Quaritine After Moving to Australia Help

[lilkittyfam]

Hey guys, I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this but I got some weird news and I'm hoping someone can help explain what's going on. So my husband and I are moving to Australia and of course we want to bring our little baby with us. The requirements are pretty strict (THREE rabies titres) and I'm most upset about the quarantining process. Basically when she gets there they take her and put her in a special facility for TEN DAYS to "watch" her. But here's where it gets weird. During that time we can't see, visit, receive photos of, or even call about her despite the fact that we're shelling out over $1800 for her to be there. We can't see inside the facility. We can't request she be fed her regular food or that she be fed more than once a day. Basically we won't know anything at all about where she is or how's she doing for 10 days minimum. They also said that they may have to keep her for a whole month. This just feels off. From what I can tell this is a very recent thing. They used to keep them longer but you could visit them and bring them things like beds, food, and play with them. Now you can't even know what their facility looks like and they have the authority to perform medical treatment without even telling you. I'm scared out of my mind and it's enough that I'm honestly considering cancelling this whole move. Does anyone know something about this? Is it really so bad. Thank you guys for all your support. You're all amazing!

 

[LTS3]

I kow there are some Australia members here who may know of the quarantine process.

@Geoffrey

@Rose2015

@moorspede

@Tobilei

 

[lilkittyfam]

​Awesome! Thank you so much. It's such a new change. I hope they can help ease my fears.

 

[moorspede]

There are three quarantine stations in Australia, it's really important to be aware that they can be full so you may have to book early. Your pet gets tested for rabies, the results take a long time (180 days?). It's extremely important that animals be tested for rabies, we are an island nation with flora and fauna which are unique to us, it would be a disaster if this disease was imported. This is why we have such stringent conditions.

The 10 day period in quarantine allows the vets to assess your cat, they check for exotic ticks and for potential diseases which have not been introduced  in to Australia.   

Your cat will have to stay in quarantine for a minimum of 10 days, the cost is AU$2000. I have been told I am not allowed to link to outside sites here, you can find a breakdown of the fees at The Dept of Agriculture's site (www.agriculture.gov.au). These days it's extremely unlikely that they would feel the need to keep a pet for more than the 10 day period.

You are allowed to visit your pet, you are allowed to bring it food and treats. They just ask that you let them know beforehand so that you don't end up with a really round pet at the end of it's stay. 

There are a couple of photos here, they don't  show much. I'm sure that if you wrote ask they would send you brochures. https://postentryquarantine.govspace.gov.au/2015/09/24/dog-and-cat-facility-hosts-first-stay/\

http://www.nextstepaustralia.com/downloads/pdf/_pet-relocation.pdf

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to phone them and ask on your behalf. 

 

[rose2015]

​

Congratulations on your move. Unfortunately it is a very stringent with importing animals. We do not have land dwelling rabies here, so strict quarantine measure are put into place to uphold it. Please consider double checking all the vet paperwork required well in advance. I am very sorry and didn't realise the process doesn't offer the owner any transparency, that sounds quite harsh. I would also be upset too. However, if you can let me know which city / area you are planning to relocate to, I could contact one of the local vets on your behalf to find out more about the standard importing process.

Let me know, happy to help.

 

[lilkittyfam]

I totally understand the need to check for parasites and I'm so happy the time away will be so short. I'm so happy I'll get to see her. That was the big thing I was worried about. We'll be moving to Melbourne next June to hopefully fimnd our forever home. This makes me feel so much better and I'm super excited now. Thanks rose2015 and M moorspede I'm so happy you guys helped clear things up. Sorry if I was a little panicky.

 

[lilkittyfam]

An update: I was directed to a webpage after requesting help from the agricultural department. There's only one facility now (the others are closed for some reason) and a strict no contact rule. Which means I can't even receive an email about how she's doing. And in order to feed Anna her regular diet it would have to be prescribed from her vet and it probably won't be approved by the facility there. I contacted the facility (Mickleham) to ask about it but they haven't responded yet. We're putting off the move for a year until we can sort this out or find a way to get some more info on her health status after such a long travel

 

[moorspede]

Yeah, it's the weekend, administrative staff will not be on duty until Monday. It looks like AQIS was taken over by the Dept Agriculture late last year which has no doubt been de-funded by the Feds. I'm sorry to get your hopes up, this has been happening to so many government departments, both State and Federal it's difficult to keep up. 

• If your animal has a special dietary requirement you must identify this when applying for your permit under the “special needs” requirement. All special needs requirements must have a veterinary statement outlining the animal’s condition and reason for providing a different diet. This statement must accompany your permit application.
• If approval is given for a special diet, the items will need to be sourced in Australia and provided to the facility with a copy of the veterinarian statement.
• Food must not be sent with your animal. Any food sent with animals will be destroyed upon arrival due to the possible biosecurity risks.

 

[tobilei]

I can't really offer any other help other than what you have here, but according to this: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/cats-...ies-and-fees/post-entry-quarantine-facilities It is my understanding that if your animal is required to stay longer than the initial 10 days you can then arrange for visits. It's only that initial 10 days, it says based on staff and them being busy. Given that many of the facilities are already booked out for the remainder of the year I'm thinking it's so that they just have time to concentrate on the animals at hand.

Food, my guess, will likely be Hills Science Diet (or Royal Canin but most public facilities here seem to feed Hills) unless she has a medical condition as stated above. I know that 10 days seems a long time and she will be scared and not happy but cats get boarded for longer with no contact with their family and come out of it fine. It's quickly forgotten once they are home. As long as she is healthy her stay will be fairly short. Medical intervention will only be done if she is unwell or tests positive for something.

 

[rose2015]

@lilkittyfam
I'll try to find a vet in Melbourne who can offer more advice, although I'm assuming you will fly to Sydney for quarantine & customs. Thought it's worth a mention that you may not be able to import your cat's current food, there are strict custom rules about this as well (sorry). Only approved manufacturers and their ingredients are allowed to import into Australia. You will need to declare any cat food you may be carrying (and please be prepared it may be seized). Also, was just thinking, can you test kitty for rabies before leaving? If she was found to be positive upon your arrival, they may euthanise her or at the very least send her back. Not trying to freak you out, just want you to be fully prepared and everything to go smoothly for you & kitty. Xoxo