Flying Your Kitten Home
There’s one trip every kitten we raise has in common: the one home to you. Some families pick up their kitten in person, at our home in Sarasota. Most fly their kitten home through a professional pet nanny, and that’s what this page walks you through.
at a glance
Two Flight Paths
For families flying their kitten home, I work with vetted pet nannies who carry kittens in-cabin, never in cargo. There are two paths I've built, and both bring kittens home safely. The one that fits your family comes down to a couple trade-offs.
Option One
A Confirmed Flight
$600 – $1,200
Booked seat, scheduled departure, predictable arrival
Option Two
A Standby Flight
$500 – $800
Same-day flexible departure, lower cost for families with room in their schedule
Flying confirmed runs on a booked seat with a scheduled departure, leaving on the timetable you've planned around. Flying standby means the nanny boards the first seat left unsold at boarding, usually on the airline they're employed by, heading to your destination.
Both paths I've walked with families before. We'll talk through which one fits yours when we plan your kitten's trip.
the team
The People Who Get Them There
Every kitten flying home travels by ground first. Our ground nanny, Sandra, makes the drive from our home in Sarasota to meet the flight nanny at the departure airport, generally Tampa Airport. Sandra is my mother. She is infatuated with the kittens. Needless to say, we trust her with our kittens.
Who flies with your kitten depends on which path you choose. On a confirmed flight, the pet nanny is someone I book directly, vetted personally, and trust will provide a great experience. On a standby flight, the nanny is whoever the agency dispatches that day. My trust there sits with the agency itself: its record, its reputation, and the experience I've had with them already.
Either way, your kitten flies in-cabin, never cargo, in the nanny's own travel carrier, with the health certificate in hand. The trust I've built with these services, on both paths, is part of what I'm extending to you.
For Confirmed Flights
Ocean Paws
Lisa McCormick
Tampa-area, booked directly
For Standby Flights
Pet Jet Pals
QT Pet Transport
Professional pet nanny agencies with rotating rosters
These are services we know and trust, not the only options families can choose.
the timing
When We Book
There are two timing paths, depending on the kind of flight you choose and what fits your schedule.
For most families, we book your kitten's flight as soon as the health certificate is in hand and travel is cleared, generally around eleven weeks of age. Flights then depart between twelve and thirteen weeks. We wait because once a flight is booked, the ticket isn't refundable, and if a vet check turned up something we needed to address before travel, I wouldn't want you losing the ticket over it. Sometimes the trade-off is a small price climb closer to the date. That's the cost of protecting you from a larger loss.
If you're flying confirmed and would rather book earlier, there's a second option. You purchase a flex ticket or flight insurance that guarantees either a full refund or a 100% transfer of the ticket to a future date if we need to reschedule. With that protection in place, the timing is yours to choose, and you can lock in fares well in advance.
For perspective, flex tickets can start as low as $20 depending on the airline. The small cost up front often beats the fare climb closer to go-home day. A few extra dollars at booking can buy both early commitment and the safety net you'd want if anything shifts.
Standby flights stay on the standard timing. The standby deposit isn't refundable, only transferable to a future date, so we wait until your kitten has received medical clearing. Once your kitten receives their health certificate, I'll give you the go ahead and we'll start the booking process together.
the journey home
Flight Day
Flight day officially begins when your baby is in the care of our trusted pet nannies. Our ground nanny, Sandra, makes the drive from our home in Sarasota to meet the flight nanny at the departure airport, generally Tampa Airport. From there, the flight nanny carries your baby in-cabin through security and onto the plane. You meet the nanny at your destination airport, typically curbside or at baggage claim, with your own carrier ready to take your new baby home.
The day before your kitten flies, I or the flight nanny will set up a group chat with your family. You'll be able to follow along in real time, from the moment your kitten leaves my home to the moment they land in yours.
Your kitten doesn't come home empty-handed. Packed for the trip are a folder of health records and a settling-in guide, a container of frozen raw food for the first days at home, freeze-dried treats for travel and as rewards along the way, and a few of your kitten's favorite toys.
