What not to wear

when flying with cats? Navy (or black).

Yesterday I packed my cats in their pet taxis and then dressed myself, to avoid cat hair on my navy clothes: navy pants (without pockets - what on earth was I thinking???), navy twinset, and mules - as they are easy to take off and on while getting through an airport scanner.

During the first part of the trip - Mayaguez to San Juan - I was still presentable - very friendly Cape Air guy loaded the cats on the plane for me, demanding only to see their health certificates before boarding - and we had those in order.

I always get health certificates for the cats from their veterinarian, within 10 days of their air trip, as prescribed, although it was the very first time someone actually wanted to see them.

In San Juan, already when checking my two, big, American cats as baggage on Delta (they have a pressurized and temperature controlled baggage compartment, where the pets can be checked in ... though at a price of $ 275 domestic or $550 international per container, no matter its size - but two cats could fly in one) I was asked to take the cats out and hold them while the carrier was inspected. Of course the cats got scared and released a month worth of their hair on my navy clothes.

Then, when going through the scanner I had to remove the other two cats (the small Purtorican ones) from their carrier and carry them through, holding my boarding pass and my ID at the same time. I must have looked pretty funny there: barefoot, one cat hanging under each arm, both scared from their wits, me holding boarding pass and ID in hand and wearing clothes covered by now in all colors of cat hair... sigh.

Then we had to wait for the carrier to go through the scanner... but at least cats did not try to run, but eagerly returned to carrier, relieved: it must have seem far less scary then hanging out there.

But a Delta person at the check counter told me that they had a case recently when a cat ran and lived hiding at the airport for two weeks before they managed to catch him and reunite him with his guardian. I did not even want to think what I would do if that happened to me...

During the flight the cats, that flew in the cabin, behaved like angels: slept mostly - the thing that cats do so well, turning their backs at all the curious kids who discovered them.