nyclady

I'm now going through crate size problems....My larger cat is 16lbs (tip of nose to back-side 23ins X from floor to ear tips 18 inches X 9 inches wide)...is there anybody out there who has a cat around that weight who has gone through the process ?...did they get the medium vari kennel (200)or maybe the deluxe medium which is slightly bigger? or the intermediate size (300)......I've had the medium ones shipped to me and they seem enormous. In order to make sure I've sent pics to Virgin and they are saying that from the look of it the crates are too small.......but pics can be deceiving so I've sent them all the measurements as well.....The larger ones are SO much bigger I'd rather not get them if I don't have to and its so far to the airport( i have no car etc etc) that it's not a very viable option to go and have it all checked out before the day. It's SO frustrating.
I hope I'm not posting too many questions..I've done a search but not found an answer specifically. And if I need to change them I have to do it tomorrow. When I've done all this I will have enough info to write a book on it myself and will be happy to share with anyone who is interested.
THANK YOU in advance for help.

callé

I can't help you with this, but no you are not asking too many questions. I will be bringing my dogs with me and am watching these posts for all the answers and good tips. It certainly is stressful. My one dog is so very nervous and I'm scared to death about it affecting his health. If they would let me I would be riding in cargo with him!!! Good luck and let us know how your cats do. I do think I would go with a pretty large container though so they have plenty of room to move about. Do they have airport vans around there that you could hire for transport?

scottish

The crate size has to meet DEFRA requirements and can be found at www.defra.gov.uk. They are very strict re these measurements. YOu have to ensure that your animal can stretch out, turn around and sit up comfortably. It also must have amply airvets and a water container.

dunroving

Have you read the IATA regulations about crate size? They're pretty clear on how big the crate has to be in comparison to the animal.

I do know that the crate size is larger than you'd expect. I had to sell the crate I was using for my dog and buy a bigger one to ship her in.

I looked for the bookmark for the site I used last time but it's now defunct. If you haven't already seen the regulations I'm talking about, try searching on http://www.iata.org/index.htm. If you have trouble finding the regs, post another message and I'll help you find it.

dunroving

Here's one site that describes crate size regs: http://www.jinopo.cz/petair/index_en.htm - though there's more to the container regs than just size. They have to have holes on all four sides, specific sizes and location (i.e., distance apart).

If I find anything else, I'll add it later to this message.

Here's another one: http://www.usairways.com/cargo/shipp...ve_animals.htm

And another: http://www.iata.org/NR/ContentConnec...rgo.pdf#page=2

nyclady

Hello again...

I've tried the IATA site but it seems all about getting an education ...I couldn't find any acual facts...but the other ones you pointed me towards were very helpful....my measurements re: cats to crates seem totally within the guidelines...I don't understand how the pics make them look wrong. I may get a set of the bigger ones and take them ALL out to JFK with me. I'll be back in Feb for a few weeks and maybe can take the unused ones back to Petco.......

THANK YOU Sooooooooooooooo much for the addresses.

I'll post the details as I go along in the hopes I can be as much help to others as you've all been to me.