Moving to the UK: What about my cat?

[haydensydney]

+1 and I are considering moving to the UK.

Complicating the matter is the issue of our cat (actually we have two) that we would like to take with us. The exporting of pets, and subsequent importing, looks complicated and the rules confusing. Someone even said that our little ones would need to be in quarantine for two months. Searching google has not given us much info.

Has anyone done this previously and care to impart some advice?

Thanks heaps

 

[haydensydney]

Interestingly, there is such a thing as a pet passport. Wikipedia notes the following:

Over time the scheme has rolled out to other countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

I remain unconvinced. Seems too easy!

 

[tuapekastar]

+1 and I are considering moving to the UK.

Complicating the matter is the issue of our cat (actually we have two) that we would like to take with us. The exporting of pets, and subsequent importing, looks complicated and the rules confusing. Someone even said that our little ones would need to be in quarantine for two months. Searching google has not given us much info.

Has anyone done this previously and care to impart some advice?

Thanks heaps

No experience of this, but start here. It does not appear too complicated (though I have not read it in depth, and bureaucracy being what it is...).

It appears you just need certification that your cat(s) is micro chipped, vaccinated against rabies, and in the case of Australia, has not been exposed to the Hendra virus. And you need a 'third country certificate' from an appropriate veterinary authority (this may tie in with the above requirements, not sure). The only other thing appears also to be that it (they) need to be transported by an appropriate carrier (Qantas and other major airlines are acceptable).

Anyway, have a squizz.

Edit: Oh, and ensure any transit points will not cause complications...my dad took his dog to the US in the 1990s, and was set to send it via AKL on an airline (QF most likely), and was told last minute it would have been destroyed at AKL - I don't recall who told him and we never got the chance to test the theory - said dog was quickly transferred to a non-stop flight.

 

[pshepvic]

We were looking to move with our cat to the UK, and subsequently Canada a few years ago. There is no quarantine required entering the UK as Australia is rabies free. There is a company called Jet Pets who can arrange the entire thing (including the immunisations and certificates required - although some of these will be cheaper through your local Vet). From memory, the total cost was going to be close to $2000 - almost the same price as shipping a car to the UK!

From advice given to me, they are one of the best companies around that do this, but there are a few others as well I believe.

Be aware that there is likely to be 30 days quarantine when returning to Australia.


Sent from my iPad using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[quark]

My friends recently moved to Spain with their cat and aside from dealing with Spanish logistics at the other end (nobody was terribly interested in helping them find which hangar their cat had been delivered to) it was fairly easy.

The issue will be when they move back to Australia as the cat will then have to go into quarantine for some time (although I believe you can visit).

 

[AVC]

Can you take my cat too?

 

[The Rok]

I'm pretty sure you can buy cats in the UK too? You should be able to pick up a similar model on arrival!

 

[spudseamus]

if it was my cat and it was goin to cost $2000 I would be standing there with a long puss!

 

[Simo]

I don't know much about the whole getting the animal there but my main concern would be for the health of the animal en route and make sure it will not use all of it's nine lives in one trip.

 

[Princess Fiona]

+1 and I are considering moving to the UK.

Complicating the matter is the issue of our cat (actually we have two) that we would like to take with us. The exporting of pets, and subsequent importing, looks complicated and the rules confusing. Someone even said that our little ones would need to be in quarantine for two months. Searching google has not given us much info.

Has anyone done this previously and care to impart some advice?

Thanks heaps

Hi Hayden, a work colleague of mine moved to the UK and transported her beloved dog with Jet Pets and all went remarkably smoothly for her.
Cost for the dog was around the $2500 mark IIRC. Some colleagues laughed as they thought the cost extravagant, I don't believe so as pets are family.
Good Luck with your new ventures

 

[ftm]

Hi Hayden, a work colleague of mine moved to the UK and transported her beloved dog with Jet Pets and all went remarkably smoothly for her.
Cost for the dog was around the $2500 mark IIRC. Some colleagues laughed as they thought the cost extravagant, I don't believe so as pets are family.
Good Luck with your new ventures

As a TA, i get asked this one periodically. We use Sky Pets (SkyPet - International Pet Transport and Adelar Pet Boarding) and have always found that they look after the owners and pets appropriately. It can be quite a complicated process, so wouldn't be something i would recommend doing yourslef. The consequences for the animal (and your sanity) are not worth getting it wrong!

 

[Mollycram]

A friend of mine took her cat back to the UK, and then a few years later brought it back to Aus. Don't know what company she used but the cat came through the whole ordeal completely unscathed.

 

[cove]

Hayden yesterday we were with 2 dogs who had made the journey to London from Sydney. Because the weather had been quite different they each had a jacket to wear for their outing and a bowl of water inside as the outside bowl had frozen last month. The landlord had permitted a doggie door to be put in so the 2 dogs could go outside but he wants the whole door replaced at the end of the rental lease.
You will be reduced in the property to select from and the questions asked by the agency and then the owner were more intrusive than applying for a house mortgage for zillions of dollars.
Our high rise flat has a zero pet policy so basically that means a heavily reduced inventory to pick from so a lot of what you are eligible to use will be the fringe stuff that is either rubbish or over-priced regardless of whether you are renters or buyers.
We had two cats so we know why you won't leave them behind and I think using an organization to do the paperwork makes a lot of sense.
In London that will leave you working on the car insurance problem,home insurance issues, sky tv, internet and phone connections, opening a bank account and waiting for tradesmen who may not turn up until a week or two later.
All of that is like dealing with the Citibank back office if you have ever read comments made about those threads.
London is a city of 8.5 million folks so figuring out where to live will determine whether your work commute is a cough or not.
Those 2 dogs are in a house in Canary Wharf which has worked for the owners because of the opportunity to walk to work.
Alternatively you might choose to be out of town and face a commute that is significant to accommodate your pets.

