Any recent pet movings from the UK?

[Bug&Bug 147]

Hello all, the thing that freaks me out most about this whole inmigration thing is fliying my cats.

 

Adding covid and flight cancelations and what not is stressing me enourmously.

 

Has anyone moved pets recently and can give me some info on how they did it, the experience, etc?

 

Thanks!

[JeanneAdil 6,504]

Years ago i flew a dog and i went to the Vet first and he gave me a medicine / said it would help the animal get thru the ear popping (same as with people and babies crying when the plane ascends )

the animals do quite well if they have been use to traveling in a container

also make sure the cats have had protective shots like a rabies shot

and it is important you relax yourself as all animals feel the emotional fear we express

 

and i let my dog free in the car and didn't put him into the container till i got to the airport as it a long wait time and flight

BTW   i had to go to a special designated area to pick up the animal (a total different building)

Edited November 14, 2020 by JeanneAdil

[Liam&Lizz 36]

there are pet transport services that take care of all that for you. They aren't too expensive but it will cost to have your furry friends brought over. I googled "pet flight service" and similar services. Be sure to have a regular check up with your vet and get the necessary vaccines (for dogs I know they require several titre tests before hand and a dewormer within 48 hours). they will probably also need a "pet passport"; sounds funny I know but many countries require it. I know that going from US to UK the passport required a certificate from the department of agriculture to obtain it. Start with your vet and the pet transport services they can tell you exactly what it will entail paperwork wise and give you a ballpark idea of the cost. The penalty for failing to fulfill these steps could mean a 6 month quarantine in a state run facility.

 

Good Luck and Cheers!

[corntop 129]

I will be moving in the new year with my 2 cats, so I share your anxiety. 

 

I haven't booked anything yet as I'm just beginning my arrangements after getting my visa in hand, but I had a quote pre-pandemic from PetAir UK. I'm not sure if anything has particularly changed with COVID since flights are still flying but I guess I will find out when I request an up to date quote! 

 

They have a "gold" service that provides everything so it's pretty expensive, but I'd rather pay it as it includes pick up from your house to transport to airport, a stay in kennels if required, and pre-flight health check paperwork etc. I just have to arrange for them to be seen by my local vets in advance to make sure they are up to date with annual vaccinations and also get a rabies shot (not always required for cats in certain states so check for yours, but seems like a good idea to have it either way).

 

There are other similar companies that do the same thing and they usually have Trustpilot pages so you can read reviews and other pet-parent experiences.

 

This is honestly one of the things that will be the most stress-inducing for me as well. The risks give me a lot of anxiety and I will be worrying so much about them, but I know a lot of other pets have managed it, so I just try and force myself to focus on the end result because I know they will be happy once they're back with me and my wife and starting their new life alongside us. 

 

[Dags 134]

On 11/14/2020 at 2:36 PM, Bug&Bug said:

Hello all, the thing that freaks me out most about this whole inmigration thing is fliying my cats.

 

Adding covid and flight cancelations and what not is stressing me enourmously.

 

Has anyone moved pets recently and can give me some info on how they did it, the experience, etc?

 

Thanks!

hey I will be moving with my dog  (Labrador) and using one of the company to help me out with all the planning and sorting the journey. they're not stupidly expensive and super helpful  

https://airpets.com/

[Arrowword 12]

On 11/14/2020 at 2:36 PM, Bug&Bug said:

Hello all, the thing that freaks me out most about this whole inmigration thing is fliying my cats.

 

Adding covid and flight cancelations and what not is stressing me enourmously.

 

Has anyone moved pets recently and can give me some info on how they did it, the experience, etc?

 

Thanks!

My cats have just been picked up 2 hours ago to start their journey over to Atlanta.

 

We have gone with Petair and they have been fantastic so far. It’s not cheap, but the service has been great so far (touch wood).

 

After we booked, the BA flight they were due to go on was ‘cancelled’. Petair were brilliant in helping us find alternatives - we looked at Miami and DC. But, it then transpired that BA had cancelled the commercial flight, but were still flying the plane as a cargo flight and our cats could still go.

 

(Side note: One thing we have learned is that some planes, I think newer ones, have a different way of loading the pets onto the plane. So instead of entering from the side, the nose of the plane lifts up and the crates are pallet loaded onto the plane. However, for some unbeknownst reason, this will double the cost of shipping them?! We managed to avoid this, as the BA flight didn’t use this plane, but if we chose Miami, it would have).

