# Bringing cats to Australia a guide from the USA



## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

Bringing your cats to Australia is as complicated as the human immigration process itself and like with many migration agents, pet companies often use fear tactics to encourage you to use their services at great cost. After sending my 8 cats to Australia I thought I should write about it.

First thing to consider is the time it takes to do the quarantine process. Australia doesn't have rabies and it is therefore the most important aspect. The second thing to consider is the cost, as even when not using a transport company it is expensive all around.

1) Make sure your pet has a microchip that can be scanned using Avid, Trovan, Destron or other ISO-compatible readers. This is important because AQIS will send your pet back if different from the one identified in the import permit or cannot be read upon arrival in Australia.

2) Have your cat vaccinated against rabies with an approved inactivated rabies virus vaccine within 12 months of export and when it is at least 3 months old. Request for a vaccination certificate from your vet; you'll need it to get an import permit.

3) Find a government-approved vet and a government-approved laboratory by contacting the government veterinary administration, which is the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the US. Conduct a Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titer Test (RNATT) on your pet between 60 days and 12 months before the move. Vet vaccinations and blood draw and tests about $2000 USD Do this as early as possible to shorten the quarantine time to the minimum 30 days if possible, because your pet can only be released from quarantine at least 180 days after the date that the blood is sampled. The result of RNATT is valid for 12 months.

4) Locate an official government veterinarian who works in the USDA. Show them copies of the RNATT laboratory report and rabies vaccination certificate, then have them complete an RNATT Declaration. $163.48 USD total for 8 cats We had to drive to Madison WI to get this done.

5) Apply for an AQIS import permit within six months of your intended import date. If all supporting documents are complete, AQIS should issue the permit within 10 working days. You can pay the applicable fees by credit card. $1480 AUD total for 8 cats It took more than 10 days for ours since the system saw the 8 cats as duplicate charges on our credit card.

6) Contact AQIS to book tentative quarantine accommodation for your pet. There are three quarantine stations that you can choose from: Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. You need their Import Permit number before they will do this. You now have to pay the quarantine fee in advance, for 8 cats it worked out at $7200 for the 8 staying for a month, 2 to a cage.

7) Book travel arrangements for your pet and get a waybill number, the quarantine station needs that to make the booking. The flight should arrive in Australia between 8.20 am Wednesday to Friday. If leaving from LAX then QF12 is the one you want. They need the receipt from the quarantine station before they can confirm the booking now. You need to talk to Qantas Freight in LA 13106652280 to make your reservations. Also make a reservation with the USDA in LA for the day your cats will be flying out, call the USDA on 1310 725 1970.

8) Buy suitable crates and make sure they are big enough so the cat can stand and turn around, a lot of crates marked as suitable are in fact not suitable at all. We used medium sized crates 18"x18"x26" and modified our crates to have metal instead of plastic nuts. Many crates have top doors or plastic side clips, these won't be accepted at the airport. Get these early and get your cats used to eating in them. You need dripper water bottles too. We used medium "grreat choice" crates from pet smart. We put absorbent puppy pads in the boxes when they traveled as you can't put in a litter tray and had bolt on trays used for small animals.

9) Get a vet to administer general vaccinations to your cat if it's not up to date on its annual vaccinations. I did this when I had the cats vaccinated for rabies. Saves on another vet visit.

10) Bring your pet and all paperwork to a government approved vet to complete Veterinary Certificate A WITHIN FOUR DAYS OF export. The vet must treat your pet for internal and external parasites and have the vet examine your pet for external parasites. $2125 USD The cost was a little higher than the norm since the cats had to stay a day due to new years day. Since it was cold we also got cold climate acclimation certificates as if the temperature on the tarmac falls below 45 degrees Fahrenheit then they won't load them on the plane. We used Airport City Animal Hospital 1310 614 8800 in LA, as they had experience doing the vet cert A and dealing with the USDA, plus they are close to the airport (hated driving in LA).

11) Go to the USDA BEFORE 11 am on the day of travel, pay the fee about $900 . Give the import permits and rabies vaccine certificate paperwork to the official government vet and have him complete Veterinary Certificate B.

12) The USDA meets you at the airport and brings vet Certificate B (part of the import permit), and seals your cats into their crates. Once sealed, they cannot not leave the crates, so provide water and comfortable bedding in the crate for your pet before sealing it. The seals required a couple more holes drilled around the door of the crate.

