Moving with cats from Canada to Nice, France - help needed!

[Weeda]

Good afternoon. This post might be a bit long-ish but I hope you forgive me.

I am a university student in Ontario, Canada and am applying to study in Nice, France for my 3rd year of university.  I have 3 cats whom I adore very much.  I am trying to figure out the cost and procedures of transporting them, the cost for any potential vet care needed (emergency), food costs and whether landlords in France (particularly Nice) allow for pets in apartments, and finally the cost of pet-sitting were I to go away for a long weekend.

Any links and any help would be most appreciated.  My mother is willing to take care of them for the year here in Ontario but if at all possible without putting me into terrrible debt, I wish to take them with me.

Thank you in advance. [kiss]

Waheeda

[PossumGirl]

Hi Waheeda.

You should check with the airline about costs for transport.  You will probably need to put each cat in its own airline approved pet carrier. The airline will probably charge you a fee for each pet; I believe we were charged around $100 (US) when we brought our dog over from Los Angeles, but she was bigger than your cats and the trip was longer.

Vet fees here are lower than what we paid in the U.S., but I don't know how that compares to Canadian prices.  Of course, we live in a rural area, so Nice could be more expensive.  I find food costs comparable to what I spent in the States, and I buy special food because I have an allergic dog.

As to landlords, I shouldn't think that having cats in an apartment will be a big problem.  They are quiet and the French aren't as big on forbidding pets as the Americans or probably Canadians.

Good luck.

PG

[Le Petomane]

We brought a cat from Oman to France just over two years ago. We spent a small fortune geting the right documentation for her, including blood tests for rabies. We needed just a passport each to enter France, whereas her file was about an inch thick. At Paris CDG they just handed over the cat, didn't ask to see a single document. Word of advice: if you are using normal cat-carriers, drill some holes around the edges near the grille, and wire the grille through these holes for extra security. The ordinary closures for the grille can come undone in the baggage-handling process.

[Weeda]

Thank you both.  That is very helpful.  [:)]

This entire forum is great. [:$]

 -Waheeda

p.s. I just got a nose kiss from one of my babies...methinks he wants to come to France! [;-)]  And now I can't see the screen cause he's licking it.