Moving Cats

Name: Leigh Ann
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Cat
From: China
To: America

Hi,
I will be moving back to America from China and will be bringing my cat with me. While on the long flight, do I need to provide litter for my cat? If so, in China, you cannot find disposable litter boxes. Do you have another suggestion?

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Leigh Ann

 

Hi Leigh Ann,

That's a great (and frequently asked) question. We do not recommend litter in the travel crate -- this would probably make more of a mess than it's worth. Rather, we suggest placing something absorbent in the bottom of the crate, such as an old towel or some shredded newspaper.

Hope this helps! Please contact us if you have more questions about moving a cat to the United States or if you'd like a free quote for our services. Good luck with everything!

Name: Olya
Number of Pets: 3
Pet Type: Cat
Pet Breed: Persian, Scottish Straight
From: Thailand
To: Cambodia

I'm not exactly moving but I'm going to Cambodia for a week and I want to take my kittens with me. I read on the website all the rules for bringing pets to Cambodia. I got a microchip and everything else. The problem starts when it says they need to be vaccinated for rabies 30 days before. But my kittens are still to young to be vaccinated for rabies. Which puts me in front of the question what do I do? And is it possible for me to take them?

Thanks,

Olya

Hi Olya,

Thanks for contacting us with your pet travel question. Honestly we usually recommend that you leave your pets at home if you'll only be gone for such a short time. Especially with such young cats (we also recommend that pets be at least three to four months old before they travel anywhere), it's in their best interest to remain in the care of a trusted pet sitter.

If you do decide to go forward with the trip it would be best to talk to your vet about your options and double check with the Cambodian officials about any possible exceptions.

Please contact us if you have any  more questions, and good luck with everything!

 

Name: Michael Nelson
Pets' Names: Hunter and Lulu
From: New Jersey, USA
To: London, UK
 

PetRelocation.com offered a worry-free service, and with all the hassle of moving a family internationally it was well received. They were very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about what it takes to move our family dog and cat around the world.

Hunter and Lulu were picked up one morning in New Jersey and arrived the next afternoon in London at our new doorstep. There were no customs or quarantine issues as they took care of all the paperwork.

The pets arrived safely and a little jet lagged, and for that we appreciate and recommend their services.

The Nelson Family
 

Name: Jeanette
Pets' Names: Edgar and Isabell
From: San Francisco, CA
To: Waltham, MA

PetRelocation.com helped me out with a sad situation. My friend Lilly was diagnosed with terminal cancer a month ago. Her two favorite beings in the world were her cats, Edgar and Isabell. When I found out from Lilly her prognosis, I offered to take them.

PetRelocation made all the arrangements to pick them up from the Pet Hospital they were staying in, their airplane "tickets", and delivery to my home by a very nice agent late last Friday night. I was happy to tell Lilly on Saturday that her "babies" had arrived safely.

Her mind at rest, Lilly passed away Monday, 22 April. The cats seem to be settling in well, and are a constant reminder of a very dear friend. Thank you PetRelocation for helping me out and making this situation a little easier!

Name: C.P.
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: Cat
From: Maine, USA
To: Sweden

I am confused with some paperwork requirements. To move to Sweden I have to have the EU Commercial document. In that document it states that I have to have an examination done 24 hours before dispatch. I also have to get the documents USDA endorsed. So my question is: Does the paperwork need to be filled, signed, and endorsed 24 hours before we leave? Or is the paperwork valid for a certain amount of days?

Thanks!

Hello,

Here's a run-down of the pet import requirements for Sweden -- hopefully this helps explain the process a bit more. It actually is necessary for all of the endorsements, etc... to take place in the 24 hours before flight, so you'll need to depart from a major airport with a vet on site.

Please contact PetRelocation.com if you have more questions... Our specialists would be happy to help and you can also obtain a free quote from our website if you're interested in our services.

Thanks for the question and good luck with your travels!

Name: Bjorn
Pets' Names: Bob and Monkey
From: New York
To: England
 

From the first contact made with Matt Kincaid, I knew I was in good hands. Having a very busy schedule, Matt was able to answer all my questions, follow up diligently, and act quickly when I needed it.

We moved our cats within three weeks of pushing the button with Matt, and from there Scotty took over. Scotty really took the time to make sure everything was planned out and kept us calm -- I think we were worse than the cats.

The New York agent (and I apologise I forget her name) who collected the cats really was awesome and very professional. She gave me great confidence as soon as I met her and you could see her knowledge of the customs jungle at JFK was superior from the moment she started to speak about the double handmade crate we had made for the journey.

