Welcome to Wednesday Cats of Catster! Every week, we share a story from one of our cat-loving Catsters. This week is about Isabel and her sassy rescue, Milly.
Flying is fun, exciting, and maybe a little nerve-wracking for some people. I mean, you’re riding a 442-ton metal contraption cruising through the sky at 580 mph almost 40,000 feet off the ground – no biggy.
Flying can be really scary for some. I travel a lot between Johannesburg and Cape Town, so I’m used to it now. Of course, I have fears about traveling by air, but I won’t say that I am scared of flight. That is until I had to travel by air with Milly, my sassy rescue cat, while she was in the cargo hold…
Why Milly’s Cargo Must Fly
Nothing quite stresses a cat owner like discovering that at the time, all domestic airlines in South Africa did not allow cats to travel in the aircraft cabin, except for service animals, psychiatric, or emotional support. I knew from the beginning that this was going to be an intense experience for both of us, but discovering this information made me fully aware that it was going to be more intense than I initially expected…
If you read last month’s article where I introduced myself and Milly, you will remember that I rescued Milly when I was a student in Potch (Potchefstroom) in 2018. It is in the North West Province, about 77 miles ( 124 km) from Johannesburg. We often drove to Joburg from Potch for the weekend to visit my family with Milly in the car. He eventually got used to it after many hellish journeys, but that’s a story for another time.
Anyway, I graduated in 2019 and had to go back to Johannesburg with Milly. My partner (and Milly’s dad) lives in Cape Town, about 868 miles (1,396.7km) from Johannesburg. In 2020 (in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic) I decided to move to Cape Town. I decided to leave with Milly first, so I could find a good home and talk things over before taking her because I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. So I left.
Fast forward to 2022, I feel like I’m on the mend and finally ready to import my little rescue cat from Joburg. I missed him so much and even though I visited him several times during these two years in Cape Town, I longed to be with him and see him every day. Yes, I’m obsessed.
I booked one ticket from Cape Town to Johannesburg and two tickets back to Cape Town, one for me and one for Milly. I used PetLounge, a division of BidAir Cargo. Their reviews were better than some of the other pet transport companies I researched and their prices didn’t make me want to completely cancel the whole mission, so I went with them. They were really friendly and caring and even offered me tissues when I cried hysterically through most of the process.
The Flight: A Tale of 10 Panic Modes
Our flight is around 8 am and it is recommended to arrive 2 hours before. Milly, my father, and I arrived at the airport at 6 in the morning. It’s still dark and very quiet at Lanseria International Airport (it’s a smaller airport than Joburg). It was scary to be there early, and we were the only people in front of the Pet Lounge. The consultant arrived a few minutes later.
Oh, and Milly almost escaped from her carrier when we got out of the car, so we’re off to a great start! This is where the crying started. Panic mode has been activated. Fortunately, he had his harness on. So when he managed to push the roof of the carrier just high enough for the little white door to jump out of its compartment and open wide, I held him tightly as I tried to MacGyver the carrier until we got into the inside the Pet Lounge. Fortunately, he is not a runner. But Milly in an open carrier in a dark, overcast airport parking lot was enough to make me almost pass out. Which thankfully I didn’t do. Even when I saw him riding in the cargo hold at the airport windows.
We managed to get both of us safely inside the Pet Lounge. My father was not allowed in because he still had Covid-19 and he forgot to take his mask at home. (Remember the masks? Honestly it’s just a fever dream right now…)
Panic Mode: 5/10
Anyway, I proceeded to fill out all the forms, and we moved Milly from her regular carrier to an aircraft-certified pet carrier so we could weigh the whole shebang. He was in mild distress throughout this process, which lasted about 45 minutes. I’m in 5/10 panic mode at this point. The aircraft certified carrier was nice and big with big locks and stuff, so I felt more comfortable. It is equipped with a puppy pad and a bowl for water. No food.
Panic Mode: 6/10
After all the formalities, we chilled in a closed air-conditioned room with a couch and access to an outdoor area with grass. The cats also had a small room with litterboxes, in which Milly had no interest. One of the consultants gave my dad a disposable mask so he could come in and join us. The guy must have seen me slowly shift into 6/10 panic mode and thought I could use some moral support.
At this point, Milly just alternates between nervously pacing the room, sitting under a table, and joining me on the couch for short periods of time before starting to walk again. He is also short of breath from time to time, which means he is very stressed. This, of course, stressed me out, which stressed him out because he sensed my stress, which made me more stressed in return. A lot of fun.
Panic Mode: 7/10
I tried to take him outside to see if he wanted to pee on the grass (he prefers grass to litter) but it was dark and dark and I saw some gaps in the fence and decided it was a hard “NO.” Milly hasn’t done her business at this point. He was scared and confused, obviously. So, I was worried about that too. This kicks off panic mode 7/10 nicely, by the time the consultant walks into the room and announces it’s time to load up Milly and ride.
Panic Mode: 8/10
Panic mode 8/10 came sooner than expected, and let me tell you why! I now have to leave Milly in a container with strangers and get on a flight. All I could think of was how scared, confused, and shocked he was, especially when he didn’t see me outside the iron door. Of course, every worst-case scenario played out in detail in my head as I walked through my boarding gate, ugly crying all the way.
Airports are very noisy places, and cats have a great sense of hearing. All I know is that Milly is going through everything. I feel guilty and worried and disgusted by everyone staring at me with an empty carrier (the one he found and almost ran away with) and sobbing like a child.
I stood in line to board the plane and watched as the cargo truck pulled up and unloaded two items from the plane. Prams, wheelchairs, and Milly! I met the airline-certified carrier, and there are no other pets on this flight. It was him. My puffer chicken (one of my many Afrikaans nicknames for him, which loosely translates to fuzzy chicken).
Panic Mode: 9/10
You guessed it, panic mode 9/10 activated. I couldn’t hold back my tears. A few people actually asked me if I was okay. Bless their hearts. Honestly, I’m not okay. The flight was not long, about 2 hours, which felt like seven. I just watched a reality show (my guilty pleasure) and tried not to do too much sobbing as I slowly cried my way through the flight.
Panic Mode: 10/10
Finally, we arrived in Cape Town and my heart longed for Milly. To hold her, comfort her, and see if she’s okay. I literally ran off the plane and out of the arrival gate and met my partner. We now have to find Milly somewhere in Cape Town International Airport. It’s in the cargo department, where regular flyers rarely go. You won’t believe it, but panic mode 10/10 actually made it to the party during this search for Milly.
You’ll have to tune in next time to hear the rest of this story and how long it will take for him to settle into a whole new home and life. If you actually read this, well done, and thank you! You’ll get a new story from me and Milly every month on Catster.com.
Cheers for now!
(cheers for now)
This article features Isabel and Milly in our Wednesday Cats of Catster series.
