Thanks all! As far as I can tell, we need to check her in 4 hours before the flight. They seem unwilling to take her any earlier than that (but maybe if we offer to pay??).

It seems silly doesn't it? Just had a quote for 800 pounds to take her direct from Manchester. We might have to cut our losses and do that. Hope it goes well for you guys!

Some of the companies I've researched ask for the animal 1-2 days prior. Have you looked at other companies or are you locked in? Just thinking it might be worth exploring lots of options to find the most compatible yet affordable.

Hello, all!

This post has been a long time coming (apologies for the delay) but we flew Ted out to Newark on the 10th of May (with Virgin Atlantic, as arranged), and I wanted to update you on the process/experience.

DISCLAIMER: emotions detailed within! I understand that's not often the way of the BE forums, but I wanted to give an accurate representation of how this feels and how Ted and I coped, as well as the logistics, as I know, for me, that was always a curiosity.

We arrived at Heathrow four hours prior to the flight (as you commented, catlover3, we could not be there a moment sooner - they even kept us outside to wait 10 minutes as we were that many minutes early ). The pet drop-off point is 3 miles away from the terminals, so you ideally need a car, otherwise I imagine a taxi would suffice - there is no public/airport transport connecting the pet drop-off to the terminals. The facility itself looked very much like a warehouse, aside for the water bowl on the floor for dogs (which was dirty and void of water!). The lady at reception was very friendly and reassuring, and behind her we could see the area where Ted would apparently be kept until he'd be loaded onto the plane - it was everything you'd expect from a warehouse. Had a few boxes in it, a few crates, a few people whizzing around on forklifts, and was quite dark and noisy. Not the most comforting of sights, honestly, but I'm a sensitive liability when it comes to my cat, I must admit.

I had to check and sign a few forms, pay the fee, witness an unthinkable number of stickers be stuck to Ted's carrier (including a big one with his name) and that was it! I was sent on my way. I said my goodbyes to Ted, was assured he'd be well looked after and given lots of attention (especially as there were some new trainees working that day), and I swiftly left to find a glass of wine at the terminal. I was glad to say goodbye to him and have him out of my sight, honestly, as I knew there was nothing I could do to make him any more comfortable from this point, and I'd had quite enough of fretting (the drive to the airport had been extremely vocal on his part, which is very unlike Ted!). (Note, re. pet comfort: put more blankets in the carrier than I did! For some idiotic reason, I decided that more room to move about was better than too many blankets, so all I gave Ted was a T-shirt to snuggle, and a rolled up hoodie as a cushion. I remembered, half-way across the Atlantic, that long-haul flights are freakin' uncomfortable! I felt awful imagining Ted writhing around in his plastic little box. My fears were validated when my husband and I put a big, cuddly coat in with him for the car-ride home from the airport, and Ted immediately snuggled into it and finally went to sleep, as if he'd been waiting for that comfort for 21 hours so far. Poor thing, and horrible me.)

When I got to the gate, I asked a member of security if they knew if Ted had been boarded onto the plane (I either read in this forum or on some other website that such a question is advised, not only for personal reassurance but in case there is ever a miscommunication that could result in a missing animal!) - the man I spoke to had not been told that there was a human accompanying the animal on board this flight! I immediately felt overcome with sadness for any little animals that have to travel unattended, but hey-ho. The staff member was very lovely and went out of his way to find out where Ted was, and as it happened, he was being boarded as we spoke. We were told that if we looked out the window, we would probably see him! I chose not to, to avoid any unnecessary heartache (please see again: sensitive liability). I was told Ted was the only animal flying on that plane, and comforted that he was now on board, I was ready to board myself. Once I was seated, I asked a flight attendant if she knew if Ted was okay (again, I was advised by someone, somewhere, to let a flight attendant know that the animal on board was mine - I'd been told it might mean they could keep me updated on his welfare), and she assured me that the area he'd be kept in would be heated and lit in such a way to ensure he was comfortable, but she also told me that there was no way to check on him throughout the flight. This didn't surprise me, but I was sad to learn I might not get any Ted updates.

The flight was miserable for me. I was able to distract myself for half of it, but I spent a lot of my time worrying (needlessly), feeling guilty for putting him through it, and imagining all kinds of horrible scenarios. Mostly I was upset at the idea of him being scared down there for eight solid hours in the cabin - flights are noisy, and I wondered if he would also hear footsteps of everybody walking around above him - but this is all part of the process, I know.

