Take a cat back to UK
 

Hello everybody! I am new to the forum. I need an advice, probably somebody did it before.
We, me and my husband, want to return to UK this year. We searched an internet how to bring a cat to UK and information is very contradictory. We will fly from Calgary, Air Canada allows to take a cat in the cabin. We bought our cat this way from UK to Calgary 4 years ego and did not have trouble with landing. Looks like it is more complicated opposite way.
If anybody brought cat to UK could please share the experience. Thanks in advance.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

Bi haven't taken an animal to the UK but the instructions are here. They are very clear and not wildly different wo what we had to do to bring our cat to Canada

https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad

You cannot have the cat in the cabin with you on flights to the UK.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

Thank you, we studied this document. Just thought may be there are easier way to bring a cat, as to fly to Dublin (this way we can take the cat into cabin) and then fly to UK and cat will be in cargo less time.
Or to fly to EU country first and then to UK.
I do not like the idea that cat will be in the cargo for so long and after long process with documents.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

It would be in cargo for even longer if you went via another country.

The cat was fine on the journey here so surely there's no reason it shouldn't be fine on the way back.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

From UK to Calgary our cat traveled with us in cabin. That is why we are scared ourself of cargo hole. To Dublin cat can go in the cabin and only after in cargo. But from other side the journey will be longer.
Just trying to find the easiest way for cat. He is 14 years old and not in the best health as he is being in car accident and his back legs were injured. It was about 7 years ego and he recovered, but looks like now it start to affect his ability to move quickly.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

The cat would have more room in a carrier in cargo than scrunched up under the seat in the cabin.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

No disrespect at all but he's not going to be moving anywhere whether he's in the cabin or in the hold so those particular health issues are pretty much redundant in this respect. The vast majority of animals transported around the world do so in the hold, not in the cabin. In fact the hold is probably safer for the animal because it's quiet and dark rather than lights, noise, strange people smells in the cabin. It's not like the animals are just shoved in anywhere amongst the suitcases, bikes etc. Please don't worry.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

I’ve seen Petsaway mentioned as being helpful several times on this forum by posters who have moved cats from Canada to the UK.

If you do a search here for posts by “Editha” + cat, there’s a lot of info. I’m sure there are others too, especially in the MBTTUK section

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

Agree with wisdom of putting the cat in the cargo hold. We thought that the noise and stress of the terminal building would be unpleasant for the cats, so chose to ship them as cargo... which involved just driving them to the cargo terminal where they were taken, had the paperwork processed and put somewhere quiet. One of ours was 12, and had no problems with it.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

moneypenny20 and Shirtback, thank you!
I just thought that cat will feel more comfortable with us close by. I hold him on my lap and talked to him all the way.

Shirtback, thank you for recommendation. Will do.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

Thank you! How much in advance the cat must be at the airport as we will take the same flight. And how long to wait at the other end?
Also I was told that the rabies vaccination must be 6 months, no earlier and no later before flight. Our buster is due in April, and we are planning to fly in August, so it will be less then 6 mnth.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

Would it not be easier to get another cat, already in England?

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

That's what I was hinting at.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

to Aviator - other cat is not a problem, but what to do with this one? I am volunteering in a pet's shelter and see so many unhappy cats, who was left behind by their owners. One cat almost died, refused to eat and get out from the carrier. Lucky for her she was adopted. If I leave our cat I won't be able to sleep as our cat is for 13 years with us.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

As a former cat owner and travelling with a cat I share your concerns. Unless you travel at least business class you won't be able to have the cat in the cabin. There is not enough space. I would fly into France or any continental EU country where import of a pet is easier. Then travel to U.K by train.
Import from EU is easier I understand.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

Fly to Paris then take the Eurostar to London - that will extend the time the poor moggy is confined to a carrier of course. I second the point of view that being in the hold is best and much less stressful than the alternatives.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

I thought animals in the cabin had ot be contained in a carrier, that they were no allowed to be out of that carrier and held on one's knee or played with.

Fellow passengers with allergies could also cause you problems, depending on the airline's policies

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

You cannot fly into the UK with an animal as excess baggage/in the cabin. You can leave the country like this but not return.

Options are use petsaway or equivalent. Or, fly into france/ireland/Holland and have them as excess baggage etc and drive over on the eurotunnel/train eurostar.

We did this last year. I was already in the UK and husband flew to amsterdam, I drove to amsterdam and met him there with the cats and we then drove back to france and over the tunnel. (We'd have gone to paris but flights weren't there at that point). It was actually really simple even though it sounds mental).
We stopped in a hotel in belgium so the cats could have a wander around the hotel room.

This process was purely a price/timing/location thing - neither journey would be ideal for cats but they actually were much calmer with this one than the original flight over in hold because they knew us so were reassured by hearing us despite the time taking longer.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

You cannot fly into the UK with a pet in the cabin...unless it’s a service animal. You could fly into a 3rd country which allows you to do so...then travel to the UK by another form of transport ie car.

You cannot have the cat on your lap. He must be in the pet carrier.. underneath the seat in front of you. Hopefully no one nearby is allergic to cats.

Re: Take a cat back to UK
 

I hold him in the carrier bag. We had only 2 seats, nobody around.
We had to put down our cat, he suddenly got very bad, problems with liver and heart.