scrubbedexpat099

There was a lap dog on the plane I was on last week, madame would have to lose a lot of weight before she sat on my lap.

piercedprincess

At this point, it does seem like a good idea...

piercedprincess

*sigh*

anything that looked even vaguely useful on here (other threads, not this one) seems to be out of date. Apparently cats can't fly in the cabin any more so she's going in the hold and has no choice. Also, until someone emails me back, she may or may not need a rabies shot since one place say yes and one say no for Boston. Pretty sure she does need it for New York though.

Bob

She might not need one to get into MA, but what about into NH?

She'll want one all the same and it takes a while.

avanutria

Even if she doesn't NEED a rabies shot, it'd be a good idea to have her get one anyway. Never know when she might get out and there are plenty of rabid raccoons and such in the Northeast US - I saw a few when I was growing up.

And the hold is often a better choice, assuming it's temperature controlled (which they probably all are now) - the crew turn off the lights, the noise level is steady, and the animals tend to just go to sleep. I think it might be more stressful in the cabin, and there's less room to move around in if she's in an under-seat carrier.

rpjs

It might be in theory be optional, but in practice, the rabies shot is not - the shipper/airline is almost certainly going to insist on it as part of certifying that the cat is fit to travel. It's no great trauma for the cat, and given that rabies is endemic throughout North America, it's a no-brainer for peace of mind if nothing else. What's more, if it ever becomes necessary to return to the UK, it's a lot easier if the cat already has a UK-issued pet passport.

The hold is always temperature controlled - the only issue with temperature is that some airlines prefer not to fly live cargo in the summer in case a delay requires the animal to be held on the tarmac or some holding area without a/c. Our cat certainly seemed no worse for wear from being in the hold. The car journey to the shippers the day before was a different matter (poop and puke...)

EDIT: one other thing to note. Under no circumstances should the cat be sedated before flying. Airlines will refuse to fly sedated small animals due to the risk to their health.

rpjs

Looks like rabies vaccination is required for NH:

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rule...s/agr2100.html

PART 2112 DOGS AND CATS
[...]
Agr 2112.02 Rabies.
[...]
(b) Every dog and cat 3 months of age and older shall be vaccinated against rabies.

piercedprincess

I was going to hold off on the rabies shot until we got there if possible (rules depending) but if she has to have it to keep the airline happy then I'll get that sorted when I speak to the vet.
I wouldn't sedate Ozzy for any reason anyway, she just chills out and goes to sleep in her carrier so even if it was allowed it wouldn't serve any purpose but thanks for the mention for anyone else reading and wondering.
She's in good health right now, in a year's time that may change so I'll go on assuming she'll be declared healthy unless the vet says otherwise any time between now and then.
I'm pretty sure now, after reading some more recent information, that animals can't go in the cabin any more and definitely not on the airline I usually use.

Nutmegger

I'd suggest getting the rabies immunization before coming over, so that your cat is protected upon arrival. Usually it is given in a course of (if I remember correctly) two shots, if the cat hasn't been previously protected. It is going to be a hectic time for you when you arrive here, and it is one less thing for you to worry about if your cat already has the shot(s). Rabies is a real threat here, so don't just go by what the regulations are in the state you are flying into, get the shot regardless.

jaffy23

Hey Piercedprincess. We're moving to NYC with our dog in May.

There's definitely no way of taking kitty in the cabin, and although we've heard plenty of happy stories of pets being flown to east and west coasts, we weren't prepared to take the risk. We're taking the other option of the Queen Mary 2 with Cunard. There's only 12 kennel spaces on each crossing (with 2500 passengers), but if your dates can fit around availabilty this might work for you.

With regards to a rabies shot; you might as well get this done in the UK. NY require a rabies shot within 30 days of import, but why add hassle when you'll probably have enough other things on your mind! Since January, there's no blood test required after the rabies shot, but you do need to do this 30 days before travel.

Slightly off topic - I'd never heard of heart worm before. Can one obtain tablets for this in the UK before travel??

Jerseygirl

You are getting confused with the rules for taking a pet into the UK with the rules of leaving the UK and entering the US. Most of what you have posted above refers to pets entering the UK and does not apply to pets leaving the UK and entering the US. You cannot transport a pet in the cabin if you are entering the UK...that's due to UK government policy. If you are entering the UK there are only certain routes and carriers you can use...these are specified by DEFRA...this does not apply when taking a pet into the US.

