Pet Travel - What Are Airline Approved Kennels

To be acceptable for flight, a kennel must have hard plastic sides and a door with a clasp in front. It is preferable that you get the ones that screw shut. We have never had a problem with the other kinds, however if you use them, we always add some zip ties around the edges just to make sure. The most widely used brands are the Pet Travel Mate, Vari Kennel and PetMate.

The kennel pictured is our favorite. They come in a variety of sizes, are ventilated on all four sides and screw shut. You can view the various sizes HERE: If you have the type of kennel with the type of latches that twist closed, we recommend putting zip ties on each side of the kennel to secure it. We have never had a problem with ALL of the latches coming loose, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

The wire kennels are not acceptable for flight. Neither are the Nylabone collapsible kennels or anything with wheels on it. The kennels which have the doors that open from the top are also not acceptable.

As USDA rules require that anyone be able to open the door of the kennel without use of any special tools, in case of emergency, it is not permitted to put a regular zip tie on the kennel door. However, they do manufacture zip ties which have a release mechanism and you can us these. It is very helpful in case the kennel is accidentally jostled as it will prevent the door from popping open.

The Most Important Thing you Can Do To Prepare Your Pet For Travel

Getting your pet accustomed to his crate is probably the most important thing you can do to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.

You should get the travel kennel at least two weeks in advance and allow your pet to get acclimated to it. A great way to start is to just leave it in the family room or your bedroom and allow your pet to explore.

Next, you can put him in for short periods of time while you are home. Then, for short trips to the store and slowly for longer and longer time periods.

By implementing the above strategy, you will greatly reduce the chances of anxiety and help ensure a successful pet relocation.

How to Measure Your Pet for the Right Kennel

One of the most frequent questions we get here at Animal Land is " How do I know what is the right size kennels for my pet?" A great start is to use the image at the left with the following legend.

A = Length of animal from nose to root of tail.
B = Height from ground to elbow joint.
C = Width across shoulders.
D = Height of animal in a natural standing position from the top of the head. It is also helpful to get the measurement to the ear tip.

We recommend that you give it an inch to an a inch and a half bigger so that it gives the pets some room to move in and also then there shouldn't be any problems at the airport. Many airlines "require" 3 inches. But this is not always followed or possible. A great way to be certain of the right size would be to take your pet into PetSmart or Petco and try out a few kennels .

How to Modify A Kennel for Birds - Pet Travel

We have many clients who want to take their feathered companions along when they travel and we are often asked about suitable travel kennels.

With a little work, you can modify a standard travel kennel to safely accommodate any bird. The only thing to keep in mind is the size of the bird. A small kennel will do for a cockatiel, however cockatoos and larger parrots will need an intermediate.

You should plan on about an hour for the project.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Travel Kennel
• ¾' to 1' dowel depending on the size of your bird
• ½' wood screws
• saw
• screwdriver
• tape measure
• light mesh wiring or screen material
• Sharpie pen
• heavy scissors/garden shears/wire cutters
• cable ties
• duct tape

There are two steps necessary for modifying a travel kennel for a pet bird. The first is you have to install a perch. The second is to cover the sides and door with chicken wire.

INSTALLING THE PERCH

You want to install the perch about 1 inch above the bottom of the kennel, about ¾ of the way towards the back to the kennel.

If your travel kennel is already assembled, you will need to break it down into its two halves. Take the lower half and with the tape measure, measure the distance between the side walls at a point about 1 inch above the bottom. Cut your dowel to this length and place it in the bottom half of the kennel about ¾ of the way to the back. You will be able to see the slight bulge it creates in the sides of the kennel. Use these bulges as a guide to screw one screw through the kennel and into each end of the wooden dowel with the screwdriver.

COVERING THE SIDES AND DOOR WITH MESH

There is very light gauge mesh wiring available at Home Depot or Lowes. It generally comes in a design with small squares. You can also use the material used for most household widow screens. The opening on traditional chicken wire is generally too large as the point of the wiring is to keep your bird from injuring itself by poking its beak or feet out of the kennels.

Lay the mesh over the door and with your Sharpie pen, trace the outer edge of the kennel door. (you want the mesh slightly bigger than the door). Repeat the process for the openings on either side of the kennel.

Using your heavy scissors or your garden shears, cut out the template of the wire mesh. Use the cable ties to secure the mesh to the door and side openings. One on each corner and one in the middle of each side is generally sufficient.

Lastly, use your duct tape to cover up the edges of the mesh wiring. It is usually best to just you one continuous strip all the way around the door and one for each side. This prevents your pet bird from injuring itself on any loose edges.

If your kennel already has holes in the back, you will need to cover them with mesh if they are large enough for your pet bird to stick his beak or legs through. To do this, just cut out one square of mesh large enough to cover all of the holes and secure it to the back of the kennel with duct tape.

If the back of your kennel does not have holes already, you will need to take a small ¼ inch drill bit and drill 15 to 20 holes in the back of the kennel.

Put the top of the kennel on and your fine feathered friend is now ready for travel!

Continental's Pet Safe Program

Here is a video about Continental's Pet Safe program. In our opinion, Continental is absolutely the best airline for shipping your pet and this video gives you a great idea about how the process works.

**BIG CAVEAT** While this video is made and distributed by Continental Airlines, we are a bit surprised about the size of the kennel they used for the dog featured in the video. In our experience, Continental would refuse this shipment because the kennel is too small.

However it is a good visual guide. For a dog that size, get the next kennel size up! (which would be a #400 kennel 36x24x26). For a good guide on how to measure your pet for travel, see our post HERE.

How to Measure Your Dog for a Flight Kennel

By Jason Ricketts, Animal Land's Customer Service Manager

One of the most frequent questions we get here at Animal Land is " How do I know what is the right size kennels for my pet?" A great start is to use the image at the right with the following legend.

A = Length of animal from nose to root of tail.
B = Height from ground to elbow joint.
C = Width across shoulders.
D = Height of animal in a natural standing position from the top of the head. It is also helpful to get the measurement to the ear tip.

We recommend that you give it an inch to an a inch and a half bigger so that it gives the pets some room to move in and also then there shouldn't be any problems at the airport. Many airlines "require" 3 inches. But this is not always followed or possible. A great way to be certain of the right size would be to take your pet into PetSmart or Petco and try out a few kennels .