13) Check the animal in at the freight terminal and pay the flight fee then $3627.20 USD for 8 medium crates . All paperwork with original signature and stamp of the official government veterinarian must travel to Australia with your pet. Check what other animals may be travelling with your cats. The front desk people won't tell you but the loading guys will. They were going to load our cats with military attack dogs but we talked to the head manager who was a cat lover and he changed the loading so the cats wouldn't go with them.

14) When your pet arrives in Australia, AQIS staff will collect it and provide housing and care during their 30 day quarantine period.

I think that basically covers the process, It is all straightforward and simple, I don't know why so many people waste their money on pet travel agents 

I forgot to mention the 2500 miles each way drive from Wisconsin to LA and back again, with the first leg packed in a van with 8 cats  fun times 

BTW I am not a crazy cat lady, I worked in animal control and these cats were rescues that couldn't be found a home when the shelter closed, so they became my family. That should be compassionate grounds for an immediate grant of a visa 

Kttykat


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Thank you, ktty! About to go through this with mine... I should probably be getting her RNATT already, but fiance wants to wait until he has his PR in hand.


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

CollegeGirl said:


> Thank you, ktty! About to go through this with mine... I should probably be getting her RNATT already, but fiance wants to wait until he has his PR in hand.


You are welcome.

Just remember they need to do 150 days of quarantine at home before you send them so they only have to be in Australian quarantine for 30 days. They are proposing to reduce the the time in Australia to 10 days but that is yet to happen.

I have talked to quarantine and know my furry babies arrived safely and are settling into their Australian lifestyle, only thing is the weather there, they are predicting it will hit 108 F in a couple of days 

Kttykat


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## Marianina (Oct 25, 2012)

kttykat said:


> Bringing your cats to Australia is as complicated as the human immigration process itself and like with many migration agents, pet companies often use fear tactics to encourage you to use their services at great cost. After sending my 8 cats to Australia I thought I should write about it.
> 
> Kttykat


Hi Kitty,

I contemplated taking my Luther with me. He is an 8-year old German Shepherd Dog. Problem is, pets from the Philippines cannot be exported directly to Oz. He has to stay in Singapore for a quarantine period of _at least_ 6 mos. I don't have the heart to do this to him -- he may never 'speak' to me again !  I am also afraid that given his age, he might not survive the entire process.  I have decided to make him stay with my family in Manila where I am sure he will have all the TLC he needs.

Your passion, commitment & dedication to your pets is truly admirable, Kitty.


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

Marianina said:


> Hi Kitty,
> 
> I contemplated taking my Luther with me. He is an 8-year old German Shepherd Dog. Problem is, pets from the Philippines cannot be exported directly to Oz. He has to stay in Singapore for a quarantine period of _at least_ 6 mos. I don't have the heart to do this to him -- he may never 'speak' to me again !  I am also afraid that given his age, he might not survive the entire process.  I have decided to make him stay with my family in Manila where I am sure he will have all the TLC he needs.
> 
> Your passion, commitment & dedication to your pets is truly admirable, Kitty.


I understand, as one of my cats is 15 and I thought about leaving her with my mom but she was my original and only pet cat, the other 7 were the rescues (not that I love them any less) but I couldn't take the others and leave Tigger behind so she has made the journey to Australia too. I will have to wait and see if they will talk to me when I get there. Alex wouldn't talk to me for awhile after I first went to Australia, in fact he was going to my husband instead (who is fortunately a cat man). I am glad the cats only have to spend a month in quarantine, that is hard enough on me and them.

Kttykat


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## Nelly87 (Jul 3, 2011)

I envy you all a little for being able to do this! It was never an option for me, even though my cat in The Netherlands (Nero) was like a child to me.

Nero was an indoor cat, I got him from the shelter after he had been hurt badly by a car, and we were going to live with my parents in law in Australia - who had only outdoor animals and basically no real support for my choice to keep my cat indoors. I could complain about this but the truth was I have been lucky to have had a free place to stay while finding a job and applying for the visa, so really I shouldn't complain.

If I was going to bring Nero over, he would have been "forced" to become an outdoor cat, which he was horrible at. So now he lives with close family friends in The Netherlands who treat him like he's their child, which I love.

