Getting a cat home

The three ways

1. 1. You pick up or meet partway

   You collect the cat from the seller, or meet them somewhere between you. It costs your own travel, and you meet the cat and the seller in person, which is the safest way.

2. 2. The seller delivers or sends a flight nanny

   Some sellers drive the cat to you for a fee on the listing, or send it with a flight nanny who carries it in the cabin. The listing's Getting home says what they offer and what it costs.

3. 3. You arrange a transporter

   When the listing says the buyer may arrange a pet transporter, you book and pay a transport company yourself, by road or with a flight nanny.

What it usually costs

Purry's estimates come from typical rates, not a quote. A transporter's price depends on the route, the dates and the company.

By ground

• Up to 300 miles: $1.00 to $1.60 a mile, at least $300 to $500
• Up to 1,000 miles: $0.80 to $1.30 a mile
• Up to 2,000 miles: $0.60 to $0.95 a mile
• Farther: $0.50 to $0.80 a mile

With a flight nanny: $530 to $1,330, including the airline's pet fee

Between different countries (other than the US with Canada or Mexico), there is no ground figure: a flight nanny $800 to $2,000, or an IPATA cargo pet shipper $1,500 to $3,500.

What a flight nanny is

A flight nanny is a person who flies with the cat in the cabin, under the seat in front of them, and hands it to you at the airport. The cat stays with someone the whole way, never in the hold. The price covers their time and flights, plus the airline's pet fee for the cat's ticket.