Please please help

[Growler]

Hi we are looking to emigrate next year from the UK and have 4 cats to come over with us. Has anyone got a rough estimate for the Aprroximate cost of sending a cat over including quarantine, etc etc some companies have said they are send ing us a quote and as of yet none have arrived. Also some companies names that transports pets over to melbourne (as i know this is the closest quarantine there is) I havnt got a clue who to use but I need a good company that isnt going to be top dollar as 4 cats is so much!!!!

[Guest janmoo]

Hi guys we leave in 5 weeks and have been thru all this we have 2 pedigree birman boys one little moggie who we got a year ago he ran out in front of us in the car and we brought him home! Lol and my 9 yr old ****zu chyna who is like a baby. It costs approx £3200 per animal and as much paperwork as for you to emigrate. Up until a month ago we were for bringing them all but we had to rethink. We have been so blessed with good homes for them all and for us and them we feel it is for the best that they stay here.

 

My wee baby chyna would hate the long trip and she has a wonderful new mummy about 6 miles away who she now spends sundays with to get her used to. It is a hard decision but consider your options. Good luck with it!

[snifter]

I had a quote for my dog, a whippet and it was for £2030 at silver service level and £3230 for gold service.

 

I was told it is based on crate size, so cats being small shouldn't take up that much room. However, 4 cats will probably cost a fair chunk.

 

I suggest contacting the companies you asked for quotes and chasing them up. I filled out an online quote request and got a reply within 48 hours.

 

Try petairuk.com (I've read good things about them but it is worth shopping around)

 

The quotes they gave me cover a fair bit. Tests before flying will cost about £100 per animal from what I understand. Then 30 days of quarantine fees per animal. You need to arrange this yourselves.

 

Here is the reply I got to my enquiry re one or two whippet dogs to go to Australia, to give you some idea

 

 

Thank you for your enquiry regarding our services in the transportation of E and F to Melbourne, Australia in April 2012. I hope the below answers all your questions but if there is anything you’d like me to explain in a little more detail please don’t hesitate to in touch.

 

At PetAir UK we provide a high quality professional service, ensuring ultimate peace of mind through every step of the process.

 

Should you decide to use us you will be allocated a veterinary consultant who will oversee every aspect of the journey and be available for you to contact any time prior to the flight should you have any concerns. Upon confirmation of a booking your consultant will contact you to introduce themselves and explain the process.

 

We offer two levels of service, Silver and Gold. The difference between the two is that with the all-inclusive Gold service we make home visits to complete all the necessary pre-travel veterinary tests and paperwork, while with the Silver service we liaise with your own vet to ensure this is completed satisfactorily. The only aspect that I am unable to quote for are the quarantine fees in Australia as these need to paid locally when you pick E and F up after the 30 days. I have some attached some information for you about Melbourne quarantine.

 

Breakdown of services, Gold and Silver both include:

 

· Airline ticket for E and F with BA/Qantas from Heathrow

 

· Airline surcharges (Handling / Security / War Insurance / Fuel / Airway Bill / Transit Fees)

 

· Booking of quarantine space (30 days required) with Australian authorities (NB quarantine fees not included as payable in Australia)

 

· Custom made PetAir UK, IATA approved, wooden travel containers with comfortable bedding and watering facility (please see notes below about the crates)

 

· Meet at Heathrow airport visit on day of departure, completion of Part B of DEFRA paperwork

 

· Official sealing of the travel container at the airport

 

· Assisted check-in to make sure E and F are comfortably and safely away

 

 

 

The all-inclusive Gold service also includes:

 

· Application for DEFRA export health certificates

 

· Application for import licenses from Australian authorities

 

Required veterinary tests carried out in the comfort of your own home (we come and visit E and F to take the blood samples)

 

· Required Tick and Tapeworm treatments

 

· Completion of Part A of the DEFRA paperwork including pre travel veterinary health examination

 

· Check-in to make sure E and F are comfortably and safely away

 

 

We can provide the above services for a total cost of SILVER £2,030.04 & GOLD £3,230.06 – subject to postcode (VAT not applicable as destination is outside EU).

 

This is based on two estimated crates 81x46x51cm or a double crate depending on final confirmation of measurements and weights. We also spray our crates with a pheromone called DAP (suckling bitches naturally release this pheromone to reassure their puppies) which should help E and F feel it is a safe and secure environment. Check in for pets is four hours before departure and once sealed they have to remain in the crates but don’t worry, they are very well looked after. To put your mind at rest, we have never had a problem with any of the pets we have flown during flights to Australia.

 

Dogs travelling to Australia will need a vaccination against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza within 12 months of the flight. If you get the routine vaccinations done, then please do not include the Leptospira part as this will make the sample come back positive. They too will need treatments and checks within 4 days of the flight and will also need blood samples taken within 30 days of the flight. These checks and blood samples will be done by us if you choose the Gold service and by your own vets if you choose the silver service. Dogs travelling to Australia have to serve 30 days quarantine in Australia on landing in either Sydney, Melbourne or Perth.

 

Please note that dogs travelling to Australia must be up to date on their yearly vaccinations and must have a kennel cough vaccination at least 14 days prior to travel and not more than 12 months. Pets will also need to be micro chipped.

 

We also offer a home collection and airport delivery service. This would be based on pick up from your postcode. We will of course meet you at the airport (Heathrow) if you do not require this service.

 

Please feel free to contact me directly with any queries or concerns and I’d be happy to talk through the process with you. If you would like to go ahead with this quote, please let me know and I will arrange for our team to send you a client pack.

 

Kind Regards

[Guest WhatNow?]

I brought my cat out last year with Airpets and it cost about $1400 including quarantine fees. I booked through Airpets who arranged the quarantine for me once the flight details had been confirmed. All I had to do was to arrange vaccination/chipping in advance and send them all the documents beforehand. They picked up the cat from my home at a time that meant the minimum time spent in the crate waiting for the flight and I went to Melbourne and picked him up after quarantine was complete (I paid the quarantine people directly just before I picked him up). His plane ticket from Melbourne cost $50, but this was only because I bought a lightweight plastic 'Airline Standard' cat carrier from a petshop here for him - when I saw the wooden crate he had got to Australia in I was glad I had, as it probably weighed about three times as much as he did and it would have cost a lot more than $50 for the ticket!

 

Some companies will let pets travel together but I have a feeling this is restricted to 2 cats maximum in one crate. Don't worry about your pets when they are in quarantine in Spotswood (Melbourne) the staff there are very caring and will give your cats all the attention they can.

 

Airpets were very helpful and talked me through everything in detail and it all happened as they said it would. I had 3 quotes from various companies and there wasn't much difference (£100-150 between them) so I went with the company that was the most helpful and understanding in their response to my (many) questions and they were wonderful.

 

I would say get several quotes and go with whoever you feel most comfortable with.