A new beautiful chapter begins when the carrier door opens in your home. Your kitten will need a quiet room, a little time, and your presence. I'll be on standby to answer your questions and share in your joy, for as long as you'll have me.
the nuance
The Numbers
The air-only ranges in the cards above come from the pet nannies themselves. They shift with route, season, and how far ahead the flight is booked. The exact number lands when we book, and tends to climb closer to the date. The range is the honest planning window; the booked figure is the one we lock in together.
All these numbers reflect one kitten. For families bringing home two, the math grows kinder rather than bigger. Airlines treat the carrier, not the kitten, as the passenger; two siblings can ride in one carrier under one seat, and the second kitten flies at a heavy discount, sometimes at no additional flight cost.
Payment runs through two channels and is simple on both sides. The air portion goes directly to your pet nanny or agency through whichever method they use, usually card on file, Zelle, PayPal, or cash on delivery, depending on the service. The ground portion runs through me, and I'll share the methods I accept when we book.
A note from Roxy
Your kitten leaves our home healthy, with the right paperwork, in the care of people I trust. The pieces come together one at a time, and not alone. We walk it together, every step of the way.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- For ground transport, cost varies between $150 – 500, depending on distance from us. The average owner spends around $300 for ground transport.
- For air transport, cost varies between 650 – 1200. The average owner spends about $750 for air travel.
- A discount is offered to owners receiving 2 kittens at the same time.
Kittens are allowed to fly at 12 weeks of age or older. You will be supplied with options for arrival day.
After take off you may track your kittens flight. We will give you all the flight details necessary to do so. Tracking their flight will give you the most accurate arrival time possible.
To accommodate for delays we ask that you reserve the entire day for pickup. Delays do not happen often but enough to warrant planning. Normally, delays last for 2-4 hours. But sometimes, delays can combine to make the difference between a morning and evening pickup.
No. Cats naturally hold all bowel movements during travel. A very small percentage pee in their carrier and even less poo during travel. It is rare. Our pet nanny lines his carrier with absorbent pads in case there are accidents; and if there is an accident he will clean up your kitten as much as possible before delivering.
You should expect your kitten to explore and eat the day of travel, after arriving home. Depending on the duration of travel, some take a long nap after arriving. A few kittens will not potty at all the day of travel. That’s normal. Those kittens will resume normal bowel movements within 48 hours.
Shipping will be delayed if your kitten develops a sudden medical problem. The duration ranges between a few days to up to two weeks. Thankfully, our kittens rarely get sick and my pet nanny is available to travel on short notice. We will only ship happy and healthy kittens.
Most kittens spend an average of 6-8 hours traveling. We have an hour commute to the Tampa airport or a 2.5 hour commute to the Orlando airport. Flights generally last 1-4 hours.
Kittens are allowed to fly at 12 weeks of age or older. You will be supplied with options for arrival day.
Yes, please bring your own carrier. We recommend you purchase a medium (maybe even large) size carrier for your kitten to grow into.
Seats available to consumers online may not reflect the seats available in real time. Some airlines routinely oversell their seats to recover costs the airline incurs for seat cancellations and for travelers who do not show up to take the flight. Those airlines do not generally disclose that information until boarding time. If my pet nanny is flying standby and there are no seat available he will have to wait for the next plane with an available seat. Our intent is to get your new kitten to you as fast and safe as possible.
No. Cat’s do not tend to eat or potty during travel. Some kittens are comfortable enough to eat on the ride home but we recommend to refrain from feeding until you arrive home to prevent the urge to potty.
No. We ask that you please wait until your kitten receives their health certificate from our vet and we give you the ok to purchase a ticket. We offer a complimentary two week hold on kittens after they turn 12 weeks for you to arrange travel plans and pickup.
Due to the newness and the particularity of cats to dislike new things, the travel process can be stressful. However, our kittens are very resilient. We often receive praise from our owners stating that their kitten settled in quickly. Your new kitten will likely play within minutes of arrival and eat within a few hours, after exploring.