Don’t ship him as cargo. Too much can go wrong. Revisit the sedation conversation with the vet. Even a light dose of Benadryl may help. Test sedate him a few times at a couple different doses at home before you fly so you can see how he responds.

my cats carry on in the car for the first mile or two then settle down. You may want to try longer car rides and see how he does.

spend the money for a direct flight or as direct as possible. Bring towels in your carryon as it’s a long trip and he will likely have an accident on the way. Pack him a suitcase with litter, food, and bowls, etc so you know you’ll have everything you need as soon as you arrive.

I routinely take my cats 12 hours in the car to my second home but have a large cage where they can move around freely and have access to food, water, and litter. They don’t like the trip but they tolerate it.

i flew them from PHL when I moved to CA but they were much younger then. I’m not sure if I’d attempt it again. They’re 11 now.