Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: AngelWings on April 25, 2011, 12:14:55 PM

Title: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: AngelWings on April 25, 2011, 12:14:55 PM: First off i would like to apologise if i have posted this in the worng section and if anyone can tell me where i need to post my questions feel free to let me know.

Secondly i am new to this wonderful site so i would like to say HI to you all. A little about me: I am 26, a mum to a wonderful baby girl who is 8 months old. I proudly own 2 cats, 1 pure white boy who is 2 and called Sonny & a grey Tabby called Daisy, she was a rescue. I did have 3 cats up until recently but i sadly lost one of my pure white boys 'Chevy' to Cancer.

(http://i54.tinypic.com/2ni4hs4.jpg)

Ok so basically i have been living in Canada, Calgary, Alberta for the last 3 years. Sadly my husband passed away on Sunday 17th April. He was my only reason i was there so i have decided to now stay here back at home in the Uk. But i now start the dreadful process of bringing them over. If i can find someone in Calgary to foster them whilst i do through the steps of getting them here it would be much easier but as it stands at the moment that is not working out. The other option i have been told is to fly them here and then start the process but that means them being in quaratine for 6 months here.

Has anybody had to do this before ? Was it huge amounts of stress on the cats ? Also does anyone know any names of any places that actually does this as i have tried google and keep getting very few answers. (Maybe thats because i have slightly cloudy mind at the moment with all whats going on).

I really dont want to stress my cats out as they are my everything and apart from my baby the only other link to my husband as he brought me the two white boys when we first ever met. I also feel i need to keep them as Calgary, Canada is over run with cats in desperate needs of homes and sadly the amount who are put to sleep because of this problem is disgusting and i cant face the idea of that happening to mine.

Sorry for such a long post, I thank you for your time in reading.
Jemma.
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Feline Costumier on April 25, 2011, 12:30:45 PM: I would recommend you get in touch with one of the specialist pet exporter/importers as they have all the experience and expertise to advise you of the best route.

Here's a couple
http://www.animalairlines.co.uk/quotation.php?gclid=CKLR6f7Ht6gCFUIPfAodsmQiCw

http://www.airpets.com/?gclid=CI2436TIt6gCFcod4QodaEVwCQ

Also check the DEFRA website for guidelines. It may well be your only option will be quarantine but if the cats are young they cope pretty well with it and if you can find one local to where you will be living then you may be able to visit.

A word of warning though, it ain't cheap! Worth it but very expensive.
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on April 25, 2011, 12:50:59 PM: I don't have any practical advice, just wanted to say sorry to hear of your tragic loss :( :hug: I hope your little girl and your cats can bring you some comfort in what must be an absolutely awful time for you :hug:

I'll also move this over to general cat chat for you.
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: AngelWings on April 25, 2011, 13:05:07 PM: Thank you both for your replies. :hug:

My friend said her Aunt paid around £3000 for two cats to do sort of the same thing which to me at the moment is pennies. I just want my both my babies with me here. Thank you so much for the website links i am just going to have a look at those. :thanks:
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on April 25, 2011, 13:37:30 PM: So very sorry to hear of your loss :hug: :hug:

Obviously I dont know your situation but when are you thinking of returning to the UK and do you have somewhere to live with the cats?

Its quite hard renting with cats.

If its gonna take you 6 months or longer to get back, then it would be worthwhile getting them a pet passport in Canada and then they could be shipped with you when you return and I am sure there are loads of airlines that do this but all have varying requirements I believe.

One of our members blackcat shipped hers from UK to Australia and anothey Kittybabe recently shipped hers to USA.

The alternative is 6 months quarantine in this country.

Definately worth checking on the DEFRA site and any equivalent in Canada.

If you would like me to put you in touch with Jo in Aussie or Ruth in States please let me know and am sure both would give valuable advice.
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Sootyca on April 25, 2011, 14:14:36 PM: Hi Jemma,

So sorry for your loss. :hug:

From looking at the DEFRA website it looks like Canada are part of the PETS passport programme so if you follow all the steps there correctly then there should be no need for 6 months quaranteen when they arrive. Unless I have read it wrong. However it does say that it takes six months after blood tests so it's not a quick option either way. May be worth contacting them directly.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/

From Calgary it looks like Thomas Cook airline does allow pets to be transported and may even allow them in the passenger cabin (although getting 2 cats and a baby on a planel may be impossible to manage!)

If you need to get back quickly then I would opt for the quaranteen when I get here I think.

:hug:

Karen
x
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: AngelWings on April 25, 2011, 14:42:44 PM: Hi everyone thanks for you replies.

I should add a little more info, I am already back in the Uk as my husbands funeral was on Thursday and i needed to get out of the chaos that was going on there, so am having to do everything from over here now with a neighbour helping me out with the cat side of things over there. I did speak to DEFRA and they gave me the steps of how to do things from over there, they were :

To get the cats Microchipped and up to date Rabies shots.
21 Days after Rabies shot they need blood tests.
After that they need to remain in Canada for 6 months.
During this time i need to ask a vet for a 3rd country official vet certificate but when this is issued it has a 4 month valid date on it.
24-48 hours before the cats fly they need a tic and tape worm treatment.
Once they land in the Uk i can collect them straight from the airport and bring them home with me.

The other option they gave me was to fly the cats here into a secure quarantine cattery and then start the steps from over here. This is the option that is looking more like the one i have to take as i am unable to find somebody to foster them from over here.

I would greatly appreciate being put into contact with anyone who has done these steps already as i would feel a little better hearing personal experiences.

