Ever take a cat across America? I did this past Christmas on a visit to my son's in Portland, Oregon.When my son married this past May and moved across country I was left as caretaker of their cat and dog. So actually I was returning their cat to them via Northwest Airlines.
People advised me to get the soft,not hard plastic,carrier-easier to fit under the seat in front of me on the plane.This advice I took,the other advice about "try the tranqualizer on the cat before the actual trip" I didn't.
This normally docile animal did a Jeckyl and Hyde on me.One half hour in the air and one half recommended tranqualizer tablet later Einstein(a misnomer for this trip)had ripped away a hole in the surrounding netting to squeeze his head through. Stuffing pages of the airline magazine in the hole did not deter him.By the time we landed for a plane change in Minneapolis he had managed to tear himself some paw holes. I took 2 airline blankets and tied them around what was left of the carrier.
In the airport ,running to my next plane,with cat still trying to escape,I managed to get another half a pill down his throat.( The vet said a half a pill would make him sleep for 6 hrs.-my foot-he hasn't slept a wink yet-obviously, neither have I.
Keeping Einstein contained in the carrier on my lap was a full time job.That book I thought for sure I would finish in the 8 hr. flight didn't get past the title page.The breakfast of a banana and dry Cheerios was a real thriller.(Didn't want to take a chance that Einstein squirmming around in my lap would lead to spilled milk.)
The half of pill administered in Minneapolis didn't work either, he literally tore the carrier to shreds and did not sleep till one half hour before I landed in Portland.
I walked up to my son and handed him the sleeping beast in the mangled remains of the "soft greeneyesteach@yahoo.com carrier" in the 2 airline blankets.
When Einstein got to his new home he acted like nothing had happened.
Oh, the story I'll have to tell my grandchildren.Maybe I'll tell Reader's Digest and get some satisfaction from this fiasco.

What a fun story! You should submit it to some pet, or cat lovers magazine.

Just wondering if you dipped into the cat's tranquilizers on the way?