cats to france

[Catalpa]

The problem is, careful people look for information from vets etc and because the vet is "professional and official" the information must be right. Sometimes it isn't. A vet isn't incapable of misinterpreting something, especially if the regulation isn't something they come into contact with very often. In Britain or in France.

Everyone responding here has been convinced that what they did was right based on their research. I think the most important fact that anyone responding to a "how to get pets to France" thread should state is when they went through the process. The regulations don't remain the same and anything pre-2005, for example, is probably not relevant now.

But what I really came on to say was: anyone arriving in France with a UK microchipped pet should remember to get their French vet to register the UK chip on the French database asap after arrival. If you go for the belt and braces approach to ID, you could also get a P tattooed in your pet's ear - should the animal get lost, the P indicates the existence of a microchip (puce). If you're intending to get your animal sterilised, this small procedure can be carried out under the same anaesthetic and would add little (if anything) to the cost of the procedure.

[ali-cat]

I haven't been on the forum for a few days & just caught up with the thread.  The information I gave was not from a site, papers or leaflets - it's just what happened to us.  Our vet knew we were not returning to the UK - yet he waited for the blood test results & it therefore took him 6 months to issue the passports.  Sorry if the info I gave was misleading, but it was what happened to us in 2006 ..... we must have had either a very slow working vet or one who did not follow proper procedure!! [8-)]

All our cats were also very nervous rescue cats - but it is important to get them chipped for their safety & your peace of mind should they ever wander.

 

[Pixie Toadstool]

As this is quite an old post and I had heard that the rules had changed I thought it might be a good idea to update everyone here.  I was confused with the advice given here and on the DEFRA website and so I phoned DEFRA.

From the horse's mouth this is what you need to do if you want to export your pet to France and don't expect to come back to the UK:

• Get your animal microchipped
• Get your animal vaccinated against rabies
• Wait 21 days after vaccination (or booster vaccination if the type needs two hits)
• Take your animal back to the vet and ask them to issue you a Pet Passport
• N.B. No blood test needs to be carried out unless you intend to return to UK
• If you want to return to the UK at a later date you can get a Pet Passport from French licensed vets provided you keep the rabies jab up to date and you have a blood test - the 6 month wait after blood test for re-entry into the UK will then apply.

Hope this helps someone here!

[cooperlola]

PT, did the horse's mouth say if there is still a limit on numbers in France?  Six years ago I needed a letter from the DEFRA equivalent here to import four cats and a dog as there was a limit of (I think) 3 pets per per household back then.

[Pixie Toadstool]

The horse's mouth didn't mention that but I think the DEFRA site says the limit is 5 per household and we have 4 (phew!).  Brittany Ferries says they have no limit except for the limit they have on total animals carried in any one crossing per boat.

(Later ...) I have re-visited the DEFRA site now and can't find any mention of a limit for animals being taken from one EU country to another but another link suggests that 5 is the limit for animals coming from non-EU countries.

Any comments from those in the know much appreciated!

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Pixie Toadstool"]

• N.B. No blood test needs to be carried out unless you intend to return to UK
• If you want to return to the UK at a later date you can get a Pet Passport from French licensed vets provided you keep the rabies jab up to date and you have a blood test - the 6 month wait after blood test for re-entry into the UK will then apply.

[/quote]

This is absolutely correct Pixie (waving hello!) but may I restate what I said 2 years ago: too many pets are paying the penalty for their owners' conviction that they will never need to return to the UK. As can be seen on any of the French forums - especially over the past 12 months - "never" often proves to be a shorter period than a pet's life so please get your pet blood-tested and then keep the yearly rabies vaccination up to date. It's cheap insurance on behalf of the animal ensuring that you won't have to leave them in France if you are forced by circumstances - unimagined in the euphoria of arrival - to later return to the UK.

That's a public service announcement, not aimed at you, Pixie. [kiss]

[Pixie Toadstool]

Hi Carole!

Yes you're absolutely right of course!  We will be keeping up the rabies jabs and may organise to get a passport for ours when we get to France.  I was rather put off by the thought of paying another £300 just for the blood tests for ours and was hoping tests might be a bit cheaper in France - am I right anyone?

We would hope to have at least 6 months notice were we to return together and of course we will be coming back independently most of the time now due to the rather restrictive costs of putting up 4 cats in a cattery! 

Hope to see you soon and the rest of la belle France!

Valerie (AKA Pix)

[cooperlola]

My vet' charges less for most things than did mine in the UK but that has something to do, I think, with the difference between the two areas (wealthy south-east green commuter-belt UK vs rural Sarthe).  Others have different experiences, I think.

The main advantage of doing it the way you are is that you can spread the cost a bit.  But as Catalpa says, I wouldn't be tempted to skip the blood tests altogether because you just never know.

[Pixie Toadstool]

Post deleted as it was a duplicate - God knows why!

Pix

[Jo]

Vaccine followed by test for confirmation of antibodies in blood, 6 weeks later = passport to travel to France, 6 month wait only needed should you wish to return. My vet has also told me providing you can prove they have been vaccinated you do not need the confirmation blood test, but better safe than sorry.......

[Yvette]

Hi Steve

Have just bought two cats to France permentately and my vet was not sure but I found out from a vet who works in France and the French Embassy, I ended up have them microchipped and a rabbies vaccination which lasts for three years, flea treatment and worming would be the same as you would do in UK, and cat flu jab. When we came over on the Euro tunnel nobody even stopped us even though they knew I had animals on board so in fact I could have had nothing done. Do use Feriwell spray around the carrier it it so good and the plug in for a week or two as it really calms the cats, mine are 12 and sixteen so I thought it would be awful but it was brilliant they love it sleep all day and go out in the cool at night, any other advise let me know Bye Bye

[Panda]

Hello

Just as a bit of info I had all my animals blood tested in France over the last few years and it cost me about 85 euro per animal by memory, tests are of course more if required.  It's also worth noting that the rabies jab is much more cost effective in the UK however as it lasts a lot longer (3 years I think).

So have the jabs done in the UK before leaving (as is required) get the blood test done in France, would be my recommended approach, then you are covered for any eventuallity.

EDIT, Jacqui's growing frustration on this thread made me really chuckle you can feel the annoyance radiating!)

[Pixie Toadstool]

Hi Panda!

Yes that made me titter too!!

Good news for me is that my vet is happy to issue the passports without seeing the cats.When she rabies jabbed them she checked them over including whether their microchips were working and says there is no need for me to take them back unless I am worried the chips have stopped working in the mean time.  As I have 4 cats and it is a pain getting them all there together I am most grateful!!

They leave these shores next Monday - appropriately on the FAST CAT!

I will take advice about Feliway and also put those incontinence pad things on the bottom of their cages in case of any accidents but I expect their systems will just seize up and they'll hold it all in - they are good boys (the girl isn't quite so good!).

AND we move to France next week PERMANENTLY - after 10 years of owning our holiday home in Normandie.

Pix[B]

[Jo]

[quote user="Pixie Toadstool"]

AND we move to France next week PERMANENTLY -

Pix[B]

[/quote]

Oooooh! you lucky thing[:-))] We're still waiting for a house sale.....[:(] Hopefully this year........!