Travelling overseas with a cat

[noraliz73 243]

Good afternoon!  I hope everyone is getting good news soon.  I am still waiting for the NOA2, but that is normal since we only filed on August 8th.  My fiancé is sort of a homebody and his constant companion over the last few years has been his Persian cat.  He insists that he is going to find a home for her, but I can see that it is starting to really bother him.  As tough as he pretends to be, it will really hurt.  I was showing him pictures of Maine ####### cats and Ragdoll cats last night hoping to get him excited about going to adopt our own pet together once we move out of my tiny pet-unfriendly apartment.  He told his cat. "Stephanie is cheating on you showing me pictures of other cats..."  It was meant to be funny, but I know that is how he feels.  I asked him today about bringing her.  He is worried about her being in the cargo hold of a plane for a day.  If we do the POE near my parents, he will change planes twice and go through customs while getting on a flight in Canada.  That would be a lot of wear and tear on the cat.  Then, we want to stay near my parents for a few days and get married.  My parents are not going to allow a cat in their house, so that means a hotel or more of being in a pet carrier or something.  I don't know how that would work.  Then, finally, a long drive from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania to an apartment where we are not supposed to even have a cat so we can look for an apartment and move within two months.  It sounds so horrendous on the cat.  I am wondering what is more horrendous to the cat, going through all of this, or being placed in a new home in Egypt and forgetting about my fiancé?  His mother has offered to take the cat in and she already has the cat's daughter.  My fiancé is stubborn and says he does not want to give his mother more work.  I would like advise from people who have made long journeys to other countries with cats before.  Did the cat suffer?  How hard was it to bring the cat with you?  Did the cat have to be quarantined in the airport after arrival?  Do you think it is best for me to convince my fiancé that his mother would not make the offer unless she was sincere and that he can rest assured that his cat will be in safe hands and we can have our own cat here and he can keep in touch with his other cat too?  I feel so sad at the idea of him having to say goodbye to his companion.  But, he always was the more practical of the two of us...

[CaseyCobos 100]

I can completely understand where he is coming from. When I make the move from NZ to USA, my cat is coming with me. The flights itself won’t be too bad. Some pet relocation services provide a sort of calming spray that helps ease the pet through their travels. However, what you’ve said afterwards is probably what will stress the kitty out.

in my opinion, I think he should leave kitty with his Mum.. it’s hard but at least he can trust his Mum and know that kitty is in good hands. Also he can still see kitty. Plus, tbh, the cat won’t really mind. As long as it’s fed and has cuddles, cats are adaptable. 

[noraliz73 243]

49 minutes ago, CaseyCobos said:

I can completely understand where he is coming from. When I make the move from NZ to USA, my cat is coming with me. The flights itself won’t be too bad. Some pet relocation services provide a sort of calming spray that helps ease the pet through their travels. However, what you’ve said afterwards is probably what will stress the kitty out.

in my opinion, I think he should leave kitty with his Mum.. it’s hard but at least he can trust his Mum and know that kitty is in good hands. Also he can still see kitty. Plus, tbh, the cat won’t really mind. As long as it’s fed and has cuddles, cats are adaptable. 

Thanks.  I kind of think so.  But I really am so wishing I could do something to make him not so sad. 

[CaseyCobos 100]

22 minutes ago, noraliz73 said:

Thanks.  I kind of think so.  But I really am so wishing I could do something to make him not so sad. 

Is it a possibility of putting the cattery into an area where you will live until you guys get sorted? I do think it’s in the cats best interest to stay with Mum though.. 

[noraliz73 243]

We will see.  He tells me she now wants to move to America and I said she will have to meow 🐱 in English!  I will do whatever I can to keep them together.  My fiancé is sacrificing so much to come here to be with me.  If we have to change the plans around a bit to accommodate the kitty, we will.  Whatever he decides.

[Naes 12,205]

So I carried my two cats last month to my fiances house. Because my cat like the Persian cat was snubnosed (not as risky as Persian) and it is risky for them to fly too long. So we decided I should take them and settle them first. We took them in the cabin cause most airlines won't let snubnosed cats in the cargo.

 

The flight was extremely easy. Cat didn't suffer, and extremely happy right now. However my flight was a direct flight from Japan to lax. (And a train ride to airport and a car ride of almost 2 hours from lax)

 

if theres  is someone who can take care of the cat, I would leave it, but my roommates fiancé had cat allergies so even though both loved my cat (snubnosed one) they couldn't take it.

