How to relocate Tilica?

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Andreea&Tilica

Andreea&Tilica

Member Since 2017
Hi all,
I return after a month during which I have not posted because of busy schedule and the travels. I hope you and your kitties are fine. Tilica feels good considering that one year after diagnosis, his values are still high and the bounce is the same. His urea is great due to dehydration, but otherwise he remains within ranges.
On the other hand I will relocate soon to UK.
The problem is that it is very difficult to transport him because the UK does not receive animals by air. They are companies specializing in international animal transport, but I do not think he would resist,In addition they do not ensure the presence of a veterinarian on the board. The journey takes more than 48 hours......
I could take him by bus, so I could monitor him but he will definitely be very scared and I do not know what problems might occur.
Has anyone passed through a similar experience?
 
Hmm, where are you locating from? I work at a veterinary clinic, and we assist people traveling by air from the US to the UK quite often. It requires a health certificate (and some other requirements from the US since we had Rabies here), but it’s defibitely an option to fly.

Will you be traveling with Tilica if you travel by bus? Could you possibly speak to your vet about something to help with traveling? We find Gabapentin works well in kitties to calm them down for stressful vet visits or traveling. I would definitely recommend using Feliway.
 
Andreea said:
The problem is that it is very difficult to transport him because the UK does not receive animals by air.
Click to expand...
They won't let the cat travel in the cabin with you. But I think they will transport him on the plane. When we relocated to Spain. We flew British airways, and George traveled on the same plane, but in the hold in an area dedicated for pet travel.

The UK are pretty strict on vaccination, he will have to be up to date with his vaccines.

Here's a link to approved airlines and entry routes

Here is the UK government website with the info you need to make sure Tilica can enter UK on arrival.
Tag me if there's anything you don't understand.

Here's another site with info
http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/UnitedKingdom.cfm

When we transported George we handed him to a company that was based near the airport, they came and picked him up before the removal men arrived, he was boarded with them, they had a vet who certified he was fit to travel, then they checked him in and he was handed over to Gatwick authorites, they have vets and vet nurses working at Gatwick airport, we were checked in o the same flight as George and the staff at Gatwick phoned me to let me know he was doing ok, they have kennel facilities at Gatwick so he was let out of his travel crate so he could use the litter box and drink. Before we boarded we saw George get carried on into the hold.
We then picked him up at a warehouse at Malaga airport once we had cleared customs, it all went quite smoothly.

Of course he was not diabetic at the time. I'm not sure how that would have been handled???

Have you thought about driving him there yourself? You should be able to find pet friendly hotels along the way. If you cross on the shuttle(train/tunnel) you will be in the car with him at all times. On a ferry you will probably have to leave him on the car, but you cannot stay in the car with him once the ferry sails.
 
Tasha & Darwin said:
We find Gabapentin works well in kitties to calm them down for stressful vet visits or traveling. I would definitely recommend using Feliway.
Click to expand...
They don't allow the use of sedatives when travelling in Europe, at least that's what I was told, but they did use feliway with George, who's an awful traveller, he coped a lot better than I thought.
 
Gill & George said:
They don't allow the use of sedatives when travelling in Europe, at least that's what I was told, but they did use feliway with George, who's an awful traveller, he coped a lot better than I thought.
Click to expand...
That's interesting. I know they don't allow it at all if a pet is travelling without the pet owner, but if they will stay with their owner; sedation is allowed (in the US). I know more about travelling from US to elsewhere. Would it not even been recommended to use sedation/anti-anxiety meds if she were travelling with him by bus?
 
Tasha & Darwin said:
Would it not even been recommended to use sedation/anti-anxiety meds if she were travelling with him by bus?
Click to expand...
Not sure. Problem might be on entry to UK, if ani!Mal looked groggy from sedation they may hold him for longer or refuse entry if they felt he was an infection risk. The UK is very strict with animal travel.
 
Hi Andreea,

Congrats on relocating to the UK and many happy wishes to your new home there!

