DSK

My wife is very alergic to cats. She swells up and has respratory distress if exposed for more than 15 minutes to a house with cats in it.
My questions is, with the fervor over peanut allergies what happens if we get on a flight with a cat on it? Especially bad if we don't know but if we did know what would be the best/proper course of action? Has anyone ever delt with this?
Thank you.

akap16isme

You know I so agree with you on this one!! However, I have been noticing lately that there are more pets onboard than ever! I have seen passengers request to be reseated but overall the general consesus is that you have to just deal with it for now. I am just as allergic to cats as your wife and wish us both luck!!!

Cheers...

GoingAway

I think you can call the airline and ask if any pets are on board the flight. They should be able to tell you. Your biggest problem will be if the plane is full and you need to switch seats -- be prepared that you'll probably be the ones that end up moving (fair or not).

Also, you should make sure you bring medication with you however, just in case. The people with pets are not supposed to remove them from their carriers. If they follow that regulation, you're probably fine and will not even realize they are on-board. If someone pulls their pet out of the carrier to pet them or whatever, then the fur flies literally.

CrazyOne

The in-cabin pets must be booked in advance and pay a fee, so the airline should be well aware of any on the flights you are on. I'm sure they'll try to accommodate you for reseating if it happens. Whether they'll accommodate you on another flight instead I don't know. My guess is they wouldn't. Take anything you think might help: medicines, one of those air ionizers you wear around your neck, anything. Edit: Oh, and a face mask. (This sure won't look out of place these days! Get one from an allergy supply place for best chance at protecting, although you could also buy them at various other places. The one I use for cleaning at home to help with my dust allergy I bought at Home Depot.)


[This message has been edited by CrazyOne (edited 04-22-2003).]

Marysunshine

I have said this before and I will say it again. They worry about peanuts while severe asthmatics can die from a cat on the plane. My son has been on a respirator from a cat. He is on a trip to Hawaii now and I am worried sick there might be a cat on one of his flights. If enought people with allergies to animals formed a cohesive group to negotiate with the airlines it might hold more weight. While they won't stop letting animals on flights, all I ask if that they have at least one flight a day that has no animals on it. I don't think that is unreasonable. I have written to the airlines several years ago but to no avail. I think you need to gather a large group of flyers to accomplish anything. And yes, you can ask at the gate, but then it's too late to do anything about it.

Scigirl

Animals on flights to/from Hawaii are required to travel in cargo - so no worries for your son, as there will not be any animals in the passenger section of the plane.

CrazyOne

Yes, Hawaii has a quarantine program, so carrying them on wouldn't be allowed because then you could easily bypass the quarantine.

So that's a bad example, but you make a valid point nonetheless. Animals allowed in cabins really shouldn't go away, as its useful to those of us who have them, but I could see designated no-animal flights. It would, of course, be one more variable to track, and that does create extra work. And I'm not sure you'd ever be able to exclude service dogs (seeing eye, etc.)

zvezda

All animals (except humans) should travel in the cargo hold on all flights.

wideman

I would never (again) put a pet in the cargo hold of an aircraft: our cat came off the plane dazed and confused, and his hearing was never the same. The hold is far, far noisier and colder than the passenger cabin.

I think MaryS has an excellent idea about designating certain flights as one on which animals are allowed or prohibited.

CanuckFlyer

If you really want to make sure there are no cats on your flight (eg. if you are deathly allergic and the airline will not assure you that the flight will be fur-free), simply pay the fee and reserve the spots as though you were taking your own cats.

If you're allergic, but not deathly allergic, please take your anti-histamines and let the passengers with pets travel with the peace-of-mind that their companion is not suffering the brutal conditions of the cargo-hold. Countless animals die, go missing, suffer injuries, or simply endure intense stress traveling the cargo hold. I for one am grateful that the airlines allow pets as discrete carry-on.

oldpenny16

For people who are deathly allergic to cats (and other things) the presence of a cat, etc on a previous flight can be equally troublesome. The best thing to do is find out what airlines do not allow animals in the passenger cabins at all. I believe Delta has limitations for other than service animals. For some people, there may not be as easy solution to the problem.