# Advice on pets



## jc&jh (Nov 19, 2007)

Hello all,
My girlfriend and I are considering a move to Australia (Sydney) and our currently looking at the considerable ordeal of moving our two dogs with us. Our primary concern is the lonnnnng flight constrained to a crate without relief. We're curious how many people have done this with their pets and how it went? overall feelings? advice?
Thanks in advance for your replies!

-jeff & jackie


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

jc&jh said:


> Hello all,
> My girlfriend and I are considering a move to Australia (Sydney) and our currently looking at the considerable ordeal of moving our two dogs with us. Our primary concern is the lonnnnng flight constrained to a crate without relief. We're curious how many people have done this with their pets and how it went? overall feelings? advice?
> Thanks in advance for your replies!
> 
> -jeff & jackie


How old are they? Our cat made the journey here to Spain at age 10 and the stress was too much for it. It became jumpy and died 2 months later. Our neighbours dog made a similar journey aged about the same and it also died within a short time frame


----------



## Akatrin (Nov 17, 2007)

plus, remember the six months or so quarantine... I'm doing the journey in reverse and have come to the difficult decision to leave my cat (who is my usericon) with relatives. She's an experienced flyer and has spent time on the east and west coasts of Australia (~5 hour journey), but I don't think she could handle nearly 24 hours travel.


----------



## cmallon (Aug 20, 2007)

jc&jh said:


> Hello all,
> My girlfriend and I are considering a move to Australia (Sydney) and our currently looking at the considerable ordeal of moving our two dogs with us. Our primary concern is the lonnnnng flight constrained to a crate without relief. We're curious how many people have done this with their pets and how it went? overall feelings? advice?
> Thanks in advance for your replies!
> 
> -jeff & jackie


Hi,

Sorry to add to the negative points, I'm sure there are people who have taken there pets and they have been fine, but we were thinking of taking our dog with us and our vet advised against it if we had someone that we knew would be able to look after him for us. He is a 7 year old staffordshire bull terrier, they get easily distressed, and the vet said that although he would get over the stress of the flight and would probably be fine if we had someone we knew would care for him then we should leave him. The considerable cost was another factor, we were quoted between £1700 and £2500 to get thim there and you then have $800 quarantine costs on top of that. We obviously just want what is best for our dog and after looking at everything we have decided to leave him with my partners mum and dad. It is going to be just as difficult saying goodbye to him as it will be our other family but at least we know he will be well cared for.
I hope you find the solution that is best for you all.


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I moved my two cats from the US to Germany, and they did fine on the trip. I found a company that handles shipping of animals (from pets to large zoo animals) and they had all sorts of information about the various airlines, the requirements for crates, and stops en route.

However, there was no quarantine to worry about, and it's in quarantine that I've heard some real horror stories. The worst part is that if you move two animals together, they will keep them quarantined together - and if one dies in quarantine for any reason, they have to put the other animal down. That's what made up my mind NOT to try and take my cats to the UK when I went there. Left them at home with the renters (for rent, house, fully furnished complete with cats). Not the best solution, but for a fairly short-term arrangement, it worked.
Cheers,
Bev


----------



## golde (Jul 14, 2007)

We brought our two labradors over (aged 8 and 9) in 1997. Quarantine was fantastic as were shipping staff. Both dogs survived to the age of sixteen! and seemed to love Australia.If you want more details of shippers etc. just ask.


----------



## Loeske17 (Nov 22, 2007)

*askin*

hey,

here's me asking! hehe. I want to take my cat with me very badly. found him in a box at 1 week and he survived against all odds, so he's like my baby. he'll be about 8 when we would leave, but i'm so worried about him. he's so attached to us i don't want to leave him, but i'm also really worried about the quarentine and flight. if he gets some attention he'll live with the 30 day quarentine, but what about the 22 hour flight from the netherlands?? can i drug him for that long? i'm most worried about the 4-9 hour lay over... i don't get to see him do i? some more info would be great!

thanks


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Whatever you do, don't drug him for the flight!!! The animal shipment people I used in the US said that it was more dangerous to drug a cat than to send him "strictly sober." High altitude can do funny things to drugs in a cat's system and there are some cats who get hyper from commonly used "tranquilizers."

