The preparations before our flight were extensive and time-consuming. We had to carefully review Canada’s entry requirements and complete all necessary forms and medical checks for our pets. We always kept the required documents within reach. In addition, we purchased and tested the respective travel crates for our cats and Diana to ensure they would travel comfortably and safely. A test pack of the car was also necessary to make sure all our luggage and the pets could be well accommodated.
Preparation
Traveling with pets requires special planning to ensure that your animals arrive safely and comfortably.
- Veterinary checks: Ensure that your pets have all the necessary vaccinations and health certificates. Check the pet entry requirements for Canada. For our journey from Austria to Canada, only a rabies vaccination was required, which had to be administered one month before departure. A microchip was not required but was advantageous, and all our animals were already chipped.
- Travel gear: Obtain suitable transport crates for your cats and dog. These should meet the airline’s requirements and offer enough space. We tried four different crates for Diana before finding one that met both the airline’s maximum size dimensions and the requirement that she could sit upright and lie stretched out.
- Travel documents: Each airline has its own set of documents to fill out, where details such as the traveling pet’s age, weight, and breed are required.
Several weeks before the trip, we started training with the travel crates. Diana had been crate-trained since she was a puppy, as she had her own crate for car rides, which was much smaller than the one for the flight. Luckily, Diana loves her own personal „caves,“ so she quickly accepted the flight crate and used it regularly.
We purchased the following crates from Amazon since our local pet store didn’t have suitable ones in stock and wouldn’t special order them. I’ve provided a link to Amazon for the crates we used, and if you purchase through our link, we receive a small commission.
- Dog crate: Trixie 39745 Transportbox Skudo 7, L: 73 × 76 × 105 cm: https://amzn.to/3yLoyqL with the following accessories to make it suitable for the flight and comply with all regulations: https://amzn.to/3X5C7eH
- The two cat crates in different colors: PETTOM Transportbox for dogs and cats, foldable, waterproof, with shoulder strap, softly padded, for travel in airplanes, cars, or trains, for pets (L: 47 * 23 * 28 cm): https://amzn.to/3wUayKJ
Before the Flight
The drive to the airport was easy to manage thanks to Gernot’s brother, Ralf. With his large car, we could fit everything and head to the airport together. Along with the pets, we each had two large suitcases and a carry-on.
We arrived at the airport three hours before departure, as suggested by the airlines, and followed all the instructions from the staff. Check-in initially went smoothly, but then came the first surprise: the pet forms, which should have been completed by the travel agency, had to be filled out again at the airport. After this unexpected delay, Diana had to be checked in an hour before departure as oversized baggage, while we went through normal check-in. After check-in, Diana was allowed to lie comfortably in her crate without a muzzle or harness. Our cats, however, were treated as normal luggage.
Despite all precautions, we were called again at the gate because a staff member had forgotten to charge us for the pets. After some back and forth, we were able to pay directly at the gate and didn’t have to return to the check-in area at the airport’s entrance, where the actual desk was.
On the plane, the stewardess reassured us that Diana was already in the cargo hold. We sent her all our good thoughts and hoped that the calming medication, which we had given her in consultation with our vet, would make the flight as stress-free as possible. To ensure that the pets only experienced one takeoff and landing and to avoid the risk of being lost during transfer, we had chosen a direct flight from Vienna to Montreal. From there, we would drive to our final destination in a rental car.
During the flight, we also gave the cats their calming medication, and aside from a few meows, they behaved well the entire time. Anubis was so fascinated by the surroundings that, after checking with the stewardess, I briefly took him out of the crate to let him look around. The other passengers admired him, saying what a beautiful cat he was.
After landing in Montreal, we rushed through customs to be at the baggage claim, where Diana should reunite with us. But then came the shock: Diana didn’t appear. While other passengers from various flights received their dogs, our Diana was nowhere to be found. We involved every staff member at the claim and information desks, but nearly three hours passed without any sign of Diana. During this time, we also lost our rental car reservation, and our anxiety grew with every minute. Diana had now been in her crate for almost 12 hours. Even though we had chosen the largest possible crate and given her plenty of water, our nerves were fraying. We had taken a direct flight specifically to avoid such situations. The uncertainty and fear that she was stuck somewhere, scared and alone, or worse, had been mistakenly loaded onto another flight, gnawed at us relentlessly. Our worry and emotional tension became unbearable.
Finally, an airline manager arrived and told us that Diana had been found in the unclaimed luggage area. All the barcodes placed on the crate in Vienna had fallen off, so no one knew where she belonged. Had we taken a connecting flight, Diana wouldn’t have been transferred with us.
Exhausted, tired, and emotionally drained, we were immensely relieved to have Diana back. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take her out of the crate at the airport, but that didn’t stop us from briefly letting her out to give her hugs and kisses. None of the staff said anything, having witnessed our stress and worry over the last few hours. When she had to go back into the crate, she began her sorrowful song.
Next, we had to go through customs, as we were importing animals.
The customs officer clearly couldn’t stand our exhaustion – or Diana’s desperate crying. After listing the necessary forms we still had to fill out, he pointed to the door behind him, called the next person in line, and let us go.
Finally, we could let Diana out of the crate. Her boundless energy and joy were hard to control in the middle of Montreal. Our cats, having slept through the commotion, continued to nap peacefully in their crates, occasionally shifting and settling back in.
After quickly organizing a SIM card for one of our phones in the arrival hall, to use mobile data for navigation, we headed to the car rental desk.
At the rental car company, they helped us book the largest available car, as our original reservation had been given away due to our delay. Tired but happy, we packed the car and set off for our final destination – about 1,400 km along the Trans-Canada Highway.
Unfortunately, our hotel reservations were also no longer valid, and the receptions were closed by the time we arrived. So, we completed the entire trip with about 21 hours of driving, taking many breaks. Diana still felt the effects of the flight and couldn’t bear having her crate closed anymore. Every time we shut the door, she would start crying again. So, she wandered back and forth between the crate and halfway up the armrest. The cats took turns sitting with me on the passenger seat. During the breaks, they, like Diana, were allowed out of the car – albeit on leashes, which they weren’t used to as outdoor cats, but anything was better than waiting in the car.
Your Thoughts?
Have you ever traveled with pets? What were your experiences? Or are you planning a trip? What else would you consider? Please share your thoughts with us. We hope this post is helpful to you. If you need specific details or additional information, let us know!
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