Can you fly with two cats?

Two cats in one carrier

Many airlines allow two animals in one carrier, with conditions. The main one: both cats plus the carrier must stay within the cabin weight limit, most often 8 kg.

• Turkish Airlines: two cats (animals of the same species) that are used to each other, up to 8 kg including the carrier. The fee depends on the route and comes from the calculator on the airline’s site.
• Lufthansa: two animals in one carrier if they are of similar size and both young (12 weeks or older) or both adult; also a mother with young up to 6 weeks old. Up to 8 kg in total with the carrier, and each animal must be able to stand, lie down and turn around.

Add up the weight of both cats and the empty carrier. If the total is over the limit, this option is out, even if the cats physically fit.

Flying your cats separately is the safest option. IATA warns that even pets from the same household may fight during a flight and generally advises against adults sharing a container, except for young kittens. Only put adult cats that live together and get along in one carrier if the airline explicitly allows it. If they don’t get along at home, don’t share a carrier.

Two carriers per passenger

Most major airlines allow one carrier per passenger in the cabin. Turkish Airlines, for example, accepts up to two carriers per passenger on the aircraft but only one in the cabin, so the second cat flies in the hold. Lufthansa lets a passenger take two animals: both in the cabin in one carrier, one in the cabin and one in the hold, or both in the hold.

Some airlines do allow two carriers in the cabin per passenger. This list updates automatically from our data:

If you are travelling as two, the simplest option is one cat per passenger, each in its own carrier under its own seat. Request each cat under the name of the passenger it will fly with.

Some airlines also let you buy the adjacent seat for a second carrier: in the table above this shows as “with the adjacent seat”. Check the seat and carrier rules on the airline’s page before booking.

Per-flight limits

Even when the rules allow two cats, a particular flight may have no spots left. IATA notes that airlines limit the number of pets in the cabin, especially on smaller aircraft with little under-seat space.

• Pegasus: no more than three pets in the cabin per flight.
• Emirates doesn’t take cats in the cabin at all. In the hold (departures from Dubai only), two adult animals of similar size, up to 14 kg each, may share a container if they live together.

Request both cats right after booking and wait for confirmation before paying for anything else.

Country limits

Each cat must meet the destination’s requirements on its own: its own microchip, its own rabies vaccination and, where needed, its own titre test. For the paperwork, see How to fly with a cat.

For non-commercial travel, the EU allows up to five dogs, cats or ferrets (European Commission, Your Europe). More than five is allowed only for a show or competition, or training for one, if the animals are over 6 months old and you have proof of registration. Great Britain also applies separate rules to more than five pets.

Two cats are well within these limits, but some countries have rules of their own. Check the destination country’s rules.

What to do next

Weigh both cats with the carrier and pick an option: one carrier, two carriers, or the second cat in the hold. Then find a flight where it works: our search includes the pet fee for cabin and hold and shows where pets aren’t accepted. Use the checklist to gather documents for both cats.

When flying with a pet, it’s best to buy the ticket on the airline’s own website: it’s easier to add the animal to the booking, and if the flight or rules change you deal with the airline directly, without a middleman.

Find flights with a pet