Google "pet transport" and see if you can find a pet transport or pet relocation service in your area. Or ask your vet if they know of such a thing. They exist and they can take much of the anxiety out of the process (for you and your cat).

The place I used (in San Francisco - 15 years ago) could even book your pet on a different flight, if they thought that the transfer or holding services at another airport along the way were better than where your flight was landing.


----------



## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

Hey, never mind if all else fails, you could always get a pet lizard!!!

Apparently it's quite common!!!


----------



## cmallon (Aug 20, 2007)

Bevdeforges said:


> Whatever you do, don't drug him for the flight!!! The animal shipment people I used in the US said that it was more dangerous to drug a cat than to send him "strictly sober." High altitude can do funny things to drugs in a cat's system and there are some cats who get hyper from commonly used "tranquilizers."
> 
> Google "pet transport" and see if you can find a pet transport or pet relocation service in your area. Or ask your vet if they know of such a thing. They exist and they can take much of the anxiety out of the process (for you and your cat).
> 
> The place I used (in San Francisco - 15 years ago) could even book your pet on a different flight, if they thought that the transfer or holding services at another airport along the way were better than where your flight was landing.


I agree with this post. All of the carriers that we got quotes from actually said that we were not allowed to use any tranqullizers because of the dangers involved.


----------



## Akatrin (Nov 17, 2007)

and for most Lizards and Snakes you need a licence.


----------



## Loeske17 (Nov 22, 2007)

*thanks*

thanks so much. yeah i just thought he's such a scardy-cat (i think he's the reason they made that word up), it could be less traumatic for him. but i will in any case go to the vet and make sure i can do what's best for him. and yes my boyfriend would love some lizards, but i'm taking my cat! Plus i don't think that would be a good combination....


----------



## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

Hi loeske17, yeah your'e probably right about bad combinations between cats and lizards. I understand about a license for lizards and snakes, i'll defo be looking into that one (lizards not snakes), i know lots of people keep lizards in their garages etc. to fight off super mutant spiders etc. (see how my paranoia forces me to exagerate terribly).

Good luck with your cat. meow


----------



## Loeske17 (Nov 22, 2007)

thats not an overstatement! i've seen pictures, they really are super mutant! that, plus snakes and deadly creepies in the ocean, like jellyfish...remind me why i want to move to australia? haha. hm by the sound of it my cat won't make it very far. he's a big fan of chasing stuff, which only entails flies and the occasional pigeon (if he's lucky) here in holland. i can already see him going after poisonous crawlers...
well at least he'll have had a place where he can stroll around outside, instead of having the notion that my balcony is what constitutes "the great outdoors". housing is SERIOUSLY cheap...


----------



## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

I have to agree about the housing, it's the scale of the property you are getting in Oz, we are going to be able to afford a healthy sized 4 bedroomed with a pool! Here that would cost you an arm and a leg, and maybe more!!!

Why am i moving to Oz? hm i do ask myself that question over and over (especially when i see the size of the crawlers etc). then the large house and sunshine leaves me standing daydreaming with a happy smile all day!!!


----------



## Loeske17 (Nov 22, 2007)

Yeah... so true... especially if i look out the window here and see rain..and rain...and rain...oh and wind!

Hm a pool i have not yet found, but all the properties we can afford are seriously huge (compared to what we have here). and some of those houses are so CUTE you'd wanna pinch their cheeks if they had any...

Hey where exactly are you moving, have you decided yet (cuz you havent moved yet right)? We were all for Perth, but now we're also looking at Brisbane and Melbourne, because the isolation factor with Perth got in the way and jobs are more plentyful in my line of work in the bigger cities...


----------



## carter8838 (Dec 5, 2007)

*moving dogs to aus*

_Hi all 

I’m in the process of transference from the UK army to the Aus army, and have been told as long as your pet has a pet passport and all jabs up to date then they don’t have to go into quarantine as the UK has not got Rabies.. This is from the Home office and the Aus authorities... anyone know any different id like to here as I have 2 staffies aged 11 & 2_


----------



## ricardo blue (Jun 6, 2007)

jc&jh said:


> Hello all,
> My girlfriend and I are considering a move to Australia (Sydney) and our currently looking at the considerable ordeal of moving our two dogs with us. Our primary concern is the lonnnnng flight constrained to a crate without relief. We're curious how many people have done this with their pets and how it went? overall feelings? advice?
> Thanks in advance for your replies!
> 
> -jeff & jackie



Hi guys,
My parents had the same problem when trying to take their pets to Canada.
There was so much red tape that at one point it seemed highly unlikely they would ever be allowed to take them! That was when they stumbled across this site on the web Home it really did speed up the whole process, and within no time they were sitting in front of the fire alongside my parents.

