Transporting a cat as checked baggage is not recommended unless there is absolutely no other alternative. In addition to the frightening loud noises and unfamiliar odors, there is also the potentially fatal risk of the cat escaping from the carrier and getting lost.
While airlines do their best to ensure the safety of pets checked as baggage, unforeseen and tragic events can and do happen. In 2011, a story about Jack, a cat who was lost at JFK, went viral. The clerk responsible for transporting the carrier unfortunately loaded one carrier on top of another. While waiting to be loaded onto the aircraft, the carrier balanced on the top fell to the ground, causing the bottom carrier to separate — and enabling Jack to escape.
Even though JFK personnel searched extensively, 61 days elapsed after the frightened cat went missing. On October 25, Jack fell through the ceiling in the customs area. Severely malnourished and dehydrated, he was rushed to a local veterinary clinic, but due to severe injuries and infection, he was euthanized.
