Human beings aren't the only ones with a head for heights as cats, dogs, even a few hamsters and ferrets, reach for the sky.
Virgin Atlantic's recently-launched Flying Paws scheme has already signed up a clutch of cats and dogs who get their own frequent-flyer book and a select few other airlines also cater for professionals whose commitments straddle far-flung continents and who can't bear to leave their pooch or moggie behind.
Flying rabbits, on the other hand, are a much rarer breed.
"Tickets, registration, vaccination and quarantine charges will cost around 400 euros [US$500], but I wouldn't dream of going without her," says Yoshie Karahashi, owner of Yahoo, a five-year-old dwarf rabbit.
The Guinness Book of Records has yet to award such an "accolade," but if it ever did, Yahoo would likely claim the prize for the most-traveled rabbit, embarking on Wednesday on a fifth jaunt from her Madrid home to Tokyo, 10,800km away.
By the time she returns in mid-September Yahoo, will have more than 100,000km on the clock.
Just getting a ticket for the little brown ball of fur with the floppy ears is an adventure in itself.
"Going from Spain via Paris is okay -- but Britain is especially strict, even if you have all the requisite documents," says Karahashi, a teacher of Spanish dance and part-time travel agent.
For starters, Yahoo needs her own passport from Spain's General Directorate of Agriculture and Food and a certificate of vaccination from the Official Madrid Veterinary College. On arrival at Madrid's Barajas international airport, customs merely glanced at the document provided by the Madrid government.
No mugshot is needed but the animal "passport" does include race -- dwarf rabbit, as well as color -- cinnamon, and sex -- female, along with certification that the requisite vaccines against myxomatosis and rabies have been administered.
Quarantine is a sore point.
In Yahoo's case, a full day must be spent in quarantine, "not including the day of admission or the day of release."
The process is repeated ahead of the return journey.
However, for dogs, the period can be as many as six days once in Japan
Quarantine apart, Yahoo's trip is not so different from that of her owner.
"She gets a bit jet-lagged, like me! For three days she is a bit stressed and the climate in Japan is different, so I will go straight to the vet and inject some vitamins," Karahashi says.
Check-in passes off without a hitch, though the upheaval of the taxi ride to the airport has set Yahoo trembling and she is clearly not a happy bunny at the prospect of an 18-hour trip via Paris.
"You have a rabbit. Okay, please place it on the weighing machine," says the Iberia ticketing clerk before handing over a receipt.
There's no inflight service for rabbits, so feeding time is a surreptitious affair.
"I will slip her some alfalfa or a bit of fruit," volunteers Karahashi, who says bemused -- and amused -- passengers warn her of approaching air hostesses while Yahoo enjoys a quick stretch out of her ventilated casket.
Ingesting food before flying has a major disadvantage, Karahashi says ruefully.
"The ticket price depends on her weight. So she has to go without water and food until they've registered her!" she says.
If Yahoo were human she'd already be in line for a free trip with air miles.
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