Your pet's first flight, day by day

Pets read us far better than we read them. The most useful thing you can do in the last ten days is behave as though nothing unusual is happening, while quietly getting everything ready.

Day 10 to Day 6

• Crate arrives. Door off, bedding in, placed where the family sits
• Every meal served inside it. No ceremony, no coaxing, no praise-storm
• Keep walks, feeding times and bedtime exactly as they always were
• Confirm the vet appointment date lands inside the airline's certificate window

Day 5 to Day 3

• Door refitted, left open. Short closed periods during meals
• Vet visit: fitness certificate, vaccination record, any medication in writing
• Trim nails so they cannot catch in the crate door grille
• Put an unwashed t-shirt of yours in the crate. Your smell does more than any toy

Day 2 and Day 1

• A long, satisfying walk or play session. A tired pet travels better than a rested one
• Freeze the water bowl overnight so it melts slowly instead of sloshing out
• Pack the travel folder: certificates, vaccination card, microchip record, our contact card
• Attach labels: LIVE ANIMAL, orientation arrows, your name and two phone numbers

Travel morning

1. Light meal four to six hours before departure. Water stays available until the crate closes
2. A normal walk, at the normal time, in the normal place
3. No long emotional goodbye. Pets escalate to match your energy. Calm, brief, matter-of-fact
4. Handler pickup, crate secured, cable ties on, frozen bowl fitted
5. You get a photo. Then another at the terminal. Then one on landing

Things not to do

• Do not sedate. It impairs breathing and temperature control at altitude, and most airlines will refuse a visibly sedated animal
• Do not wash their bedding right before travel. Familiar smell is the point
• Do not add loose toys that can be chewed and swallowed unsupervised
• Do not skip water to avoid accidents. Dehydration is the far greater risk
• Do not introduce a new food in the week before travel