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Rules for cat re-entering UK


SallyC
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Excellent SallyC - some sense at last.   Perhaps DEFRA would like to learn a lesson or two from the clarity of the Britanny Ferries explanation.

Thanks suein56 - nice leaflets,  but why oh why oh why can't they bring themselves to say about the tapeworm treatment "Does not apply to cats"?

So simple,  so obvious,  and so utterly beyond them.

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Judie - you must think I'm being deliberately difficult about this - I'm really not trying to be!

If this was all "new" stuff then it would be fair enough.   But for the last 12 years or so we've been subject to strictly enforced checks on cats,  and now that these have been relaxed it seems to me - for the sake of clarity - it would be "kinder" of DEFRA to make it utterly clear that cats are no longer required to visit their vets - and have their passports duly stamped - before their return to Britain.

Maybe I'm being pedantic here,  but for a period whilst I was at the BBC I worked in the Engineering Information Dept,   it wasn't my normal job there but was related to it.    It was impressed upon us that the public needed simple straightforward UNAMBIGUOUS advice,  and that we should try and think of all the further questions that our own answers might provoke,  and answer them there and then in the main reply (practically before they were asked!)  rather than sowing further doubt in our correspondents' minds.

How we did that was left to our common sense in those days,   but DEFRA's somewhat out-of-focus comments on cats seems to me to leave doubt in many minds as to whether they REALLY mean that no treatment is required before travel or not!

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I would have thought that

Have your pet treated against tapeworms

From 1 January 2012 tapeworm rules apply to pet dogs only

and

Tapeworm treatment

– (dogs only): ...There is no

mandatory requirement for tick treatment

were both fairly unambiguous [;-)]

Particularly as the DEFRA page goes on to say: "Pet owners are reminded that it is considered good practice to regularly

treat their animals against a range of ticks and tapeworms as part of

their routine health management, especially if travelling abroad.

Veterinarians are advised to discuss with their clients the appropriate

course of action
" - i.e. worm treatments for animals other than dogs, and tick treatment for all pets, are recommended but not mandatory.

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I'm afraid I stick with what I said:   it would be better if they specifically stated that the restrictions no longer apply to cats.

But that's my last word on the subject,  it's not my intention - and never has been - to provoke further argument - or indeed offence.   Just to get at the facts.

My apologies if I've annoyed you all.

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You haven't annoyed me Martin! I didn't mean to provoke such discussion! I work in the world of human medicine and such ambiguity wouldn't be acceptable there so ditto where my cat is concerned. It is my Professional nature to have the facts clear and nailed Down! I am Off to the Wood Department now!
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  • 1 month later...
Only just saw this, but I can confirm that Pye has travelled back into the UK via the Tunnel three times since the rules changed and has not had to go to the vet for any treatment beforehand, and the only thing checked on her passport was rabies shot validity and microchip number. I was really nervous the the first time, In January, though!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Yes, we have brought the cat to France twice now and even I am satisfied that nothing is required other than passport, rabies vaccine and chip. I did however take him to the French vet prior to returning to Uk on first trip with cat and they were absolutely adamant that he needed to be treated for ticks and worms. They knew nothing about the changes from the start of 2012.
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  • 1 month later...
I am re-entering the uk with my cat who was microchipped, wormed etc etc in the uk before I entered France. I have been told by the vet (and also when I left the UK) that the cat needed a health check 1-4 days prior to re-entering the UK. Nothing said about worming etc... just to check that the animal is not disease ridden....

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Cats DO NOT need to visit a vet before returning to the UK for worming, tick treatment or a health check. As long as they are micro chipped and have their rabies vaccination boosters up to date, which is recorded in the EU passport, you will meet all the requirements for taking cats back to the UK.

All the information is on the DEFRA website, maybe there are some vets who are not familiar with the new regulations.

We have been back and forth at least 5 times with our cat this year via Brittany Ferries and Eurotunnel and have never had a problem with re entering the UK.

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Pye and I came back from two months in St-Valery-sur-Somme on Wednesday. She did not have to go to the vets for any checks at all. At the Tunnel they scanned her chip and checked her number and rabies validity in her passport as normal and then waved us on our way. Suspect a conspiracy of vets! :D

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