@Gill & George gave your invaluable advise on travel, I support it completely and thank her for taking time giving such an insightful reply! (post #6).

The biggest problem - and danger, as I see the situation, is the government guidelines which often change/ update without due warning.

Not to scare you but to be well informed you may want to read this post about a couple loosing their cat in travel due to the local bureaucracy. All of that could have been avoided with inquiring about the travel rules prior to booking their flight sits. Again, it is not to scare or to worry you - but to alarm you to the unexpected whilst traveling. Best of luck to you , your family and of course to Tilica!
 
I took Neko from Canada to the US and back twice, once by car and once by air. The car trip was three days long each way. In addition to the Feliway, I also used Rescue Remedy for pets. She hated car trips before that trip, but got much better after that. I also had her favourite bed in the car, plus litter box, which she would only use when we stopped the car for gas or food. If you have a car or can rent one, I would recommend that over a bus.

Do get a Health Certificate from the vet and whatever else any country in between needs, as well as the UK. I also got the vet to write a letter describing her medical conditions and medicines needed so I didn't get any hastles about bringing those. Keep the cat litter in it's original bag - I had it in a smaller bag and that caused the most questions of all. Opioid drugs and syringes, no problem - cat litter, the alarms went off. :rolleyes:
 
Tasha & Darwin said:
That's interesting. I know they don't allow it at all if a pet is travelling without the pet owner, but if they will stay with their owner; sedation is allowed (in the US). I know more about travelling from US to elsewhere. Would it not even been recommended to use sedation/anti-anxiety meds if she were travelling with him by bus?
Click to expand...

I'm told that the problem with such drugs is that there might be a dangerous lowering of blood pressure. Perhaps there's not a big chance of it, but I never wished to take a chance. I've traveled extensively with my pets, and never used anything. Some cats were fine in the car - I took frequent stops, and the kitty litter was under the dashboard at all times. But some howled until I let them out of the carrier, or just opened the door. That seemed to work miracles in calming them.

I found air travel to be less difficult than a car trip, but my cats were always able to be in the cabin with me. Just my experience, of course.
 
my 2 cents...
I have been using any carrying this product in my grooming salon and it has helped many many pets..
It helpful for a multitude of things and 1 of the main things is anxiety...

https://canna-pet.com

I your interested I would be happy to assist in any way I can.
My 18 and 19 year old seniors are doing very well as well as many of my rescue dog clients for anxiety.
My kittys seem to benefit from the arthritis relief and a bit more social and relaxed sleeping much better.
:bighug:
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Opioid drugs and syringes, no problem - cat litter, the alarms went off. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
When I went to get my kittens in Kansas City, I took a small plastic box with kitty litter in it. That was what they zeroed in on at security! They had to take it out and test it. The cans of cat food didn't bother them, just the litter. Go figure! This was all in the US, of course.

We brought two cats back to the states with us from UK. They had to travel in the cargo hold. We did give them something to relax them. This was 30 years ago, so rules may be different now. By the time we picked them up in LA, they were wide awake.

Good luck with your relocation, Andreea. I hope all goes smoothly, for you and Tilica.
 
Gill & George said:
They won't let the cat travel in the cabin with you. But I think they will transport him on the plane. When we relocated to Spain. We flew British airways, and George traveled on the same plane, but in the hold in an area dedicated for pet travel.

The UK are pretty strict on vaccination, he will have to be up to date with his vaccines.

Here's a link to approved airlines and entry routes

Here is the UK government website with the info you need to make sure Tilica can enter UK on arrival.
Tag me if there's anything you don't understand.

Here's another site with info
http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/UnitedKingdom.cfm

When we transported George we handed him to a company that was based near the airport, they came and picked him up before the removal men arrived, he was boarded with them, they had a vet who certified he was fit to travel, then they checked him in and he was handed over to Gatwick authorites, they have vets and vet nurses working at Gatwick airport, we were checked in o the same flight as George and the staff at Gatwick phoned me to let me know he was doing ok, they have kennel facilities at Gatwick so he was let out of his travel crate so he could use the litter box and drink. Before we boarded we saw George get carried on into the hold.
We then picked him up at a warehouse at Malaga airport once we had cleared customs, it all went quite smoothly.

