Moving out of country question

[linguist]

Hi guys.

I am an international student and after finishing my Ph.D I might have to go back to Hong Kong if I don't get a job offer here. While surfing on the pet section of craigslist, I saw so many owners saying that they can't keep their pets because they are moving out of country. This may be a stupid question... but is it not allowed to take your cats with you to another country even with vets records and all the documentation? I do know that many countries allow foreigners to take pets with them... so what I am asking is... does the states not allow anyone to take cats out of the country? If so, I would be devastated. I am planning on adopting another cat; and if I move, I will move with them.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Its pretty costly. And depending on where you are moving, you may have very extensive quarentines. I know Hawaii, Australia, UK, and a few others have 6 month quarentines with NO exceptions.

That's why celebrities that may go to Hawaii for a few months will leave their pets on a ship anchored offshore - they are NOT allowed to just carry the pets onto the island and not be quarentined!

 

[mskitty666]

Of course you can take your pets with you. It takes planning, knowing the regulations of the country to which you are travelling and coordinating with the airlines. They might restrict flying animals during certain times of the year due to weather and everyone will require the appropriate documentation. My husband is in the military and we moved 4 cats to Germany and 6 cats back. Only people who think animals are disposable use the excuse that they are moving to throw away their pets.

You should start preparing now so you don't incur a huge expense all at once. Contact the Chinese embassy to find out what the laws are governing the area you will travel to. Find out what kind of papers you will need, how recent they must be and if their are any fees etc. They will get you the info you need. Make sure to have an international airline approved carrier. I belive the regulations state that the kennel must be large enough for the animal to turn around and be ventilated on four sides. The kennels can sometimes be purchased directly from an airline and new kennels should come with the airline travel kit. This is a set of stickers to be placed in specific positions on the kennel as well as a clip on water and food dish. You can also pick up the travel kit for $3-5 at petstores and online if you already have the appropriate kennel. Call your vet to find out how much they charge for the health certificate you will need to get. You may also want to look at buying something like the poochpad ultra dry transport system for the kennel. http://www.poochpad.com/index.html

I highly reccomend researching pet transportation companies. These companies will charge a fee to handle the complete transport of your pet from here to your destination. Usually they will handle transferring them to any connecting flights, checking on them throughout their trip, checking them in and picking them up upon arrival. I used one when moving from Germany to Georgia and it was great! I checked in my cats with them at the airport, then they took over. All I had to do was get myself to the plane and it was no more expensive than the fee the airline charges. They also handle dealing with the airline for you with regards to you pet's travel.

Please don't throw away you animals when you move. It just takes a little planning to keep your family together. I'm glad you asked about this before making a decision.

 

[linguist]

Thanks for the helpful replies! They are so detailed!

 

[theimp98]

i sent you a pm with the same info.

i know what it used to be,
the animal had to be taken to kowloon.
It would help to have the paper work for the pet,
but since the america/canada have rabies the pet will still have to stay 4 months, at that time there was no way around it. But We (at the time) would not leave are animals behind us. Since we both felt that once you take in a pet its your job to take care of it.

its no big deal you wont have your pet for 4 months.
hmm wait ,,, http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/pet-owners-forum-f43.html maybe some information there will help you..

 

[abymummy]

Lemme correct Bruce a bit ...

If you are taking your pet cat from the US to Hong Kong, it's not so difficult. You need to get the right permits and the right shipper to ensure that your cat goes from the US to HK directly.

You must ensure the following:

1. Your cat is above 6 months of age
2. Vaccinations are complete and up to date
3. You must get the rabies vaccinations - no more than one year and no less then 1 month from date of arrival into HK

The hardest part of getting a cat into HK is shipping really. I would suggest you email the HK AFCD for more information.

You can also pm me for more details but I think emailing HK AFCD is the best way to go to ensure you have the right permits for your cat to enter HK with you.

 

[linguist]

Thank you so much guys... so I must find a shipper? I can't take it with me on board??

 

[abymummy]

This is correct - all animals going into HK must be manifested as cargo. You can put your cat(s) in the same flight as you though.

 

[EnzoLeya]

I don't think I would believe that. You're animal might have to be quarentined for awhile, but I don't think anyone would ever not let you keep your family pet. Granted, different countries have different rules. We have a family friend that has shipped horses from Europe to the US and vise versa. The horse has to be quarentined for 30 days I believe and then it is given back to the owner.

 

[imogen]

It depends on where you're travelling. I've got my cat with me in Russia right now. I don't think it was a great idea for her, though. The vet care here is very...basic. And very different from what we have in the US. I have to be very careful that she doesn't ingest any tap water at all. While I'm SO grateful to have her with me, I feel a little guilty for bringing her here. She was super-healthy until our time here in Russia.

My cat travelled in-cabin with me.

Hong Kong may be trickier than Russia b/c it's an island. The UK had such strict rules that my cat lived with my sister while I was there. A six-month quarrantine seemed v. cruel to me. Check the US Embassy site for information about bringing your cat with you.

 

[abymummy]

I just checked and confirmed that the USA is as expected a group II country per HK regulations - just like Malaysia, which means that your cat does not have to undergo quarantine provided that all necessary vaccinations and documentation are complete.

Here's the link:
http://www.afcd.hk/english/quarantin..._ipab_idc.html