Flying with the boys

[buckandbolt]

Okay, so a bit of a tricky one and we have a lot of time to sort it out, but at this point I'm looking for general advice.

I've relocated more-or-less permanently to the US, and the SO is still in the UK with the pirate and his brother. At the moment that works fine (although I miss them tonnes between visits) but longer-term we're wondering what we should do if the SO gets a work visa for here and so on.

I've looked up a few airline rules and technically (with some airlines) we can have them in the cabin with us as hand luggage as long as their cage fits under the seat but I thought the length of the flight and the customs and security either side would stress them out massively and be bad for their health? Is there some kind of degu valium we can safely give them.

We also thought there must be companies who specialise in shipping pets and would be able to do it, but I'm not sure where to start looking and we'd have to make sure they had experience handling degus and that they will be okay.

We rescued them and I really don't want them to get an abandonment complex, I don't think I could deal with re-homing them

As I said, it is way down the line at the moment, but it has been on my mind.

Any advice or starting points on what health issues to consider would be great.

[zenaida]

I don't know much about the travel, but double check their legal status in the state and city you live in. Off hand I know they are illegal in California, Alaska, Colorado, and New York City. I think there are a few more too, but those are what I remember. They are usually illegal if they are perceived to be a risk as an "invasive species" if they got loose. I'm guessing NYC doesn't like them because they are too much like rats.

I would hate for you to go through rigorous travel challenges to realize you aren't even allowed to have them legally.

Edit: if you do get them over here. I would be happy to help you with any resources that I can. I'm betting Winic1 would be too because she helped me a TON when I was getting set up. Degus in the USA come with some unique challenges just because no one knows what they are. As a result sometimes getting supplies is a bit more of a hunt. 

[winic1]

There are other states where degus are illegal, and some cities where they are illegal even tho they are okay in the state in general. If you are caught with degus in a place where they are not allowed, they are confiscated and destroyed, you have no recourse, they just take them and put them down. So do be careful about that.

Not sure how they would do on the long flight. yes, the carrier has to fit under the seat. you have to reserve the right to bring your pet on the plane ahead of time, because they limit the number of animals in the cabin to just one or two on any flight (so they don't end up with animals yowling and trying to fight each other.) You will need health certifications. You may need to put them in quarantine for a time period when they get here, before you can take them home, not sure if degus fall into that category. Should you move back, you might not be able to bring them back, we have rabies here, you don't over there, degus are rodents....it could be tough. So, there are many regulations to consider.

It's been a few years since I've flown, but I recall that under the seats can be very cold, (my feet would always freeze) which would definitely not be good for the goos. I know finch people who sneak finches on board, they bring them in a small carrier in a bag, they tell security to hand-inspect them and just act like they have permission to bring them, then once they are at the gate/on the plane, IF discovered they just play dumb and say they were told they had permission, they say usually no one questions them if they get through security, everyone just assumes someone else okay'd it. Security check will not let them bring liquid through, so water bottles have to be empty, but they fill them from a water fountain once they are at their gate. Technically hay is an agricultural product, so that could be a problem, don't know. pellets they would probably be suspicious of.

Certain airlines ship pets, in a heated pressurized cargo hold. Lots of rules to follow, vet certificates, shipping containers, all of that. And then there are no guarantees. Bird people tell me that the birds were fine on the flight since conditions were safe for them, but then they were unloaded onto a cart that sat on the tarmac in freezing cold overnight, and of course died. Or they got mis-routed, so instead of a four hour trip it became two or three days, sometimes they survived, sometimes not.

There are companies who handle the shipping and paperwork for you, but I don't know how to find them. Perhaps call some airlines and ask them? They should know the companies who deal with them.

Lots to consider, many rules and regulations, many possible dangers. You are wise to start looking into it now, because it's not usually something that you can arrange quickly. Look carefully into what the degus will experience during their travel time, and consider if it is worth it for them. It's admirable that you don't want to rehome them again, but it may not be reasonable to put them through the travel trauma if you cannot find a good way to do it.

[winic1]

Now that I think of it, I talked to a couple airlines about bringing finches back in the cabin, all legitimately, and they told me they allow cats and small dogs in the cabin only, in carriers that fit under the seat. I asked about small, quiet birds like finches, which would certainly fit in a carrier smaller than a cat's, and they said no, they only allowed cats and small dogs, nothing else. Everything else had to ship in the cargo hold, and only two US airlines take pets that way. So, you will need to check with specific airlines on their rules, just because they say "pet" doesn't mean they would allow degus.

[buckandbolt]

I didn't realise they were illegal in NYC! That's where I'll be based so I guess we'll have to look at either re-homing them, or having my parents look after them if the SO moves here. Hopefully we won't have ti make any kinds of decisions until next year.

Thanks all for your advice!