Another Question: Cats

It's not a problem to return to the states with a cat. In fact, the animal shelters on all the islands have a program that anyone flying back to the states can bring a shelter animal with them. The shelters make arrangements with stateside shelters to bring pets from here to there as our shelters are so full.

Thank you so much! That really makes me feel a little more comfortable, as I don't want to leave my cat behind! 🙂

I personally know several people who bring their pet dog(s)with them from the states to St Croix and take them back with them on a frequent basis.The minor exception is for larger dogs in summer months who require travel in the cargo section of plane, are not allowed to travel in the hot summer & early fall months.

As for cats who would always travel in the a/c cabin with owner in a pet carrier, it's no big deal as far as I am aware.

Jumbie -STX

you typically have to have the animal's shots up to date and a certificate from their veterinarian signed within the 10 days prior to your flight attesting to the animal being in good health and with current rabies and other vaccinations.

Also there is usually a limit to how many pets a plane will allow on a flight, last time I checked it was 4 or 5. So there's the fee to get your pet on board, health certificate issued within 10 days and the pet limit.

Hiya is right. The limit depends on the airline.

You have to make a separate pet reservation when you book your ticket. If you are thinking about booking through a site other than the airline, call the airline first to make sure there is space for your pet, then call back immediately after booking to make the pet reservation.

also you will need an individual carrier per pet

Thanks everyone for being so helpful! 🙂

An update to this thread, regarding in-cabin pet limits: US Airways has stopped limiting the number of in-cabin pets and it is no longer necessary to make a pet reservation with them for pets traveling in the cabin, although you still have to pay the $100 fee each way at the airport check-in counter. I don't know if any other airlines have changed their policies. Hope this info is helpful to someone; they apparently changed the policy at the beginning of 3Q.

fdr, i am assuming that now you can carry 3 in flight pets and not just the one per person?

I think it's still one per person (or two small kittens/puppies), since in-cabin pets have to fit under the seat in front of you. Maybe you can do more if you purchase more seats. The new policy just means that US Airways no longer restricts the total number of pets on a flight. Previously, you had to make a "pet reservation" to make sure the flight wasn't over its pet limit (2 to 4 pets, depending on the size of the plane).