Our cats arrived safely back in the UK. We opted for a complete door-to-door pick-up -- the best decision we have made. Great company, great team, well done all!

-Bjorn

Name: Cecilia
Number of Pets: 5
Pet Type: Cats
Pet Breed: One British Short Hair, One Persian, Three Domestic Short Hair
From: Hong Kong
To: Bangkok, Thailand

Is there a quarantine for Thailand? Can my pets travel on the same aircraft as me?

Thanks,

Cecelia

 

Hello Cecelia,

Here are the pet import requirements for Thailand (and you can also find more info here). If all requirements are met there shouldn't be a quarantine.

As far as air travel, we recommend choosing a pet-friendly airline and in that case it's not necessary to travel on the same flight. You may end up hiring someone to help with your cats' passage, but just know that it's typical for pet owners to take separate flights.

Please contact us if you'd like a free quote or if you have any more questions. We'd be happy to assist you with your upcoming pet move!

Pet transportation services aren't just limited to moving a dog or cat across the country when work or military duty calls the family to a new place. Along with technological advances and emerging international developments, transporting animals is a service in demand, leaving airlines and freight companies in the position of stepping up to the challenge or being left behind.

This recently published Bloomberg article goes into greater detail about Lufthansa, KLM, and the other companies who deal with shipping animals. It's pretty fascinating to see how trends have been changing recently and how these businesses are learning to handle exotic moves.

Want to know more? Here are a few details from the article, and you can read the whole thing here.

-Last year Lufthansa's Frankfurt facility handled 110 animals of various kinds (including 80 million tropical fish and 300 tons of worms).

-Lufthansa usually transports around 14,000 dogs and cats and 2,000 horses in a year.

-Animal freight makes up about one to two percent of Lufthansa's total cargo revenue.

-One of the most unconventional cargo shipments on record was a plane filled with dogs and cats evacuated from Lebanon following a missile strike.

-Before they fly out of Frankfurt, animals are inspected by up to 24 different vets.

-Some freighters are equipped with up to four different temperature zones, meaning that one flight can safely and comfortably carry warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals (think horses and penguins, for example).

-Large fish, dolphins and poisonous reptiles are not accepted for shipment by Lufthansa due to safety concerns.

Hannelore Foerster/Bloomberg

Name: Jennifer
Pets' Names: Sascha and Nicole
From: Houston
To: Perth, Australia

When my husband got notice his job was moving us to Australia, I was both excited and worried. I wasn't sure how our girls, Sascha and Nicole, would make the move. I didn't even know where to start!

I had a friend recommend PetRelocation.com, and after a brief introduction, they got to work on our case right away. Scotty and Ashley helped us through every step of the process to make sure our girls had a smooth transition. It was good to know that while we were trying to get ourselves moved, the girls were in good hands for their move. On the travel day, the gentleman that came to pick them up, Roman, was very professional and gentle. It was comforting to see them being well taken care of, and we got updates on every leg of their journey.

We just visited the girls in quarantine and they look well. We can't wait to bring them home in two weeks! Thank you again to all the folks that helped us get our girls here safely!

Name: Meaghin
Pet's Name: Kate
From: Brooklyn, NY
To: Portland, OR
 

We moved across the country, driving halfway. We wanted to settle into our new home before bringing our cat, Kate, out. In the interim, she stayed with my parents in Virginia.

PetRelocation.com made that extra detail of picking Kate up from Virginia, not Brooklyn, completely painless. I was able to contact our specialist, Marissa, when we were ready for Kate to come up, and the turn-around time from my heads up that we were ready for Kate's arrival was under two weeks. Kate arrived screaming (it's her nature!) but thrilled to see us.

Thanks again :)

Name: Maria D
Number of Pets: Three
Pet Type: (One dog and two cats)
From: Dubai, UAE
To: NY, US

Hi,

We are planning to relocate to NYC with our dog and two cats in due course. All the pets are up-to-date with their vaccinations.

Could you talk us through the process so that we are 100% prepared when the time comes?

Thanking you in advance,
Maria

 

Hi Maria,

Thanks for reaching out to us.... We'd be happy to direct you with a few links and documents, and if you're interested in our door-to-door services you can also fill out our free quote form if you'd like.

Here are the pet import requirements for the United States as well as some information about pet travel crates and a few helpful resources. We also can't overemphasize the importance of choosing a pet-friendly airline and trustworthy customs agents/drivers who may be helping you along the way.