Of course he was not diabetic at the time. I'm not sure how that would have been handled???

Have you thought about driving him there yourself? You should be able to find pet friendly hotels along the way. If you cross on the shuttle(train/tunnel) you will be in the car with him at all times. On a ferry you will probably have to leave him on the car, but you cannot stay in the car with him once the ferry sails.
Click to expand...

Thank you Gill, my problem is I want to bring him to UK, not to transport him out of UK. I check all the companies and all of them told me that it willbe possible to take him only by cargo airplane.
As for the travel documents he has passport, microchip and he was vaccinated for rabia according to the international legislation.
I'm not drive my car I 'm thinking about on a bus with me . He is a very anxious cat when I take him for arrive t the vet he starts meowing loudly and he dosn't like sitting in the cage so I let hi ree in the car.
 
Tasha & Darwin said:
Hmm, where are you locating from? I work at a veterinary clinic, and we assist people traveling by air from the US to the UK quite often. It requires a health certificate (and some other requirements from the US since we had Rabies here), but it’s defibitely an option to fly.

Will you be traveling with Tilica if you travel by bus? Could you possibly speak to your vet about something to help with traveling? We find Gabapentin works well in kitties to calm them down for stressful vet visits or traveling. I would definitely recommend using Feliway.
Click to expand...

Hi Tasha, I am living in Romania about 2500 km from UK. He has got all the dcuments in place, he was vaccinated for Rabies. In Romania we have Kamvet the brand name for calming animals but with him doesn't work. It is natural product based on valerian. I have to do a check to find out if there is Feliway here.
 
jayla-n-Drevon said:
my 2 cents...
I have been using any carrying this product in my grooming salon and it has helped many many pets..
It helpful for a multitude of things and 1 of the main things is anxiety...

https://canna-pet.com

I your interested I would be happy to assist in any way I can.
My 18 and 19 year old seniors are doing very well as well as many of my rescue dog clients for anxiety.
My kittys seem to benefit from the arthritis relief and a bit more social and relaxed sleeping much better.
:bighug:
Click to expand...
Thahks a lot. I would be glad for you to asist me. I don't know how I mantein him calm for over 48 hours by bus. In Romania we haven't cana pet if you could tell how impacts on him and his diabetic condition.:bighug:
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I took Neko from Canada to the US and back twice, once by car and once by air. The car trip was three days long each way. In addition to the Feliway, I also used Rescue Remedy for pets. She hated car trips before that trip, but got much better after that. I also had her favourite bed in the car, plus litter box, which she would only use when we stopped the car for gas or food. If you have a car or can rent one, I would recommend that over a bus.

Do get a Health Certificate from the vet and whatever else any country in between needs, as well as the UK. I also got the vet to write a letter describing her medical conditions and medicines needed so I didn't get any hastles about bringing those. Keep the cat litter in it's original bag - I had it in a smaller bag and that caused the most questions of all. Opioid drugs and syringes, no problem - cat litter, the alarms went off. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I have to take him by bus because I 'll be alone and I can't drive the car and take care him at the same time. My husband will leave in a few days....Tilica hates the car too , he is very anxious for only a couple of miles . Every time I have to teke him out from the cage. I am afraid that he will refuse to use the litter in the bus on in the car.
to take him by ait it's imposible because UK does not allow animals to be introduced by air. About the documents, all is ok. I am more anxious than him, propably Ishould to reduce the insulin during the travel and let him eat whatever he likes.
 
Tanya and Ducia said:
Hi Andreea,

Congrats on relocating to the UK and many happy wishes to your new home there!

@Gill & George gave your invaluable advise on travel, I support it completely and thank her for taking time giving such an insightful reply! (post #6).