 

in your case I see too many problems, so for me the best would be leaving with his mother. However I also understand the sadness comes with leaving your pet. I am waiting for my noa2 and missing now not just the fiancé but my cats.. (and I think missing my cats are harder on me right now)

 

so flightwise my advice is to find a way to change flights as little as possible and also not to take the cat where you guys will stay with your parents. Cats like to be stable, so if you can find a pet hotel in the area you will leave that can be better (as your house is also no animal place)

[noraliz73 243]

I sent him the link for the Thundershirt, also, veterinary requirements and a luxury bed and breakfast for cats in that area.  He will make the right decision either way.  At least I told him that he needed to accept his mom’s offer if not bringing the cat with him.  I hope that neither he nor the cat will be sad if he leaves her there.  The cat has been almost a constant companion since my fiancé has worked mainly at home the last few years.  I really want to help him be comfortable here.

[Naes 12,205]

4 minutes ago, noraliz73 said:

I sent him the link for the Thundershirt, also, veterinary requirements and a luxury bed and breakfast for cats in that area.  He will make the right decision either way.  At least I told him that he needed to accept his mom’s offer if not bringing the cat with him.  I hope that neither he nor the cat will be sad if he leaves her there.  The cat has been almost a constant companion since my fiancé has worked mainly at home the last few years.  I really want to help him be comfortable here.

I hope it works out well for both of them. It is hard to say bye to your cat 🐱 

[Oksmanoks 165]

I have this same problem as well. I have 3 cats at home (Philippines) but i would like to take one of my cats with me when i go to the US. My concern is that the travel might be too harsh on him since i can't fly direct from Manila to Denver. Will have to go through Japan and Seattle/LAX. I've read a story about one person flying her cat in cargo and the cat died. So now I don't really know what to do. I can leave him home with my family but he chases my oldest cat all the time and he's probably not gonna stop doing that.

[EM&JAY 30]

On 26/01/2018 at 7:21 PM, noraliz73 said:

Good afternoon!  I hope everyone is getting good news soon.  I am still waiting for the NOA2, but that is normal since we only filed on August 8th.  My fiancé is sort of a homebody and his constant companion over the last few years has been his Persian cat.  He insists that he is going to find a home for her, but I can see that it is starting to really bother him.  As tough as he pretends to be, it will really hurt.  I was showing him pictures of Maine ####### cats and Ragdoll cats last night hoping to get him excited about going to adopt our own pet together once we move out of my tiny pet-unfriendly apartment.  He told his cat. "Stephanie is cheating on you showing me pictures of other cats..."  It was meant to be funny, but I know that is how he feels.  I asked him today about bringing her.  He is worried about her being in the cargo hold of a plane for a day.  If we do the POE near my parents, he will change planes twice and go through customs while getting on a flight in Canada.  That would be a lot of wear and tear on the cat.  Then, we want to stay near my parents for a few days and get married.  My parents are not going to allow a cat in their house, so that means a hotel or more of being in a pet carrier or something.  I don't know how that would work.  Then, finally, a long drive from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania to an apartment where we are not supposed to even have a cat so we can look for an apartment and move within two months.  It sounds so horrendous on the cat.  I am wondering what is more horrendous to the cat, going through all of this, or being placed in a new home in Egypt and forgetting about my fiancé?  His mother has offered to take the cat in and she already has the cat's daughter.  My fiancé is stubborn and says he does not want to give his mother more work.  I would like advise from people who have made long journeys to other countries with cats before.  Did the cat suffer?  How hard was it to bring the cat with you?  Did the cat have to be quarantined in the airport after arrival?  Do you think it is best for me to convince my fiancé that his mother would not make the offer unless she was sincere and that he can rest assured that his cat will be in safe hands and we can have our own cat here and he can keep in touch with his other cat too?  I feel so sad at the idea of him having to say goodbye to his companion.  But, he always was the more practical of the two of us...

We have similar situation and that's how we decided to sort it out: I am going to go to USA by myself leaving my cat with my mom. After we get everything sorted (get married, get our own place etc.) I am going back to bring my cat with me. It's gonna take few months probably but we decided it's gonna be better for my cat and for us if he joins us later to more stable enviroment😊 maybe you should consider that solution too.