Hopefully this gets you off to a great start. Please contact us if you have any more questions, and good luck with your trip!

We love showing off the furry faces of the pets we move on our blog and Facebook page, and believe it or not, we don't mind parading cute pics of our own dogs and cats, either. We introduced you to some PetRelocation.com employee pets last Valentine's day, and today we're back with a few more photos to share.

The other day our friends at Petmate (whose motto is "We Have Pets Too") were cleaning out their offices, and they kindly decided to send us a goodie box filled with fun toys and accessories. We're all pet owners/lovers here, so the surprise was truly appreciated! Just check out some of our happy pets below.

Thanks again to Petmate for making our week a little brighter!

Winston guarding his new rubber ball

Chubby Charles working on her fuzzy mice catching skills

The more slobbery the toy is, the more you can tell Raef loves it

No caption needed for this one (that's Django, BTW)

Bandit approves of the Scoop Bowl

Rhett hardly knows what to do with so many mice

Planning a relocation that includes your pets adds a fair amount of prep work to the equation. Not only do you have to research pet import requirements, schedule vet visits, and buy an airline-approved travel crate, you'll need to help your furry friend feel comfortable spending time in the crate as best you can.

Some pet owners are lucky to have dogs or cats that tolerate or even like stepping into their home-away-from-home, but others have a challenge at hand. Based on general personality traits it seems easier to help dogs gradually accept crates and learn to treat them as a safe and cozy place, but we all know that cats can be a different story.

Before you throw up your hands in defeat imagining a lot of hissing, scratching, and yowling from your one-of-a-kind kitty, take a look at the following tips and give crate-training a try. Your cat will probably never love the experience, but with time and patience applied to the situation, you can at least remove some of the discomfort.

Familiarity - It's a problem if cats only associate travel crates with being jostled around in the car and then taken into the vet's office to be poked and prodded. Try leaving the crate out in a room where the cat often goes so that the sight of it becomes less of an event and just a part of everyday life instead.

Treats - Always leave the door open and place toys inside the crate to pique feline curiosity. When the cat goes near it or inside it, offer praise and maybe a yummy snack. Soon your little skeptics will begin to put two and two together and will look to you for a handout each time they step inside.

Time - Don't expect change to happen overnight. It might take weeks to see any progress, but with steady exposure and positive reinforcement, even the most stubborn kitty will show signs of progress.

Practice - Once your cat no longer freaks out at the sight of the crate and begins treating it like just another box to crawl inside of, it'll be time for some practice runs. Take a car ride around the block to start, and then try some longer drives so that when moving day arrives, that longer journey won't be such a shock.

Talk to your vet if you have any particular concerns about cat travel, and don't hesitate to ask your Pet Relocation Specialist for their own tips and advice, as well. We have lots of experience moving pets of all breed, size, and temperament, so don't be shy!

Travel crate? Yeah, I'll think about it.

Name: David
Pets' Names: Genevieve & Jason
From: Austin, TX
To: Boise, ID
 

With a new job, my company relocated me from Austin, TX to Boise, ID. The relo was done on a short timeline, leaving no time to make the 3-to-4 day drive. Additionally, the thought of making that long drive with kids, a dog and a cat was not appealing.

PetRelocation.com was the most professional company I found to help us move our pets. Our coordinator, Katie, helped us navigate the government and airline regulations and kept us informed of our pets' progress along the way. When the driver, Marcus, picked the pets up at our house, I could tell right away that he loved animals, and knew how to handle them.

Katie found a great kennel in Boise to keep our pets until we arrived a couple of days later. Both pets are healthy and happy. Our dog, Jason, is a bundle of energy by day, and our cat, Genevieve, is playful by night.

PetRelocation.com did a wonderful job for us!

 

Relocating pets is a team effort, and we employ the help of agents and drivers all around the world to help transport your furry family members safe and sound.

Last month we introduced you to John Kernan of Pawsitively Dogs in our first Driver Spotlight, and today we'd like you to meet another trusted collaborator: Rebeca Berni of Dog Gone Taxi based near Seattle, WA.

We've worked with Rebeca many times and now we're taking a moment to shine the spotlight on her. Read on to find out more about one of our top pet agents!

How long have been in the pet transportation business?

I've been in this business since 2005.
 
How did you get started? 

I was the owner/operator of a physical therapy center for dogs (doing warm water hydrotherapy).  Many clients had difficulty getting their pets to and from their appointments, as the dogs were disabled or had injuries that made it difficult for them to walk. 

