Travelling to Europe and several other countries has been made easier by the introduction of the Pet Passport. With a valid passport your cat can travel to and from those countries back to the UK without having to go into quarantine. The basic requirements are a microchip, rabies vaccination and the issue of a Pet Passport. The rabies vaccination has to be repeated within a strict period of time to keep the passport up to date.

If you are thinking about travelling with your cat, please plan well in advance as the process takes some time and initially the cat is only allowed to travel back to the UK 21 days after rabies vaccination. For the most up to date information we advise that you contact DEFRA on their website (the rules changed on 1 January 2012): www.defra.gov.uk.

While rabies is scary and travelling is strictly regulated because of it, it is also a fairly rare disease. Your cat is much more likely to encounter other diseases when travelling, some of which are common in other countries, but unknown or rare in the UK. We strongly advise that you find out about other possible diseases in the area you are going to before travelling with your cat, and in line with BSAVA recommendations, we also advise that all travelling cats are treated against ticks as well as tapeworms, as ticks can carry a number of significant diseases. (See Diseases Abroad information sheet). It is also important to consider whether your cat will enjoy going on holiday with you. Unlike dogs, most cats hate to travel, so in many cases a cattery or a reliable cat sitter may be a better option.

 

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