Please make sure you bring the cat on in a pet carryon bag and keep her
with you

Certainly, do not leave her alone for a month!!  Any number of emergencies
could arise during your absence.  And your cat would undoubtedly be lonely.
It may seem to you that your cat sleeps most of the time (which is normal),
but she has your company when she wants it.

Why did you say she would have to be placed in cargo?  I used to travel by
plane with my cats (one cat at a time), and I always took my cat in the
cabin with me.  You would need to check in advance to make sure that you can
take the cat in the cabin because some airlines do not permit it.  Of those
that do permit it, many permit only one cat per cabin, so you will want to
make a reservation as far in advance as possible for both you and your cat.
Check for the airline's requirements for under-seat carryons, and use a cat
carrier that fits within those dimensions.  Your cat will be placed under
the seat in front of you and will take the place of one piece of carryon
luggage (but you will be charged the same as it the cat were placed in
cargo -- which I would NEVER recommend).  I always requested an aise seat
because it was easier to slide the carrier in from the aisle.  However, be
sure to double-check dimensions if you plan to do this because there is an
extra bar under the seat on the aisle side, and the reduces the available
size somewhat.  You will also need a health certificate from your
veterinarian.  Airlines usually don't check it, but it is required and is
very important "just in case" they do check (since you don't want to risk
having your cat denied passage or placed in quarantine).

I used a tranqualizer the first time I traveled with my first cat, and I
greatly regretted it.  He was extremely ill.  I had to keep him on a harness
or several hours after the flight ended for his own safety because he was so
that he was so disoriented that he would stumble into walls if I didn't have
a harness to control it.  After that, I always traveled without
tranqualizing, and never had any problems.  You might want to take a couple
of pills with you in the event of emergency.  However, airline rules
prohibit taking the cat out of the carrier while on board.  Once we got on
the plane, each cat was quiet.  They would sleep through most of the flight,
although I would occasionally see them looking up at me.  I made all
"restroom breaks" as short as possible because the only that one of my cats
would cry was when I left the seat.

I now have two cats, and I left my cats in my house when I traveled for two
weeks this summer.  However, I hired a pet-sitter to come in twice a day to
feed them and also spend some time playing with them.  That turned out to be
ideal because the pet-sitter I located loves cats and gave them plenty of
time.  It eliminated the problem of a frightened cat being taken into a new
environment for a limited period of time.  Would that be a possibility for
you?  If so, I think this would be the better solution.  Be sure to get a
sitter who will spend time with your cat every day and who will make
occasional phone calls to you to report on the situation.  And make
arrangements with your vet for your cat's care if an emergency arises and
the sitter has to take the cat in for veterinary care.

Good luck!  And have a great vacation.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of my blind cat Duffy's
integration into our household):
Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54
Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56

Travel in baggage-no way.

I have a friend who goes between New York and Colorado- half a year in each
place.  She takes her cat in the cabin with her and says she has no problem.

Otherwise a pet sitter is the way to go.  I got mine through my vet- his vet
technician.  He of course loves cats and can pill one of my girls.

--
Barb
I can only please one person a day.
Today is not your day.
Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

I take it you are joking about leaving her alone with a months supply of
food...... get a pet sitter to come in to give fresh water, food and check
she is OK, and give her some fuss and play :-)
have a good holiday

<< I've read of many horrendous airline experiences and yet I've seen
many pets travel in the airplane too. My will have to be in the cargo section.

I would not take her if she has to fly in cargo.  How do you know you can't
have her in the cabin with you?  At any rate, I definitely would not let her
fly in cargo.

<< Question: Should I bring her or leave her at home with a month's supply of
food.  >>

And that doesn't sound like a good idea either.  You mean just leave a month's
worth of food out and hope she's okay?  You need to have someone to check on
her everyday if you do that.  Don't you have a friend/neighbor who you can pay
to check in on her?

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)

Thank you for all your replies.

The hols are still some months away so I will start looking for a sitter.

Thanks again