Hope this helps...


----------



## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

I am running into this problem as I type  I am bringing my dog over there (it's a permanent move so I'm not leaving her here). I had blood drawn for the rabies titre in late October, only to find out this morning that the lab wasn't able to process it for some reason! So I have to have it drawn again, and now the clock restarts  So it'll be another month and a half that we'll have to leave her here in the US with my parents.


----------



## Loeske17 (Nov 22, 2007)

Sorry Not your post! the one before. I atleast got a link to a page about taxidermy. I was very excited about maybe getting some new info on how to make it easier to bring my cat, but got that instead. though theoretically is IS easier of course, i didn't really find it very funny. I don't know about you, but i'm moving in a year and already dreading having to put him on that flight. But i removed the post cuz it's not necessary... just a strong reaction i had.


----------



## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

ah, I didn't see the link in the post above mine! Yeah, that's cheeky...

We're moving out there in January and I was so frustrating this morning to learn that it'll be an extra six weeks before we can import our dog because of some error with the bloodwork  I'm dreading the flight for her too, but the people I've spoken to who have imported dogs from place to place all say that they were far more stressed than their pets were! So that's good news, I suppose 

By the way, what country are you coming from? There are a lot of places in the US that specialize in animal shipping and I know of one in the UK that my friend swears by (she imported her dog from England to Saudi Arabia, no easy feat I imagine)


----------



## ricardo blue (Jun 6, 2007)

Loeske17 said:


> Sorry Not your post! the one before. I atleast got a link to a page about taxidermy. I was very excited about maybe getting some new info on how to make it easier to bring my cat, but got that instead. though theoretically is IS easier of course, i didn't really find it very funny. I don't know about you, but i'm moving in a year and already dreading having to put him on that flight. But i removed the post cuz it's not necessary... just a strong reaction i had.


guys, I was only teasing....sorry if I offended anyone 
Hope you get your cat over there hassel free .... and safe & sound.

p.s if I find out anything sensible I will let you know.


----------



## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

ricardo blue said:


> guys, I was only teasing....sorry if I offended anyone
> Hope you get your cat over there hassel free .... and safe & sound.
> 
> p.s if I find out anything sensible I will let you know.


s'okay with me

tensions run pretty high when we're thinking of uprooting and moving halfway around the world, particularly if Fluffy is planning to come along... If you see the NINETEEN PAGE document from the AQIS website about the process, you'll understand the frustration! arrrrrgggghhhh!!!


----------



## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

Loeske17 said:


> Yeah... so true... especially if i look out the window here and see rain..and rain...and rain...oh and wind!
> 
> Hm a pool i have not yet found, but all the properties we can afford are seriously huge (compared to what we have here). and some of those houses are so CUTE you'd wanna pinch their cheeks if they had any...
> 
> Hey where exactly are you moving, have you decided yet (cuz you havent moved yet right)? We were all for Perth, but now we're also looking at Brisbane and Melbourne, because the isolation factor with Perth got in the way and jobs are more plentyful in my line of work in the bigger cities...


Hi loeske17, we are moving to Brisbane in Sept o8 - hopefully!!! can't wait, done a lot of research and Brissie seems perfect for us.


----------



## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

ricardo blue said:


> guys, I was only teasing....sorry if I offended anyone
> Hope you get your cat over there hassel free .... and safe & sound.
> 
> p.s if I find out anything sensible I will let you know.


up to your old tricks again i see ricardo, did make me giggle though!!!!


----------



## Apotheosis (Nov 7, 2008)

digging up an old thread here...
coming from US to AUS within 6 months. have a 60 lb dog and 12 lb cat. of course we understand the risks and costs...but would love to hear the experiences of others (as detailed as possible!). there is no way, whatsoever, that we are moving without our pets.


