Stressing about Cat Shipping

I've  been stressing for the past several days about cat shipping. It's not simple.

 Theoretically, you can take a cat as carry-on baggage on Southwest, but the carrier has to be big enough for the cat to stand up and turn around in, yet it can't be more than 8.5 inches tall.....? And they only allow a maximum of 6 pets per flight, first come, first served, no reservations.???? So what do you do if you get to the airport and there have already been 6 pets ahead of yours????

So, cross that option off the list.

There are outfits that will drive your pet across the country for you, door to door. The only quote I got was $940. Enough of that.

You can check your pet as baggage, but nearly all the airlines now have a summer "embargo" on that due to heat issues.

Short of driving my car back to Seattle, the only remaining option is to ship via air cargo. Delta sounds like they have a good  program for that, and I talked to an actual human being who seemed to know what they were talking about and was very friendly about it. It costs pretty much the same as a seat on an airplane (so why can't I just buy another seat on the plan and strap him in????). I guess I'm committed, and resigned to that cost. BUT, if the weather forecast shows temperatures above 85 for any of the airports he's going through, they still won't take him that day. So, hope for cool weather for the next couple of weeks for the midwest.

Then there's the issue that I must ship him before I leave, which means he will get there before I do. I've found a kennel near Seatac who says they will pick him up and board him until I can get home, drive back to the airport, and rescue him.

When I lost my poor old Sabrina a couple of months ago I got rid of all my cat stuff, thinking "no more pets until I'm too old to travel much anymore". So much for that.

I still don't know for sure if he is litterbox trained. I've kept him in my bedroom overnight, and there's a litter box in there, but so far nothing has appeared in it, or anywhere else in the bedroom (that I've found anyway). And even if he is litter trained, he may find that he prefers to go on the Sabrina-scented carpeting in my livingroom. I hope not.

I just wish this was all over with. Now I have nothing to do but worry about it for two weeks. I'm sure it would've been simpler to get a cat in Seattle, but what can you do when a cat choses you, and you fall in love with it, and he is so cuddly,  and in addition your dad has mentioned taking it to the pound?????