General Information
Our Service
We would like to make you aware that pet travel is vastly different to human travel. There are country regulations, airlines stipulations and veterinary requirements that have to be considered and adhered to before the actual travel arrangements can be made for your pets.
We will provide you with professional and up to date pet travel guidance and expertise concerning your destination country’s specific requirements and your pet’s veterinary preparations. JET PET will happily shoulder all the anxieties you may have to safely and ethically reunite your family in your new home.
We would strongly recommend, that the very first thing you do is to acquaint and establish yourself with these few very important points:
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Obtain, receive and accept our quote
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Understand your pet’s travel requirements with your consultant’s guidance
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Adhere to your pet’s veterinary schedules and timelines by JET PET
Veterinary Preparation
Every pet traveling internationally must comply with the specific set of veterinary requirements, prior to departure, pertinent to their destination country.
The length of veterinary preparations can take weeks or even months, it all depends on your destination countries requirements. Some countries only require a microchip and a rabies vaccination but others might require a microchip, a rabies vaccination and a rabies Titre blood test which entails a 3 months waiting period.
We strongly suggest that you avoid adhering to requirements for pet travel available on the internet. It is very important to keep in mind that the information one finds on the internet is not always totally up to date, the information might already be five years old and since added the Department of Agriculture in the specific country could have changed their import or export requirements for pets six times over. We have the most up to date information, that we source either from our fellow IPATA agents or from the Government Offices in the destination countries directly.
Choose the Right Crate
JET PET supply airline / IPATA approved plastic kennels
The plastic kennels need to be made of a strong composite plastic with a built-in iron door (plastic doors are not permitted). Door hinges and locking pins must extend beyond the horizontal extrusions above and below the door opening by at least 1.6 cm (5/8 in).
It is important to choose the correct size travel kennel for your beloved pet. The crate cannot be too small or too large. Your pet should be able to comfortably stand up, lie down and turn around.
Measure Your Pet
It is important to choose the correct size travel kennel for your beloved pet.
The crate cannot be too small or too large. Your pet should be able to comfortably stand up, lie down and turn around.
A = Length of animal from nose to root of tail.
B = Height from ground to elbow joint.
C = Width across musters.
D = Height of animal in natural standing position from top of the head or the ear tip, whichever is higher.
Make the calculations below to indicate estimate minimum size of pet travel container:
Length = A + ½ B Width = C x 2 Height = D + 15 cm
Crate Training
One of the most important things about crate training is to make your pet like their crate and come to see it as a safe place.
When the crate is first delivered make sure that you don’t close your pet inside the crate. If you do this, it will only make your pet see the crate as a scary place instead of it giving them the security that they require. It is important that the crate is placed in a room where you and your pet spend a lot of time together. To make the crate more comfortable for your pet we suggest that you put a familiar smelling blanket and perhaps an old t-shirt that you have worn recently into the crate. You can also add one or two of your pet’s favourite toys to entice them to go into the crate. If you have a dog you can start with putting treats inside the crate and if you have a cat you can put a bit of catnip. Always praise your pet when you see him / her entering the crate on their own. You can also start feeding your pet closer to the crate, you can do this for a day or two. Once you see that your pet is going into the crate to eat the treats or play with the toys then you can move your pet’s food bowl to just inside the crate so that your pet still stands outside the crate to eat. If you see that your pet is comfortable with this then move the food bowl further into the crate so that your pet has to stand inside the crate to eat. It is important that the food bowl is removed once your pet has finished eating. Once you find that your pet is comfortable with going in and out of the travel crate you can close the crate door for 5 – 10 min at a time without leaving the room. Keep on praising your pet whilst inside the crate. The best time to do it is once your pet has finished eating and had their toilet break or if you returned from a walk with your dog. If your pet becomes upset and barks or whimpers speak to them in a soft voice and open the crate door once they have settled down. When you open the crate door don’t make too big a fuss about it, you don’t want your pet to become too excited, they should be kept calm. The first time your pet might be a bit uneasy, if you see your pet is getting panicked, rather open the crate and try again a little later or the following day. Carry on with closing your pet inside the crate for a couple of minutes at a time. Once you see that your pet is comfortable with spending short periods of time inside the crate then you can start leaving the room whilst your pet is inside the crate. Once you see your pet is comfortable with spending periods of time inside the crate then you can if possible move the crate to your bedroom and try to leave your pet inside the crate during the night. Once your pet realizes that it is not a punishment for them to spend time inside the crate and that you open the door after a while, they will start seeing the crate as a safe place. A host of our clients keep the crates after their travels because their pets get so attached to their crates, that they prefer sleeping in it.
Pet Shipment Mode
Carry-on Baggage Cabin
If you are traveling with a smaller dog or cat, generally under 13 pounds and 12″ from floor to front shoulder, you should be able to bring the pet into the cabin with you. Always check with the airlines to find out the dimensions under the seat in front of you. An airline compliant carrier is a must. It should have a waterproof bottom, secure fasteners, (zippers) and ventilation on all sides.
Most airlines will only allow a certain number of pets in the cabin. Additionally, there will be a cost to bring your pet in the cabin with you.
Checked Baggage Cargo
Pets traveling with a passenger that are not permitted in the cabin can be transported as checked baggage in the cargo hold. If you are a passenger traveling on the same flight as your pet and the combined weight of your pet and its crate is under about 70 pounds. (This weight varies by airline.)
Pets traveling as cargo are transported in the same pressurized holds as those in the checked baggage system and this area is temperature and pressure regulated similar to the cabin.
Manifest Cargo
Unaccompanied or very large pets will travel as manifest cargo in the hold. Your pet may travel unaccompanied, either through the regular cargo channels.
Pets traveling as cargo are transported in the same pressurized holds as those in the checked baggage system and this area is temperature and pressure regulated similar to the cabin. You will need to check your pet in and pick it up at the cargo facility of your airline which is typically located on airport grounds but not in the airport terminal.