Moving with Pets

[Soledad]

Has anyone made an international move with their pet? At some point, I will return to the US, and I was wondering if anyone had done an international move with a pet in tow. Any advice?

[Karen]

I never have, but I would just make sure what the rules are, and what documentation you need from a vet, if any.

[Soledad]

I've looked into the technical aspects of it (papers needed, cost, health issues, etc.) but I'm just curious to know if anyone out there has done it, and how their pet recovered.

[babolaypo65]

a friend of mine did. they had to leave their cat in quarentine in jordan for a few months after they arrived there from the U.S. im not sure i'd survive that! but i guess we do whatever is necessary.

best to really research it (a no brainer answer i know, sorry)

[Soledad]

Boo will not need to be quaranteed in the US, as NZ has no rabies, etc. So, I understand the procedures in place, but was just wanting to hear from someone who had done it. Especially in regards to how the animal felt afterwards.

[babolaypo65]

sorry, cant be of more help. its a lot to think about. ive taken owen on the plane and THAT goes pretty well, he's a little spastic for a day or so after... but he fits under the seat, doesnt have to go in cargo.

good luck! if you learn something insightful i hope you'll share.

ps. i didnt know that about NZ and rabies! cool!

[babolaypo65]

soledad: have your pets traveled much before? (in country)?

[Soledad]

No. Boo is only 1 year old. He doesn't mind car rides too much, and is really good when he's in his carrier.

At this point, I've worked out all the paper work, cost, vet visits, etc. that is needed. I just wanted any psychological advice anyone had to ease the stress for my cat.

I know it's hard on them, but I just can't imagine leaving him behind. He's part of our family, and I can't explore that option.

[babolaypo65]

what do vets say these days about sedation?
the first time owen flew he was sedated. and i "practiced" once, at the vets suggestion. some dogs barf on sedatives. owen was fine. just kinda "mellow". it was about 10hours in transit. he never fully slept like the vet said he would, but just sorta stared. like i said earlier, he was a little hyper after, but didnt seem to have any lasting effects.

now the next question is, how big is boo? too big for carry on? (there's that whole thing im sure you know about cargo, pressure.... and minneapolis' rules about pets in winter, which im sure you've already checked out.... im assuming too much here, that you're returning there....) carry on vs cargo is a big diff.

good luck!

[Soledad]

The thing is, you can't have a pet as carry-on during an international flight.

So, I could have him as carry-on from LA to Minneapolis, just not from NZ to LA. Ya dig?

Boo is only an 8 pound cat. He's never been on sedation, so I'm not sure about that.

Do you think he'll be "bugged out" after all these flights? Even with sedation?

[Soledad]

Pop- I have my reservations about putting Boo in cargo, but it seems as though that's the only option with the airline. However, they told me that they recommend we call an animal trainer who helps transport pets through them regularly. So, I think that will be okay, as they'll have professional supervision.

Putting Boo in cargo for 10 hours under sedation is a far better alternative to me than not having him in my life.

[neko1]

He may be a little dopey after the plane ride. All animals react differently to sedation so that's why vets recommend that you try it out on them at home first. Sometimes people notice that they have to increase or decrease the dosage depending on the desired effect. The sedative we use is Acepromazine- we tell people that the dosage can be repeated in 8-12 hours. Hope all goes well with him!

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by Soledad
Boo will not need to be quaranteed in the US, as NZ has no rabies, etc. So, I understand the procedures in place, but was just wanting to hear from someone who had done it. Especially in regards to how the animal felt afterwards.


I haven't ever travelled internationally with pets, but, Boo not needing to be quarentined here in the US seems contradictory to what I have 'heard'. I think I would call the AKC or some equivelant......

[Soledad]

I got the info from the US Customs website. I think it's because New Zealand has such a strict policy about what it allows in, and is also protected from a lot of diseases because of its relative isolation.

[Miss Meow]

We haven't made any international trips with the cats, but Mini and Jasmine have flown interstate twice so I hope I can help.

If you haven't already bought a carrier, I'd look at one long enough for a small litter tray on one side and somewhere to sleep on the other. One mistake we made was using only the foam pad that came with the carrier. It gets extremely cold in the cargo hold and if we fly with the cats again, we'll put a favourite blanket in one side of the carrier for them to snuggle into to keep warm and feel safer. I wouldn't buy a carrier taller than Boo's head height when he's sitting up; I was concerned at the cats bouncing around too much in turbulence if they were in a tall cage.

