Moving 2 cats and 1 dog from UK to USA

[MandyLouDarling 0]

Hi,

Please don't thrown rotten food at me.

I know there is LOTS of info on this forum about moving pets from the UK to the USA but, I'm overwhelmed by it all and I hope it's ok I post.

Firstly, we want to save on costs by importing our pets on our own. We are moving to the US the first week of June. Location isn't 100% as we are HOPING my DH bags a job before we go (he already has been approved to live/work in the US) however, if he doesn't it is likely we will end up in Texas.

We have two cats under the age of 8 and a 14 month old dog. I am aware that they need to be up to date with injections, micro-chipped (?) and have a fit to fly certificate.

However, can someone clarify WHEN these things need to be done before we fly our on June 1? Also, is there a link that shows which vaccinations are needed by state ie, rabbies etc? My vets have no information on moving pets to the USA.

I cannot seem to find a clear answer on the pet carrier sizes either.

Thanks in advance!

[PallasAthena 101]

Usually it is within 10 days before your flight. Pet size carriers depend on the airlines. Sometimes you can put two of the same species in one carrier if they are under 25 lbs. Which airline are you flying?

[rjm_cmyk 75]

You need to look up the import of animals for the state you intend travelling to. In my case California, there were the usual jabs needed with rabies being a requirement once I got here as the UK is considered rabies free but it's a requirement here. As it was all I did was get the jabs upto date plus rabies dones a month or so before travelling. On top of that the airlines will have their own requirements which vary slightly but you will certainly need a fit to travel check and certificate from a vet which is normally a few days before travelling. You also need to consider that some airlines / airports do no allow inbound transport when it gets really hot....

I paid the extra to get a company to manage the whole shipping process. As I was also moving out the day before flying I reallllllllyyyyyy did not want to worry even more about my dog. It was not cheap but it was money well spent.

[Cam54 84]

I also used a company because I was so stressed at the idea of putting my cat baby on a plane that I needed the help! But that cost like 900pounds so with three pets I imagine that's not an option for you so Il just tell you what I know,

the vaccinations can be done anytime leading up to the move (as long as ofcourse it isn't more than year in advance)

the fit to fly has to be done within 7 days I believe

there will be some hoop jumping when they land so even though you'll be exhausted from the flight you may need to drive to multiple buildings to collect your babies so should maybe look into hiring a car unless theres someone there to pick you up. I hear Virgin are lovely when you do it yourself, keep you updated on plane, British airways only let you do it through a pet travel agency (like I used)

I moved my cat baby over last month and hes absolutely fine, he was scared ofcourse but there horrors I were imagining weren't the case. In terms of pet carrier sizes your pet needs to be able to lie down comfortably and turn around. are your cats just regular size adults? my cats crate was custom made by the pet travel agent and is 24 inches deep, 20 inches tall and maybe 15 inch wide

[Caryh 5,206]

Rabies vaccine must be at least 30 days before traveling.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/55/~/pets---dogs,-rabies-vaccines

http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/dogs.html

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/56/kw/pets

http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/cats.html

Anything else is the local laws of the state you're moving to, and the airline's requirements.

You don't mention what breed your animals are. The airlines will not carry some breeds that have shortened snouts.

An example of airline's restrictions

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/animals/restrictions.aspx

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/pets/pet-requirements-restrictions.html

http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/specialAssistance/travelingWithPets.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=pets

[rjm_cmyk 75]

CDC rules don't stipulate a requirement for rabies shots prior to arrival from countries considered rabies free which applies to the OP.

Individual state requirements may vary of course. I did do it - as I wanted her covered in CA.

[Caryh 5,206]

CDC rules don't stipulate a requirement for rabies shots prior to arrival from countries considered rabies free which applies to the OP.

Individual state requirements may vary of course. I did do it - as I wanted her covered in CA.

Its still a good idea to get the rabies vaccine in the USA. I think most locations require it, if not on the state level, at the local government level. The USA is not a rabies free country, and there's other nasties like heartworm in dogs and feline leukemia in cats.

I think the biggest problem bringing pets into the USA is not so much what our government requires, but what the airlines require.

[MandyLouDarling 0]

You all are great. Thanks for the replies and links. We have decided to fly them on our own instead of going with a pet service. Will have a pet boarder collect them from the airport for us and board them for 3-5 days while we find a home to rent.

I will go ahead and get them rabies vaccination to be in the safe side. It's a little up in the air which stet we are moving to at the moment despite us moving in June. (Mainly depending on if DH gets a job before we flight out from the uk to the US.

[MandyLouDarling 0]

Will I need to get my dog and two cats a pet passport when relocating to the USA from the uk?

[Cam54 84]

Will I need to get my dog and two cats a pet passport when relocating to the USA from the uk?

nope no passport just rabies vacc, it was 50pounds for my cat when I got it but I think I got a discount as was on a special plan with vets. If you go with a pet transport person ul be looking at about 3000pound for ur 3 pets so yeh probably more practical to do yourself as long as youre confident in sorting out the paperwork

Edited April 13, 2014 by Cam54

[Boiler 46,128]

Is it not hot in Texas in June?

[Cam54 84]

Is it not hot in Texas in June?

that's a point, check theres not an embargo on pet transport in that month, hopefully its restricted to certain times of day rather than the whole entire season

[Caryh 5,206]

that's a point, check theres not an embargo on pet transport in that month, hopefully its restricted to certain times of day rather than the whole entire season

most airlines do the whole season. You can look up the dates they will not transport pets in cargo on their web site.