how complicated is it.....
 

to take pets to spain?
I have a cat that i was going to rehome before leaving as he's getting on a bit and i didnt think he'd like the journey, but i dont know if i can bear to do it.
If i were to take him, how long does it take to sort everything out and has anyone got any idea of approximate costs?
thanks.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Check out JDR´s handy hints, variety of info, you can read a lot about bringing pets over there

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Thanks mrs jdr, it says leave 7 months before travelling to sort everything out, thats that out the window then, back to plan A of rehoming. :(

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

We bought two dogs over with us.
Contact Defra for more info on http://www.defra.gov.uk/, I actually phoned them in Reading, they will tell you what you need and send the paperwork needed.
Also you need a vet that is recognised by them (Defra) to complete paperwork. The animals need to be chipped, fully vaccinated to include rabies and have paperwork to bring with them. Having said that nobody checked our paperwork travelling through France or Spain.

pwwm

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Sadly i'd be leaving my cat in England too, with my ex probably. Had her for 3 - 4 years. the journey would be a huge stress for her, she's a big black fluffy thing so the heat would get to her and initially id be looking at staying in a small studio apartment. So its just not practical at all to get my cat down there.
Can you not give your pet to a friend or family member? At least then you can visit when you go back to England.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

and hows that problem going then?

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awww i've had my cat for a long time, almost as long as i've had my daughter lol
there isnt many i would trust to look after him, not many animal lovers here! My friend was going to have her, but she's flying over to spain with me for the first week so it means he'll have to go into a cattery for a week poor moggy.
i feel sad.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

I will be taking my three old cats with me to Spain, the eldest is 15 years old. I have previously travelled with a cat to Switzerland, it's the same requirements as Spain and it was done a month before travel. They need microchipping, the rabies vaccination has to be done at least a month before (there is no need for the blood test after the rabies vaccination unless you will be returning to the UK). The tick and tapeworm needs doing 24-48 hours before travelling. Everything you need to kow is on the Defra website, or you can telephone them they are very helpful. The cost was approximately £100 at the vets, but it will vary depending on your vet. I think it will be less stressful to take them over there than to re-home old cats.

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Sorry to hijack the thread. Its still going, she's seeing 'him' tonight. And as far as im concerned they're just friends. So i guess i'll find out if they do anything naughty and if they do im leaving her.
Ill no doubt find out tomorrow when they're talking about it on MSN.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Our daughter took a rabbit and guinea pig back to the UK, they used Easy Pet, they transport by road through the tunnel, very helpful and kind. The girl they dealt with was called Trudie Porter, her email [email protected]. or can email [email protected] They have a good website as shown below:-


http://www.easypetuk.com/

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Why are you waiting? from what you said before you've already caught them up to no good, are you hoping its innocent?

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

ok, it is possible after reading that website, does anyway have a link for the airlines that carry pets?

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Try Monarch, I think they carry pets, Easyjet dont, I am sure there are others out there that will have other airline for you to contact.

pwwm

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Well so far she's only been doing stuff over the internet with him, stripping off , playwing with vibe whilst he's javking off. Yeah thats cheating alreayd and shes most probably going to get left for it. But i really need to see if it was just a modemnt of madnes sor whether she is intending to take this out into real life. That i will find out in due course. Once she does that then thats my devcision fully made. Its just like everyting, its not that simple. Theres a kiddy involved too (tho he's not mine) but i love him to bits and its gonna be hard leaving him. We have a house in which im not sure she can afford the rent on her own and I dont want that kiddy to loose out. I still like this girl despite what she's done and its going to hurt me a lot leaving her. So i guess i just need that final push, once she does stuff with him in real life then that'll be the thin thread snapped as far as i can be concerned with. Th eonly way to cope with what is going on is to be planning to move out to the costa del sol. Follow a dream i would not have been able to do had i stopped with her.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Well i hope everything works out for you the way you hope it to, whether thats moving to spain or staying with her. If it turns out totally innocent could you not do the move with her?

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Hi,
we are taking 2 17 year old cats over to spain .T hey have been microchipped and had vaccinations. We are using the pet relocating service Pets on the move based in Chorley Lancs. They have arranged to pick up, board for 2 days take to Manchester Airport cost £700. I also feel they are part of our family so where we go they go. I have been assured they are well looked after. First on the plane first off, the hold is dimly lit and they are kept warm.

Sue

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

I don't know where in the UK you are travelling from but we can fly with British Airways from Manchester to Gatwick and then transfer to GB Airways (part of BA) to fly to Alicante. They will transfer the cats at Gatwick to GB Airways. The cost from Manchester to Gatwick is quite high so we have decided to travel by road to Gatwick. If you travel on the same flight they travel as excess baggage and the cost is dependant on the weight of the cat and carrier together. It works out quite reasonable. There is a very helpful man at GB Airways who deals with the pet transport called Peter.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

I was hoping she would but she's too closely nitted to her family who all live locally unlike mine. She wouldnt be happy in spain, emmigrating is not fo rher which i totally understand. Plus she has a 1 year old son whom family help out a great deal with. So its not as easy for her. I respected that which is why i basically gave up on the idea of going myself... until i found her cheating on me...

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

We are taking 4 cats, ages 11, 12, 13, 14. They all had to be microchipped, £12 each, had rabies jabs £39.90 each, pet passport (export certificate in book form and you can even put a photo in, your choice :) ) £34.64 each. You cannot travel for a minimum of 21 days after the rabies vaccination is done.

