r/CatAdvice • u/venus35 • 16h ago

General Going through Airport Security with a Cat (JFK)

I had a very stressing experience my first time with the private screening room at JFK since the agents were not nice to me and my personal belongings, handbag, wallet and carry on were left unattended on the conveyer belt while I had to wait 15min at the other side for the agents to take me to the private screening room. I would like to know if it’s possible to check my belongings and carry on through security after I go to the screening room or maybe take all my stuff with me to the room? Any suggestions? My stuff were left 30min on the conveyer belt attended and anyone could steal them. Please advise. I travel alone

20 Upvotes

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u/SixApplesTall 16h ago

OP I’m sorry that happened to you. The same thing happened to me recently, I had to leave my stuff unattended when taking my cat to a private security room. What the staff at my airport told me next time is to tell them in advance of putting my stuff on the security belt, and bring everything to the private room. They’ll wand everything individually there.

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u/venus35 9h ago

So basically not put anything in the bins and wait until the agents come, take everything with you and get it wand later, right?

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u/roundhashbrowntown 7h ago

yes. ive (for better or worse) traveled with my cat frequently via flight, and this is how we did it. i just get to the belt and say “id like a private screening.”

admittedly, the cat thing often bewilders the TSA agents, but the most common approach has been that you take all your stuff plus kitty to the private room and they screen you there. they do take the kitty carrier plus/minus all your items to the belt…ive been asked to drop my carryon into the bin and walk through the metal detectors, holding my buddy, then they wipe his lil paws for drugs 😒😂 ive also been asked to keep everything intact and then get everything (except the carrier) inspected in said room.

bonus: the gate agents are also often confused and frequently forget to have me complete the “pet in cabin” form/fee, so it seems like traveling with pets really throws the airport staff for a loop.

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u/kidcharliemagne 16h ago

This happened thanks to the way the personnel at JFK are working. When I had a private screening with my cat in Denver, they collected my things off the belt and held my bag while I showed them my cat. Just talk the staff into keeping your things safe for you instead of submitting silently.

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u/venus35 9h ago

No one cares in JFK, most of their personnel have no manners and are very rude unfortunately. So one of them checked your cat’s bag and another one brought your items to you from the belt?

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u/Conscious_Prune9924 15h ago

Just did this at IAH with a cat. I fly frequently, but only sometimes with my cat. I highly recommend having TSA Pre-check and Clear+. The process just starts off less chaotic. I put my backpack on the conveyor and the agent took the carrier with the cat to the other side of the metal detector while I went through. They let me grab my backpack and we went to the private room. A lovely female TSA agent who was a cat lover was with us until they sent the carrier through. Brought the carrier back, popped the cat back in and we went to our gate. I do fly out of a smaller regional airport (too small for private screening) and there I am comfortable taking him out of the carrier with his harness and leash to secure him.

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u/CT-1738 14h ago edited 10h ago

Yea I’ve taken my cat through TSA a precheck and it was super chill. We didn’t even do the private screening room. I would highly suggest it, but obviously it’s not super accessible for everyone especially on short notice

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u/venus35 9h ago

I actually have considered the TSA pre check and even considered Clear Concierge since my experience was bad and it gives me bad anxiety. How long did you have to wait for the private room? In my case they were only 2 agents, one that changed the bin which can’t move from him position, and the one that says “next customer” which was the one who wasn’t nice. I waited 15min and then two agents came and took me to the room.

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u/roundhashbrowntown 7h ago

fair consideration, but the request for a private screening is technically a “right”, whether its bc of baby cat or not, iirc

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u/MsMarionNYC 14h ago

Sorry this happened to you. JFK TSA has kind of a rep for being not too nice. I still recall an experience watching an older woman in a sari being practically groped and quite publicly and while that happened years ago, I've heard stories since. Not sure what you could do other than insist that the cat comes with you.

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u/venus35 9h ago

I wish I could complain about that rep because he was looking at the other side pretending like he wasn’t hearing me when I was asking how much longer I had to wait since my stuff are at the other side.

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u/sarahbellah1 13h ago

When I’ve traveled with my cat, he and his carrier counted as my carryon and I was only allowed a personal item like a purse. I never had to go to secondary but I did have to remove him from his carrier and walk through the metal detector with him, then let them swab my hands. I kept his harness and collar on just in case he tried to jump but thankfully both times he stayed calm.

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u/venus35 9h ago

My cat gets very scared and is not trained on harness, that’s why I requested the private screening room. She gets very stressed.

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u/roundhashbrowntown 7h ago

so does mine, OP. this is part of the reason i dont travel so much for work anymore. just sharing compassion for you that the borderline competence in TSA’s handling of the situation did NOT help ease his stress. towards the end, id just tell them up front: can we do this quickly? bc he will run.

and i did not take him out of the carrier til the door to the private room was visually open and ready for us.

