Cats: what to do if we go abroad?

Question

We have two cats, one 8 yrs and one 9 yrs old. We are planning on moving abroad, to Italy, at some point in the future (probably 4 or 5 years). We are concerned about what to do with our cats. Do we put them through the stress of such a long move (presumably by air)? Would they be sedated by a vet? Or do we leave them with someone, probably until they die?

Answer 1

If you are currently in the UK (I'm assuming you are since I doubt many americans would go to italy) then you can take the cats out of the country BUT please be aware you will not be able to bring them back without them being isolated in quarantine for 6 months.

Your cats 8&9 would be 12-13 in 4 or 5 years time. This isn't all that old for a cat but it is certainly reaching maturing age.

Moving any animal by air is always a sedation job by the vet. The vet will have to sedate the animal with enough tranquiliser that the animal will be unconscious for several hours. Please note that as with all living creatures this itself is very risky. Also note that if the animal should wake up prematurely in the cargo hold of an aircraft (where it's also cold and extremely noisy) the shock may very well kill the animal(s).

You COULD.. leave them with friends or relatives however this is also a drastic and shocking change for your animals. Cats don't like change a great deal (like any living creature they need to feel security and love).

This is my best bit of advice however you will need to do some research about border controls etc: Drive to Italy with them. One of you should remain in the back seat of your car with them to keep them calm and reassure them when they get nervous/start meowing frantically. Cats don't like travelling by car a great deal but its certainly the better option than taking them by air - which could see them dead. Airlines do not allow animals in the passenger section - they are always transported with the cargo/luggage. If you do decide to drive with them, you must check the rules for each country you wish to travel through about the rules for transporting cats through their borders. Remember they have to control rabies just like the UK.

If you CAN and DO decide to drive with your cats, try to play some soothing music on the car sterio through the trip. ALSO practice taking them out several times before you do the big trip. By this, I mean take them out in the car at weekends for 2 or 3 hours so that they start to get used to travelling. Start with a 20 minute journey and each weekend increase it by another 20 minutes. This will climatise your cats to the atmosphere of travelling in your car. This is very important as travelling in a car for the first time (especially on a very long journey) is normally very stressful for a cat.

Also stop EVERY 1.5 to 2 hours (ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM). Put a Dog-lead on them (I would however recommend a proper cat harness which fits around their front legs as cats CAN escape collars/leads) and allow them out of the car for 10 mins to get some fresh air and calm themselves down. Also (if in a car park) put a litter box on the ground for them to do their biz (but try to stop in the country where they can dig around in some grass - DO NOT LET THEM OFF THE DOG LEAD FOR THIS. If you are going to do this, KEEP THEM ON A LEAD AT ALL TIMES WHEN OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. Do not open the car doors unless they are in a cat transport box, or secured to the car (by lead) somehow. While travelling, consider holding the cat box to the window so that the cat can see outside - it's very boring for them to look at a car door handle for hours on end.

Consider allowing the cats to have free roam in the boot of your car (if it is an estate car). Put up a cage behind the back seats so that they cannot getout and distract the driver. Make sure tht they have plenty of water and some small amount of food (not much food otherwise they might poop in the car and that WILL distract the driver). Everytime you take a break give the cat a treat - bit of chicken, turkey or tuna. Give the cats a lot of attention too to reassure them and keep them calm.

Cats generally are not portable animals unless you do it correctly. One of my deceased relatives once had a cat that they used to take on holiday in a camper van every year - the cat loved it BUT it had been trained in a way that it got used to travelling - It was not thrown in at the deep end.

If you decide that driving them is not for you, then try a test flight of 1 hour - say london (Gatwick or heathrow) to somewhere close like Manchester (or even luton but I would say thats too short). Have them sedated for the flight and then see how they react at the other end when they are off the plane. If they have coped well then you might consider the Italy flight. If they don't then rule out flying. Also be prepared for your partner to pick you up at the other end in the car just incase you cannot fly them back.

While I don't really like the idea of recommending a practice travel with your cats, I feel that for a move to Italy it is required so that you can assess how your cats cope with travelling. A stressed cat can bolt (run) very quickly and you will have a devil of a job ever finding it again. Whatever you decide to do, please think about your cats feelings. Cats (while not good with travelling) prefer to stay with the owner(s) that they have known and loved for many years rather than be re-homed to someone else in new surroundings (which is often the cause of them getting lost - trying to find their way home to YOU).

Whatever you decide, good luck. If you want further advice, click my profile (the 'J' link) and contact me from there.

J

Answer 2

That depends, onbviously in 4 or 5 years your cats will be 12-14 years old. You can apply for the PETS scheme which you can find info from on the defra website. This option is a great deal easier than quarantine, as your cats would have to be placed in a quarantine centre for 6 months and can be really stressful for you and your cats as well as expensive.
The only other option because of your cats age, would be to place them in a rescue centre such as the Cats Protection where they can find your cats a new home together.
Basically I think its up to you on how well your cats would react to either quarantine and then flying over to Italy or just flying to Italy in itself.