Come Fly With Me!

Today's the day I fly to Seattle with Bruno and Carlo, and move into our new home! Chicago has been so good to us, and this day is very bittersweet :) 
 
Jason left with our U-Haul yesterday, and will meet us at our new place on Tuesday night. I’ll share more soon about how we’re transitioning the chonks to the new house, and how we're all settling in. From here on out I’ll be working from home and concentrating on my artistic career (music/theatre/writing/etc). I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to having a flexible schedule for the first time in my life - I feel deeply fortunate. Lots more time to share with you all here, and on the ‘gram too!
 
But today, I want to tell you about flying with the Bartlett boys!
 
We flew with Bruno for the first time last November, when we traveled to Petcon in NYC. It felt right for us to go, given we were speaking on a panel about rescue animals! Bruno completely surprised us, and traveled like a CHAMP. He barely made a peep in his carrier on either plane ride, and made himself comfortable easily and immediately in the hotel room (this lil' dude was born for a life of luxury, I tell ya). 
 
When we flew to Vegas in February with the intention of adopting Carlo, it was a no-brainer to bring Bruno along - he's part of the family! We already knew he was a first-class traveler, and we of course wanted to see how he interacted with Carlo before deciding to bring him home. As you know, Carlo became part of our family that weekend :) 
 
On the flight home, Bruno did great as always. Poor Carlo however meowed and meowed the entire way to the airport, at the terminal, and until he finally fell asleep on the plane. It was so painful, and we felt SO helpless. 
 
This all being said – prescriptions from our vet for travel are a necessity for us. Bruno receives a light anti-anxiety medication that was prescribed before his first flight (and clearly works very well). Because of Carlo’s history with flying and his general detest for carriers, tonight he will receive a light sedative that we tested on him last weekend, as the anti-anxiety just isn't enough for him. It’s all about being preventative! Disclaimer: I am of course not a vet, and am merely sharing our experience; please consult with Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or a holistic veterinarian before deciding what/if prescriptions are right for your pet.
 
And now – for the essentials we pack in our carry-on suitcase!

1. Some airports have pet relief areas. I pack a small litter box, along with litter in a plastic bag. I always make the boys use the litterbox before we board the plane – luckily for me, they do so anywhere with ease! 
2. They’ve never had an accident, but I line both the boys’ carriers with disposable changing pads. I keep a few extra in the carry-on, just in case!
3. Baby wipes are essential for multiple reasons: the off-chance that they have an accident, or for cleaning my own hands after giving the boys treats/dealing with a litter box/etc when there’s no sink in sight!
4. I carry a few plastic bowls so I can feed them as soon as we land (they don’t eat a meal for about 8 hours before the flight, in case they were to get motion sickness. No issues so far!). 
5. We use Feliway Spray in their carriers before they get in. I’ve had countless followers suggest the plug-ins to us, but unfortunately, we had one that started smoking. Spray it is!
6. A neat collapsible travel water bowl was gifted to us by Animal Planet. Great for pet relief centers, etc! I’m careful not to give them too much water before we take off of course, given the lack of litter boxes in-flight ;)
7. I’ve found that the easiest thing to feed them upon landing is Tiki Cat Stix. You squeeze it right out of the plastic stick and into the bowl, easily tossing the wrapper away. No leftovers, smells, etc! I give them a full meal once we’ve reached our final resting point.
8. We also carry treats – duh! Among others, the boys love Pure Bites Freeze Dried Chicken Breast!
9. Carrying Ziploc Bags is probably my favorite flying ‘hack’. You never know when you’ll have disposables and no access to a garbage can or sink. This is the easiest way to contain mess/smell when your options are limited, especially in a confined environment!
10. Not pictured: in both boys’ carriers, I pack their medical records. We’ve never once been asked to see them at any airport, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!

 
I sure hope this is helpful to any of you flying with pets soon. I’m hopeful Carlo does better tonight given his new prescription – we’ve been pretty spoiled with Bruno’s cool approach to travel thus far! I'll be sure to keep you posted. Seattle, here we come!
 
Any other tips/tricks/hacks you’ve picked up while flying with your pets?