The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) allows cats to travel to selected countries without quarantine, as long as certain conditions are met. These conditions include the need to book your trip with an approved transport company, using an approved route, and fulfilling certain health-related criteria. The list of approved countries, companies and routes is updated quite frequently, so always contact DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), (PETS Helpline: 0870 241 1710, www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/) for the latest information before you leave. Regulations will vary according to the destination and if you plan to bring your cat back to the UK.

Preparation

If you are thinking of taking your cat abroad contact DEFRA and allow at least seven to eight months before you travel. Make sure your vet is qualified to sign the necessary paperwork (they must be a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI)). To qualify for the scheme, your pet must comply with the following conditions, in the order shown:

• Your cat must be fitted with a microchip. It is recommended that the chip meets ISO Standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO Standard 11785.
• Your cat must be vaccinated against rabies.
• Your cat may need a blood test to show that the vaccine has given your pet satisfactory protection against rabies. Check with your vet and DEFRA.
• Your pet must be at least three months old and you need to make sure your vet records the following details on your vaccination certification:
  • Date of birth/age
  • The microchip number
  • The date of vaccination
  • The vaccine product name
  • The vaccine batch number
  • The date the booster vaccination is due
• Depending on the destination country your cat will also require a PETS certificate signed by your vet.
• Other health checks may be required for certain destination countries.

Leaving the UK

Once you have completed these steps, call the PETS Helpline for advice on your particular itinerary. It is quite common for countries to have special conditions and documentation requirements that must be met before you enter. For example, you need an Official Export Health Certificate to enter Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. France, on the other hand, requires a document called 'Export of a pet cat or dog to France in accordance with the Pet Travel Scheme' (PETS5), which is issued by the LVI.

Returning to the UK (regulations will change with time and depending on the country you are returning from so check the latest information with DEFRA)

• Identify a veterinary surgeon in your destination country familiar with UK regulations.
• Your cat will need to be treated with praziquantel for tapeworm and a tick treatment containing fiprinol 24-48 hours before you check in with the approved transport company.
• You will need to obtain an Official Certificate from the vet to show this treatment has been carried out and the certificate will need to show:
  • Your cat's micro-chip number
  • The date and time of treatment
  • The products used
  • The vet's signature and stamp
• This procedure must be carried out every time you bring your pet back into the UK.
• You must complete a Declaration of Residency form to declare that you have not taken your pet outside the PETS-approved countries in the six months prior to re-entering the UK. Declaration of Residency can be completed when you present your pet for checking in, but it's easier to get a copy in advance by ringing the PETS Helpline.
• You will need to ensure your pet conforms to the 'Six Month Rule,' which states pets cannot enter the UK until at least six calendar months after the date your vet last took a blood sample to check protection against rabies. This would effectively give enough time for the clinical signs of rabies to appear if your pet had been infected either before or at the time of vaccination. Note that as long as your pet has a rabies vaccination booster on time (check this with your vet as different vaccines will have different requirements for boosters), an additional blood test and six-month wait won't be necessary.
• You cannot bring a pet into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme from a private boat or plane.
• When you return to the UK from a long-haul destination, you will need to ensure a government official in the country you are leaving from fixes a seal to the carrier your cat is travelling in. The official will then need to write the number of the seal onto the tick and tapeworm certificate if you are bringing your pet into the UK.

Countries eligible for PETS

You can travel to a growing number of countries in Europe and further afield under PETS. For the latest information visit the DEFRA website.

Extra documentation and further health testing is often required when you travel to a long-haul destination, such as an import licence and an Official Export Health Certificate, so check the DEFRA website and the appropriate embassy well in advance to confirm what you need.

Your pet's welfare

Your cat may need to be in their carrier for a long time, depending on your destination. Think carefully about your cat’s welfare and whether they will find this journey extremely stressful, they are elderly, or you are not planning to return to the UK and they might not adjust to their new home. Consider whether other alternatives exist, such as rehoming in the UK.

Cats must be sufficiently fit and healthy to travel and will not be allowed to do so if they are ill or injured; have given birth within 48 hours of a journey; or are heavily pregnant and likely to give birth during the journey.

Ensure the carrier your pet is travelling in does not contain anything that could cause injury. It must also have adequate ventilation. Appropriate and absorbent bedding should be provided, which may need to be changed during a very long journey.

Introducing your cat to a travel carrier for short periods of time before travelling should help reduce the stress of transport, whilst familiar objects (e.g. toy or cloth) always provide some reassuring comfort.

Finally, make sure your pet has access to water at all times. If the journey lasts longer than a few hours, you also need to think about how to make food available. The utensils for watering and feeding should be placed in, or fixed to, the carrier to prevent them being knocked over and the contents spilt. The guidelines for feeding and providing water will vary with transport methods/carrier companies so check well in advance of the trip.

The British Veterinary Association’s Animal Welfare Foundation produces a useful leaflet with guidelines on taking your pet abroad. See www.bva-awf.org.uk/resources/leaflets/bva_awf_taking_your_pets_abroad_1008.pdf.