Hi guys,



I am due to move to Dubai from London in early September, and will be bringing my cat Saffie along with me. I’d love some advice or experiences from any of you who have moved across with a cat (or other pet). Two of my biggest questions are:


Did you use a pet relocation agency or do it all yourself?

Where did your pet stay before you found your permanent home in Dubai (are there any pet-friendly apart-hotels, perhaps?)



..but any and all tips, tricks, and recommendations are most welcome!


Thanks in advance for all your help,
James (+ Saffie!)

Will this be an indoor cat or and indoor/outdoor cat? There are a lot of feral cats here, so outdoor cats get in scraps all the time. We have three cats and at any one time one of them is usually recovering from the latest mauling. This also means there's a high chance of them catching FIV, which as you may know isn't great.

Can't help you on the travel bit as ours are all adopted street kittens/foundlings.

My info is a few years out of date and rules do change.

Best to have your accommodations sorted out before bringing over a cat. Very few hotel apartments, where most people stay upon arrival, allow pets. The World Trade Centre hotel apartments did allow pets: https://www.theapartments.ae/En/SitePages/Home.aspx

If you're put up somewhere by your employer for the initial few weeks/month, you won't have much choice. Find your own apartment and once the lease is signed, arrange to bring the cat over. In the meantime, keep the cat with family/friends.

I'd contact a reputable vet like Al Barsha https://www.abvc.ae/ (took my cat there). They should have up-to-date info or can recommend someone who can help you with exporting pets into the country. It used to be fairly straightforward to organise it on your own as part of accompanied baggage with your flight ticket, but I've been told it's not quite the case anymore.

Full-service pet shipper: https://www.dkc.ae/what-we-do/global...waAsxKEALw_wcB

Also this page: https://www.dkc.ae/what-we-do/global...ns/pet-imports

These people have been around forever and know everything and have a stellar reputation in the UAE. But they are also not cheap. Read their info carefully. Ask many questions. They may be able to board the cat (at a price) till you have your own place. Also see if it's doable to handle the importing elements on your own, via the airlines. Or if you want better security, have them handle everything. If you can afford it and have willing family at home, it's best to have they watch your cat for a month or two till you're properly settled in the UAE and in your own place, then bring the cat over.

Good luck. And remember - when you leave the UAE take your cat back with you too!