We adopted three stray kittens here (the shelter was about to put them down because they were feral) and they have been my family since. Sadly, the runt of the litter who reminded me terribly of Nero, got hit by a car on 30 november and I found him dead on the road.

As soon as I saw my little baby boy on the road like that, I knew I had been silly worrying about Nero - Nero had been happy and safe all along. And I thanked the gods I had not brought Nero over, because this could have easily been him, and I would have never forgiven myself if bringing him over had killed him.

I just wanted to share that because this thread makes me miss him but I have to remember I did it for him, for many reasons.

You all _will_ be able to have your cat in the kind of home you want in Australia so it's different for you - but I couldn't take a terrified-of-the-outdoors cat from a sheltered Dutch apartment into the Australian countryside close to a big road where he would be forced to be outside.


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

Nelly87 said:


> I envy you all a little for being able to do this! It was never an option for me, even though my cat in The Netherlands (Nero) was like a child to me.
> 
> Nero was an indoor cat, I got him from the shelter after he had been hurt badly by a car, and we were going to live with my parents in law in Australia - who had only outdoor animals and basically no real support for my choice to keep my cat indoors. I could complain about this but the truth was I have been lucky to have had a free place to stay while finding a job and applying for the visa, so really I shouldn't complain.
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear about your cat. All my cats are indoor cats, having saved them from the outdoors they don't even want to go out if they had the chance. I am really lucky that my husband is willing to reorganize the house for the cats  not to mention doing most of the driving to get them to LA and paying most of the cost for them to go to Australia. Fortunately he loves me and the cats 

Kttykat


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## Nelly87 (Jul 3, 2011)

kttykat said:


> Sorry to hear about your cat. All my cats are indoor cats, having saved them from the outdoors they don't even want to go out if they had the chance. I am really lucky that my husband is willing to reorganize the house for the cats  not to mention doing most of the driving to get them to LA and paying most of the cost for them to go to Australia. Fortunately he loves me and the cats
> 
> Kttykat


The problem with Nero (and also with Alex, the cat that we lost recently) was the panicking - he'd have been in a house full of strangers (my inlaws have my sisters in law over a lot and they have noisy noisy babies) and panicked, ran out and god knows what could have happened.

You are lucky  I hope the trip will be light and easy and you and your cat can be reunited again soon after!


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

Nelly87 said:


> The problem with Nero (and also with Alex, the cat that we lost recently) was the panicking - he'd have been in a house full of strangers (my inlaws have my sisters in law over a lot and they have noisy noisy babies) and panicked, ran out and god knows what could have happened.
> 
> You are lucky  I hope the trip will be light and easy and you and your cat can be reunited again soon after!


Thanks for that Nelly. We called the quarantine station today as we are worried about how the cats are going. Evidently they are letting Tigger come into their air-conditioned office, so they sound like they do care about the cats there. We will go and visit them in quarantine as soon as we can. Leaving the US on Friday so we will be there soon.

Kttykat


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## Nelly87 (Jul 3, 2011)

kttykat said:


> Thanks for that Nelly. We called the quarantine station today as we are worried about how the cats are going. Evidently they are letting Tigger come into their air-conditioned office, so they sound like they do care about the cats there. We will go and visit them in quarantine as soon as we can. Leaving the US on Friday so we will be there soon.
> 
> Kttykat


Yeah actually I heard that most quarantine facilities are comparable to good pet hotels so I'm sure they will be more than fine  I've only ever read cat owners raving about them, not a single complaint read so far.


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

Nelly87 said:


> Yeah actually I heard that most quarantine facilities are comparable to good pet hotels so I'm sure they will be more than fine  I've only ever read cat owners raving about them, not a single complaint read so far.


That is reassuring to hear  thanks.

Kttykat


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Hey Ktty (hoping you might have e-mail notification set up for this thread... if not I'll PM you tomorrow and hope you have e-mail notification set up for _that_... )

Do you (or anyone else reading this who's done it! ) know how long I can wait on the RNATT declaration, the AQIS import permit, etc. We're still not positive we're within six months of our visa grant (though I think we are!) and I'm worried we might apply for the AQIS import too early? This process is just ridiculously complicated. I had an easier time understanding the immigration process for humans, haha.