[kyrachos 11]

Hi, my husband and I brought both our cat and dog from Egypt when we moved to the US.  Dog was in cargo and Kitty was in cabin with us. Our journey was 2+ hours outside of Cairo, a 4 hour layover in Frankfurt, and a 6 hour drive home from POE. Both fared well (cat was ~3yo at the time, dog was 1yo). The cat's plane ticket was $100 and dog's was $200 (depends on weight for cargo...baladi dogs don't weigh that much. ). The cat would have also been $200 if she flew in cargo. We flew with Lufthansa. Doing the paperwork is easy. Your fiance just needs to get a health certificate from his vet and proof of rabies vaccination (rabies vaccine must be >30 days from departure). Technically cats don't need rabies vaccines to travel to the US (according to the CDC), but it's better safe than sorry. Your fiance can get a government health certificate from the vet at the airport on the day of departure (arrive a few hours early) or he can hire a broker who will do the running around for him. The government paper costs 5LE, rabies vax is maybe 150LE, and the private health certificate might be another 50LE-200LE. We didn't use a broker, but DM me if you want the contact info for some (I don't know their prices, though). When we arrived in Atlanta, the customs agent didn't want to see the private health certificates - just the government vet from the airport's papers + the dog's proof of rabies vaccination. There is no quarantine as long as the animal is in good health and has an UTD rabies vaccination. Overall, the process was incredibly smooth and easy.

Worst case scenario in the US: put cat in boarding at a vet clinic for a couple of days. Not sure what the prices are where you are, but our cat cost $9/day to board in a clinic (make sure she has ALL of her vaccinations up to date, not just rabies, if you board her).

The trickiest part for you will be living in a no-pets-allowed apartment, but you can probably get away with it as long as the cat is well-behaved (consider spaying her if she hasn't been spayed already...250-500LE depending on the vet - I can also recommend some in Cairo if you want. no heat = quiet kitty..it's also much cheaper to do in Egypt than the US).

My husband was very grateful that his "daughter" (as my husband calls the cat) was able to come with us. She and the dog were the only sense of normalcy he had in the US at first, so he found their presence comforting until he got over the culture shock and homesickness. The journey was stressful for everyone, but both animals bounced back to normal within a few days of arriving..and like you, we moved after about 2 months of living with my not-so-pet-friendly parents (both animals were relegated to the guest room during that time ). Now we've been settled for 1 week shy of 2 years and our pets are totally happy and comfortable. DM me if you have any questions I didn't cover.

Edited February 12, 2018 by kyrachos

[CaseyCobos 100]

46 minutes ago, kyrachos said:

Hi, my husband and I brought both our cat and dog from Egypt when we moved to the US.  Dog was in cargo and Kitty was in cabin with us. Our journey was 2+ hours outside of Cairo, a 4 hour layover in Frankfurt, and a 6 hour drive home from POE. Both fared well (cat was ~3yo at the time, dog was 1yo). The cat's plane ticket was $100 and dog's was $200 (depends on weight for cargo...baladi dogs don't weigh that much. ). The cat would have also been $200 if she flew in cargo. We flew with Lufthansa. Doing the paperwork is easy. Your fiance just needs to get a health certificate from his vet and proof of rabies vaccination (rabies vaccine must be >30 days from departure). Technically cats don't need rabies vaccines to travel to the US (according to the CDC), but it's better safe than sorry. Your fiance can get a government health certificate from the vet at the airport on the day of departure (arrive a few hours early) or he can hire a broker who will do the running around for him. The government paper costs 5LE, rabies vax is maybe 150LE, and the private health certificate might be another 50LE-200LE. We didn't use a broker, but DM me if you want the contact info for some (I don't know their prices, though). When we arrived in Atlanta, the customs agent didn't want to see the private health certificates - just the government vet from the airport's papers + the dog's proof of rabies vaccination. There is no quarantine as long as the animal is in good health and has an UTD rabies vaccination. Overall, the process was incredibly smooth and easy.

Worst case scenario in the US: put cat in boarding at a vet clinic for a couple of days. Not sure what the prices are where you are, but our cat cost $9/day to board in a clinic (make sure she has ALL of her vaccinations up to date, not just rabies, if you board her).

The trickiest part for you will be living in a no-pets-allowed apartment, but you can probably get away with it as long as the cat is well-behaved (consider spaying her if she hasn't been spayed already...250-500LE depending on the vet - I can also recommend some in Cairo if you want. no heat = quiet kitty..it's also much cheaper to do in Egypt than the US).

My husband was very grateful that his "daughter" (as my husband calls the cat) was able to come with us. She and the dog were the only sense of normalcy he had in the US at first, so he found their presence comforting until he got over the culture shock and homesickness. The journey was stressful for everyone, but both animals bounced back to normal within a few days of arriving..and like you, we moved after about 2 months of living with my not-so-pet-friendly parents (both animals were relegated to the guest room during that time ). Now we've been settled for 1 week shy of 2 years and our pets are totally happy and comfortable. DM me if you have any questions I didn't cover.

Your pets travel was so cheap!! My kitty is costing me $2500 to fly to USA >_< she’s lucky I love her lots