West_Midlands

Hi,

Has anybody moved back to the UK from Australia with their cat(s)?

Is it true our cat wouldn't need to be quarantined upon arrival?

Who did you go with? And what sort of costs/services were involved? Were you satisfied with them?

I'd really appreciate if anybody can help or offer any advice on the process.


Thank you!

brits1

Hi
We moved back with our dog from Australia, she had her quarantine injections well before we were due to leave so when she fly into the UK we picked her up straight away and took her home with us. Good luck

West_Midlands

That's lovely and reassuring to hear, thank you.

Was your dog on the same flight as you?

Can I ask which pet travel agency you went with, and whether you'd recommend them?

OkUK

It's certainly not the case all the time though.

Editha

I think you need to clarify that.

The rules are now that, if travelling from a listed country, which includes Australia, your cat has to have had a rabies vaccination at least 3 weeks before travelling. If, on arrival at the animal reception centre in the UK, the cat either hasn't had the injection, or the paperwork is wrong, the cat will be given a rabies vaccination and quarantined for three weeks.

West_Midlands

Thank you for clarifying that statement, Editha.

So provided our kitty's papers are all in order, and she's had her rabies vaccination, no quarantine will be required and we can take her home straight away then.

Does anybody know if all flights accept pets on board? Or is there a chance our kitty will be on a different flight?

Does anybody have an experience or a price breakdown they can share?

Thank you.

West_Midlands

I didn't realise how hard it was to find somewhere that does rabies vaccinations!

After calling around for ages, I finally found a vet that does it!

Can anybody confirm if the Australian microchips meet ISO standards? The lady I spoke to said yes, but I wasn't to confident about how well versed she was.

spouse of scouse

This is the UK govt page for importing pets, Australia is a 'listed country' https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/travel-within-the-eu

We flew our dog over a couple of weeks ago. I sent him off, husband was here (UK) to collect him. The microchip our local vet did years ago met ISO standards - in any event the vet you choose to do your cat's prep (rabies shot, paperwork, worming) can easily check the microchip.

We went with a local Perth pet transport company - it's owned by a govt. approved vet so was a 'one stop shop'. All up cost was around AU$4,100, for a 48 kg dog with custom built wood crate. I was very impressed with the vet and the pre-flight service.

Was less impressed with our dog's condition when he arrived in the UK, but to be fair a lot of that is down to the type of dog he is, and to the fact that no pet's at their best after long haul flights.

brits1

Hi we used a local vet that also did Rabies vaccinations and our pet was micro chipped as a puppy, the company we used to freight was also a boarding kennels which was near to Perth Airport, we arrived in the UK about 4 weeks before we collected our very dear and "lovely little girl" from the airport. It only took about 5 mins to collect her, she has had a wonderful time here and adjusted straight away, its hard to think that she has actually now lived longer in the UK then she did in Aus.....she's 11 next year....gulp but still acts and looks very young (I would love to know her secret lol) I think the total cost of boarding for 6 weeks and freight was $1200 I still have the papers so I will have to check, it was really cheap at that time anyway and it was in 2010. All the best with everything

Editha

Just a note of reassurance:

Cats seem to travel by air better than dogs. We flew 2 cats to Alberta in '06 and two cats back the other way last year. On both occasions they seemed remarkably untraumatised by the experience.

West_Midlands

Hi SOS. Oh wow, so you're in the UK now then!

How did it all go?

Aww, so sorry to hear your dog wasn't at his best when he arrived. But it's reassuring to hear you were impressed by the vet and pre-flight service. How's he doing now? And how long did it take for him to shake it all off? I have to say I was a bit worried after reading that about your 48kg dog, when our little girl is just about 3.5kg! She's timid and very sensitive too.

I've been doing some calling around, and apparently the microchips here do meet ISO standards, so that's hopefully one less thing to worry about.

Did the company you went with provide your dog with his passport and all of the relevant paperwork too?

Hi brits1.

Thank you so much.

Wow $1200 is excellent! For 6 weeks of boarding as well!

Oh that's beautiful you only had to wait 5 minutes at the airport to collect her. I can imagine the joy of the reunion!

It's a shame both you and SOS's experiences are from Perth, hehe! No reassurances from Melbourne as of yet.



Editha, I have to say I let out a sigh of relief after reading your post. Thank you so much for that! :')

I was really panicking- especially after reading about SOS's big dog!

Can I ask if your cats were female and what their personalities are like?

Our kitty is extremely attached to my husband and I, and very timid and skittish around others. She doesn't like any sudden sounds or noises and hides when she feels scared or threatened. I just wish we can have them with us in the actual plane. They should offer that service, even if just for first class - at least for cats (hehe, I'm biased, but hey they don't bark and take up less room, LOL)

To be honest. although I'm more reassured, I'm still worried- because I know how worried she is without me. It breaks my heart thinking about it and I keep wondering how she'll manage at the cattery the night before. She is extremely anxious around male cats.

West_Midlands

Up until August, we had two sisters by birth that we adopted together. Sadly our other sweet girl went missing and since then our Kitty has been alone for the first time in her life.

Would it be best to adopt another feline now, and have them get used to each other for the next month so they can travel together in the same crate?

Any thoughts?

Editha

I don't think any airline will allow you to put two animals in the same crate. They have strict rules about the size of the crate too, so you will need to check that.

Editha

When we flew to Canada in '06 our cats were a very elderly female tortie and a middle-aged ginger and white. The tortie, who died when we were in Canada, was a brave little lady, but the ginger and white is one of the most nervous cats we have ever owned. Nevertheless, when we picked them up at Edmonton airport, she seemed pleased to see us and quite happy.

When we flew back last year, it was with the ginger and white, who by then was 20 years old, and a seven year old male tabbie. The tabbie is part Siamese and nervy.

When we collected them at Gatwick, the ginger and white's behaviour was extraordinary. She clearly knew she had 'come home'. She could probably hear the birds in the hedge opposite the animal reception centre, or maybe it was the smells in the air. Either way her attitude was: 'Nice to see you, but let me get out there and explore!' She was all purrs.

The tabbie was a bit subdued but quickly got over it.

They actually seemed more stressed by the road trip down to Devon from Sussex, a week later. A couple of days after that, the tabbie encountered his first farmyard animals, geese, chickens and pigs. He had a nervous breakdown, and spent the next fortnight hiding in a suitcase and only coming out for meals. But after that he began to adapt.

West_Midlands

really?! I'm glad you told me that. It's something I need to ask.

Thank you Editha, I really appreciate you putting your experience here for me and others to benefit from.

I think our kitty probably sounds like your ginger and white one, so it's amazingly beautiful and reassuring to hear she was all purrs when she saw you! I know how reassuring that must have been for you. I'm so happy to hear both journeys went well for you.

I think it's beautiful you've taken your cats with you both ways.

Can I ask how long the flight was to Canada?

The shortest flight I can seem to find from Melbourne to Birmingham is 23hrs and 10 minutes - including a minimal transit.

So far, I've requested an online quote from Jetpets, BUT I was surprised to see that the Birmingham airport wasn't an option! The last thing I wanted was to put her through a few hours drive - especially after what you said about the road journey!