Bringing cats to Spain

[Steve&Yvonne]

Hi

I am looking for some advice about bringing cats from the Uk to live in Spain. Is this common? Are there problems? Is it easier to do it yourself or pay a specialist to bring them over? Do they deal with the weather well? Are they subject to pirate cats - a reference to living in inner city Hull with a cat!

Thanks

[patricia]

They will be fine. I have friends who have brought their cats over, one 15 years old and she adapted well, and loves the sun in the winter. There are diseases here that your cats will need to inoculated against ie Leukemia, Feline Peritonitis (think that's how you spell it!) Toms are better off neutered and females spayed. If you are driving bring them over in the car obviously in a pet traveling container. There is a very good vet in Torre del Mar who is a cat vet - Caroline, she loves cats and knows how to deal with them

[spanish_lad]

we paid, well.. i paid 80 quid per animal, 2 cats and a dog to have injections and passports and all that.. we got to the tunnel..and said "ohh we have animals, do you want to check the paper work and see that they are properly in cages etc?" "no mate, you got any illegal imigrants in there??"

so i wouldn´t bother, unless ur really worried about it

[kexon]

There is a first class vet in competa,name of jens klausen,no longer have his full address,but ask around in the village where he has a second surgery,he is well known,and has over 30 years experience.Only thing to watch out for is the processionary caterpillars,they can be lethal,info available on the internet,our elderly cat loved spain,especially the sun in the winter.

[katy]

My daughter brought a cat out here about 10 years ago. Came with Iberia and they let her take the cat in the cabin, she has a great time here, still catching lizards etc. Must be about 14 now but seems much younger.

[catmad]

Has anyone moved cats used to living and roaming on a farm in to a build up area? How did they settle in? Any problims?

[FionaR]

Cats and dogs are easy to bring across. Get the pet passport from your local vet, as long as they have current vaccines including rabies (the diseases mentioned by someone previously were the same as the Uk, and are what are vaccinated against here and in the UK) If you aren't wanting to take them back to England you don't need to have the blood test. So all it will cost is the passport (10GBP ish) vaccines and travel!

It's true what they say though, they aren't exactly on the ball with checking paperwork, but is it really worth the risk of having your pet quarantined?

And cats live the life of riley out here in Spain, basking all day in the sun!! However there are hundreds of strays out here, so if you are a cat lover you'll probably have added to your collection within a few months!!! The vet clinic I work at has had a steady stream of kittens since April!!! We've homed them all tho! If you're wanting a kitten at the mo we have a 3 months grey male with abbysinian markings (absolutely beautiful) free to a good home at Animal Hospital Costa del Sol (952885595) in Estepona!! Sorry never one to miss a homing opportunity to those that are reading!!!!

Back to the main issue hope this helps, people bring cats out here and take them back to the Uk all the time, it's becoming more and more common!!! Fiona

[Susan Davies]

Hello all. I have a half share in a rural property near Seville and looking forward to moving permanently in October. I have 2 beautiful cats who I love dearly and always intended that they move with me (they will adore the sunshine)but have found out that the farm building right next to the property is a fully working farm. I dont mind that but am worried that the (vicious) farm dogs may attack my cats. Im so worried that Im thinking about trying to rehome them in the UK - I would never forgive myself if they were savaged. Any thought on this??

[Susi]

We have six dogs (not by choice!!) of varying sizes and temperaments and two cats. The bravest one of the lot is the little kitten who jumps all over the biggest dog and bites its ears. Nor does it fear the sheep and goats that go past, or their dogs.

The only thing that we have to worry about is the eagles - we have had two kittens taken by them.

[campo babe]

We have two cats and we have been here for 3 years. We are always nervous when the locals come near our land with their hunting dogs and guns. We usually try to keep them in at such times and usually make sure they are in when we go out anywhere. The cats have been chased by a number of dogs on a couple of occasions but have made it back home to safety.

We thought we were being over cautious, but on a visit to the village last Sunday evening we encountered an old lady who was very upset. Her cat had been savaged by a large dog and was lying in the road dead. This brought home to us the fact that you can never be too careful.

[chrisuk]

Cats brought up in a town or city adapt to any change, the problem however comes when a rural cat is brought into a suburb situation, there's lots of cars, if they stray into a garden with dogs there could potentially be a problem, cats genreally adapt well as I have found in the past from rural to town and vice versa, its the cars that will kill the moggy most of the time.

