Bringing cat from UK to Amsterdam - Help!

[catherinef]

I would like to bring a kitten from UK to Amsterdam for my friend. From what I can find out you are allowed to bring in kitten from UK (a non rabies country)  into The Netherlands if it is under 3 months old without massive bureaurocracy. Does anyone know about the rules fro bringing kittens to The Netherlands?
 

 

[franksmom]

The best thing to do is to talk to a vet, they would know what type of medical tests/shots you would need. You also will probably have to get a clearance letter from the vet anyway. 

 

[Sa'ida Maryam]

Hi, CatherineF and TCS members,
I recently learned that www.PetTravelStore.com has a load of information about international travel requirements. Airlines in certain countries are very specific on pet kennels to be used. There are hot season lock- out travel(summer time)temperature above 80degrees Fahrenheit , when live -stock are in danger of heat exhaustion. 12 week old kittie probably will not be hydrated enough during a long flight. I would hope you can wait until the fall. And hope to get one straight flight where kittie can be in the cabin with you. Yet, red tape is for the protection of the pet. Most Euro-airlines require micro chips. I hope this helps. Let us know which airlines are pet friendly. Cause we love our kitties to travel with us, too. Thanks

 

[furbum]

My 2 cats flew from the UK to Holland in 2010. They went under the seat in front a me and a friend of mine in soft carriers. We took KLM. I booked it carefully ahead of time and when we arrived they just quickly checked that the pet passports were up to date. There was also a weight requirement (under 6 kilo including carrier I think) which I was a little worried about but they didn't check.. Anyways that won't be a problem with a kitten. There might be some age requirement.. I would check on the airline's website or call.. I think the kitten will probably need to get a microchip also.. For the pet passport my cats needed a microchip and a blood test and vaccine against rabies.. They also had their annuals. Anyways check with your vet in case things have changed.

 

[Sa'ida Maryam]

Hi, everyone @TCS
Awssul have a good van ride 11 Hours. She is happy. She has gotten her emery level up and preparing for her first airplane ride. Intl. flights do allow in cabin under seat pet companions. The fee ranges depending on the weight. My worry is where will my lit'l feline eliminate her bowel and bladder? Maybe she can hold it for 11 hours again. As we all know airports don't have much safe dirt areas. I thought I might get a (large empty flat gift box folded in my luggage and carry a small amt. of clean liter in a Baggie and- poof- instant liter box. The whole thing could be discarded in the garbage can. Lots to prepare for her comfort. Too

 

[Willowy]

If she is stressed she likely won't use a litterbox. And where would you find a safe place to let her out to use it anyway? Best to line the carrier with puppy pads, and bring extras so you can change them during the flight (safely locked in the bathroom) if you have to. But my cats held it for 24 hours when we moved from Japan :/.

 

[Sa'ida Maryam]

Hi Everyone.
I have to share this idea. The airline want a cat carrier that has Bolts instead of flip tabbed fasteners. Petmate has two nice selection , but I already had a Petmate carrier as described that calmed to be airport approved 3 years ago. Same style. Just not bolted.
So. I drilled six holes and applied six bolts. & lock screws to secure the top half to the bottom half. Instant 2 dollar up-grade.

 

[lilin]

The requirements for every country are different. You can usually avoid quarantine all together if you do everything in exactly the right order and timeframe. And for the sanity of your kitty, I'd suggest this. I am not normally one to kowtow to this level of red tape, but the kitty won't understand why they've been separated from you.

I'd suggest checking all of these:

1. The site linked above.

2. The goverment immigration site for pets coming into the Netherlands.

3. A vet.

4. The actual embassy.

The reason I'd do all these things is because bureaucracy is famous for giving you wrong answers. You want every single one of these sources to line up with each other, and if they don't, you want to pursue that until you get the right answer. You don't want to get to customs and discover you've done something wrong and now they have to quarantine your cat.

Pay attention to order and timeframes. They often require you to have done something a certain amount of time before your cat traveled. They may also require you to have done the steps in a certain order. Whether or not you can get away with minor errors will depend on how bored or pissed off the agent you wind up with is, so I wouldn't suggest risking it.

Also, if your cat is quarantined, sometimes you can get them released early through some kind of process.

As far as traveling, use a soft carrier that will fit under the seat. Check the airline guidelines. You can often have your cat in the cabin with you for an extra fee.

When I did this with my kitty, I had 2 small tupperware containers, one with food, one with water, that I would periodically offer to her. I would just unzip the front flap slightly, take off the lids, and slide 'em in there. It's not too messy once you're properly in the air -- the plane is pretty stable unless you're going through a rough patch, which should be announced. I also had pads below her in case she needed to go potty.

My elder kitty was a fantastic traveler, so I didn't need to give her anything. As long as she was close to me, she didn't care where she was. But if your cat is a nervous traveler, you may want to consider something like spraying Feliway in the carrier. For extreme cases, talk to your vet about something like Valium.

 

[jcat]

I would like to bring a kitten from UK to Amsterdam for my friend. From what I can find out you are allowed to bring in kitten from UK (a non rabies country)  into The Netherlands if it is under 3 months old without massive bureaurocracy. Does anyone know about the rules fro bringing kittens to The Netherlands?
 

I believe this is the info you're looking for:

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CONCERNING PET PASSPORTS

To connect the pet to the passport, the animal must be fitted with an electronic microchip (transponder) or have a clearly readable tattoo, applied before 3 July 2011. Young pets which cannot be vaccinated yet may be allowed to travel without vaccination on the conditions defined by each Member State.

Travelling from EU Member States to the Netherlands

The animal must first have an ID. This must be a microchip (or a readable tattoo applied before July 2011). Furthermore it must have an EU Pet passport. The passport must be issued by a veterinarian. All animals older than 3 months must have been vaccinated against rabies which is certified by a veterinarian in the passport.
It is important, that the date of identification is prior to or the same as the first rabies vaccination date, which is entered into the EU Pet passport.

Note: Animals under the age of 3 months can enter the Netherlands without a rabies vaccination. A declaration of the owner that the animal stayed in the place in which it was born since birth without contact with wild animals likely to have been exposed to the infection.

 

[Sa'ida Maryam]

Hi, I am considering the purchase of a Datamars MicroMax & microchip. Because the scanner can be carried by the owner and used at any port especially ports that have scanners that might not recognize your pet's micro chip. HomeAgain has is used widely but not in every port and this is a minor detail I would hate to happen to my companion. Quarantined because the airport does not have a versatile scanner system. I checked with my Vet and I know They only insert HomeAgain microchips.

 

[GoldyCat]

Hi, I am considering the purchase of a Datamars MicroMax & microchip. Because the scanner can be carried by the owner and used at any port especially ports that have scanners that might not recognize your pet's micro chip. HomeAgain has is used widely but not in every port and this is a minor detail I would hate to happen to my companion. Quarantined because the airport does not have a versatile scanner system. I checked with my Vet and I know They only insert HomeAgain microchips.

I'm not at all familiar with the company or a scanner that you carry with you. You might want to start your own thread to get responses from people who have used it, or at least heard about it.