making the move

[angel]

has any one taken their cat from uk to nz.i need to know what sort of money im gonna need to take my 2.also any info on rabies jabs etc.

[MotherBear]

Hi Angel,

If you haven't already read it, here’s an earlier thread on moving pets. This is page 3 (I’ve skipped some of the ‘less relevant’ parts) and if you go down to the bottom of the page, Crystal Lil gives some good info on exporting a cat. I'm not sure if the cost of rabies injections, blood and stool sample tests and microchipping are included in that. Perhaps she’ll clarify that when she comes on next.

It can all sound very daunting and involves a lot of work and precise timings, but, I believe, a good pet exporter such as Golden Arrow will do a lot of it for you i.e. samples, tests, micochippng and paperwork.

It might be worth ringing around a few exporters first to find out what they are prepared to do for you and how much it would cost. You’d have the full picture then from each exporter. Whatever, it certainly won’t be cheap.

[angel]

thanx mother bear.i'll have a look.i may get help from work with jab costs as i work with wildlife but im concerned about flight costs etc .our consultant said they wouldn't need quarrantine.theres such a lot to think about hey ? Hard to know where to start.Lucky you.you be goin soon.

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by angel

Lucky you.you be goin soon.

No, unfortunately not Angel. We were going for a holiday at the end of this month but, due to a broken leg, we aren't going until January now. Sadly, we aren't in a position to immigrate yet, so we have to be satisfied with a holiday for the moment, but I'm sure it'll be wonderful.

That must be a lovely job you have, working with wildlife. Very interesting, I would think.

[angel]

sorry mother bear.when u said you get ye cast off i thought u meant u get o go to nz,not that you've got a cast on ye leg.im an idiot.so sorry bout the leg.my jobs ok.i nurse seals,hedgehogs,swans and all other british wildlife back to good health and rehabilitite them.goin back to my cats i cant decide yet what to do.it will cost a fortune.could leave them here with family n take them later,but dont know if thats fair on them!

[SteveyC]

Unfortunately we have two lovely cats but they'll have to stay (if they haven't died of old age by the time someone buys my bloody house). The hassle weighed against the upheaval for the animals themselves can't be worth it. I can understand with a dog as they're generally a bit more content and an aweful lot more faithful, but cats just don't really have the same make up do they.
I know for a fact that whilst I love my cats and they like us alot, ultimately if someone else starts feeding them they'll soon not worry about me. My cats go mental when I have to frive them 10 mins to the Vets let alone 24 hrs on a plane abnd then arriving in a sompletely strange place. One of them had IBS too so I'm sure that would uncur extra cost not to mention stress for me and the whoever looks after them during transit.

[angel]

you're right actually steveyc.my 2 cats hate even a short journey in a car.they're my only pets now cos my dog died a few months ago n im very close to them as they've been indoor cats since i've lived here.i got plenty of time to decide cos we cant go til mid next year at least.this is the hardest decision of everything.

[CrystalLil]

Hi there angel. I phoned up 5 or 6 animal exporters and got a variety of quotes from ?550 to about ?1,000. The more expensive ones will probably cover everything you need, which is:

1. Microchip (?20-?30)
2. Faeces Tests - you need to do 2 at least 14 days apart and within 30 days of departure. Some transporters will send you sample pots and then post them off for you. Or you can do this yourself. Don't know how much it would be but probably cheaper.
3. Worming - within 21 days of departure, then again within 96 hours of departure (again could probably do cheaply yourself).
4. Insecticidal treatment - at least 10 days and not more than 48 hours before departure, animals must be treated for ticks, lice and fleas.
5. Health certificate - pets must be examined within 96 hours of departure and the vet has to fill in the certificate. You can get this from the DEFRA website.
6. Sealing - animals must be examined at airport and sealed in their boxes
7. Airline Approved box - must be right size for the animal - could cost around ?50.
8. Cargo charges - roughly ?370 - ?450 per cat. The airline charges by the kilo for the total wieght of the cat/dog in its box, so the heavier the animal, the more expensive it will be.

There may well be other things that need done by a vet if taking a dog...

Some other exporters will pick up your animal from the door, keep it in kennels for a couple of nights while they do all the last minute vet things, then take it to the airport for you etc etc. Obviously, these will be the more expensive companies.

I'm sure if you google "animal exporters uk" you will find a list of contacts that you can call for quotes. You can expect to pay around ?700 - ?800 all in, I reckon.

All the best! Crystal Lil.