Job Discussion Forums

[Danica]

So does anyone know how hard/easy it is to bring pets. Deciding what to do with our 2 cats is making the decision to move that much harder!

[helenl]

Bringing a pet with you is quite straightforward. The biggest hurdle is getting an airline that will ship an animal during the hot summer months (most pet owners choose KLM because they have excellent pet service including a pet hotel in Amsterdam where the animals have access to food/water, are looked at by a vet etc.)

The animal needs to be microchipped, have a vet certificate (issued by the Dept of Agriculture for KLM) certifying good health dated within 14 days of travel, copies of up to date vaccination records (including rabies) plus an import permit from the UAE Dept of Agriculture. My employer helped me with the latter document.

Good luck

[globalnomad2]

Your vet should know the details. It should just involve a certificate of health along with a vaccination certificate. People in the Gulf kind of like cats if they are nice-looking pets rather than strays.

[Danica]

Thanks that will put another option in our hands as we really don't want to have to give them away

[kiefer]

Bring the cats. There are a couple three hoops to jump through, --As Helen says, have them microchipped, their shots updated. All worth it to keep the family together, right?

You'll have to pick them up in a place called Cargo Village (a warehouse near the terminal in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai), not at the luggage area in the terminal--and this can be a bit of a headache and hassle after a long flight because before you can actually take the babies home, you'll visit about four or five different windows in C.V. to get paperwork stamped--costs about 300 or so dirham so exchange some money while waiting for your luggage or hit an ATM machine before exiting the terminal and making your way to Cargo Village.

Good vet care here is no cheaper nor more expensive than in the US or UK.

All brands of cat food are available but you will not find cat treats (if you feed them snacks to clean their teeth or simply to pamper them, bring a good supply with you).

Also, be sure to bring in three sets of Martin 12's acoustic guitar strings and notify me on this forum when you arrive.

[lyndalorient]

[veiledsentiments]

This is definitely for complete inside cats only. It is outside cats that won't move. Cats are very territorial. When I was a kid, our first cat refused to move with us and kept trekking across town to our old house. But my parents took their last cat traveling around the US in their motorhome (caravan).

I know many people who moved with their cats all around the Gulf and really had little or no problems. The cats do NOT love the whole process (to make a huge understatement), but they settle in quite quickly if you can bring some of their stuff. (bed, litter box, dishes, favorite toys) They will pout for a few days as only a cat can.

Naturally much depends on the age and personality of the cat... much more so than with a dog. With a cat, you are actually deciding which would be more difficult for them, moving with you to a new home or moving to a new owner and a new home.

VS
(had to laugh at the litter story... a cat will certainly let you know when you have erred.)

[lyndalorient]

[stoth1972]

I think Danica's cats are outdoor creatures, so the UAE change would be not a welcome change-particularly considering how some of the strays get treated. My friends who have 'adopted' cats w/in the UAE let them wander in and out, but they rarely leave the walled garden.

[kiefer]

I think lyndalorient makes some good points as does VS (mafi moofajat there). I have collected twelve cats in my 12 years in this region, most of them rescued strays, and I have successfully helped 9 of them to migrate to the US where they've found homes.

One thing I've learned that is especially important for cats who were either previous outdoorsy types or long time apartment dwellers--they need balconies, fresh air. (It's also a good place to keep the litter boxes as you can usually crack the doors a bit and draw your curtains to keep the air con in and sand and kaka fumes out).

The problem with housing trends especially in the UAE is this--the newer places are not being built with "balcones" Some do not even have windowsills for marathon gazing sessions.

We lucked out in our move to A.D. last year and landed a large two bedroom flat with two balconies. But had we not found a home with balconies life would be hell for all of us bi-peds and quadra-peds alike.

Oh--one other thing--some of the temporary company guest houses claim they won't allow for you to keep pets in your temp digs--but hey, this is the Gulf and rules are flexible.

[007]

[stoth1972]

007 must not be a cat owner.

[veiledsentiments]

... and an unsurprising lack of sensitivity... hopefully he is not a parent either...

VS

[wannago]

[scot47]

I am particularly fond of the c ockroaches that have come to live with me.