Traveling Internationally with a Maine Coon: Best Products & Services

We are back from spending a month in France. While this was our first international trip, I thought I would share what worked and what didn’t work for us, as well as explain the process of traveling with a Maine Coon (or essentially, a very large cat).

Best Airline for Maine Coons

What many people come across when they are looking to travel with their big cat is that most airlines do not allow for large cats in the cabin. Most cap the weight at 15-18 pounds (cat + carrier). Well, what if your Maine Coon is 18+ pounds? With the carrier, that may be 20-22 pounds.

That was my dilemma. That is, until @spongecake_thescottishfold, who travels often to Europe with his three Scottish Fold cats, let me in on a little secret. United Airlines doesn’t have weight requirements.

We tested this out on a trip to Pittsburgh the weekend before our international trip. They didn’t ask to weigh him. When we traveled to Charles de Gaulle, they also did not ask to weigh him.

When you book your flight domestically with United, you can easily add your pet during the reservation process online. When you fly internationally, you will need to call to add your cat to your reservation. This is also the best time to purchase a second seat if you feel you need the extra space.

As for choosing seats, since most flights do not allow cats in First or Business Class (depends on the airplane – we could travel First Class between Pittsburgh and Newark), it’s always best to book a window seat. You’ll understand why in the recommended carrier section below.

With most airlines having weight requirements, United Airlines is our choice airlines when traveling anywhere in the world.

Before You Travel: You Need Documents

Before you travel domestic or international, you’re going to need documents. Due to recent changes in America, you may be required to get a health certificate from a USDA inspector before traveling. Most times, states honor travel from one state to another, but due to our current political environment, some states may require a health certificate. You should do your due diligence before you travel to see what is required.

Each country has different requirements. It is easier to travel to a landlocked country than it is an island. Islands and island countries (like Hawaii, Japan, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Iceland) require the animal to be quarantined before continuing on its journey within its borders. Work with both your veterinarian, as well as the USDA inspector, to determine what needs to be done before you travel.

It’s easier to bring a cat to the European Union mainland (note: there are current limitations on traveling with dogs, especially returning to the US). But before you go, you’ll need to work with a licensed USDA veterinarian. Most times, your local veterinarian can refer you to one.

[NOTE: It’s better to be referred than it is to make an appointment out of nowhere with a USDA veterinarian. Most USDA veterinarians do not take on new clients. If you are referred by your veterinarian, and your vet has given your cat a clean bill of health, that helps in the USDA process.]

You will always need to make sure that their rabies vaccination is up to date. There are time limitations surrounding when the cat can be vaccinated (in other words, you can’t vaccinate them two weeks before the trip). Some countries require specific rabies vaccinations. If the country doesn’t recognize the manufacturer, they will not admit the cat into their country. For the USDA veterinarian, they want to stay away from giving the cat more than one rabies vaccination within a year.

Your cat will need to be microchipped.

As soon as you book your flight, contact your veterinarian. Start the USDA inspection process. We booked our first visit with the USDA veterinarian one month before the trip to go over what was needed and for his first examination. We booked the second visit to finalize the paperwork within 10 days of our flight.

We received his paperwork three days before our flight.

Prices vary according to the veterinarian and government. After our two visits with the USDA inspector, it was around $600 for all of the paperwork. This did not include Matthew’s regular veterinarian costs for vaccinations and regular examination paperwork that was submitted to the USDA inspector. Since Matthew is a senior cat, his costs would be around $1200 if we did not have the Vet Hospital’s Care Plan. The Care Plan for all of his vaccinations and visits for the year is $122/month.

If you ever plan on traveling with your Maine Coon, I highly recommend always keeping their vaccinations up to date and make sure the cat is travel ready. Matthew has been France ready for 5 years now. It just took us 5 years to go.