Budget airlines do not carry animals, you have to use a main airline such as BA. Depending on the airline some airlines allow you to take 1 cat per person into the cabin with you as hand luggage. But other airlines insist they go in a pressurised hold. The charge per animal is as excess baggage x 2 (combined weight with pet carrier). Check in at least 1+1/2 hours before flight with cats. Do not sedate cats unless vet recommends it (if sedated letter from vet required).

Cats will travel on the same plane as you, if room, if not enough room they will be put on the next flight. Cats and dogs do not travel together.

If the cat becomes distressed it will not be put on the plane and you will be called if this happens.

Defra phone number - 01189 596695
BA phone number - 08708 509850

Blood sample required only if pet returning to the UK.

We have recently had one of our cats diagnosed with a kidney problem and she has become blind, now she is on regular medication and a special diet so I do not want her to be apart from me. We have decided to travel by road with the cats.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Thanks for all the info, i'll make a few calls tomorrow and see if i can do it all in time.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

just as an update we relocated 2 cats 6 weeks ago. they settled absolutely fine both being 17 years old. I can throughly recommended the company Pets On The Move from Lancaster. We had a problem with one of our cats and they sorted everything out for us. cost £700 to include collection from home, boarding, vets visits, taking to airport, container, flight costs.

Sue

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

i am in the process of arranging pet passports for my 3 chihuahuas and i don't find the process that complicated. i have been told the process should take around 5 weeks from getting the rabies injections, blood tests and then waiting for the results. It costs around £150

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Bear in mind it can be incredibly stressful for the animal ...... ours was 11, and only lasted just less than 3 months here after the journey. Our neighbour bought their old dog and it met the same fate.

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I didnt bring mine in the end for that reason, he went to live with a friend of mine and is happy sitting in her garden relaxing, i just decided in the end that the journey would be much more stressful for him than moving happily down the road to my friends house, although we all miss him loads.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

We used our local Cattrery, and they kept them in kennels until we had somewhere to live.(10 weeks)
They arranged Pet Insurance and all Rabbies Jabs etc , and arranged special carriage box all of which is essential requirements to take Pets into another country, also transport to the Airport ,and we arranged at this end to have them delivered to out place.
Cost a fortune but worth every penny when delivered to us after 10weeks
it was like they saw us yesterday ,so obviously they where well looked after. Ask at your local Catterry. Our friends just took them with them
on the same flight, and they said it was quite funny, because they come around on the carousel with all the luggage ,but you still need passports, vets certificate for proof of vaccination, and they must be in a special carriage.

:thumbsup:

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

We brought our then nearly 11year old cat out, she just had to have rabies jabs & wait a month, then we flew her out. Didn't bother with the pet passport, which of course would have taken much longer to organise.

It was all very straightforward, no after-effects, and she loves it here!

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

cats don't have to be chipped

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Don't they need a Pet Passport then? Do they need to be up to date with the normal flu, enteritis vaccinations? My 14 year old cat hasn't been vaccinated with those since she had a bad reaction a few years ago. It hasn't mattered here because she is a house cat.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

We brought our two five year old cats with us, no chips, no passports and £84 excess baggage (British Airways, Gatwick/Valencia).

They shared a basket. No paperwork checked in Spain. They just came round on the carousel.

Settled down really quickly.

Looks like the rules might have changed since we came in 2003. This is the up to date link:-

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quar...u_regq&a.htm#2

Seems it's now microchip, passport etc.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

I always thought they only needed the passport to return to UK ?

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

So did I, until I read the link!!

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Seems like they just change the rules to make as much money as they can. ;-(

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

I suppose the rules have changed in the 3 1/2 years since we came......... then, a passport wasn't required for entry, and neither was a chip.

The chip surprises me, because according to the poster in our local vets, dogs are required to be chipped here in spain, but cats aren't.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

Hi,

I spoke to my vet a few weeks ago about it. Cats do need to be chipped. They also need to be up to date with their normal vaccinations(some people don't have these done each year) and be vaccinated against rabies. 21 days after the vaccination they take a blood test and send it off to government labs. This test can take 6-8 weeks to come back.

Your cat can't then leave Spain until 6 months have passed since the pass date of the test.

Budget airlines won't take. I'm still in the initial stage of booking my flights at the moment, but Iberia and Britishairways will be the choice.

The trip to the vets cost me £85. Included chip, booster vaccination, rabies vaccination.

I think they also have some tablets you can give your cat to relax them on the way out, I will check that next week when I'm back there.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

I am sure cats only need the blood test following the rabies vaccination if they will be returning to Britain, otherwise it's just the rabies vaccination at least 21 days before entering Spain.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

The UK vets are short of money, so will sell you anything.... needed or not. ;-)

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

I'm just talking about the cats living here in spain......not travelling backwards & forwards

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

We had to have ours chipped & vaccinated against rabbies, and get pet passports before we could take them out of the U.K.
I guess, it might depend on the Airport your leaving from, but I would definitely check beforehand to be on the safe side.
Regards:thumbup:

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

It doesn't take 7 months thats only if you want to bring him back, length of time for a passport, if your not returning you only need to export, and get a letter from your vet saying he's fit for travel. I think if hes old he would be more stressed at having to live with strangers than what he would on a 2.5 hour flight. would probably sleep most of the way. to make sure he feels at home before you let him out in his new area he should stay indoors for at least 3 weeks. You vet would give you advice free over the phone and of course there is defra.

Re: how complicated is it.....
 

thats true