The Pet Who Moved Cities

Hi! I’m Pixel.

​My human pet-parents and I lived in Bangalore, and we were one happy, loving and fun family!  

One day, I heard my pet-parents talking... they were planning to move to Delhi!  “What about me? :(" I wondered. I knew they wouldn't leave me, we were family.

I was right! I ended up flying to Delhi, and for all you other cats out there who want to move cities, my Momma and Poppa humans made enquiries about how to relocate with a pet cat, and here’s what they found out about domestic pet relocations :

Travelling by plane

It was possible for me to fly with my pet-parents, but not in the cabin, as I was not 8-12 weeks old, and weighed over 5 kg, including the special crate (as specified by IATA). So it would have to be as excess baggage or cargo. But not all airlines would take me. Only Jet Airways, Air India, SpiceJet and Vistara were pet-friendly. Airline pet policies and prices varied slightly with each airline; my pet-parents eventually chose Jet Airways.

​I needed to have all my vaccinations up-to-date and certified fit-to-fly by a vet before I travelled. As for food and water for the long haul – my Momma human found out that the bowls could be fixed to my IATA crate door, and she got quite creative with the fixing business. The airline had to be informed that I would be flying 72 hours in advance, and I had to be checked-in a couple of hours before travel. Details about me (breed, nature, feeding instructions and contact details of my pet-parents) were to be clearly displayed on my crate, and it was marked ”live animal” before I was taken into the cargo hold. All instructions carefully followed and rules adhered to, I flew to Delhi... a slightly scary but exciting journey! How many cats can say they've flown so high above the earth? :)

Travelling by train

The Indian Railways are trickier for cats; it's easiest for us to travel in the East Coast Railway (ECoR), but in some cases it becomes difficult if the issue that 'Cats fall under Wild Animal category' comes up. If this issue crops up, cats are not allowed on passenger trains unless certified by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Govt. of Delhi, that we are not wild animals. Even after that, it is preferred that we be sedated and put in a dog box on the condition that the other co-passengers do not object.  If they do, we could also be asked to get off the train along with our pet-parents!  Train travel with us is not without its hassles.

On most other trains, they allow dogs to travel with their pet-parents in the cabin in 1st AC, unless objected to by co-passengers. The alternative is a journey in the brake van. Sometimes, if there is space in the guard’s cabin, dogs can be put there, provided the guard likes dogs.

Some pet-parents find it more convenient to book the whole compartment so they can enjoy travelling together with their pets.

Travelling by car

This might be the most hassle-free way to travel, but when it's long distance, not always convenient. These days, thankfully, there are resorts and hotels which are pet-friendly. It helps to make stops at these hotels on a long car journey, but pet-parents should make sure to identify and make bookings at these pet-friendly hotels well in advance!

My pet-parents did all the paperwork and bookings to relocate with me on their own. In case your pet-parents need additional help, there are agencies that can help with this arduous process – FurryFlyers, AirPets, Maxwell Relocations and PetFly to name a few.

So... don’t worry about being left behind by your pet-parents when they relocate, as we can move cities too!