The Perfect Carrier and Stroller

Make no mistake. Carrying a 17+ pound Maine Coon around an airport is not ideal. Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Buy an expandable carrier. This is a must, especially on international flights. I purchased two different carriers. Mr. Peanut’s Big Apple XL Double Expandable Pet Carrier got to us the next day. Matthew loved how comfy it was inside. What I didn’t like was how small it was for him. I think it would be better for him to use this carrier during the winter months than the summer months. The winner pet carrier we used was the ibiyaya 3-in-1 Convertible Carrier. There’s a reason why. It turns into a backpack. This was essential, especially in Paris when we had to take the stairs. I could switch him from the stroller into the backpack and carry him down the stairs. It also helped around the airport when I needed to get him from the gate to the carousel. Both carriers expand out to the sides. When you are flying, choose the United window seat because there is no bar between the window and middle seat. If you buy two seats, buy the window and middle seat. With the ibiyaya, you can expand one side out (or both if you have both seats). This allows the cat to have plenty of room to stretch out under the seat. If you only buy the window seat, ask the person in the middle seat if it is ok if you expand the carrier out because the cat is huge. A lot of times, they’ll let you, especially because there’s still some room under their seat for their things and their feet. The downside of the ibiyaya carrier is that the carrier comes direct from the company. They are notorious for taking 3+ weeks to deliver. If you choose to purchase the ibiyaya, give yourself a month or more for the carrier to arrive. They do have the option of purchasing the stroller portion. I honestly don’t think it’s worth the price, because I found a better stroller.
   
2. Buy a foldable stroller. This is probably the most important decision you will ever make. Matthew has his BMW of strollers. He loves that stroller so much. I am not going to lie that he hated the Kenyone Pet Stroller. He wanted his luxury stroller. But his luxury stroller does not travel well because the carrier does not collapse. The Kenyone Pet Stroller was big enough for him. You can put the travel carrier inside the stroller and move the Maine Coon around the airport easily. United allows you to take the stroller to the gate and check it in at the gate. Depending on the agent at the gate, they will either have you pick up the stroller at the carousel, or they will be super nice and let you pick it up at the gate when you arrive. The benefits of the Kenyone Pet Stroller is that it is easy to collapse, there’s plenty of space underneath for bags and items. There are 3 pockets you can keep items in (something that annoyed Matthew). It is very easy to maneuver around and it locks easily from the top. Matthew’s favorite feature was the opening in front. You can unzip it and the cat (or dog) can climb in and out of the stroller very easily. Just make sure you have the brakes on or the stroller will go flying across the room (he thought it was funny). For the human companion, this stroller was perfection for traveling. Matthew hated this stroller so much (because he has a luxury one to compare it to), he peed in it a lot. The major con for this is that while there’s an easy to clean pad, Matthew chose to pee on the back of the stroller. I spent a lot of time washing the cloth part and spraying it down with Febreeze after every outing. The cloth part looks like it can be removed. It can’t. I tried.

Another tip: because it takes longer to board with a Maine Coon cat, you actually are among the people who can board first. I learned this on our fourth flight. They failed to mention this on the other 3 flights we had.

The Essentials to Buy

Speaking of peeing in strollers… I highly recommend buying a lot of wee pads. On our trip to Pittsburgh, I regretted not bringing enough. On our trip to France, I brought 100 wee pads. We used every single one.

Some people use litter boxes during the flight, but because Matthew has used wee pads before, we got away from using the litter box during the flight. We also came across an issue flying to Pittsburgh. Apparently, there’s a new rule that anything chalk-like (i.e. litter) is not allowed. His litter was confiscated. We spent the first hour in Pittsburgh looking for a store near the hotel to buy cat litter. So when you do pack litter for the first day at your destination, put it in your checked bag, not the carry on.

Use the wee pads in the stroller and in the carrier. Also, make sure to bring plenty of garbage bags so you can easily dispose of the wee pads.

As for litter boxes, I highly recommend purchasing the Paw Libero Large litter box. Last year, I bought those cardboard ones that you can toss after your trip. Matthew woke me up at 1AM complaining because he couldn’t fit inside the box. Lesson learned.

When I bought this litter box, I had Matthew try it out first. He was able to fit in the litter box perfectly. While this is washable, collapsible, easy to pack, and includes a bag, water bowl, and a scooper, Matthew ripped this guy apart so much, I had to put it out with the trash at the end of our France trip. [TIP: put a wee pad in front of the box to catch any litter they may spray out. Matthew likes to pee at the front of litter boxes, so the cloth was stained with pee in the front.] If you use enclosed litter boxes at home, the easy to install shield works wonders. The travel litter box is inexpensive, so if your Maine Coon decides to destroy this one (like Matthew did), you can buy another one. I know this litter box will be our top choice any time we travel. It’s so easy to travel with, set up, and dispose of.

