Transporting a cat from JHB to CPT

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mic_y

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Hi MyBB :)

I need to find a way to fly my cat down from JHB to CPT when I move there. I am driving down but have no space in the car and no desire to subject the poor kitty to 16 hours of driving.

What would be the cheapest way to get the kitty down to CPT? Should I contact airlines directly? Have any of you used any of the multitude of companies offering these services?

Thank in advance for all the advice :)
 
mic_y said:
Hi MyBB :)

I need to find a way to fly my cat down from JHB to CPT when I move there. I am driving down but have no space in the car and no desire to subject the poor kitty to 16 hours of driving.

What would be the cheapest way to get the kitty down to CPT? Should I contact airlines directly? Have any of you used any of the multitude of companies offering these services?

Thank in advance for all the advice :)
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I used a service - cost about 2k in the end.

You can contact them directly, its quite cheep if you do it that way. You must just have the correct carry box. Its best to send them on the same flight as you or make sure there is someone to pick up on the other side.
 
Just give the cat a heavy sedative and let in sleep in a passenger's lap.

16 hours ain't that long.

Get a body harnass for the cat so that it doesn't out the door if the sedative wears off.
 
I transported 2 cats and 1 dog down from Durban to Cape Town when I relocated 4 years ago.
I used a company called Kerina Petwings. I'd done extensive research on the multitude of providers and finally settled on them.

I'd highly recommend them. Very pleasant people who have a passion for animals. They will arrange everything and will work around your requirements.

Back then, the total cost was ~R2050 for all 3, boxes, flight etc included.

Rather put the little one on a plane than subject them to 16 hours of unpleasantness and being confined to a box in a moving car.
Also, I would not recommend sedating them for a flight or prolonged. There are a number of risks associated with this, some of which are not pleasant. Chat to your vet though beforehand.

Good luck!
 
Many years ago, I used to transport my two cats quite often between Cape Town and PE. We used SAA cargo directly. It was very cheap as we paid per kg.
Phone them and see if they still do it.
We used to sedate them and get someone to collect them on the other side.
 
question, dosent any of the courier companies offer this service?

I mean surely they transport every day goods , so whats to add a extra "fragile" box to the hold?

just asking as I always wanted to know....
 
Nerfherder said:
I used a service - cost about 2k in the end.

You can contact them directly, its quite cheep if you do it that way. You must just have the correct carry box. Its best to send them on the same flight as you or make sure there is someone to pick up on the other side.
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I was at the pet shop earlier today and saw one of these cat carrier thingies. It stood out as I read this thread before going out. Just out of interest, carrier was priced at R 1 600 :o
 
No man surely you can just keep the cat in the car. Take a leash with and stop every 4 hours to stretch and take the cat for a walk.

I drove down 2 days ago and sleeping for 45min during the trip took me 14 hours, cruise control on 120.
 
The_Mowgs said:
No man surely you can just keep the cat in the car. Take a leash with and stop every 4 hours to stretch and take the cat for a walk.

I drove down 2 days ago and sleeping for 45min during the trip took me 14 hours, cruise control on 120.
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Sure... my cats scream every moment they are in the car. We have to hurry as eventually they will puke.
 
Even if its just a 2 hour flight they will spend much much longer in the box in a scary environment with strangers all around. I would rather find a spot for them and use a leash like suggested.
 
I'd rather have my kitty with me and stop frequently to make sure it's okay than subject it to a flight and being terrorized by uncaring staff #horrorstories
 
Thanks for all the responses guys. Driving down with the cat is not an option really as I drive a Mini Cooper. With 2 people, and all my stuff being moved down, there is barely a space for anything, let alone a cat in a cage. Also kitty really hates cars and screams incessantly whenever she is subjected to driving.

For anyone looking at doing this in future, I got in touch with Bidvest Pet Lounge http://www.petlounge.co.za/. Process is as follows:
1. Call Pet Lounge 2 days before the flight and notify them of the size of the cage.
2. Pay the fee based on size of the cage (I was quoted ~ R1k for a cage for a small cat).
3. Deliver the cat in a cage to Pet Lounge min 2 hours before the flight.
4. Collect cat at destination airport immediately after arrival.
 
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Give current cat to relatives, Drive down to CPT and get another cat.
 
Shaun108 said:
Give current cat to relatives, Drive down to CPT and get another cat.
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The cat actually isnt even mine technically (my current room-mate's). But it chose me as its parent and I have grown very attached to it over the years. Additionally my room-mate is terrible at looking after animals so it is more an issue of concern for the animal.
 
mic_y said:
The cat actually isnt even mine technically (my current room-mate's). But it chose me as its parent and I have grown very attached to it over the years. Additionally my room-mate is terrible at looking after animals so it is more an issue of concern for the animal.
Click to expand...
Are you stealing the cat?
 
Drove my cats down to CPT from JHB.

Keep them in a smallish cage that is covered with a blanket.
The cage calms them down big time vs keeping them to roam around the back of the car.
Also try sedating them, eg. small corner of allergex (tricky to get them to swallow the piece, so check the cat doesn't spit out).
The calming gels I got from the pet shops didn't help jack-*****.
As far as I know, the local airlines discontinued the pet services last year.
 
Buy a box and put the cat in the car?

You would need to buy a box for the airline as well regardless.
 
I have an idea:

For this you're going to need the cat, a box, a radioisotope and a bottle of poison.

Or maybe I don't have an idea...
 
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