Traveling Internationally with a Maine Coon: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What to Pack

We are back from spending a month in France. This was our first international trip. I am sharing what worked, what didn’t work, and what to pack when traveling with a Maine Coon (or big cat).

Editor’s Note

Every recommendation in this guide comes from firsthand experience unless otherwise noted. Requirements, regulations, and product availability can change over time, so always verify current information before making travel, medical, or purchasing decisions.

Matthew is a senior Maine Coon (14 years old) who weighs between 17 and 18 pounds. This guide is based on our 2026 trip to a conference in Pittsburgh and a month living abroad in France.

Can a Maine Coon Fly in the Cabin?

What many people discover when they are looking to travel with their big cat is that most airlines do not allow for large cats in cabin. Most airlines cap the weight at 15-18 pounds for the cat + carrier. For those with bigger cats, like a male Maine Coon, they can weigh anywhere between 15-25 pounds. With the carrier, you would need to add an additional 2-5 pounds. That definitely puts them over the weight limit for many airlines.

That was my dilemma with Matthew. He weighs between 17 and 18 pounds. Luckily, I found an airline that would allow him to travel (just so long as he and the carrier could fit under the seat). @spongecake_thescottishfold, who travels often to Europe with his three Scottish Fold cats, let me in on a little secret: United Airlines does not currently have weight requirements.

We tested this out on a trip to Pittsburgh the weekend before our international trip. They did not ask to weigh him. When we traveled to Charles de Gaulle, they also did not ask to weigh him. As long as Matthew and his carrier fit beneath the seat in front of me, he was allowed to fly.

When you book your flight domestically with United Airlines, 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.

As for choosing seats, some airplanes allow cats to fly First Class (we were able to fly First Class on our domestic flight). Internationally, based on the type of airplane, we were not allowed to fly in Premium seating, exit rows, or in the first row (because the carrier needs to fit under the seat in front of you).

After sitting in Economy, I do recommend paying a little more for Premium Economy on United Airlines flights (when you cannot fly in Business/First). Those three extra inches will give your feet more room.

With most airlines having weight requirements, our approved airline is United Airlines.

Documents Required Before You Travel

Before traveling domestically or internationally with your cat, you are going to need documents. Flying within the United States, you will need a rabies vaccination certificate. Each State may require something different, so make sure to do your due diligence before traveling to make sure an additional health certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian is not required.

Each country has different certification requirements. Work with both your veterinarian, as well as a USDA-accredited veterinarian, to determine what needs to be done before you travel. If your veterinarian is not USDA-accredited, ask if they can refer you to one.

There are important factors that are part of the travel process which include: the age of the cat, microchips, and rabies vaccinations. It is important to begin working with your veterinarian immediately following booking your flight. They will help you begin the process.

We booked our first visit with the USDA-accredited veterinarian one month before our 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 to France.

Prices vary according to the veterinarian and government fees. After our two visits with the USDA-accredited veterinarian, it was around $600 for the visits as well as the required government fees for the health certificate. This did not include Matthew’s regular veterinarian costs for vaccinations and health records that were submitted to the USDA-accredited veterinarian.

Since Matthew is a senior cat, his costs for his regular veterinarian visit would have been around $1200 if we did not have the Vet Hospital’s Care Plan. The Care Plan for all of his vaccinations and regular veterinarian visits for the year is $122/month.

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

Now that we have the paperwork out of the way, it’s time to decide on the right carrier.

The Best Carrier for a Maine Coon

Carrying a 17+ pound Maine Coon around an airport is not ideal. Here’s what I’ve learned.

I highly recommend buying 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 decided it would be better for him to use this carrier during the winter months rather than the summer months.

The carrier I decided to use 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. This allows the cat to have plenty of room to stretch out under the seat.

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.

Why a Foldable Stroller is Essential

This is probably the most important decision you will ever make.

Matthew has the BMW of strollers. He loves that stroller so much. He was not happy that we were not bringing his luxury stroller on our trips. The reason why is because it does not travel well. The carrier does not collapse.

I was on a mission to find a stroller that easily collapsed and was easy to carry.

I am not going to lie that he hated the Kenyone Pet Stroller. He wanted his luxury stroller. 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 are 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 perfect 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 Febreze after every outing. The cloth part looks like it can be removed. It can’t. I tried.

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.

Packing Essentials

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, I decided not to use a litter box during the flight. We also came across an issue flying to Pittsburgh. His litter was confiscated. We spent the first hour in Pittsburgh looking for a store near the hotel to buy cat litter.

At Charles de Gaulle, a security guard told me (after seeing Matthew) to make sure I did not have any chalk-like substances in my carry-on bag (referring to cat litter). So when you pack litter for the first day at your destination, put it in your checked bag, not the carry-on. Plan on using wee pads on flights.

Use the wee pads both in the stroller and in the carrier. Also, make sure to bring plenty of disposable bags so you can easily throw away 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. The wee pad picked up any excess pee that went outside of the box.

If you use enclosed litter boxes at home, the easy to install shield works wonders, too. The travel litter box is inexpensive, so if your Maine Coon decides to destroy this one (like Matthew did), you can buy another one without breaking the bank. 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.

Comfort Items Worth Packing

When you are traveling, you should always make sure to pack items that will help comfort your cat while traveling and while you are at your destination.

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.

When we are out and about, I always make sure to bring Matthew’s favorite lickable treats. It helps hydrate him and makes the stressful journey easier for him. He’s getting rewarded for doing such a great job.

I also bring along his Lilo 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.

For the apartment, I brought his play mat and favorite toys, so he would feel like he was at 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 because he loved it so much.

Should You Medicate Your Cat Before Flying?

This is something you’re going to have to work with your veterinarian on.

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. He did not make a peep the entire flight home. He was perfectly happy, chilling under the seats.

Some cats do better not medicated. Some cats have a lot of anxiety and need to be medicated. This is a decision where you’ll need to work with your veterinarian. There’s no right or wrong answer. It just depends on the cat.

While I will note that Matthew’s veterinarian would have told me to medicate him because he has attacked them many times before due to his anxiety. The USDA-accredited veterinarian was amazed he was not drugged during his final screening and before our flight to Pittsburgh. Three out of four of the flights, we flew sans medication. The one time we flew with him medicated was the one time I will forever regret.

Traveling During Extreme Heat

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

1. I purchased a bunch of gallon sized resealable bags, filled it with water, and froze them. I placed the ice bag on my core and Matthew laid 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 wetted 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 due to the extreme temperatures. 20 minutes outside was too much for him, even with cooling fans inside his stroller. Building management allowed him to 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?

ABSOLUTELY!

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 relaxing in a stroller 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.

Matthew has become more of a seasoned flyer. He loves vacations. He doesn’t mind flying. But most of all, he just loves the adventure and meeting everyone.