Another important item to bring are pet wipes. Even if you do not normally use them, you will need them to help clean up any messes in the carrier or stroller.

The Extras to Bring

I had never heard of a cooling mat before until I saw someone mention buying a cooling mat to keep your pet cool in the summer months.

I bought the NWK Pet Cooling Mat and Matthew took to it immediately. While he refused to use it during the heat dome, all of the other times when it was warm, he used the cooling mat. I don’t understand how it works, but it really is cool to the touch and definitely well liked.

Another cooling feature I used were cooling fans inside his stroller. These fans were recommended to me by my friend, Allison. They clip easily to the sides of the stroller and allow for air to flow inside the stroller. They work fine so long as there’s no extreme heat (like the heat dome). If it’s around 90 degrees or so, they’re fine. Over 95 degrees and it’s just blowing hot air around.

I always make sure to bring Matthew’s favorite treats when we travel. It helps hydrate him and makes the stressful journey easier for him. They’re getting rewarded for doing such a great job.

For the apartment, I brought his play mat and favorite toys.

For when we are out and about in the stroller, he travels with Lilo’s doll Scrump. It’s his stress relief doll. He uses it as a pillow when he gets sleepy. It also calms him when he sees the doll. Travel is very stressful for animals. Bringing things that help them calm down is essential. It’s also part of home.

While Matthew is on a veterinarian diet, we came across an issue I was not expecting. I had to get rid of $300 worth of food. The heat dome spoiled all of his food for the month. If I had known that would happen, I would have put everything in the refrigerator. So if you are ever facing extreme heat, just keep that in mind.

What we also learned while we were there, the French cat food was actually better for him than the American food. So bringing the first couple of days of food was all that was needed until we could get to the grocery store. After that, he preferred the French cat food. I had to bring a couple of week’s worth of food back with us.

To Drug or Not to Drug

This is something you’re going to have to figure out the hard way. Matthew does not like being drugged for flights.

He’s perfectly calm and quiet when he is not drugged. When he is drugged, he freaks out. He yelled at me all the way to France while he was drugged. On the way back, I did not drug him. Not a peep out of him the entire flight. He was perfectly happy chilling under the seats.

Some cats do better not drugged. Some cats have a lot of anxiety and need to be drugged. This is something you’ll need to test out for yourself. There’s no right or wrong answer. It just depends on the cat.

The Extremes

We happened to be in France during the heat dome. This is what I did to keep us both alive.

1. Freeze ice bags. I bought a bunch of gallon sized Ziploc bags, filled it with water and froze it. I would put the ice bag on my core and Matthew would lay on the other side of the bag. I also kept a bag under his cooling mat.
   
2. By Day 4 of the heat dome, I could not freeze the ice packs fast enough, so Matthew either wrapped himself around the toilet or slept in the shower. I would wet down the shower with cold water and he would go inside the shower and lay down in the cold water.
   
3. I did try to find places that had air conditioning, but to leave the apartment building to find it ended up not being wise because it was 130-150 degrees outside. 20 minutes outside was too much for him, even with cooling fans inside his stroller. Management let him hang around in the lobby (where it was air conditioned) during some of the heat dome. They understood it was a lot for him (especially with all of that hair).
   
4. Lesson here is that we are not going to Europe in the summer ever again. Climate change is very real. Europe was not built for this kind of heat.

Was it Worth Bringing a Maine Coon?

Matthew loved it.

He may not have liked the Eiffel Tower, but he loved France. He loved going on vacation. He did not want to come back home.

Most Maine Coons are very social creatures. Since most people have never seen a Maine Coon before, especially in France, we were stopped a lot. The French fell in love with him. Tourists were in awe that this huge cat was in a stroller just chilling in front of the Notre Dame.

Matthew got to go to the grocery store, bookstore, travel on trains, sit in restaurants, and go to the boulangerie. People stopped us on the sidewalks just so they could meet him.

France really calmed him. He loved the way of life there. Slow. Calm. Relaxed.

The not so cool moment for him may have been when he looked out the window and discovered a naked man out on his balcony. He was naked all of the time. Even inside his apartment. The look of shock on Matthew’s face… priceless.

Would I bring Matthew back to France? Absolutely. He loved it. And I loved our life there together.