Pet Travel: Preparing Your Pet’s Crate for Travel

Prepare your pet's crate for travelWhether you are flying or driving with your pet, the best thing you can do for your pet is to prepare them for being in their crate. Get your crate well ahead of travel and keep the top half off. Encourage your pet to rest in the bottom half. After several weeks, attach the top half and the door. As more airlines are requiring it, we would strongly recommend that you use crate hardware.

Several days prior to travel, take a picture with your pet, print two copies and attach one to the top of your pet’s crate with your pet’s passport papers and any veterinary instructions. Attach it with duck tape in a zip lock bag and mark it “Originals, Do Not Remove” Attach LIVE ANIMAL stickers on each side of the crate and a shipper’s declaration on the top of the crate. Make sure your cell phone is written on the shipper’s declaration. Write your pet’s name on a piece of duck tape and put on the crate or mark the crate with a Sharpie pen. Attach a sturdy leash to the top of the crate if you are taking a trip with a layover. No fancy leash here as it may be lost along the way.

Keep a pet pad in your crate so that your pet will become accustomed to the scent. Put an old, unwashed t-shirt of yours in the crate (or try a stuffable toy) so your pet will carry your scent with them.

If you are flying, on the day of travel, you will need to attach the water/food bowl(s) to the door and put cable ties in the corners of the crate. Freeze water in the bowl the night before so it will not spill or drip. Once your pet is in the crate and the airlines have weighed your pet and inspected the crate, you will need to cable tie the door. The airlines should assist you with this, but it is wise to be prepared when you travel with your pet.

It is all about keeping your pet safe when you travel. The last thing any pet owner wants is to have his pet escape from their crate. If you need an airline compliant pet crate, or one for your car, you can find it together with other pet travel accessories at http://www.pettravelstore.com.


Comments

Pet Travel: Preparing Your Pet’s Crate for Travel — 12 Comments

  1. Everyone seems to be on board when using a crate for training a dog to eliminate outside, but it is not uncommon that the crate is then phased out as the dog becomes an adult.

  2. ?We are a professional Pet Relocation agent based in Colombo, Sri Lanka who can offer you personalized door-to-door international pet transport services in the safest and the most comfortable way.

    Pet Express can be your one-stop international pet travel agent for your pets moving to & from Sri Lanka. We at Pet Express, always plan your pet’s relocation process carefully and meticulously.

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  3. I am flying from Tunisia to Australia with a layover of 12 hours in Paris. Any tips on how bed to transport my schauzers (3) would be appreciated!

  4. Paradizoo – did you try Brussels Airlines through BRU? They are pet friendly and fly the route with only one stop. KLM flies the route as well, but you will need to claim and recheck your cats at AMS on the second leg which is operated by Transavia.
    Susan

  5. Gday all,

    I am actually intended on relocating with my partner to Spain (just about Malaga area) and also I am planning to take my cats with me. I presently own 2 felines that I may have to transport from Edinburgh to Malaga. I know I will likely have to jet out from London however I am having a hard time to find the right airline company and cost. Does anybody have any advice/experience taking flight with felines? Any type of thoughts on expense and the very best airline company to decide on would certainly be much welcomed.

    Thanks a bunches!

  6. Omar – you can find requirements for sending your puppies to Egypt here: http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/egypt.cfm. Someone will need to assist with the NOC in Egypt. To leave Spain, your pups must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies at least 21 days prior to leaving. You need to contact the cargo department of an airline that flies the entire route to Egypt for the cost as there are too many variables involved.
    Jason

  7. Hii please i need to know all the required data for shipping 2 puppies alone from spain to egypt and approximately how would it cost.
    Also the papers needed for the person recieving the puppies in egypt. Thank you in advance 🙂

  8. Delta will transport your son’s pet turtles as checked baggage in the cargo hold on domestic flights as long as they are accompanied by an adult passenger. If you are traveling internationally, additional forms may be required depending on the country to which you are traveling. You need to contact the reservations desk to make arrangements.
    Jason

  9. Hi! I am trying to find out what all is “required” for traveling with my son’s 2 small pet turtles via delta airlines. Apparently, due to inclimate weather there is a FIVE hour wait time to speak with a Delta representative regarding this matter :-/ Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!! 🙂

  10. Sandra – there are other carriers that fly this route, and their checked baggage requirements may be more lenient. Iberia permits 2 pets per passenger as checked baggage. You can also try contacting KLM, Air France, American, and British Airways. I checked the route between Phoenix and Madrid.
    Susan

  11. Hi, we are getting ready to move to Arizona from Spain on April or May. We will be travelling with three medium to large size dogs and one cat, all adults. I have read that the airlines, in this case Delta, only allows two pets per flight. Is there any way that is affordable that we can fly all family and pets included the same day on the same plane? Thank you very much for any good information. Sandra

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