Has anyone flown their cats over in the cabin from uk to canada?

I thought it was an option to do it this way (I don't like the idea of putting them in the hold or sending them as cargo) but I just read this "Within Europe there are also options for flying with animals under a certain weight within the cabin of the aircraft; again, this does not apply for travel into or out of the UK" from Pet Travel - Heathrow Airport Guide. So does this mean they can't travel in the cabin?

For carrier size I'm not sure where I am supposed to measure up to on my cat (floor to shoulder, floor to head sitting?) & how much space there should be above that measurement? The in cabin carrier restrictions on air canada say max height 10.5" this seems rather small & I can't imagine that being big enough for any cat.

Lastly, in terms of vet certificates and so on what exactly do I need. My cats are all up to date with their injections & are microchipped, what else do they need in order to go to canada (& possibly back to the uk again if it all goes wrong)?

I've tried googling all this but seem to get contradictory information so would be grateful if anyone has some recent experiences they could share.

Thanks

Not allowed in the cabin on Transatlantic flights.

Your best bet will be Air Transat for both you and your cats, both price-wise and for ease of travel, as you don't need to use a shipping agent to deal with your cats.

This is what you need:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/.../1364954913271

To take your cats back to the UK it is a bit harder - it's either PETS compliance or Quarantine:

https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/overview

Thanks, answers above

I could be wrong on the cabin thing - there may be a size or weight under which they can (including the size and weight of the carrier).

I think DEFRA insist that ALL pets (except guide dogs etc) come to the UK as cargo, so it may be outbound only that may be possible depending on the airline...

Air Canada for example counts your pet towards your hand luggage allowance AND the crate must comply with the size requirements. Which is VERY SMALL.

Also, I spoke to air canada the other day to ask about how many pets are allowed in the cabin for the Heathrow to Halifax route & they never said they weren't allowed. Though this was just someone in a call centre & maybe the issue doesn't flag up until they are trying to book you a flight

This is on the Air Canada webiste

Flights from the U.K.:
Pets are accepted for travel both in the cabin and in the baggage compartment.

Check out the size and weight restrictions for pet+carrier+any other hand luggage included.

Yeah all that seems fine. As I said before just a little worried about the 10.5" height restriction, I've got one quite tall cat but she's scared of her own shadow so would probably be huddled up in a ball the whole time anyway

You are correct DEFRA governs pets entering the UK...not leaving.

Whether small pets can be taken onboard depends on the airline and the destination country. I think Air France, KLM and United allow small pets in the cabin. The OP said cats...normally it's one animal per person and there is usually a limit per flight. Each airline may have different requirements regarding weight (usually around 10-15lbs), size of carrier etc. The carrier must be able to fit under the seat in front.

We flew from the uk to Toronto with 2 cats in the cabin in March, using Air Canada. I worried about this A LOT before we flew- our cats are 17 and house cats but I needn't have worried, everything went far better than expected. We bought special delta approved soft sided pet carriers which were big enough even for my big male cat. At Heathrow we were taken into a private room to check the carriers rather than have to put them through the X-ray scanners. Boarding the plane no one batted an eyelid that we were carrying the cats with us. Same at Toronto. When we landed we were directed to a booth to pay a small duty fee but it all went smoothly. They were not up to date with inoculations as they are both allergic to the jabs but we obtained a 'fit to fly' certificate from our vet and an export certificate from Defra (this was the only confusing part but Defra will help). As it turns out though no one checked any paperwork for them! In all, the cats were in their carriers for nearly 13 hours so were a little shell shocked upon arrival and then our first stop was to buy cat food and cat litter. I hope that helps and puts your mind at rest. Good luck!

Thanks Jerseygirl

Thanks Tabindi that really helps. So no rabies jab or pet passport then?

No, as the UK is rabies free the Defra export certificate negates needing a rabies jab. You apply for the certificate online and then it is sent directly to your vet who confirms the cats have lived in a rabies free country. No pet passport required.

Thanks, and you have to do the whole fit to fly thing within 5 days of travelling, is that correct?

Now comes the hard part of choosing a carrier, they are ridiculously expensive

I think it would be kinder to put them in the hold in a large pet carrier than have them in the cabin with all the noises, smells, distractions. Not to mention you poking them ans checking they are ok all the time.

Ours came in the hold. We got a larger than needed wooden box for her. We lined it with newspaper and vet bed. When we got to TO she was fine, just sitting in her box waiting for us. Much better than being crammed under your feet scared rigid