Thanks all :hug:
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on April 25, 2011, 14:52:43 PM: I think the fact that you are already back in the UK would put a different slant on it for me, if your intention was to stay in Canada for 6 months then the most obvious solution would be to keep them living as they were and get the pet passport/rabies shots sorted out.

Six months is a long time for your neighbour to commit to caring for them in addition to sorting out vet visits etc, at least if they were over here you would be able to visit them and you know they are safe/secure.

I know Jo (Blackcat) on here has had her cats & dog put into quarantine in Oz (from the UK) so hopefully she'll be able to put your mind at rest. Of course it's not ideal but neither is this terribly sad position you have found yourself in :hug: I hope you have your family round you in the UK to support you? :hug:
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on April 25, 2011, 17:03:23 PM: I agree with Helen but dont know if anyone on Purrs has had a cat in quarantine in the UK and as they have to be in quarantine for 6 months and they have to not move country until 6 months after the rabies jab, then I reckon shipping them over into quarantine is the best way to go, as its gonna be 6 months there, no matter what.

Going through the pet passport situation does not seem worth it.

I know that Ruth shipped her cat to USA after she arrived there and will be able to give you possible advice on shipping and then you would need to ring the various airlines. I dont know if anything is different when shipping a cat without a passport.

As far as quarantine kennels/cattery is concerned I am sure that DEFRA probably know the names and you willl need to ring around to find the best.

I will put a post on our sister site for you Cat Chat to see if anyone there has ever had a cat in quarantine.
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Feline Costumier on April 25, 2011, 17:07:46 PM: I did look into this extensively as I had planned a permanent move to New Zealand but because it's non-rabies to non-rabies there was no quarantine, just testing before travel.

Regardless what way round you do it, the cats will still need to be tested and assessed as fit to travel, they will still have all the tests done etc, it just depends which way round you do it and as they will probably spend their 6 months in quarantine here then most of the testing will be done here.

I'm pretty sure Jo shipped the cats and dog over here from Australia and I think they may have been quarantined, as she is originally from Australia. She then shipped them back again :shy:
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on April 25, 2011, 17:21:54 PM: I have posted on CC for you.

Will PM Jo and see if she can give any advice .
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: cazzer on April 25, 2011, 17:26:39 PM: good luck with whichever way you decide to do it. Sounds as those you've had a terribly tough time :hug:
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Janeyk on April 25, 2011, 21:03:36 PM: A lady called Joyce has posted this info on Cat Chat:

"I haven't had a cat in quarantine but I can thoroughly recommend she contacts the courier company I used as they deal with this type of situation all the time and can arrange shipping and quarantine:

http://www.animalcouriers.com

Sorry I can't post on the other forum so hope you can pass on this info. And wish her good luck as it sounds like a very stressful situation"
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Kittybabe (Ruth) on April 25, 2011, 21:19:14 PM: I'm sorry to read of your recent loss.

I have experience of both however, bringing a cat into the UK my experience is 10 years old.

We bropught a cat in from South Africa. At the time she had to go into quarantine. Unfortunately, that kennel has since closed but I can say that the experience was positive. The 6 months flew by especially as we visited her each weekend (and she ignored us).

Last year I moved to the US and brought my cat with me. The advice on Pet Passports you received is correct. You pet cannot reenter the UK freely within 6 months of getting the first blood test results and if they do they must spend the remainder of the time until the 6 months is up in quarantine.

I used PetAir UK. They were wonderful. They used all care possible and my little one arrived safely three weeks after I got here. I had the luxury of leaving her with my sister for those 3 weeks in the UK.

My advice would be to speak to the carriers. Most airlines today insist that a handler deals with the shipment, very few will take on the shipments themselves.

I think the quarantine route is not one you can avoid.

Hope it all goes well.
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: AngelWings on April 25, 2011, 21:52:36 PM: Oh wow thank you so much for you replies. I really appreciate those. I will be definately look into both the courriers mentioned. I also my have some positive news and that a gentlemen my lawyer knows has said he would be willing to watch the cats during the 6 months period over in canada for me whilst my lawyer has volunteered to do all the running around to vets for shots etc. Hopefully this will work out as i hope it would be less stress on the cats. I am really thankful for you all taking the time to reply to me.
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on April 25, 2011, 22:22:01 PM: Another freply from CC

[I used to run a cattery in France for quarantine pets and we used this company for transport. http://www.cani-excel.com/pet_transport.asp

Lots of people prefer to use France as a stop over as the kennels are far better than the quarantine ones here as the animals do not have to be segregated over there. This company also has a cattery/i]
Title: Re: Looking For Advice On Bringing Cats From Another Country To Uk.
Post by: blackcat on April 25, 2011, 23:18:58 PM: Hi Angelwings. As Feline Costumier has said, my animals are fairly well travelled. The dog moved from Australia, to NZ, to the UK and back to Australia. He was only in quarantine in Australia. When we left NZ he had to have a rabies shot which took six months to take effect, so he stayed with a friend for that period. The cats I acquired while living in the UK so they have only travelled from UK to Australia. The quarantine period was one month.

Your best bet for information regarding entry requirements is to contact DEFRA who run the quarantine service over there. You should also use a recommended animal transport company to ensure your cats are well treated during their journey. Mine had a ball and bounced out of their cages in fine and mentally stable condition. Not the slightest sign of trauma, apart from Smidgen sulking because he had been separated from his best mate, the dog.

I can't remember the name of the company I used (will have a hunt around on old threads) but they were excellent. They were based out around Heathrow.

I am so sorry for your loss. It must be particularly difficult for you when you are in what, to you, is a foreign country without your friends around you. Please take your time in making your decisions, as you are probably not really in an emotional state that will make for good ones... :hug: :hug: