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Pet and Travel: Bringing your Dog, Cat or other Pets to
Egypt
A contribution by
Maya AbdelRahim Martin and
Peter Magdy (President - Market in a Box Co.)
Pet air Travel: Airline Traveling with your animal friend:
- Depending on the airline you travel with and the weight of your pet, it can either go on board with the passenger as carry on luggage or in the cargo of the very same plane you are flying on.
- When booking you will need to provide the weight of the pet as well as the weight and dimensions of the carrier. Based on all this, and possibly the breed, the airline will estimate the shipping charges.
- If the pet light enough and is allowed to go on board, the airline personnel will also need to know if your pet has a problem staying quiet for long periods of time.
- Dogs that bark or cats who meow audibly may not be allowed on board so as not to disturb other passengers.
- If your pet travels on board with you, you may carry it in a soft carrier that has to be small enough to meet airline restrictions to fit under the front seat.
- You also need to make sure that your dog is not pregnant; otherwise you will have to provide a vet onboard the flight transporting your dog according to the rules & regulations.
- If your pet is infected at the time of shipping with any virus, including normal cold, it will not be allowed on board.
- You also need to make sure that your pet will have its usual food in the same case that it is shipped in.
- For cargo travel your pet will need a hard case carrier. For dogs you will need a spacious enough cage to enable it to stand up and turn around in.
- Cats prefer smaller snugger spaces. It may add to their stress traveling in a cage that is too roomy. To add to your pet’s comfort include a piece of your or your child’s clothing that has not been washed as a comfort blankie.
- Some pets have difficulty with air travel and need sedatives.
- It is also recommended that you do not give your pet too much to eat prior to traveling to minimize the chance of a mess in their cage while in transit.
- If your pet goes cargo, it is VERY important to notify the captain to turn the heating on in cargo.
There have been instances where pets died from hypothermia while
flying because the captain was not aware of the pet and did not turn
on the heating.
- Some airlines have limitations during summer months when they either not take any pets during a certain period or take fewer pets.
- Air France is pet friendly and allows pets on board. KLM cargo, Lufthansa, and Egypt Air may also allow pets. Check several months in advance regarding airline policies toward pet transportation especially for travel seasons where there is a higher rate of families traveling with their pets.
- In general there is a limit on how many pets are allowed on the plane.
- In terms of documents, the rabies shots are the most important to have besides the health certificate which shows all the vaccinations.
- Your vet will provide you with the correct documentation. The rabies shots need to be given within a certain period of the travel date so check with the regulations of the country of destination, your vet, and the airport/airline.
- You may also want to check on the document requirements for bringing your pet back with you to the country of origin. Some countries have quarantine requirements, like Great Britain, where the pet may be required to remain in quarantine for up to six months with fairly high lodging fees during this quarantine period.
- I had my cat travel Air France this summer and we had to make sure we booked far enough in advance to reserve a space. It went smoothly
enough. She traveled on board in a soft carrier.
- Some families need to send their pets as unaccompanied cargo. It may be useful to find out in advance as to how easy it is to receive unaccompanied cargo at the airport where you will receive your pet.
- Make sure you start the process and make the booking for your pet far enough in advance to reserve a space and to anticipate any unforeseeable complications that may arise unexpectedly.
Bellow are contact information for some Egyptian Travel
Agents, Cargo companies, Vacation Reservations offices,
with best offers and special rates:
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