Flying with a cat?

N1120A

N1120A

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N1120A
I know they have Mutt Muffs for dogs, but does anyone have experience flying with their cats? Any precautions for their ears?
 
Let’s quit beating around the bush. Flying with ***** is cool.

EDIT: Let me rephrase that so as not to get *****’d. Poozy
 
Some of the best 'Cats to fly with:

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Grumman-F14-Tomcat-Takeoff.jpg
 
At the fractional I used to fly for, there was a blurb in the FOM about flying pets. It said something along the lines of "you don't have to keep dogs in cages, but due to the independent nature of cats, its highly recommended to make sure they are in a carrier". I thought that was quite amusing.
 
Groundpounder said:
At the fractional I used to fly for, there was a blurb in the FOM about flying pets. It said something along the lines of "you don't have to keep dogs in cages, but due to the independent nature of cats, its highly recommended to make sure they are in a carrier". I thought that was quite amusing.
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It's also pretty true. Both dogs and cats tend to treat a small airplane like a car. Dogs are generally good in cars, looking out the window or curling up to go to sleep. It's the rare cat who will be like that.
 
(Stolen from the Internet)

Cat & Duck Method of Instrument Flight

Having detailed the concept of attitude control, there is another method which you may prefer. For reasons that will become apparent, it is recommended for those pilots whose airplanes have large, easily cleaned cabins. Known as the "Cat and Duck Method" of instrument flight, it has received much publicity and is considered to have a great deal of merit by those who have not tried it. No reports have been received from those who did try it, and none are expected. Pilots are invited to assess its merits objectively.
  1. Place a live cat on the cockpit floor; because a cat always remains upright. It can be used in lieu of a needle and ball. Merely watch to see which way the cat leans to determine if a wing is low and if so, which one.
  2. The duck is used for instrument approach and landing. Because of the fact that any sensible duck will refuse to fly under instrument conditions, it is only necessary to hurl your duck out of the plane and follow it to the ground.

There are some limitations to the Cat and Duck Method, but by rigidly adhering to the following checklist, a degree of success will be achieved which will surely startle you, your passengers, and even an occasional tower operator.
  1. Get a wide-awake cat. Most cats do not want to stand up at all. It may be necessary to carry a large dog in the cockpit to keep the cat at attention.
  2. Make sure your cat is clean. Dirty cats will spend all their time washing. Trying to follow a washing cat usually results in a tight snap roll followed by an inverted spin.
  3. Use old cats only. Young cats have nine lives, but old, used-up cats with only one life left have just as much to lose as you do and will be more dependable.
  4. Beware of cowardly ducks. If the duck discovers that you are using the cat to stay upright, it will refuse to leave without the cat. Ducks are no better in IFR conditions than you are.
  5. Be sure the duck has good eyesight. Nearsighted ducks sometimes fail to realize that they are on the gauges and go flogging off in the nearest hill. Very nearsighted ducks will not realize that they have been thrown out and will descend to the ground in a sitting position. This maneuver is difficult to follow in an airplane.
  6. Use land-loving ducks. It is very discouraging to break out and find yourself on final for a rice paddy, particularly if there are duck hunters around. Duck hunters suffer from temporary insanity while sitting in freezing weather in the blinds and will shoot at anything that flies.
  7. Choose your duck carefully. It is easy to confuse ducks with geese because many water birds look alike. While they are very competent instrument flyers, geese seldom want to go in the same direction as you.
 
Geoff Peck used to fly with his cat. He said it was only a problem the day the cat managed to figure out how to howl into the microphone of one of the unused headsets.

My parrot loves to fly in the plane, especially if she can sit in the right seat.
 
midlifeflyer said:
It's also pretty true. Both dogs and cats tend to treat a small airplane like a car. Dogs are generally good in cars, looking out the window or curling up to go to sleep. It's the rare cat who will be like that.
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I had a copilot who felt a cold nose on his thrust lever hand somewhere between 80 knots and V1. Passenger’s dog decided to check out the cockpit.
 
My cat used to like car rides. After a bad vet visit, he now hates them, but he USED to like them!
 
I'm glad this post brought some humor, though I actually did mean it. Just wondering if the noise bothers the cats.

flyingron said:
Geoff Peck used to fly with his cat. He said it was only a problem the day the cat managed to figure out how to howl into the microphone of one of the unused headsets.

My parrot loves to fly in the plane, especially if she can sit in the right seat.
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You can have the parrot work the radios. Never miss a call!
 
I need to teach her how to respond "27Kilo." She used to spend a lot of time in my home office while I took conference calls. I must say "OK" a lot because she suddenly started going "OK" at random times. I told her she could take the calls then.
 
if you do fly with your cat please make sure you do so in the Tiger, I feel like there's a good meme or ironic pun in there somewhere
 
Cats are for catamarans.
Dogs are for airplanes.

This sayeth Charlie.

fly to the scene of the incident, or be recovered at the scene of the tragedy
 
Tantalum said:
if you do fly with your cat please make sure you do so in the Tiger, I feel like there's a good meme or ironic pun in there somewhere
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I fly the Tiger at 2700 RPM and to Bo at 2450, so he probably won't like the Tiger as much lol.
 
My wife & I flew to a cattery (who knew there was such a thing) in Paw Paw, Michigan (again, who knew that either?). We picked up a cat, put him in a carrier and flew home at 7500' msl. AFAIK he was fine in the back although I'm sure he was a bit stressed out. IMG_1129.JPG IMG_1133.JPG

However, it didn't stunt his growth or anything if that's your concern...IMG_2870.JPG
 
iflyvfr said:
My wife & I flew to a cattery (who knew there was such a thing) in Paw Paw, Michigan (again, who knew that either?). We picked up a cat, put him in a carrier and flew home at 7500' msl. AFAIK he was fine in the back although I'm sure he was a bit stressed out. View attachment 84231 View attachment 84230

However, it didn't stunt his growth or anything if that's your concern...View attachment 84232
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I assume you didn’t leave the carrier on the fuselage when you flew...:)

My goodness that’s a big cat!
 
jsstevens said:
I assume you didn’t leave the carrier on the fuselage when you flew...:)
My goodness that’s a big cat!
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Yeah that was after landing as we were unloading. He was pretty cool with it but was just a kitten then. A bit of backstory was that I told my wife if I was going to have to pay for her cat, we are flying the plane to get him. Everybody wins! As for size you should see his dad...
 
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