Once we landed in Newark, I went through security and baggage collection as usual, and nothing was done with my customs card. I assumed there might be more paperwork at this point, but there was none. I met my husband in the arrivals lounge, and off we went to retrieve Ted from cargo.

There was lots of running around, back-and-forth between the cargo point and the customs office, which we had been told in an email to expect. First we had to drive to Virgin Atlantic cargo to collect some paperwork; then we drove around the corner to customs to get that paperwork signed; and then back to cargo to pay the handling fee ($70, and they only accept cash) and finally collect Ted. Everyone was very friendly and entirely uninterested in the cat, really, but that was fine! By this point, I was just ready to get him home.

Seeing him being lugged through the cargo warehouse in his carrier was my least favourite image throughout the whole experience. It was fine, really (again - sensitive liability), but the guy was carrying Ted like he'd carry a suitcase - jerky and flapping from side to side, with seemingly no care that there was a living animal inside this plastic box - and I found that a bit upsetting. But he was safe and sound and in one piece. Ted had done a pee in his carrier, which had soaked into the T-shirt I'd given him, and he was wide-eyed and overwhelmed, but otherwise okay. We took him into the car and I did let him out of the crate for a moment - he made a beeline for under the seat and didn't want to come out for a minute or two, but eventually calmed down enough to let me coax him out and put him back into the crate for the 3-hour drive home. He was silent all the way, which was the complete opposite of how he'd behaved on the drive to Heathrow - I can only assume he was utterly exhausted by this point.

He's settled in well to his new home! We let him out of the crate and he started sauntering around like he owned the place, and even treated us to a few purrs. He and the dog are learning to tolerate each other (the dog wants to be best mates; Ted just wants peace and quiet), and Ted is adjusting well to the heat and humidity of a Pennsylvanian summer. We've fitted a cat-flap so that he has the freedom to come and go as he pleases, and he's enjoying chasing squirrels and fireflies all over his new neighbourhood. We've set up new pet insurance with the ASPCA, which is significantly more expensive than the insurance I paid here in the UK, and the only thing left to do is enrol him on a wellness plan, which unfortunately has to wait until I am earning money Stateside. Until then, we are using Frontline flea and tick treatment, which seems to be doing the trick so far.

As a card-holding cat-lady, it wasn't pleasant to see my usually robust and fearless cat so vulnerable, but I am so glad I brought him with me. It feels like we've shared yet another adventure together, and I am so proud of him for adjusting so brilliantly. I've had to come back to the UK while my husband and I finish up the last of our CR-1 processes, but I am being sent daily photographs and updates on his welfare, and it's great to know he's in good hands.

If anyone has any questions about this process, I will gladly answer anything that I can! Despite a few personal wibbles (which I absolutely accept are borne from neurosis on my part) I continue to recommend Virgin Atlantic - the process was very simple and, largely, comparatively inexpensive.

What is a wellness plan?

Glad your pet arrived safely, but you may want to re-think this. He is not in the UK any longer -- there are critters in his new environment who will kill him.

I wouldn't worry about this personally.

The poster is in Harrisburg, PA, not exactly the Alaskan Wilderness or North East Idaho. The cat should be fine outside. There is always the chance for issues but if my Grandmother in law can let her cat outside where mountain lion, bear and snake sightings every other day and it still come back each morning/night, I think she will be fine.

It's a service offered by most vets (and also insurance companies, it seems, in the US) wherein you pay a monthly fee to cover the animal for general preventative healthcare, such as flea and worm treatments, vaccines and yearly/six-monthly health checks. How much care they receive depends on how much you want to pay, but you can pay a smaller amount to cover the basics (as listed above, for example) or pay more to include things like dental and ear care.

I used to pay £10.51 per month for this in the UK, and only £3 per month for insurance (to a company that paid out twice - miracle!). We are now paying $20+ for insurance alone, and are still researching wellness plans. The cheapest/best we've found so far starts at $22 per month.


I do appreciate where you're coming from. Ted is very much an outdoor cat and is miserable when kept in, and it's difficult (at least for now) to monitor his in/outdoor time while my husband's working nights and I'm not there. I was particularly concerned about the heat during the summer and ensuring he had free access to the air-conditioned house, but I was also conscious that shutting him in (either throughout the day or the night) would prove problematic/stressful for Ted because of the dog. Perhaps, once I'm there permanently, we can rethink the arrangement.