The biggest problem - and danger, as I see the situation, is the government guidelines which often change/ update without due warning.

Not to scare you but to be well informed you may want to read this post about a couple loosing their cat in travel due to the local bureaucracy. All of that could have been avoided with inquiring about the travel rules prior to booking their flight sits. Again, it is not to scare or to worry you - but to alarm you to the unexpected whilst traveling. Best of luck to you , your family and of course to Tilica!
Click to expand...

Hi Tanya, it is a great challenge for me as well as for him.
As I already said by plane it 's impossible because UK doesn't allow to bring animals by air. You can take animals out by air from UK but you can't introduce the,
It would be possible only by cargo airplane, wothout me on board.:bighug:
 
Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey said:
When I went to get my kittens in Kansas City, I took a small plastic box with kitty litter in it. That was what they zeroed in on at security! They had to take it out and test it. The cans of cat food didn't bother them, just the litter. Go figure! This was all in the US, of course.

We brought two cats back to the states with us from UK. They had to travel in the cargo hold. We did give them something to relax them. This was 30 years ago, so rules may be different now. By the time we picked them up in LA, they were wide awake.

Good luck with your relocation, Andreea. I hope all goes smoothly, for you and Tilica.
Click to expand...
Thanks Tricia, This is a problem I can take him only by cargo airplane and I am afraid for his life. UK doesn't allow to bring animals by comercial fly. I read that the cats may have serious respiratoy problems during the fly and the vet confirmed. If he should be in the cabin with me it would be easier.:bighug:
 
Kathy and TiTi said:
I'm told that the problem with such drugs is that there might be a dangerous lowering of blood pressure. Perhaps there's not a big chance of it, but I never wished to take a chance. I've traveled extensively with my pets, and never used anything. Some cats were fine in the car - I took frequent stops, and the kitty litter was under the dashboard at all times. But some howled until I let them out of the carrier, or just opened the door. That seemed to work miracles in calming them.

I found air travel to be less difficult than a car trip, but my cats were always able to be in the cabin with me. Just my experience, of course.
Click to expand...

Thanks Kathy, unfortunatly UK doesn't allow to bring animals by comercial fly, it would be an option to take him by cargo flight but I 'm afraid abouthis condition, As far as know respirary problems may appear and nobody is there to help him.
I am afraid too to administer strong drugs for anxiety but I ahve to do something to calm him because he became very agitated when he travell by car.
 
Andreea said:
Thanks Kathy, unfortunatly UK doesn't allow to bring animals by comercial fly
Click to expand...
This is not right, you can take him on a passenger plane, but he will not be in the cabin with you he will be in the hold
This link, lists all the passenger airlines that are approved for transporting pets into the UK (cat, dog , ferret)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...nt-of-pets/approved-air-routes-for-pet-travel

We traveled with British Airways regular scheduled flight to Malaga, George was on same flight, but in the hold, we saw him get on our plane.
British Airways sister company handle the animal transport, ie they look after your animal while he is travelling, physically putting him on the plane etc.

From the BA website
Other pets and emotional support animals
All other pets, including emotional support animals, will need to travel in the hold as cargo but don’t worry, your furry friends will be just as comfortable in the carefully controlled environment.

All our cargo is handled by our sister company, IAG World Cargo. They have decades of experience transporting animals and will look after your pet as if it were their own.

Here is a company that arranges pet travel into uk from lots of different countries into the UK by air.
http://www.petravelagent.com/Inbound.html
(I can't see a Romanian city in their list, but it says you can contact them if you don't see your preferred city)

When we moved to Spain, we got the pet travel company to book Georges flight then we booked seats on the same flight, so we all flew together.

I'm not sure who has told you that he is not allowed to enter by air, but they are not being truthful with you.

Make sure your bus is going to enter in through an approved route if that's what you prefer to do, the link to the government site also gives you the approved sea routes. Not all points of entry into the UK will allow you to have a pet cross the border.

