports/

you can find a lof of information at

www.ramblincat.com

This is the best site found so far. The message board is very useful
too.