Also pack his favourite toy or start acclimatising him with a stuffed toy to travel with. I think we were lucky because our cats travelled in the same carrier and had each other for support. Boo may get lonely by himself.

We opted not to sedate. The zonking out and possible inability to drink enough water during the flight turned us against sedation. As Neko1 said, if it's an option, do a trial run first so the dosage is correct.

We also sprayed the carrier with Feliway, which contains cat pheromones. It seemed to relax them a bit as their surroundings smelled safe and familiar.

And if you can, make sure Boo isn't loaded next to dogs or other loud animals that'll stress him with barking or other loud noises.

Hope this is helpful.

[sandragonfly]

....Sorry I can't further assist you but I hate when I hear someone is gonna to put any pets in cargo...because about 5,000 pets died in cargo a year!!! I don't think you'd want to find him lying...you never know-- :( I wish airplanes have pet caretaker during the flight...and/or would let you hold the carrier...that you can comfort Boo all you want. (put finger inside the cage, index/middle finger 'petting' -I mean!) :)

[Soledad]

Thanks for the advice Miss Meow. That's exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for.

I think the fact that we're hiring an animal trainer to take care of Boo throughout the flights gives me peace of mind. It's a decision that we have to make for ourselves. I'm not one to just leave a pet to a stranger for the rest of its life without researching all possible options.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Freinds of ours have relocated THREE times with their two cats. France to California, California to France, France to Colorado. Last move also included a human baby of less than one year!

[Soledad]

Edwina'sSecretary -

What did they say about it? Any advice?

[Edwina's Secretary]

Although I'm not aware of any problems they had...I'll ask them for you....

[Soledad]

That would be great!!:D

[Edwina's Secretary]

Here's the response I received. Hope it helps.

Well, when our cats were younger, we sedated them for
the long trip. At least, that is what the French vet
recommended. On the return trip, the Colorado vet
said that the would adjust faster if not sedated as
they had all of their instincts in working order. So
we did not sedate them and they did seem to adjust a
lot better on the last two trips (but maybe it is
because they got used to moving?)

Other stuff we did:
- call the airline 3 different times to be sure they
have everything in order (lables on cat kennels,
feeding instructions, water bottles, paperwork, etc.)

- carry with us 48 hours worth of food plus water to
give them as soon as we saw them off the plane

- put their travel kennel (open, with a favorite toy
or blanket) in the house 1 or 2 weeks before travel so
the box is not new for them (you have to take the toy
or the blanket out for the flight)

- make sure to have a couple of their "personal
effects" with you to put in the new house (location)
so when they do get there something smells familiar to
them

- ask the flight attendant as soon as you board if
they can check to be sure the animals made it in the
cargo (if appropriate - we always put them in the
cargo, so i don't have any experience with bringing
them on board the flight)

- we tried to have either a disposable litter box
(travel size) in our carry on or a new litter box
waiting at the new location

- try to forget about them during the flight!!

Here is a link to a .pdf doc that really helped me get
ready for our trip:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/petravel.pdf

[Soledad]

This is absolutely brilliant! Thank you and your friends so much.

[babolaypo65]

thats all great advice! for all of us. thanks edwina's secretary.
i particularly liked the idea of calling three times.
i wonder too, if you showed up with the expectation of carry on, what would happen?
ie, if ONE of the three happened to not mention it?
while im generally a rule follower, avoiding cargo seems to override that! (especially when you can have them on "domestic" flights.

if you DO sedate, again, several of us have recommended practicing. you can adjust dosing, and it seems that it might help with adjustment as well.
please let us know how it all turns out?
ps
i thought it interesting timing that today's dog of the day had travelled internationally, successfully!

[sandragonfly]

Here's my Zephyra saying Good Luck and hope everything will go well!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/paec4541f393950201aa3643ec85fd95a/fcbe7a5b.jpg

[koxka]

Soledad, maybe I'm too late, but my stept daughter and her husband travelled ( from Utha to Barcelona and viceversa) with his pet, a little dog, in cabin with them
I guess it depends on the company, theirs was Delta Airlane, so maybe you could ask before buying a ticket which company allow small pet in cabin.
Good luck !

[Soledad]

Thanks guys, I will research the in-cabin thing more in-depth. You've been great.