Paperwork (vaccinations and diseases)
Pets are required to be certified disease-free (especially rabies) and will need to be seen by a vet. They also need to have vaccinations, and these need to be done within specified time frames.
With cats and dogs, they need to have had the shots more than 30 days before they fly. You'll receive a certificate to say they've been examined and have been vaccinated, which you need to hang on to - it's like a pet passport! Your animal travel agent will handle all other paperwork, which is why it's well worthwhile to use one. [TOP]
Flights
Once you have sorted out the paperwork, you'll need to book air tickets. You can fly your pets in at the same time as your family, or you can put them in a kennel or cattery in Sout Africa while you find a more permanent place to stay in Canada and then fly them in.
There are several well-known pet travel agencies around. Important thing to remember is that the air fares quoted by either an agency or an airline will not include the price of your pet's travelling container. Most travel agencies will supply these at a cost. Check this upfront so that you can compare prices by shopping around. Just be sure the container meets airline standards (ask) and don't for heaven's sake skimp on the price and buy a smaller container - your pet is going to be in there for almost a full day, if not more! Be sure there's place to turn around inside and that is has containers for food and water.
We used KLM, who give the pets a layover at Schiphol, where they are fed and watered and have their boxes cleaned out. They also get to walk around a little. Even if your pet is on the same flight as you are, you will not be allowed to visit him, but I've never heard any complaints about KLM. [TOP]
Landing
Upon arrival in Canada, your pet will be checked by a vet from Agriculture Canada. You will need to show all the paperwork twice, once here and once at Customs and there is a fee (it worked out around $47 for us). Only after you have gone through this process will you be allowed to fetch your pet from the cargo area or wherever he is being held. I took my son with me so that he could sit with our kitties and talk to them while I ran around between the main terminal and cargo at YVR doing the necessary. [TOP]
Settling in
How you settle your dog or cat in is up to you, but having moved ours before, we like to keep them in a single room for the first day and night (usually a bedroom where they can sleep with one of us) before letting them into the rest of the house for a few days. Only once they're truly settled do we let them outside. A lot of Canadian cats never go outdoors and you hardly ever see dogs roaming the streets unattended. But it's pretty much the same as in South Africa.
Be sure your property is properly fenced if you have a dog and that you know what your local bylaws say about your responsibilities as pet owner. Some areas require that your cats are in cat pens while outdoors, ie they may not leave your yard. [TOP]
Do pets travel well?
Our cattery put drops of homeopathic sedative in my cats' drinking for three days prior to the flight and I can only assume it worked, because they arrived unharmed. I believe this is especially good for older cats, because stronger sedatives can prove damaging (this is what I was told).
When they spotted us at the airport they were very vociferous - VERY pleased to see us, but a little hacked off no doubt (but then so would you be if you'd been travelling for 27 hours!). They did not want to let us out of their sight for the first few days... I had booked them on a flight that arrived on a Friday evening so that we'd all be home for their first few days and I think that was a good plan. They were not very hungry on the first day, but soon developed healthy appetites which is why they're somewhat larger now than they used to be!
All in all, they seemed not to have suffered during the trip and soon settled down. most reports I've had indicate the same. [TOP]
How do pets adapt in Canada?
The biggest change for our cats is that we keep them indoors for now. We'll be building a cat pen for summer, not because we have to, or because we live near a busy road, but because where we live pets tend to get eaten by cougars, coyotes or racoons! Mostly you wouldn't have to deal with this problem though!
Dogs in Canada seem to be well-behaved. There is a Doggy Beach in Vancouver and the dogs seem to play happily amongst all the other dogs. Many dogs wear bandanas around their neck (very cute!).
My cats don't like the snow (no surprise there - they used to HATE going out in the Cape winter, too!). They can't quite figure it out. They like lying in the sun on warm days, so we let them out when we're around. [TOP]
Food and vets in Canada
Cat food is not too expensive here as a percentage of one's shopping bill and it's good quality. Iams and Science Diet are available at Pet Stores. Pet stores here are big on pet accessories like collars, leads, bowls, etc. If your cat is going to live indoors, remember to buy a pot of grass for them to nibble if they're not feeling well.
Good news for Cat People is that some vet clinics ONLY treat cats - no big noisy dogs to scare your cat in the waiting room!
Bringing your pets to Canada
Canada does not have a quarantine period for pets coming into the country, so the good news is that you can happily bring your much-loved 4-legged family members with you. In fact, it's a huge psychological advantage to have them around, especially if your kids are very attached to them.
If you're like me, you're probably worrying about how the long trip will affect your pet... should you bring him or find him a new home in South Africa? Some people have been known to have their pets destroyed, but for most of us, this is simply out of the question! The comforting thing to remember is, I have never heard a bad story about a pet's trip.
I brought all five of my cats with me to Canada and my brother took all 11 of his to the USA . Not bringing them was never an option and we haven't regretted it, ever. This is the info I have, but for comprehensive information, you'll need to visit the government web sites (try this one). I hate to sound vague, but maybe you're wanting to bring a hamster to Canada and I don't know what the rules are regarding hamsters! The following broadly relates to cats and dogs. If you find more useful links, please let us know.
