Travel Regulations for Cats

Winter is on its way and it’s time to escape. Travelling to a warmer climate would be nice but if you’re going for an extended amount of time, this can be troublesome for pet owners.

Always check with your air carrier before hand to get a full list of details concerning your cat. Some airlines or destinations may not allow cats aboard the plane as carry-on and therefore will be in a pet carrier away from you. Usually if you provide adequate notice and prepare, the cat will be able to ride and be counted as a carry-on. From there, check with your air carrier for dimension limitations and other rules that may apply. If you need to send your cat on a separate journey to you, this is a great list of Cat Transport pages.

Health Certificate

If you and your cat have not done any international travelling before, you may be uninformed about the Health Certificate that countries now require. This certificate is very simple to obtain, and your veterinarian should be able to provide you with this up to 14 days before you depart. It includes the name, breed of cat and a brief health history.

Microchipping

The importance of microchips for pet identification cannot be stressed enough. It is one thing to be lost in your own neighbourhood, where your neighbours may know your cat and help get him or her home safely, but it’s an entirely new level of distress when your cat is lost away from their home area. Travelling abroad will require your cat to be microchipped. Keep in mind that some destinations may require a different type of chip.  Check in advance the type of chip required for entry into the country.

Quarantine

Depending on your origin of travel and destination, there are different rules and paper work required for travel.  In some cases, quarantine is mandatory. Since Australia is considered by most a Rabies-Free Country travelling within the country will be fairly easily. It is best to play on the side of caution and have all paper work ready, but quarantine is usually avoided in this case. Also travelling outside Australia will be easy as well but depending on your destination, your cat may need to be quarantined on their return to the country.

While all this may seem a bit much, it will all be worth it when you can travel in peace and enjoy your holiday!

Feature image by: rockmixer