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Incidentally, I found our local USDA office to be completely UNhelpful when I called to locate a government-approved (APHIS-accredited) veterinarian. She told me it wasn't their job to provide that information (even though the USDA site explicitly says it is) and got irritated with me when I pointed it out. She suggested I call every vet in my city until I found one! Finally I found out that the Banfield Pet Hospitals (located in PetSmart stores) are government-approved for this -- at least the ones in our area are. I believe all locations are - but definitely check before you take your pet in. I hope this helps someone else!


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

CollegeGirl said:


> Hey Ktty (hoping you might have e-mail notification set up for this thread... if not I'll PM you tomorrow and hope you have e-mail notification set up for _that_... )
> 
> Do you (or anyone else reading this who's done it! ) know how long I can wait on the RNATT declaration, the AQIS import permit, etc. We're still not positive we're within six months of our visa grant (though I think we are!) and I'm worried we might apply for the AQIS import too early? This process is just ridiculously complicated. I had an easier time understanding the immigration process for humans, haha.


Hey College Girl,
The Rnatt is good for a year but you have to have it certified in the state that you live in by the USDA. I am not sure how long the AQIS permit is good for, we got our only just in time for the export of our cats, by the skin of our teeth. Ridiculously complicated.... no it is not, it is much worse than that, beyond what words can describe.... My coming to Australia was a piece of cake compared to bringing the cats here....

Kttykat


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Thanks for coming by to answer this!  I'll see if I can find out how early we need to do it. Ugh, this process. lol


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## Whitney (Jan 4, 2013)

kttykat - I am relieved to hear that your cats are indoor cats! A thread that mentions (in fantastic detail, btw!) how to bring your cats to Aus should also mention the affect that cats have on the delicate Australian ecosystem. Obviously, house cats are already introduced here but they are a major threat to small mammals and the native bird population. We should all accept the responsibility of protecting prey animals from our darling pets.


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## sarahw418 (Nov 1, 2012)

Hey ktty, just curious how are your cats now that the whole process is over? Have they adjusted?


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

I appreciate that angle, but my kitty is an indoor kitty not for the sake of the local wildlife (though that's a bonus) but because it's much safer for her. Indoor cats live, on average, 12 years. Outdoor cats live, on average, less than 5. Of course these are averages, and people who take great care of their outdoor cats and ensure their safety however they can may see longer life spans than that... but I prefer to just not take any chances. Fortunately, my cat is terrified of going outside, so it's an easy decision with her!


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

I'm looking at the medium Sky Kennel carriers... they say they are for dogs and the small is for cats... but my little chunky butt is 15 pounds, so I'm not sure a small would be enough room for her? But would a medium be too big? They are 28" long x 20.5" wide x 21.5" high.


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## Whitney (Jan 4, 2013)

CollegeGirl said:


> I appreciate that angle, but my kitty is an indoor kitty not for the sake of the local wildlife (though that's a bonus) but because it's much safer for her. Indoor cats live, on average, 12 years. Outdoor cats live, on average, less than 5. Of course these are averages, and people who take great care of their outdoor cats and ensure their safety however they can may see longer life spans than that... but I prefer to just not take any chances. Fortunately, my cat is terrified of going outside, so it's an easy decision with her!


Where I'm from in Canada house cats have to live indoors because they'll get eaten by cougars if they're outside for long. The tables really turn when those cats migrate to Aus. haha


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## Circe (Mar 25, 2013)

CollegeGirl said:


> Hey Ktty (hoping you might have e-mail notification set up for this thread... if not I'll PM you tomorrow and hope you have e-mail notification set up for _that_... )
> 
> Do you (or anyone else reading this who's done it! ) know how long I can wait on the RNATT declaration, the AQIS import permit, etc. We're still not positive we're within six months of our visa grant (though I think we are!) and I'm worried we might apply for the AQIS import too early? This process is just ridiculously complicated. I had an easier time understanding the immigration process for humans, haha.


Hi college girl!

I can help you out with a timeline for this... We are almost done and used a pet export company (which they have been a total disaster and I am very disappointed.. But from the experience I now know how it goes.... If I ever had to do it agin on my own..