That's when I started Dog Gone Taxi.  Soon after that - about six months later - a dog transportation company in Seattle that did daycare & boarding drop-off and pickups went out of business. They kept their website but changed their phone number to our number without letting me know. We grew our local business rapidly after that. A year later we got a call from a pet broker service to do an airport delivery. They helped educate us on the industry and told us how to get fully licensed with USDA. 

Year after year we have added more pet brokers and gotten more experience in the industry. In 2010 we started providing private (one families' pets at a time) cross-country pet relocation. As the pet transportation business grew, I became unable to do the water therapy clients and changed that business into pet boarding and daycare. We now offer pet boarding (dogs & cats) and doggie daycare in our Seattle office, as well as the transportation business in WA, OR, and CA, and we now have several employees.

Rebeca Berni (and dog pals) on a cross-country trip.

What’s your average day like? 

There is no average day. Some days we have check-ins at 4 a.m. and pickups at 11 p.m. Typically in the AM we have our local business daycare/boarding drop-offs and again for a few hours in the afternoon. The airport check-ins and drop-offs are fit in between.
 
What’s your most memorable pet move experience?

We recently moved 12 roosters & chickens from Victoria, BC to Fargo, ND. They were family pets, kept in the home and in a coop. Fresh eggs in the AM meant that the chickens were happy!

 Do you have pets of your own? 

Yes, I have two dogs. A Bichon and 17-year-old blind Beagle.
 
What’s your favorite part of this job?

Seeing the happy owners face when their pet has been delivered all safe and sound. And of course, playing with the puppies!!
 
Do people find what you do unusual?

Yes, but once I explain what it is we do, they usually say, '"Oh, I wondered how people moved with their pets, I just never thought about it."
 

---

Stay tuned for another Driver Spotlight to appear on the blog soon... There are many more interesting pet agents to meet!

Name: Sandy
Pets' Names: Steek and Slate
From: Arlington, VA
To: Olympia, WA
 

PetRelocation.com staff transported my Siamese guys from their veterinarian's office to Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, VA through a layover in Houston, to the flight to Seattle, then transported them by automobile to our new home in Olympia, WA.

We got to meet the very nice, patient staff in Washington State -- who had just driven over 20 miles through a thunderstorm with the Siamese "singing".

Our guys were in fine shape when they arrived. Thanks to everyone who cared for our furry family members!

 

Pet travelers and pet owners in general often find themselves faced with a question: Should I get my pet microchipped? It's normal to feel uncertain about this matter, but we're happy to help clear things up.

Recently one of our own Pet Relocation Specialists, Katie, went through the microchipping process with her cat Leo, and she was kind enough to share her thoughts about how everything went. Read on for a firsthand account of Leo's microchipping experience told through the eyes of a caring pet owner just like yourself...

If you’ve been on our Facebook page recently, you may have seen a photo or two of my little guy, Leo.  I adopted Leo in August of 2011 when he was two years old. This sweet boy had been in a foster home and had been in and out of adoption catteries for his whole life. 

When I found him and fell in love with him, he had been one of the “kitties in the window” at my local pet store for seven weeks. I adopted him from the rescue group who had been taking care of him the very day that I met him. I am so unbelievably happy to give this sweet little guy his forever home!

Leo has become more and more brave since I got him and has started getting very curious about what is on the other side of my front door!  Leo is an indoor cat, so I don’t let him go outside. In light of his new found curiosity for the great outdoors, I decided that it was time to get him a microchip!  I really wanted the peace of mind of knowing that if little Leo slipped out the door and got lost, my contact information would follow him wherever he went and couldn’t fall off (like a break-away collar is smartly designed to do).  It took us two years to find each other – I want to be sure we don’t get separated again!

I had a lot of questions when getting him microchipped, so I thought I would share my experience in the hopes that it will be helpful to those of you who are considering getting a microchip for your pet.

How do I get my pet microchipped?
I took Leo to our local vet for his yearly vaccinations and had the microchip implanted during that visit.

How much does it cost?
Prices vary, but my vet charged $35.

How is it done?
The whole process is so quick and simple! Since the chip is so tiny (maybe the size of a grain of rice) it is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades. It is as quick and simple as giving a shot.

Does it hurt?
If it does, Leo didn’t show it!  My vet likes to put an ice pack on the area to numb it a bit before implanting the chip because the needle is a bit bigger than a regular needle (like the kind used for vaccinations). They held the ice on Leo’s back for a moment and then injected the chip. Leo didn’t even flinch!