I would honstly say the Pet passport is the right way to go, my two dogs all in all came to £125, that include the micre chip, the rabies injection and the passport, my usual vet wanted £50 per pass port alone, excluding the chip or rabies so I promptly found another vet £98 saving, shop around, proofs in the pudding

Cheers

[spanish_lad]

seriously, why would you want to ?

sentimental value??

its around 80 quid per cat... to bring them from the uk.

and theres hundreds of thousands running about here wild already.

if you have cats in spain, garenteed you´ll get given kittens within a year. cants are vermin, the spanish dont keep them. if they see an english person with cats you´ll come home one day to a box of kittens on your doorstep.

bring them if you like, its up to you. we did.. before we knew about cats in spain. we came with 2, now we have 7

just come over and get a kitten over here ?

[Susi]

Not true. We have had Spanish mothers bringing their children to our door to ask for a kitten (much to the disgust of my son who thinks we should keep everything).

[spanish_lad]

*cough* tourist *cough*

[chrisuk]

Not true. We have had Spanish mothers bringing their children to our door to ask for a kitten (much to the disgust of my son who thinks we should keep everything).

You should put a sign on your door and advertise them as Native Spanish wild cats, then sit back and wacth the brits arrive in their droves and take to it, like when I still tell people in South Africa we used to have Elephants come to our back door in the suburbs of Johannesburg, it still get a good laugh cos they actually believe me, I wont go on about what hpens when we so called see lions

[geegee]

Your vet should be able to advise you on all the current regulations regarding passports, injections etc., the regs are much less onerous if it is a one-way trip. If you do a search on this site entering 'cats' there are a number of threads you might find helpful.

BA's website has lots of useful information on the transportation process - the type of IATA cat carrier you need/minimum dimensions/water supply etc. I used BA and did an accompanied pets scheme where I flew on the same flight as my little darlings - this way, if the flight is delayed on the tarmac you can make tell the stewards to make sure the pilot keeps the air con on in the hold and they do not suffer from excess heat/cold. At Malaga Airport I was a bit shocked to see them coming through on the baggage carousel along with the suitcases, to the bemusement of fellow passengers!!

My two settled really easily and one is particular loves basking on our sunny terrace. The other one prefers the shade - she also has a long-term condition called granuloma and did suffer a bad bout soon after the move (possibly stress-related but exacerbated by the heat last sumer), but it then settled down to 'normal'. We live in a rural town and so far (touch wood) had no problems with the local cats or dogs, but it does pay to be careful I guess, especially in the initial adjustment period. Within a year we will be moving to the campo so will be interested to see how they respond to this new environment....

Hope that helps
geegee

[El Cid]

Everyone is talking about pet passports to leave the UK. It seems likely that you can export cats without anypaperwork at all so it might be worth pointing out the current rules for keeping cats (or dogs) in Spain.

All cats and dogs (and Ferrets - anyone know a ferret?) now have to be microchipped and have an official set of papers.

At first it seemed that the rule for cats was going to be ignored - but for people who have cats as "proper" pets, it is difficult to avoid. All vets now are not allowed to give a rabies jab to any cat (or dog) without a chip. Bearing in mind that all catteries and kennels require a certified rabies jab before allowing entry, it seems that it is difficult to avoid the paperwork.

It may be cheaper in Spain to get them chipped (30 euros) and certainly the vets fees generally are much less, but any money spent in the UK on getting the paperwork sorted will not actually be wasted in Spain.

One very important point - the pet's chip details are only registered on the national database where the pet was chipped. As soon as you arrive in Spain, see a vet and get the chip details and your new address registered and get a new Spanish passport - otherwise if you lose you pet the chip will be worthless.

We have 4 cats, all chipped and documented. One of them came with us from Cyprus (with a Cypriot chip) and had to be re-registered.

And you all thought re-registering a car was difficult.

Sid

[Susan Davies]

Thanks all for your comments. I wouldnt consider bringing any animal over without being chipped or without the relevant innoculations and paperwork - I think thats foolhardy and irresponsible just for the sake of saving a few quid. I think Im swaying towards bringing them, the pros seem to outweigh the cons, but I take on board about taking care - thanks again
Sue D

[chrisuk]

Thanks all for your comments. I wouldnt consider bringing any animal over without being chipped or without the relevant innoculations and paperwork - I think thats foolhardy and irresponsible just for the sake of saving a few quid. I think Im swaying towards bringing them, the pros seem to outweigh the cons, but I take on board about taking care - thanks again
Sue D

I'll clarify for you the minimum requirements if only going one way, ie: not returning.
Microchip, Rabies injection, Passport, you must do it before 3 weeks of travel and no later, I made it by 2 days.
If you are returning it gets sort of complecated as a blood test and deworming etc is required and certified before return trip, cost me £125 for my 2 dogs

[geegee]

One final bit of info - some airlines require, in addition to the passport, a letter/certificate from your vet stating that the cats are fit to fly. This normally has to be done, I recall no earlier than 14 days in advance but no later than 7 days - check with the airline as I think they differ.

Good luck, I am sure you won't regret bringing them!