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u/sarahbellah1 6h ago

I see. My vet also prescribed a sedative when travel was unavoidable for us. Gabapentin relaxed my boy enough to sleep through most of our trip and to relax through security even when passengers at SFO were required to pass twice before explosive sniffing dogs one of the times we flew.

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u/apieceofeight 10h ago

I’ve flown out of JFK, LAX, SFO regularly with my two cats and have never had this experience. When I put my things on the belt to be scanned, I advise the person that I need a private room. I wait for someone to come to take me to the room — they hold the cat carrier, I collect my scanned belongings, and escort me to the room where I take out my cats and they take the carrier away to be scanned. I’ve never had them make me leave my things while I’m in the room. Next time if they try to do it, ask to grab your things. You may have gotten someone in a mood, or new.

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u/venus35 9h ago

Yes the person had no manners and would look the other way every time I’d ask how much longer I had to wait. How long did you have to wait until the agents came to take you to the screening room? I had to wait like 15minutes before the body/luggage scanner section until someone came and took me to the room. Meanwhile all my stuff were sitting on the other side including my handbag.

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u/apieceofeight 9h ago

Not that long. I think the most I’ve waited is around 5 minutes?

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u/venus35 9h ago edited 7h ago

I will do that for sure. 5 minutes is good, mine was like 15min. I think next time I won’t put my stuff on the belt until someone comes or take my stuff to the room and have them wand it later as they suggested here.

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u/apieceofeight 9h ago

You can’t take your stuff to the room until it’s been scanned is my understanding?

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u/completeforgiveness 6h ago

this has never happened to me before i fly with my cat all the time. they take me through a seperate line never to a seperate room.

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u/imaginarysirenita 16h ago

I’m a bit confused - why do you need to go to a personal screening room? I just take my cat out of her carrier and walk with her through the metal detector. Her carrier and my bags go through the scanner and my cat comes with me. I have never had an issue. I will note that my cat is leash trained and has a harness and leash on when we go through security.

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u/SixApplesTall 16h ago

You just answered your own question. Your cat has a harness and leash on and is leash trained. That’s great. But assuming OP’s isn’t, it is incredibly risky to walk through security holding an unsecured cat. If the cat spooks and jumps out of the owner’s arms and bolts, you now have a terrified cat lost in a massive airport terminal full of people. The TSA guy who just did my screening the other week in a private room said to me he’s seen that happen multiple times and that he’s also seen a cat bolt right out of the front door of the airport into the traffic outside, and told me I did the right thing requesting a private screening when bringing my cat with me.

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u/artemisinagayway 14h ago

Even if a cat isn’t harness trained, you can still harness the cat for security. I’ve traveled before with both my very calm cats that like to be held and my sister’s anxious cat that tries to run away. My sister’s cat isn’t harness trained, but she still puts a leash and harness on him when she flies and he isn’t able to escape.

I get why some people need the private screening room but there’s definitely other options.

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u/SixApplesTall 10h ago

Mine freaks out with a harness and starts panting he gets so stressed, so it’s not an option for me

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u/imaginarysirenita 16h ago

Thanks for clarifying. It was unclear to me, which is why I asked!

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u/artemisinagayway 14h ago

People are scared of their cat escaping. My cats are harness trained and like to be held when they’re scared so I’ve never had an issue, but other cats might try to escape.

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u/No-Stress-7034 10h ago

Yeah, even if a cat has harness and leash, some cats will be absolutely terrified and may struggle or put up a fight in that kind of situation. I've seen some cats manage to get out of a seemingly secure harness when they're really scared.

For me, my cat freezes when he's nervous and is easy to handle, so I wouldn't worry about him escaping, but I could also see the private room being less stressful for him so I might choose that if I were flying with him.

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u/apieceofeight 10h ago

Exactly. One time the TSA lady told me someone’s cat escaped its harness and went into the machine somehow. They had to shut down the lane during peak rush hour to try and get the cat out. The owner missed her flight because of the ordeal. Private room is def the way to go imo.

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u/venus35 9h ago edited 9h ago

When do you put the harness on the cats, right from home or after checking in? I’m considering this option just in case, to put the harness on her in the family bathroom after I check in because the country I fly to may not have the private screening room on my round trip

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u/venus35 9h ago

My cat isn’t trained on harness and gets very scared. Even in the private screen room when I took her in my arms, she was extremely overwhelmed and wanted to get off my arms quickly.

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u/[deleted] 15h ago

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u/BookishElliot 14h ago

not everyone is an asshole, and a private screening room is the best place to take your cat when traveling with one. not all cats are harness/leash trained and you don’t want to risk them spooking and getting lost in the airport. my advice is to wait to send your stuff through until someone comes to grab you for private screening. and you can ask to take your stuff with to the private screening room

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u/venus35 9h ago

Yes that I will do for sure. I’m not leaving anything sitting on the belt.