Some airlines will allow a small pet in the cabin if you are leaving the UK to travel to the US...check that the airline will allow it. I don't think British airlines will allow it...but some if not all US airlines and some airlines from other countries do. Also airlines will only allow one or two pets at any one time in the cabin. We have had members that have flown out of the UK to the US with a cat in the cabin. If I remember correctly one couple transported 2 cats in the cabin...you are only allowed 1 pet per person.

If you are getting your pet's rabies shots in the UK...you should check what type of vaccine is required by the state where you will be living. If you get the wrong type they will have to be re-vaccinated when you arrive.

BTW heartworm is a huge problem for pets in the US...something you don't have to worry about in the UK. Take your pets to a vet as soon as you arrive and he will give you the necessary meds to prevent your pet being infected. Another problem is Lyme disease...spread by deer ticks...your pet can get a shot for this.

MoshiMoshi

I flew from Europe to California with two cats at the end of 2010. With our airline, it was possible (and still is) to have the cats in the cabin if they were under a certain weight. Our cats are very much not under a certain weight, so they went in the cargo hold.

My two cents/pence:

- call your airline, arrival airport, and state authorities to double-check requirements. I doubt it'll be anything more complicated than a health certificate within x days of flying and maybe a rabies jab, but you never know what exciting new regulations might be introduced. During our actual journey, the only people who took an active interest in our cats were the airline check-in staff.

- make sure your carrier (the actual pet carrier, not a 3rd part company!) complies with the airline and IATA standards. I don't think IATA officially endorses any one brand, so even if it says 'IATA-approved', check!

- get your cat an EU pet passport and EU microchip, if he hasn't already got one. No one seems to care much about them here, but on the off-chance you need to get your cat back into the UK, this'll be useful.

- there seems to be a lot of variation in experience here, depending on the airline, airport, and whether or not people used a 3rd-party carrier. For example, we didn't need to go to a special area or pay anything to collect our cats at LAX -- just picked them up in the baggage area, and walked through customs after complying with a thorough inspection: "Are those cats?" "Yes."

Best of luck with your journey!

My experience is here:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...57#post9100057

Jerseygirl

With regards to getting a pet passport before you leave the UK...yes it is easier but it is no longer quite the hassle it was to return a pet to the UK. From Jan this year the rules have been relaxed quite a lot and it only takes approx a month to prepare your pet for the journey...not 6 months as it was previously.

I agree about the varying experiences once you arrive with a pet who has been travelling in the hold. We brought fish into Newark airport and had to go to a separate terminal to collect them...it took a couple of hours. Of course this is avoided if you take them in the cabin with you.

piercedprincess

Rabies shot: I'll get it before we leave but it will have to wait until I've sorted her transport so I know where she's going to get the right one.
Vet: the family vet lives about 5 minutes up the road so she'll be be booked in for a check-over as soon as we can so we can make sure she's fine and get her any treatments she'll need over in the US.
Taking kitty in the cabin: The airline I usually use doesn't allow cats in the cabin. This may be different for others but I'd rather use them if possible so fuzzy will be travelling in the hold if we fly with them.
By Sea: sounds interesting, I'll look into it and see what turns up but my daughter and I get severely sea-sick (motion sickness meds do nothing) so that probably won't work for us.
Ticks: I'll ask the vet what best to do on the off-chance she gets them but she'll be indoor so it's less likely.

You guys have all been really helpful,there's a few things you've mentioned that I hadn't thought of too, which is good.
In some ways our move is easier because we're not really taking anything with us but trying to get a cat across the pond definitely makes up in difficulty for not having furniture!

avanutria

They're worth it though!

A couple of thoughts - your kitty will likely "hold it" for as long as possible. (Ours was in the box for 18 hours, poor thing, and couldn't hold everything but tried his best!) As soon as you have a chance post-picking-up, set up a litter box and give her a chance to use it. We did this in a hotel room bathroom soon after picking ours up. Depending on the size of car that you're using to collect her and how long the car journey will be, you can set up a litter box on the floor of the back seat - I've done that successfully on a cross country trip. If you're renting a car rather than having someone pick you up, you can buy a new litter box and put it in your suitcase, and bring a newspaper and tear it into strips.