Tony Stroud

Hi
Has anyone taken or taking their pets with them?
I'd like to know the pros and cons that people have experienced in taking them.
I've had an estimate to take out two cats with us which I would pay if I thought it was the right thing to do. I'm battling with myself as to whether it would be cruel to take them or crueler to let them down and give them up.
Thanks
Claire and Tony

levelheaded

Hi Claire and Tony,

We are taking our dog. A little Jack Russell. I have scoured the papers and asked for quotes etc. Air pets was the most expensive, but when I look at the others, we have to do all the work and they just ship out, whereas with Air pets, we only have to give them the information, get her microchipped and vaccinated.
We also have 2 cats. One is 10 and the other is about 5 but I am not sure that either of them would cope for different reasons. One of them lives to hunt, and the other one is old and lives to sleep. I would worry that if we took the hunter, she would catch something poisonous, because she catches rabbits, moles, mice and anything that in the slightest moves a little. She sees no danger, and the other one, I am not sure that she would take the flight very well and adapt to Australian life.
I just hope that we can find a good home for them both, or because we have a house with land and stables, the new owners will keep them here.
If they were normal house cats and their ages were okay I would have taken them if I could afford too.

cresta57

Do a search for previous posts on this as I'm sure they don't let cats roam around freely as they do here , I seem to remember they're not really welcomed by the Aussies. I'm sure someone else will put you straight.

levelheaded

I know this has nothing to do with taking pets. I noticed that you are from Grimsby. We live at North Somercotes.

brox

Hi

We are hoping to fly out in 2 months and are taking our 13 year old cat with us (If the cat doesnt go, our 9 year old daughter doesnt go).

We have looked into lots of different ways of taking her and have decided on using "Golden Arrow Shippers" They are a little more expensive that doing it yourself, but they take all the hassel out of it. All I have to do is get her microchipped and vaccinated, they do EVERYTHING else. We are paying £697.00. The price includeds all the paperwork, vet fees, worming, fleeing and flight (BA or Quantas), they take her to the quarantine place in Perth and she has to stay there for 30 days.

We then have to pay $600.00 to the Quarantine place on her release.

I know it sounds expensive, but I think it will be worth it to keep our daughter happy. She will never be able to say we left her cat behind!! I just hope after all this cost and effort the cat lives for a few more years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mrs |Brox

levelheaded

Have you got the address to Golden Arrow Shippers and their telephone number.
Thanks

kevmitch

We're hoping to take our 10 year old German Shepherd with us. The quotes are all coming in at around £1500 (plus the Australian Quarantine bill). Because of her age, we're having her checked out thoroughly by our vet first (including hip x-rays), to ensure she's fit to travel.

If she's not up to it, I'm not sure what we'll do - although my parents have had their own dogs - so she may have to go and live in the country.

I believe the Ausies have a form of dog licence, the amount of which depends on the dog's ability to breed - i.e. less if they have been speyed/neutered. Is this the case? and if so, how much?

levelheaded

I havent heard anything about a dog licence. I will ask my brother next time I ring him, but we have decided to have our dog speyed before we go.

brox

Levelheaded

Golden Arrow Shippers
Lydbury North
Shropshire
SY7 8DY

Tel )01 588 680 240

Mr C W Sorenson

Mrs Brox

Ps They only deal with cats and dogs

andie

we are taking our jack russel, not sure which company to go with, theres so many, the quotes are around £1600. we are not taking our cat, she is an outdoor cat, far too independant to take to oz, she kills anything she can catch, and it would be so unfair to kill the lovely birds in oz.

Ceri

I brought my two cats into Aus 6 years ago.

Con's - none which I can think of, except the cost of course.

In Aus, in theory, it is supposed to be the same law for cats as it is dogs, which is - the law says you must contain your animal on your own property, otherwise they can be picked up by the dog catcher. This is what the law says - BUT, I've yet to see a dogcatcher enforcing this law on cats, and most people around me do let they cats run like they do in Britain.


Laws for animals also differ between councils. There are some councils (I think Melbourne way) which have a curfew on cats. This means that you are only allowed to let them outside in daylight hours, between the hours of darkness they must be brought into your house. It's to protect the local wildlife. I haven't lived in one of these council areas which have this law - I think this is in Victoria somewhere which has this. Some councils also have a law (my council has this) which you are only allowed to own two cats, and two dogs (either or both species = 2 cats and two dogs). If you want to keep three cats, or three dogs you have to apply for permission from the council.

Regarding poisonous things - I have a cat who has always been a right old hunter, he has picked up a small snake in the past and brought it into the house (this was in Singapore before I brought him here) and he has also chased a small green snake up a tree here in Aus - don't ask me what species, I don't know, except it was green.. Also the dopey git has picked up a cane toad, I had to turn on the hose pipe and drench him for him to drop it!. He is still living after 6 years in Aus (he's ten yrs old)

The only poisonous things which I can think of are of course snakes, but most animals have the sense to leave them alone - instinct (except my stupid cat!), Spiders - now, I think most spider bites don't affect cats the same as humans, I know that the Sydney funnel web spider is not deadly to cats like it is to humans (the spider only affects humans/primates). And of course Cane toads - which you do not need to worry about if your not moving to QLD. Then there's the paralyse tic - which is the one thing to keep your eye open for (cats are not as bad as dogs for picking this up in their fur), my cat picked one up almost 6 years ago in NSW, lucky I spotted it, and I just took the cat to the vet to get it removed (you can remove them yourself, if you know what your doing - you have to be careful that all the tic's "legs" are removed from your cat/dogs skin).


If you're not happy letting your cat run free which I'm not anymore (I've never let them out in the night, only the day, for their own sake as much as the wildlife's), my cats are getting old - and one of them has died recently, a couple of weeks ago, he picked up feline aids (FIV)from some local cat (it's a long story - he didn't actually die from the aids but a complication of it, he picked up an infection of the liver after a kidney operation he had) . They pick up this disease by fighting - a bite wound . Anyway, if you are not happy letting them roam , there are companies here which you can buy cat runs to attach to your house and leads out into your garden, or a patio cover - it's a fine mesh. I'm renting at the moment so I can not do this, but in the house I'm currently building I'll be making a cat run , they seem a bit expensive to buy, but they look simple enough to make yourself.
Here's a link for cat runs in Aus just to show you what I'm talking about http://www.catnip.com.au/catalogue.htm

Regarding what Aussies think of cats - some really hate them, and blame them for all the extinct animals - which is a load of codswallop, try man and dingo, man is the worst by far. Koala is endangered because of man and loss of habitat, anyway - I'm straying off the subject a bit now . Some love them, like anywhere else. some people are cat lovers others dog lovers. I'm both, although I don't currently own a dog, I have in the past.

But anyway, I see no real problem for bringing your cats with you.


cheers

BookBear

I've seen on more than one occasion a bumper sticker that reads "The only good cat is a dead cat" or maybe it's 'flat cat'.

I like cats myself, but I agree that they should be kept indoors at night, and should wear collars with bells on them.

Back to the bumper stickers - there are also ones which say "I'm a responsible cat owner" Is that on the similar lines of "Baby on board"? Are you not going to rear-end the car because you've seen the sticker?

N

Thylacoleo

The only good thing about living in a multi-cultural society is that the cat population is actually dwindling.

ianwood

Andie

We had a qoute for both our Jack Russel and our Westie. Both dogs where £1140 + vets fees over here and quarentine, all a total of about £1900.

Does anyone have a contact number for reasonably priced shippers of dogs.

Thylacoleo

Please send pictures, will round up a selection for your perusal on arrival. Three of each only £1899.50 total.