Are flat-faced cats/dogs "special-needs"?
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:01 pm
Hello, all,
I am a Newbie to PilotsNPaws, and I hope y'all can clarify some things for me. How are cat transports being done? Do the cats ALWAYS get to ride in the cabin (rather than in the belly of a larger plane)?
I run the Persian Rescue of Virginia, specializing in rehabilitating and re-homing Persian and Himalayan cats, and the occasional other breed cat. Most of our rescue cats have extremely flat, even concave faces with minimal to non-existent nasal passages; for those kitties, it is hard to breathe on a good day, but stress and noise will aggravate the situation, with the result that Persians and Himalayans can flat-out suffocate when transported inside the belly of a large plane.
Thus, to minimize that risk, it is IMPERATIVE that these animals be flown inside a plane's cabin and where the people are. Would I have to put in a "special-needs" request to ensure that "my" cat(s) get to fly where the people are? Please advise.
Thank you in advance! Margarete Ziemer
I am a Newbie to PilotsNPaws, and I hope y'all can clarify some things for me. How are cat transports being done? Do the cats ALWAYS get to ride in the cabin (rather than in the belly of a larger plane)?
I run the Persian Rescue of Virginia, specializing in rehabilitating and re-homing Persian and Himalayan cats, and the occasional other breed cat. Most of our rescue cats have extremely flat, even concave faces with minimal to non-existent nasal passages; for those kitties, it is hard to breathe on a good day, but stress and noise will aggravate the situation, with the result that Persians and Himalayans can flat-out suffocate when transported inside the belly of a large plane.
Thus, to minimize that risk, it is IMPERATIVE that these animals be flown inside a plane's cabin and where the people are. Would I have to put in a "special-needs" request to ensure that "my" cat(s) get to fly where the people are? Please advise.
Thank you in advance! Margarete Ziemer