How do I know what my pet’s microchip number is?
Right after implanting the microchip, my vet scanned Leo to make sure it worked. He then compared the number with the package that the chip came in to be sure that it was exactly the same. He then gave me the (now empty) package and some documentation, and that’s it!  

How does it work?
If little Leo ever goes on an adventure without me, the person who finds him can take him to any vet who has a microchip reader (just about all of them do now). With the wave of a funny looking wand, the chip is read and the vet can call the company who issued the chip (HomeAgain, in my case) to retrieve my contact information.

Do I need to do anything else?
Keep your microchip information up to date if you move or change your phone number! I once found a lost dog and took him to an emergency vet right away to have his chip read. Because his owner hadn’t updated her contact information on his microchip, it took a couple of days of hunting down her information to find her. Had her information been up-to-date with the microchip company, she only would have been without her sweet pup for a couple of hours instead of a couple of days.

When we got home from the vet, Leo got a treat, of course! After gobbling it up, he was back to doing his favorite things – sitting in the windows, sleeping on the couch and playing with his cat nip toys.
Now, every time I come home, I have more peace of mind knowing that if Leo slips out the door as I’m walking in, he has an unbeatable way of making sure he can get back home to me.  

Thanks for sharing  your story, Katie! Find out more about ISO Compatible microchips on our blog, and please contact PetRelocation.com if you have any questions about pet travel and microchips.
 

Name: Peggy and Dennis
Pets' Names: Max and Jet
From: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
To: Houston, Texas USA
 

I think I wrote more of a novel than a story but here goes...

In 2005 we moved from London to Houston. I didn't know about companies like PetRelocation.com and I moved our cat Butch back by myself. I had managed to get him from Norway to London in 2000 (although it wasn't easy), so I figured I could get him to Houston. What a mistake. I won't go into details, but he managed to sit in a warehouse in Houston for two hours while they tried to find him. Yeesh.

In 2008 we were living in Houston, Texas, USA when my husband accepted a position in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! WHAT??? At the time we had two cats: Butch and Max. 2008 wasn't our best year; my 90-year-old father wasn't well, we had the news of the Malaysia move, my father died, Butch was diagnosed with a brain tumor then had to have brain surgery, and then Hurricane Ike decided to show up the weekend before our move, so we packed up a bunch of wet stuff with no electricity.

The only thing that went right that year was Butch & Max's move thanks to Rachel with PetRelocation.com. At one point we weren't sure if we were moving one cat or two, but Rachel was kind and supportive, and when Butch recovered they were both safely sent to Kuala Lumpur. I'm not sure how we found PetRelocation.com, probably Google, but I am grateful everyday that we crossed paths because everything went off like clockwork.

Sadly, two years later Butch's brain tumor returned and was inoperable and he died while we were in Kuala Lumpur. For weeks Max was beside herself, so we decided to find her a friend. Enter Jet, a stray our Malaysian vet found who found her way to us.

Flash forward to 2012 and it's time to return to the USA. There was no question about us using PetRelocation.com again to get Max and Jet back, so I got in touch with Rachel, who I learned had not only survived my insanity during our first move but become the Director of Operations (we're so proud), so she put me in contact with Jon, who got the process started.

By the time Ashley started facilitating our move, things were once again crazy with our KL landlord changing move out dates on us right and left, I couldn't find the right cat kennels in KL for the plane, and I almost missed the rabies vaccination cut off date. But thank goodness Thierry (with Ricted Kennels) noticed their vaccinations had expired when he was delivering the right cat kennels (he drove to KL from Singapore with them) and I got them vaccinated just under the wire!

Luckily everytime something happened I'd get a hold of Ashley and she just went with it. She never said NO. NEVER. No matter how crazy I was with worry or just general insanity. She always had a calming, friendly attitude which kept me from going off the deep end. I honestly feel that everyone involved with the move treated Max and Jet (and Butch in the previous move) as if they were their own pets. So, we owe huge thanks to Rachel, Jon, Ashley, Thierry (Singapore), Dr. Sockalingam (Kuala Lumpur), Rome with Pets On The Go (Houston), Chestnut Animal Hospital (Bellaire) who took delivery of them and kenneled them until we could pick them up and whoever else was involved -- we all survived.

After reading this can you imagine what it is like to deal with me? Gold Stars all around to PetRelocation.com and all who work with them!

Photos: Max and Butch in our local Bellaire magazine. Jet and Max their last night in KL. Our first night together as a family in Houston. Jet and Max checking out their new Texas surroundings.