Get EVERYTHING done now except applying for your import permit. That only takes about 2 weeks to come back, then you can proceed with booking quarantine, and flights, and the last vet checks.

So.. Rabies vac(valid for 1year and must cover entire quarantine period)
General vaccines(as above) 
FAVN test certificate with sticker and signature. Make sure you get the actual hard copy results, if you get it done through a banfield, Kentucky posts back the hard copy to them, it is YOUR property, you need it for import, and THE VET get the first copy automatically posted to them for free so can't charge you for it. I can't stress enough they give you this, we got screwed over and it messed up our whole timeline. 
Take this certificate to your local USDA head vet(the people you spoke to I assume) you can find their location on the APHIS website, and get them to fill out the RNATT form and STAMP it with INK not a raised seal. It costs around $120 and the head vet is the only one who can do this. Licensed vets can only perform the rabies test.

Once you have all that done, sit and wait with all your docs until you are ready to import. Ideally more than 5 months since the blood draw for the FAVN, since that will give you the 30 qarantine. You're looking at around 1500 a month for the first cat I think, another 800 for an additional.

Once you have your import permit you get your treatments done within 4 days and then the final vet check and crate seal on the day of departure. Many airlines also need a standard travel certificate also to let the pet fly. Same vet can provide this and its valid for yen days I believe.


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

What's gonna complicate things for us is that she's going to have to have her rabies shot done again in August. Since her rabies date would change some things and might result in us having to redo them, I think we're going to wait til August to get the rest of it done. Given our visa won't be granted til probably October and I won't be flying out til November or December, you don't see any issues with waiting, do you?

And THANK YOU so much for that absolutely great information! It's so hard to find!


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## Circe (Mar 25, 2013)

CollegeGirl said:


> What's gonna complicate things for us is that she's going to have to have her rabies shot done again in August. Since her rabies date would change some things and might result in us having to redo them, I think we're going to wait til August to get the rest of it done. Given our visa won't be granted til probably October and I won't be flying out til November or December, you don't see any issues with waiting, do you?
> 
> And THANK YOU so much for that absolutely great information! It's so hard to find!


Has she had a rabies fax before/in the last 18 months? If so, just go ahead and get the tests done, getting a rabies booster so its valid doesn't change anything about the FAVN, its valid from one year from the blood sample date. You can get a rabies booster for her right before you apply for import to ensure her vax covers past her qarantine stay, and the date matches the import form, that's what we have done.. If you don't do the FAVN soon enough before flying she could be in qarantine for up to 5 months... That's around $8k.. Seesh


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

I know what the RNATT is but what is the FAVN?


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## Circe (Mar 25, 2013)

Or if you were flying in nov, still get her rabies vax in August that's fine, get tests done now and apply for permit around 5 weeks before you intend on leaving..


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## Circe (Mar 25, 2013)

FAVN is what the USA calls the rabies titre test. The RNATT is what it's called in oz, and what is at the top of the australian form you need to have filled out by the USDA head vet.


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

OH, okay. We've already done her RNATT (so, FAVN). Did that last week.


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Does anybody know how long it should take to get the FAVN/RNATT results back? It's been a month already, and I just called them. They said they have partial results available in the system, but they still haven't got the full results hard copy back from the lab. They said to check with them at the end of this month and if they don't have it back yet they'll prod the lab? Does that sound right? Two months to get it back?!


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

CollegeGirl said:


> Does anybody know how long it should take to get the FAVN/RNATT results back? It's been a month already, and I just called them. They said they have partial results available in the system, but they still haven't got the full results hard copy back from the lab. They said to check with them at the end of this month and if they don't have it back yet they'll prod the lab? Does that sound right? Two months to get it back?!


Did you send them to Kansas State? It took about two weeks to get our results back.

Kttykat


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Yep, that's where they said they sent them. And you got your full, written results in two weeks? Uh oh. I'm wondering if Banfield did something wrong... I paid them $295 for this damn test, I better be getting the right thing back.


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

CollegeGirl said:


> Yep, that's where they said they sent them. And you got your full, written results in two weeks? Uh oh. I'm wondering if Banfield did something wrong... I paid them $295 for this damn test, I better be getting the right thing back.


Yeah, I'd be giving them a call.

Kttykat


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Ktty, do you remember where it is that it's specified it's supposed to go to Kansas State?


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