 

[haydensydney]

Thanks heaps everyone - I will let you know how we get on, though from first impressions it doesn't look as hardcore as I had imagined.

Cheers

 

[yo yo ma]

Never mind the cat! What are you going to do about your username? haydenuk :shock:

 

[simongr]

I moved my dog the other way some time ago and it was a fairly painless process - my big concern for the older animal was his heart but he seemed fine after the 30 days quarantine. I would say it is certainly worth the money.

Apart from the property issues (which I am sure you can get around) you might want to think about the cat's health given the awful climate in the UK. I know it sounds silly but my then 10 year old dog was a creaky mess before moving to the warmth of Oz - he then lasted five more years over here due in part to the better/warmer weather.

The culture for dogs is quite different over there - no-one I knew had dogs that lived outside (except farmers and they are just strange) compared to here where people think we are strange allowing the dog inside...

 

[Dougo]

Hayden

it's easier than you think.

Friends of ours moved to the UK and unfortunately they had to leave without them. They were planning to leave them at some cat boarding place for 2 months until they were able to fly out - they had to wait due to the Vet certifications needed / timeframes for the certifications. However I talked them out of "camp kitty" when I heard that the owners of that boarding place allowed all the cats to mix in together! Cats are not like dogs and are usually wary about meeting new cats and often a close encounter with a "stranger" results in a toussle - what a mess that could be in terms of more Vet bills if my friends cats got ripped to shreds!

So I gave them our Vet's contact details where we board our cats for weeks at a time when we go away and they liked what they saw so they boarded them at our Vet. Their cats were well looked after and had regular visits from us so their "staff" could be updated by emails as to how they were etc. After a couple of months they were flown out and lived in the UK for around 18 months before coming back here and going through Quarantine again ... for a slightly shorter time.

I think our Vet used Skypet too.

Talk to your Vet and see what he/she has to say and hopefully the amount of time they need for certification will co-incide with your travel dates.

Good luck !

 

[ansett1]

Over the years we have moved our "desert moggy" from DXB to GVA, (first time to see snow!), GVA to SYD, SYD to GVA. Not sure about UK but a few pointers; get 2 IATA approved boxes with double mesh & water feeder, make sure of microchipping, KLM appear to be on the ball, they have a "pet Hilton" at Schipol for transits, find a vet with some idea as can give a mild tranquilizer before departure. Need to make sure airline is aware of a pet in the hold, our moggy could have been frozen from ZUH to GVA if we had not mentioned an extra "passenger".
After returning to SYD she went to AQIS at Eastern Creek for just a few weeks due to chipping & anti rabies jabs from Switzerland, & visiting is no problem.
Hope this helps

+1 and I are considering moving to the UK.

Complicating the matter is the issue of our cat (actually we have two) that we would like to take with us. The exporting of pets, and subsequent importing, looks complicated and the rules confusing. Someone even said that our little ones would need to be in quarantine for two months. Searching google has not given us much info.

Has anyone done this previously and care to impart some advice?

Thanks heaps

 

[Myrna]

Hayden yesterday we were with 2 dogs who had made the journey to London from Sydney. Because the weather had been quite different they each had a jacket to wear for their outing and a bowl of water inside as the outside bowl had frozen last month. The landlord had permitted a doggie door to be put in so the 2 dogs could go outside but he wants the whole door replaced at the end of the rental lease.
You will be reduced in the property to select from and the questions asked by the agency and then the owner were more intrusive than applying for a house mortgage for zillions of dollars.
Our high rise flat has a zero pet policy so basically that means a heavily reduced inventory to pick from so a lot of what you are eligible to use will be the fringe stuff that is either rubbish or over-priced regardless of whether you are renters or buyers.
We had two cats so we know why you won't leave them behind and I think using an organization to do the paperwork makes a lot of sense.
In London that will leave you working on the car insurance problem,home insurance issues, sky tv, internet and phone connections, opening a bank account and waiting for tradesmen who may not turn up until a week or two later.
All of that is like dealing with the Citibank back office if you have ever read comments made about those threads.
London is a city of 8.5 million folks so figuring out where to live will determine whether your work commute is a cough or not.
Those 2 dogs are in a house in Canary Wharf which has worked for the owners because of the opportunity to walk to work.
Alternatively you might choose to be out of town and face a commute that is significant to accommodate your pets.

Hi Hayden

We were the ones with the 2 dogs - moved here less than 2 months ago. We met up with cove & mrs cove (it was a great pleasure). He did mention about your post, but I have not had time to search for it until the newsletter arrived and I saw your post.

We used Jetpets after I researched the internet and asked some questions on this forum. We paid just over $4K to transport our 2 dogs (11kgs and 7kgs) from SYD to LHR. Your 2 cats will be a bit cheaper because the cost depends on the weight of the animal! Like cove said, it is the peace of mind in using an organisation to do all the paperwork for pet transport - but you have to take care of the vaccination. Our dogs flew with Qantas, and I was on the same flight with them. Hubby waited in London to pick us all up after our arrival.

I am busy today having guests for dinner. But, I will be very happy to chat with you further on pet relocation to London, housing and other issues regarding living in London. Just PM me.

 

[haydensydney]

Thanks heaps everyone for your thoughts, experiences and feedback. It's obvious that it won't be a huge mission and it seems that it's a fairly painless process if you can throw a bit of money at it and get Jetpets etc to look after it all.

Cheers!