----------



## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

hi, have you already started the process of getting rabies titres etc for your pets? If you're planning to arrive within six months and you haven't started, you're behind so start now! If you have, where are you in the process?


----------



## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

Hi there Apotheosis,

Where are you going to be moving to? If you're coming over within 6 months, you'd better check that the quarantine station has room for your pets, so I'd actually give them a call if I were you. 

There are quarantine stations in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. I know when we were booking in our dog into Melbourne, availability was looking dodgy so it was a strong possibility that she would have had to have been flown to Sydney and then flown onto Melbourne....luckily it worked out OK, but just bear that in mind.

Bringing Cats and Dogs and other pets to Australia - DAFF

We used the Melbourne quarantine station and they were fantastic.

Dolly


----------



## Apotheosis (Nov 7, 2008)

we will be most likely moving to sydney. the problem is we don't know any exact dates yet. i think once we know when we will be moving then i can inquire with the facility there.

there is also a chance that my brother can 'babysit' our dog for a while...if a delay is required. i will discuss this possibility with him soon.


----------



## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

We were told that Sydney is good for availability almost all the time as it's the biggest station so I wouldn't worry too much about getting your pets in there.

Dolly


----------



## Apotheosis (Nov 7, 2008)

what is the timeline in regards to payment? do you pay the fees up front, or afterward?


----------



## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

Hi,

I guess it will depend on the company you use. We paid a deposit when we booked our dog with the company and the paid the final balance when we took her to them.

Dolly


----------



## Apotheosis (Nov 7, 2008)

ok thanks, Dolly. That's what I figured, actually.

New question! We have been searching and searching for apartment rentals that allow pets....but pretty much 100 per cent of them do not mention allowing pets. Are there any rental units that allow pets? Are there certain suburbs of Sydney that have more pets that would make our search a bit easier?


----------



## sryn (Jan 19, 2009)

This post might be a tad late for some but just wanted to share my experience with moving my two cats (aged 8.5 and 1.5 years) from Chicago to Melbourne a couple of months ago, that might be of some help.

The quarantine rules for Australia certainly is stringent, and I recall having many a worried a night about the details and timeline of all the requirements, gosh I'm glad I'm over that!

For anyone who is considering bringing their pets over, the cost is certainly a huge factor (all vet costs, application, agent fees, quarrantine, etc set us back around USD$5000), plus considering the stress that you might be causing your pets, so if you're in the position of affording the money, time and effort that goes into this, then good luck!

I did most of the initial paperwork and bloodwork myself to save some money and later on used a IPATAI accredited pet mover (I highly recommend Pet Express, which is based in San Francisco and specialize in pet moves to Australia and NZ), because I didn't want to have any errors with the actual permit application and airline bookings. Visit their site as even if you don't use them, they have good advice and FAQs about the matter.

I'm so glad I used them as they were really helpful with answering questions even before I signed them on, caught some mistakes that my vet made in the paperwork, and was really familiar with airline timing routes (my cats got booked on a flight that transited through NZ, which you'd think would be a longer route, but turned out to be the shortest crate time due to the FDA's office hours). Also, both my cats have medical conditions, so it was a great relief to have reliable professionals as liasons between the vets, during their transport and the quarantine station.

Some things that we tried to do to ease our cats' journey was to buy the proper airline-approved crates (we got slightly bigger crates, which cost a bit more to transport, but offered more comfort for their long trip) months in advance, and to get the cats accustomed to eating and sleeping in it as early as possible. Our rationale was that the crate(s) would then be familiar and safe to them from the scary ride, rather than something that they would frantically try to break out of.

Also, I tried to keep things very calm through the transition since animals sense trouble, so even up till the point when I was in my empty Chicago apartment living out of my suitcase, the cats had their 'things' (their crate and toys) and didn't really pick up on any tension.

I could go on forever, but all in all, when I finally saw my kitts at the Spotswood Quarantine after their long journey (they had to be boarded in San Fran for 1 week prior since there weren't any openings at Quarantine yet), they were a little scared but after they saw me and we cuddled, they were fine. In fact, I was really surprised at how well adjusted they both were and they absolutely love their new life here in Australia!