 

They were picked up today by a lovely duo who really put my mind at ease. They bought the specially built crates and left me to it to put them in there. They have now driven them down to their place near Heathrow where they will be checked over by a vet, looked after tonight and loaded onto the plane tomorrow. 
 

We just had to make sure they had their vaccines all up to date and provide the company with those records. We also erred on the side of caution and got their rabies done, even though this is not needed for the state of Georgia. They didn’t need a pet passport. 
 

My wife will be picking them up at the other end and the instructions for that are clear and easy. She doesn’t go to the airport arrival terminal, its a separate building that you can drive straight up to and it’s easy to put your pets in the car.

 

Don’t know if any of that helps, but I would say this has been the most anxious and worrying part of the move for us. I think that’s pretty natural.

 

 

 

[Robyn-n-Kris 72]

On 11/16/2020 at 12:37 PM, Arrowword said:

My cats have just been picked up 2 hours ago to start their journey over to Atlanta.

 

We have gone with Petair and they have been fantastic so far. It’s not cheap, but the service has been great so far (touch wood).

 

After we booked, the BA flight they were due to go on was ‘cancelled’. Petair were brilliant in helping us find alternatives - we looked at Miami and DC. But, it then transpired that BA had cancelled the commercial flight, but were still flying the plane as a cargo flight and our cats could still go.

 

(Side note: One thing we have learned is that some planes, I think newer ones, have a different way of loading the pets onto the plane. So instead of entering from the side, the nose of the plane lifts up and the crates are pallet loaded onto the plane. However, for some unbeknownst reason, this will double the cost of shipping them?! We managed to avoid this, as the BA flight didn’t use this plane, but if we chose Miami, it would have).

 

They were picked up today by a lovely duo who really put my mind at ease. They bought the specially built crates and left me to it to put them in there. They have now driven them down to their place near Heathrow where they will be checked over by a vet, looked after tonight and loaded onto the plane tomorrow. 
 

We just had to make sure they had their vaccines all up to date and provide the company with those records. We also erred on the side of caution and got their rabies done, even though this is not needed for the state of Georgia. They didn’t need a pet passport. 
 

My wife will be picking them up at the other end and the instructions for that are clear and easy. She doesn’t go to the airport arrival terminal, its a separate building that you can drive straight up to and it’s easy to put your pets in the car.

 

Don’t know if any of that helps, but I would say this has been the most anxious and worrying part of the move for us. I think that’s pretty natural.

 

 

 

Good to read a current review for petair.  We just signed up to use them for our 3 cats in December. 

[Arrowword 12]

5 minutes ago, Robyn-n-Kris said:

Good to read a current review for petair.  We just signed up to use them for our 3 cats in December. 

Ours arrived yesterday and they are absolutely fine! It all went smoothly. Only issue we had was at the pick up and that was nothing to do with Petair. 
 

Petair advised we called Atlanta airport desk and asked any questions we had about collection and they were very helpful. Informed us we had to pay a small handling charge (which we knew) and we could pay once we got there. Anyway, once we got there, turns out we couldn’t just pay we had to use the website. The website wouldn’t load on our phone and ended up having to drive to a gas station and doing a money order. So, my advice would be if you know you have to pay a handling fee, check with the airport exactly how it needs to be paid. 
 

The crates they make the cats are fab, really sturdy and the foam padding means if they have to have a wee whilst in it, they stay dry and the puppy pad beneath soaks it up. Both cats are doing great and settling in  

[Bug&Bug 147]

On 11/16/2020 at 12:37 PM, Arrowword said:

My cats have just been picked up 2 hours ago to start their journey over to Atlanta.

 

We have gone with Petair and they have been fantastic so far. It’s not cheap, but the service has been great so far (touch wood).

 

After we booked, the BA flight they were due to go on was ‘cancelled’. Petair were brilliant in helping us find alternatives - we looked at Miami and DC. But, it then transpired that BA had cancelled the commercial flight, but were still flying the plane as a cargo flight and our cats could still go.

 

(Side note: One thing we have learned is that some planes, I think newer ones, have a different way of loading the pets onto the plane. So instead of entering from the side, the nose of the plane lifts up and the crates are pallet loaded onto the plane. However, for some unbeknownst reason, this will double the cost of shipping them?! We managed to avoid this, as the BA flight didn’t use this plane, but if we chose Miami, it would have).

