Husband bringing his cat

[robinanis 77]

Off topic,lol my husband will soon being coming from tunisia. He has a cat, how do we go about bringing smokey too? Will it be an issue for hubby to immagrate along with bringing the cat?

[TBoneTX 46,126]

*** Thread moved from Off Topic forum to the Moving to the US forum. ***

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

Shouldn't be a major issue:

1. Make sure the cat is vaccinated, especially against rabies.

2. Check with your airline what is required, well in advance; most airlines will only allow a certain number of dogs and cats per flight, and only in the hold of the plane. Some airlines will not fly cats in the middle of summer or winter, as the crate with the cat may be on the tarmac for some time and it could be too hot/ cold for the animal.

3. Be sure to purchase a large enough, sturdy crate (again, the airline can advise)

4. Talk with your vet about the cat flying; the vet may be able to prescribe a mild sedative.

[lacolinab13 86]

I just moved a cat from South America to the US. My research turned up that there were no federal requirements for cat vaccinations, it all depends on the state where the cat is going. However, I chose to err on the side of caution and get a certificate of vaccination, including rabies, and a health certificate (required by the airline). The airline asked to see these, but no one at customs in the US did - they just looked at the cat and waved me through.

Definitely call the airline to find out how they take pets (in cabin or in cargo) and what sort of health certificate they require. Many airlines allow cats in the cabin, but you have to book and pay for them ahead of time. Make sure you get a carrier that is the right dimension if the cat will go under the seat. I highly recommend a hard-sided carrier. My cat absolutely freaked out and basically tore through the soft-sided carrier, and I had to desperately try to contain him during the flight. It was incredibly stressful.

My terrible local vet gave me a sedative that was almost a mild anesthetic - sort of conked the cat out, but did nothing to alleviate his extreme anxiety and panic. He was howling the whole time, tearing at himself and the carrier. I think some of the benzos (kittie valium) work much better at calming down the cats. My cat recovered quickly once he arrived though and is enjoying his new life in the US!

[Chris and ZhiJia 146]

It's worth noting most carriers prohibit pets in the cabin on Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific flights, some airlines allow this, most do not. It would be wise to contact the specific airline your husband will be flying on for more details, as well as the partner airlines if there are any plane changes.

[Pitaya 2,577]

http://www.visajourney.com/content/bringing-animals-to-america

[cherryL 1]

hi ! I brought my cat from France to USA, here's the story :

http://fromhometothere.blog.com/2016/02/05/travelling-with-a-cat/

[robinanis 77]

Thank you for the info ! Very helpfull,and i hope sardine has been enjoying america!

[cherryL 1]

Thank you for the info ! Very helpfull,and i hope sardine has been enjoying america!

She is fine now ! happy kitty ! I hope it will go well for you too ! The worst for them is the flight :/

[amicablebride 25]

Off topic,lol my husband will soon being coming from tunisia. He has a cat, how do we go about bringing smokey too? Will it be an issue for hubby to immagrate along with bringing the cat?

I moved from Canada and we drove with my cat. He enjoyed the road trip and getting a bed to himself in the hotels we stayed at :-). The people at the border didn't even care to look at his rabies papers. But, that might be because it's just Canada. As long as your cats' rabies shots are updated, that should be good enough.

[awaywego 28]

We flew our cat internationally. We looked up reviews of airlines beforehand and chose one that seemed reasonably pet friendly, talked with them to find out their requirements from the vet and for transport, and booked her passage as soon as we had our seats. As others have said, you'll also want to check whether the state requires, e.g., documentation of rabies vaccination or certificate of good health.

We also did a number of things to try and make the flight less uncomfortable (for her and for us). We chose the most direct flightplan. We also set the carrier out for a couple months before the trip so she would get used to it as part of her territory, occasionally coaxing her inside with treats. She was in the cabin with us for the flight, and we put a blanket from home over part of the carrier so that she had more familiar smells and to help keep her warm on the cold airplane floor.

[tamcloud 92]

Have him put something in the carrier that holds his scent - like a sweatshirt that's been worn a few times. This seemed to help our cats any time they had to be transported in a carrier.

[Lainie B 465]

Sedatives are usually not recommended by airlines, pet transport companies or vets. Many airlines prohibit sedated pets. Sedatives will make the animal less able to react if there is turbulence or the crate is bumped around when being loaded or unloaded, and this can result in injuries. Pets can have unexpected reactions to sedatives, especially at high altitude - they can interfere with breathing and heart functions.

http://www.petrelocation.com/blog/pet-travel-expert/no-sedation-when-flying-pets

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Traveling-with-Your-Pet-FAQs.aspx

[Cathi 5,784]

It's worth noting most carriers prohibit pets in the cabin on Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific flights, some airlines allow this, most do not. It would be wise to contact the specific airline your husband will be flying on for more details, as well as the partner airlines if there are any plane changes.

this is not true, most airlines do allow small dogs, cats and other small animals in the cabin for overseas flights. I have seen it many times on my many trips abroad.. there are even posters in this thread who have done so

Edited April 7, 2016 by mimolicious

[UnaMexicana 153]

You might want to contact VJer GirlfromCelebes who took her cats with her from Indonesia I think... she might have some good advice.