Having said that, I also met other families who brought their cats over:

- One lady brought two cats from Germany and had bad luck with her pet mover who messed up a flu shot requirement, and so she had to pay quite a bit to have AQIS call in a vet for it. 
- Another couple had 3 cats from the UK, two of which fell sick from the stress and they too had to have vets called in, which is a significant additional expense. 
- Another couple of cats from Spain were quarantined but their owners lived in Sydney, and so they were just so scared and confused because they didn't have 'their people' visit them. We're not allowed to touch/feed other people's cats, so it was really sad not being able to comfort them.

Phew! Sorry for the long post, but I thought that might be helpful. 

PS: Most rentals won't advertise that they allow pets as they'd prefer you not to. Our hardest part was finding an apartment rental, period! It's very competitive in the major cities apparently, with people bidding on the rent and paying months' worth upfront. Most places don't really have an issue with cats though, and if they are anti-pets, would mention it so. Dogs would be much harder to accomodate, as with apartment living in any major city.


----------



## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

Apotheosis said:


> ok thanks, Dolly. That's what I figured, actually.
> 
> New question! We have been searching and searching for apartment rentals that allow pets....but pretty much 100 per cent of them do not mention allowing pets. Are there any rental units that allow pets? Are there certain suburbs of Sydney that have more pets that would make our search a bit easier?


Hi there,

From what we found, it's all down to the landlord. You could offer a bigger deposit than is being asked (I was also going to suggest we get all the carpets cleaned as well but that's a given in your rental contract anyway). Or offer that the agent come to inspect every couple of months instead of every 6 months.

Dolly


----------



## ozzyhopefuls (Jan 13, 2009)

we are planning on taking three dogs with us and though using an agent is very expensive it is worth every penny. Just remember the thousands of people who have done it before you!


----------



## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

ozzyhopefuls said:


> we are planning on taking three dogs with us and though using an agent is very expensive it is worth every penny. Just remember the thousands of people who have done it before you!


Hi there,

Welcome to the forum.

As you are bringing your 3 dogs with you, just make sure that the local council OKs having your 3 dogs in your residence. 

Normally only 2 dogs in a house and 1 dog in a unit are allowed (you'll need a multiple pet permit), but if you give the Council a call they will send a ranger round just to check that they are happy with the space for the dogs. I recently phoned a council to ask about this and was told that having more than 1 dog in a unit (for example) is pretty commonplace, so don't worry about it.

Dolly


----------



## anthonyg (Jul 14, 2008)

*pet advice*



jc&jh said:


> Hello all,
> My girlfriend and I are considering a move to Australia (Sydney) and our currently looking at the considerable ordeal of moving our two dogs with us. Our primary concern is the lonnnnng flight constrained to a crate without relief. We're curious how many people have done this with their pets and how it went? overall feelings? advice?
> Thanks in advance for your replies!
> 
> -jeff & jackie


Hi jackie & Jeff
Reading your concerns about bringing your pet I am so passionate also about my two little dogs (ages almost 3 years each - brother & sister) that I do feel for you. I used Pet Air UK to ship my guys and they are fantastic. We left a month before our dogs so our dogs had to get use to living with very good friends without us. Pet Air UK visited them, did all the paperwork and health checks and sorted out quarrantine this end. It was completely hassle free for us so all we had to do was sit back and worry once we arrived this end (and of course miss them like hell for a whole month). They arrived and were in quarrantine. We got to visit them and to tell you the truth that was the hardest part of all - having to leave them there. The month felt like a year but alas the time came and we were able to bring them to their new home - so very pleased we did it. We were told that it was not a pretty sight when they got off the flight - sickness and diarrohea in a confined space (well you can just imagine!) Apart from my boy dog having psycological problems for the first month (not being able to leave him alone) he soon bounced back and both enjoy life here far more than the UK. It would have been like leaving part of me if I had to leave them behind - just couldn't do it and so pleased we didn't give up on them! Obviously age will play a major factor in all this! Oh and by the way - we did hear two days after they landed here in Sydney that their Quantas flight had to make an emergency landing due to power failure - so very pleased we did not hear that at the time! Good luck with your decision - I know it is a very hard one, but as for the expense - worth every penny!


----------

