Shipping cat in cargo or driving...

skittledoo

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#1
I had a long discussion with my landlord's wife the other day about Whiskey. I really miss him and have been wanting him back since... well.... since the day I put him on the plane to MN. His stay with PW was a temporary decision and Lauren and Ryan are really awesome for being willing to help out and take him for a little while.

I convinced my landlords to reconsider Whiskey being here (we're still looking for a more permanent living situation btw) and they have agreed as long as he is either locked up in our room or in a cat crate of some sort during the day when we are at work. Other than that he is to stay in the basement at all times.

I'm looking into getting him one of these for now just to keep him out of trouble while we are at work.
http://www.petedge.com/product/ProSelect-Foldable-Cat-Cages/45682.uts

Anyways, I still need to call the airlines to see what they say about their shipping regulations as far as weather is concerned. I think when I shipped him to PW it was late August or early September. Now it's winter and I know some airlines wont ship animals in the cargo area during the winter. Should I wait until the weather warms up more to get him back or is there an airline that would ship him this time of year? If I was to have him shipped this time of year he would have lots of warmness in his kennel (blankets, bedding).

Another option I'm considering is maybe driving instead... the only way Josh would be cool with that though is if it's either cheaper to drive or around the same cost as shipping him. I would be coming from Northern VA and heading to Minnesota so it's like a 20 something hour drive I think? I could handle the drive if another chazzer drove with me. Mapquest estimates it at around $320 for gas round trip for my suv.
 

skittledoo

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#2
Also I'm pretty positive I shipped Delta last time.... This is what I just found with their costs....
http://www.deltacargo.com/Portals/2/Documents/rateSheets/specialty/liveAnimals/live_animals-warm-blooded_2012-10-01.pdf

I think they also say they ship year round but not positive. So it's cheaper to ship him, but then there's the winter thing...

Would love to visit the MN chazzers, but the cost is much more...

decisions...

ETA: Also just noticed that DELTA has a DASH option which means that your pet would get first priority, first to unload, express shipping etc... It's closer to $275-$300 for that option....
 

Taqroy

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#3
I'd ship, but I hate driving and the thought of a 20 road trip feels me with blegh. Plus I think shipping would just be easier all around - no need to worry about taking time off work, lodging, food, drinks, car stuff....whatever.
 

Southpaw

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#5
I'm always up for a good road trip. The question is... how would Whiskey handle such a long drive?
 

skittledoo

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#6
That's the other part I'm unsure about. I think he will be stressed out either way. I wasn't able to give him any stress relievers like rescue remedy or anything when I flew him to Lauren and Ryan's because my vet said it interfere's with their ability to transition to the altitude in the cargo area. At least on a road trip I could give him rescue remedy but the downside is that is a lot of hours.

There's a lot to weigh. More than likely I'll just fly him and then plan myself a chazzer road trip one of these days without him in the car.
 

RedHotDobe

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#7
I'll go with you! I love road trips, lol. We drove the kittens back from Georgia when they were 4 weeks old, and they were a little obnoxious, but not too bad. They slept a good portion of the time.
 

skittledoo

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#8
I'll go with you! I love road trips, lol. We drove the kittens back from Georgia when they were 4 weeks old, and they were a little obnoxious, but not too bad. They slept a good portion of the time.
I have to see if my suv could handle the trip and if so id like to shoot for February if I was to make a trip out of it. Would need to figure out if I can afford it though since my boss is cutting down everyone's hours since we are slow right now. Also would need to figure out food and lodging and I would be bringing Cricket with if I did a road trip. It mainly comes down to cost (gas).
 

Kilter

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#12
You could also post on facebook to see if anyone flies that way on a regular basis and could attach him to their ticket, it would cost you a lot less that way. And there are transporters and truckers who are willing to give pets a lift, he could hitch a ride. I'm not sure where you'd look for it for the US, but in Canada there are listings on Canuck dogs, usually animal lovers who drive for a living and don't mind the company.
 

CaliTerp07

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#13
What does it cost a person to fly to MN? A quick Kayak search shows $200 round trip for a trip from DC to Minneapolis in February. What's it cost to take a pet as your carry on? That sounds like it would be waaaaaay cheaper than driving (20 hours means you'd need a hotel each way, plus gas is way over $200). If the pet thing is around $100, that might be worth it.
 

SpringerLover

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#14
Honestly, if I could fly my cat in the winter, I'd much rather do that. Get it done and over with... not drag it out and run the risk of the cat escaping from a car. That'd be my biggest fear.
 

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