People are taking pets overseas for vacation or a permanent move more than ever. A savvy traveler offers tips for success
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Whether you’re moving to a new country or simply visiting for a few weeks or months, taking a pet along requires planning and patience.
Quarantine is rarely required, not even in the United Kingdom, but mandatory vaccinations, parasite treatment and paperwork are musts. It’s also important to be aware of travel requirements to certain countries. For instance, animals can’t travel in the cabin on flights to the U.K. unless it’s by private jet -- out of reach financially for most of us -- but generally they can on flights into European Union countries.
Debby Bradford, currently living in Melbourne, Florida, traveled with her dog Dazzle in the U.K. and Europe for four months last year, and in May they’re moving to Portugal. She has advice for others contemplating overseas travel with their pets.
Her first tip: “Stop asking strangers on Facebook for advice.” Instead, go to the source: the USDA-APHIS website (www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel), which has everything you need to know for each country you’re planning to visit, including required microchips and vaccinations, finding a USDA-accredited veterinarian to do the paperwork, and the timeline for completion and approval of paperwork before travel. “Once you’re on the website, choose what country you’re going to, see what is required and check the list of veterinarians in your state authorized to do the paperwork. It’s just that easy,” she says.
Bradford knew she wanted to go to the U.K. first and that pets weren’t permitted on flights into the country, so she made a reservation 18 months in advance on the ship the Queen Mary 2, the only way besides private jet that animals can enter the country directly. While it’s not necessary for humans traveling on the ship to reserve that far ahead, it has only a limited number of highly coveted kennels for pets. It can take up to two years to get a pet reservation, although cancellations can move you up the wait list quickly. Flexibility is a must.
A Queen Mary crossing is not as expensive as you might think. Bradford, who describes herself as a budget traveler, says passage for herself and Dazzle was about $3,000. “I always get the cheap room, but I’m eating the same food and seeing the same shows,” she says. “Airfare is about $2,000, but on the Queen Mary, you get a nice seven-day vacation with gourmet food and shows.”
Bradford and Dazzle could hang out for up to eight hours a day at the kennel, and Bradford was impressed by the level of care pets received from the kennel masters. “If something happened to me and somebody wanted to give my dog to one of the kennel masters, I’d say yes. They are absolutely wonderful.”
Taking pets into a European Union country such as France, which I did myself seven years ago (uexpress.com/pets/pet-connection/2017/08/07), has similar requirements for microchips, vaccinations, parasite preventives and paperwork, but can be done by air -- if your pet fits in a carrier beneath the seat. Medium-size to large dogs must fly cargo, which most people prefer to avoid. Airlines such as La Compagnie allow pets up to 33 pounds in the cabin. Other times, people with large or multiple pets put together private jet charters that don’t limit pets by size. They find each other on Facebook groups such as Chartered Air Travel With Pets.
To visit the U.K. from France, it’s necessary to hire a pet taxi to escort your pet through the Chunnel or take a ferry as walk-on passengers, which is how Bradford and Dazzle returned to the U.K. for their passage home.
One important thing to consider is whether your pet will enjoy traveling (fearfreehappyhomes.com/taking-your-dog-check-with-him-first) or be prepared for a flight. We provided tips for preparing for a flight in a previous article: uexpress.com/pets/pet-connection/2017/05/22.
The bottom line? “It’s not that it’s complicated,” Bradford says. “You just have to pay attention to the little details.”
Q&A
Living with
unaltered pet?
Q: Do I really need to get my kitten fixed? What if I want her to have kittens when she’s grown?
A: I’m guessing you’ve never heard the sounds made by a female cat in heat.
The caterwauling -- the noise of which is up there with a panther scream or a heavy metal band -- goes on day and night for what seems like forever. Unaltered males are just as loud and obnoxious, especially when two or more of them are fighting for the favor of a receptive female. Your female’s scent goes out through the neighborhood, and males from all around will gather beneath your window to serenade her.
Living with an intact cat -- female or male -- isn’t pleasant. Even if they’re indoor cats, when females are in season or males catch the scent of an amorous female, their only goal is to escape and roam in search of a mate. They’re clever and quick, and all too often they succeed in their escape and mating attempt, disappearing for days and eventually -- or not -- returning with bite wounds from fights or a litter of kittens in their womb.
Males will start spraying your home with their incredibly stinky urine to mark their territory and ward off potential invaders. Kittens as young as 4 or 5 months old can go into season and become pregnant, so it’s not as if they’re going to wait until they’re physically mature or you’re ready for that litter.
If you’re prone to kitten fever, my advice is to start volunteering to foster litters of kittens for your local shelter or cat rescue group. They need your help to save lives. You get to enjoy the fun of having kittens around and then send them off to live happily ever after with their new families.
Here’s more about fostering: uexpress.com/pets/pet-connection/2022/06/06. --Dr. Marty Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Lilies highly
toxic to cats
-- Spring has sprung and Easter is coming up, so it’s time for our annual warning about lily toxicity in cats. Bouquets that contain species such as Asiatic, Easter, stargazer, tiger and day lilies can be deadly to cats. All parts of the flowers are toxic, including pollen, as is the water the flowers are in. Cats who ingest them can end up in the hospital with kidney failure or even die. Say thanks but no thanks to lilies in your house or garden, and give them to a friend or relative without cats. Learn more here: uexpress.com/pets/pet-connection/2016/03/21.
-- Canine behavior experts say you can build a stronger bond with your dog by sharing a long, loving gaze to boost levels of the calming hormone oxytocin and reduce stress; speaking to your dog with a high-pitched voice or singing to them; taking your dog on pet-friendly errands (unless they’re prone to car sickness); snuggling together or playing; teaching new tricks; and having special daily or weekly rituals. Find out more in Stacey Colino’s article here: wapo.st/3TxwsMm.
-- Cat lovers will enjoy the new book “How To Train Your Human: A Cat’s Guide,” by Barbara Capponi and translated by Katherine Gregor with charming and elegant black-and-white illustrations by Italian illustrator Andrea Ferolla. The entertaining yet humbling feline view of humans has chapters that include advice for cats on acquiring a human (“Seduction”), rituals and habitat. It also addresses such important topics as communication (purring and other vocalizations as well as body language), setting boundaries, rewarding humans for good behavior and feeding (of the cat, naturally). An introductory chapter on human anatomy notes that a human’s most successful body parts are hands, saying “... once your specimen is trained, you will realize the countless advantages a couple of human hands at your service can bring you.” -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.