ETA I should add that when they are in the hold they are not in the same compartment as bags, they are in a special area designed for the transport of live animals. George did really well, had no adverse effects at all, I was really worried to, he has a heart murmur, and he gets car sick (poo and vomit) if he's in the car for 20 min:rolleyes:, yet when he arrived at malaga, he was clean and in very good spirits, go figure.
 
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Andreea said:
I have to take him by bus because I 'll be alone and I can't drive the car and take care him at the same time. My husband will leave in a few days....Tilica hates the car too , he is very anxious for only a couple of miles . Every time I have to teke him out from the cage. I am afraid that he will refuse to use the litter in the bus on in the car.
Click to expand...
Neko also hated to travel by car. She was anxious for the first 1/2 hour, then calmed down. The second trip, part of it I had to drive alone with her. I booked hotels along the way that were pet friendly and drove about 8 hours a day then stayed where I was until starting driving again the next day. When I stopped for lunch or gas, I would test her. Or if I thought I needed to, I would pull over and test her and feed her. Most of the time she just hung out in her carrier, but the door was open if she wanted to wander the car. Pee pads are wonderful. So are towels and wet wipes and plenty of garbage bags. Definitely lower the dose for the trip.
 
Since hubby is going before you and Tilica is there any way he could locate a vet at final destination in the UK that may be able assist with getting everything ready for entry and possibly be a liaison to help any issues thst may arise? Maybe have hubby hand carry a copy of all medical records and vaccines to them?
 
LizzieInTexas said:
Since hubby is going before you and Tilica is there any way he could locate a vet at final destination in the UK that may be able assist with getting everything ready for entry and possibly be a liaison to help any issues thst may arise? Maybe have hubby hand carry a copy of all medical records and vaccines to them?
Click to expand...
Thanks for support, I'm very anxious. Surely he will look for a vet who can help me. I'll five him all his medical records including a copy of this spreadsheet. Tilica is a very rebellious and nervous cat . There were 3 failled attempts to get blood tests although he was previously given calming pills. Three people immobilized him in order the vet to draw blood.
 
Andreea said:
There were 3 failled attempts to get blood tests although he was previously given calming pills. Three people immobilized him in order the vet to draw blood.
Click to expand...
Sounds like my Gizmo :eek:. He is lovable and calm at home and a complete terror at the vets. He leaves the techs bloody every visit. :facepalm:
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Neko also hated to travel by car. She was anxious for the first 1/2 hour, then calmed down. The second trip, part of it I had to drive alone with her. I booked hotels along the way that were pet friendly and drove about 8 hours a day then stayed where I was until starting driving again the next day. When I stopped for lunch or gas, I would test her.
Click to expand...
I found a company that operates cargo transport, I'm waiting to mail me the details, but I don't know if he resists the flight conditions. There are specialized companies that transport vehicles authorized for animal transport which told me they could get insulin but I do not trust them that monitor him properly, and that they will follow my advice. The other cat that I have will be transported with this company, because has no health problem,he is more compliant than Tilica.
 
Gill & George said:
This is not right, you can take him on a passenger plane, but he will not be in the cabin with you he will be in the hold
This link, lists all the passenger airlines that are approved for transporting pets into the UK (cat, dog , ferret)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...nt-of-pets/approved-air-routes-for-pet-travel

We traveled with British Airways regular scheduled flight to Malaga, George was on same flight, but in the hold, we saw him get on our plane.
British Airways sister company handle the animal transport, ie they look after your animal while he is travelling, physically putting him on the plane etc.

.
Click to expand...
Thanks Gill for the useful information. I found a cargo company and which has to send me the details. I saw Tarom (our national company) on the list ,but the flight is only from Bucharest. I would fly to Bucharest about 1 hour. I'm thinking of any healths problems caused by the flight conditions , stress and diabetes.
I keep studying all options so that I can make the best decision for him. Unfortunately, Romania is not US or UK......
 
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