Shipping pets has become very common. Many pets travel every day. Show cats and dogs often go to and from shows. More and more vacationers are traveling with pets. Rescue organizations as well as dog and cat breeders ship pets. Because of air shipping, there is the wonderful option for kitten or puppy buyers to have the advantage of selectively shopping for a good breeder across the nation.
Air shipping is safe, convenient, and affordable. At Maple Bay Exotics we do not have a standard set shipping rate. Some locations and airlines are less expensive than others, so to be fair to our buyers we charge the actual airfare (usually $150-$250) plus the required health certificate ($45 from our vet) and cost of carrier ($10-$30). In order for pets to be shipped by air, they must have a health certificate from a licensed veterinarian and an airline approved carrier. This is required by all airlines. We try to find the most economical flight. We choose a flight based cost and convenience for the buyer. To save costs, if the buyer has a clean and secure airline appoved carrier they welcomed to send it to us prior to shipping.
We ship out of Seattle Tacoma International airport. We like to use Alaska, American or Northwest. We sometimes use Delta or Continental Airlines. They all have professional pet handlers that take the very best care of the kittens. The personnel that I have met when shipping always seem to enjoy seeing the kittens arrive. Animal transport is a large part of the business for these companies and they take it very seriously. The kittens are handled with great care. Airline animal incident reports are public knowledge. Most of the incident reports I have read were related to crates that were not properly secured. We zip tie crates closed to prevent accidents. http://www.petflight.com/pet-travel-reports.
The cargo compartment within the airplane is pressurized and is temperature controlled. The pets are the last to be loaded onto the plane, (usually after the passenger’s board) and the first to be taken off. Pets are either hand carried to the plane, or placed on a cart specifically for pets. Because of the transition to and from the airplane, for the safety of the kittens temperatures can limit shipping. Kittens can not be shipped if temperatures are over 85 degrees, or in extreme cold either here or at the destination city.
Maple Bay Exotics are accustomed to household noises. They are calm and social. Although a kitten may be a little frightened by the commotion of a flight, generally they are not upset by being shipped. They feel safe and secure inside a carrier. We never sedate a kitten for shipping. We have never had a kitten that wasn't bright, alert and happy to see their new family upon arrival.
An alternative to having your kitten shipped alone, would be to fly here and pick up in person. Kittens and cats can be brought aboard and hand carried home.
Let me re-assure you, we have been shipping kittens for years, and have never had a bad experience. Airline cargo agents are very careful with the animals, and give them excellent care.
You have decided to have our new kitten shipped.
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