Dan and Olivia prefer not to put their cats in the hold when flying, instead opting to take them into the cabin with them. For pets that weigh under 10 kg, or around 22 pounds, Dan says you can take them in carriers that qualify as hand luggage and fit them under the seat in front of you. He added that the cats sleep in their carriers whenever they are tired during long flights.
As Sponge Cake, Mocha, and Donut outnumber their parents, sometimes Dan and Olivia need to book an extra ticket, but not all airlines allow them to do this. "At times, when I wanted to buy a third ticket and an empty passenger seat, it's not allowed," Dan told Insider, noting that they only allowed one pet per human passenger and wouldn't allow them to buy a ticket for an empty seat.
The day before a flight, the couple also sets aside one full check-in suitcase for the cats. "In it is disposable litter boxes and a little bit of litter, wet and dry food, and then all their toys, and scratching posts," Dan said, adding that he and Olivia always try to re-create their home environment at the destination.