 

They were picked up today by a lovely duo who really put my mind at ease. They bought the specially built crates and left me to it to put them in there. They have now driven them down to their place near Heathrow where they will be checked over by a vet, looked after tonight and loaded onto the plane tomorrow. 
 

We just had to make sure they had their vaccines all up to date and provide the company with those records. We also erred on the side of caution and got their rabies done, even though this is not needed for the state of Georgia. They didn’t need a pet passport. 
 

My wife will be picking them up at the other end and the instructions for that are clear and easy. She doesn’t go to the airport arrival terminal, its a separate building that you can drive straight up to and it’s easy to put your pets in the car.

 

Don’t know if any of that helps, but I would say this has been the most anxious and worrying part of the move for us. I think that’s pretty natural.

 

 

 

This is so useful!! Thanks!!

 

I contacted them last week and they have told me my route is not taking pets right now because of covid. So there is that. Guess ill wait and if no flights come up ill have to find some flight + long drive options.

 

Did your furballs arrive well and how angry are they?

[Arrowword 12]

3 hours ago, Bug&Bug said:

This is so useful!! Thanks!!

 

I contacted them last week and they have told me my route is not taking pets right now because of covid. So there is that. Guess ill wait and if no flights come up ill have to find some flight + long drive options.

 

Did your furballs arrive well and how angry are they?

Yes, they arrived all safe and well and surprisingly not angry! We have little scaredy cats, so worried we’d get the cold shoulder for a while but they were fine and have settled quickly. 
 

I hope you can find a solution to get yours over!

[corntop 129]

15 hours ago, Arrowword said:

Yes, they arrived all safe and well and surprisingly not angry! We have little scaredy cats, so worried we’d get the cold shoulder for a while but they were fine and have settled quickly. 
 

I hope you can find a solution to get yours over!

Can I just ask, did you fly out on the same flight as your cats or did you arrive after them? You mentioned your wife was picking them up so I was just wondering if you have to prove you have a visa as well to be able to send them over before you get there. Thanks

[Robyn-n-Kris 72]

On 11/18/2020 at 9:09 PM, Arrowword said:

Ours arrived yesterday and they are absolutely fine! It all went smoothly. Only issue we had was at the pick up and that was nothing to do with Petair. 
 

Petair advised we called Atlanta airport desk and asked any questions we had about collection and they were very helpful. Informed us we had to pay a small handling charge (which we knew) and we could pay once we got there. Anyway, once we got there, turns out we couldn’t just pay we had to use the website. The website wouldn’t load on our phone and ended up having to drive to a gas station and doing a money order. So, my advice would be if you know you have to pay a handling fee, check with the airport exactly how it needs to be paid. 
 

The crates they make the cats are fab, really sturdy and the foam padding means if they have to have a wee whilst in it, they stay dry and the puppy pad beneath soaks it up. Both cats are doing great and settling in  

Good to read,. We've gone with them but have had them arrange someone to get them from Houston and transport them to us over in Round Rock. It cost extra but makes it easier.

[Arrowword 12]

6 hours ago, corntop said:

Can I just ask, did you fly out on the same flight as your cats or did you arrive after them? You mentioned your wife was picking them up so I was just wondering if you have to prove you have a visa as well to be able to send them over before you get there. Thanks

No, they flew on their own. I was in the UK for the pickup and my wife was in Atlanta for their arrival. When booking with Petair we had to provide a copy of My wife’s passport and visa. 
 

I’m joining them all on Tuesday 🤗 

[Arrowword 12]

1 hour ago, Robyn-n-Kris said:

Good to read,. We've gone with them but have had them arrange someone to get them from Houston and transport them to us over in Round Rock. It cost extra but makes it easier.

Yes, I bet it does make it easier. We thought about having them picked up at the airport and then dropped to us by an agent, but we don’t live that far from the airport, so my wife was happy to go get them.

[Robyn-n-Kris 72]

26 minutes ago, Arrowword said:

Yes, I bet it does make it easier. We thought about having them picked up at the airport and then dropped to us by an agent, but we don’t live that far from the airport, so my wife was happy to go get them.

Ya if it was closer I would have gone, but it is over 3 hours away.