Hey folks. All of the discussion I've had on the topic of bringing pets to Ireland has centered around dogs. I've only ever moved dogs internationally, but I'm sure people must bring their cats too.
The Dept of Agriculture sets out rules to follow which apply to both dogs and cats, and even to ferrets too.
Has anyone ever brought a cat to Ireland? Or are you planning to? What are the pain points? Is it as expensive as shipping a dog? Which pet relocation companies specialize in cat transport? Any insight/information is appreciated.
Hi!
I know this is an extremely old thread, however, I will be moving from JFK and landing into Dublin with one cat. The moving process (including the pet-shipping company that I have to use) is extremely stressful for me. I have a hard time letting go of my cat at the airport and hoping that she is safe through transport and makes it there with me!
Does anyone else have advice or recommendations? I did read the other threads in this section, but would love to hear more. This is probably the most stressful part of my move. I so wish she could just ride in the cabin with me!
Hi Kelsey (@kwalsh112),
You are not alone in how you feel. Many people I have spoken to, have really struggled with the pet moving process. I have myself on a few occasions now, and all I can really say is that you have to trust the pet moving companies, and the various people who will care for and interact with your cat along the way. I know that doesn't make the thought of letting her go off on her own any easier, but what else can you do?
I'm hoping your cat has just one flight to take, is that right? If it makes you feel any better, I have had dogs that have had to take 3 flights to get from one side of the US to Ireland. And they made it safely 🙂
I wish you and your cat the very best. I hope you'll come back and update us with anything you might find useful for other travelers and pet movers.
Liam
Oh god, where to start......
My girlfriend is moving over here from Lexington (it'll be two flights at least).
Would it be better/easier for her to travel with her cat??
Providing all the paperwork is met, quarantine is fairly avoidable?
It's really going to cost more than $2000???
We might have the option of leaving the cat in America with her family but not our first preference.
These are hard questions.....
Any help much appreciated
Hey Adam, @admogaine
Quarantine is definitely avoidable. Just be sure to follow all the rules/steps of the process exactly. As for costs, you are almost certain to pay more than $2000. Between vet bills, relocation company, inspection in Dublin, etc, it's very costly. Here's a breakdown of what I paid.
http://irelandmoveclub.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-fly-a-dog-to-ireland/
My first post here! Hello! I was just looking into what it would take to spend a summer in Galway. I freelance full-time and if I could afford it I'd love to sort of try out living in Ireland without the long-term commitment of a one-year lease.Â
But...I have two cats. Getting them there for just three months is clearly ridiculous after seeing how much it costs. But I'm not sure if I could leave them for three months. My mom would almost definitely take care of them, but it would be so hard. Has anyone ever left their pets for a couple months? I'm so anxious now and this whole idea is still just in the floating around in my mind stage.
Hi Colleen! It's good to have you here.
If you want my opinion, I'd certainly leave them behind if it's just for a few months. It's costly, time consuming, and pretty stressful all round trying to arrange the move for an animal. I'd also add that it is difficult to find accommodation with animals in tow. A short term rental through something like Air BnB will be easy on your own, but the cats will make it harder to find places that you can stay. Let us know what you decide. You always Skype with them 🙂Â
LiamÂ
Thanks, Liam. 🙂  I gave myself an awful headache last night. So would you recommend searching for places via the AirBnB route vs. actually looking for a short-term lease on an apartment? (Dumb question: Are the homeowners ever living there with you with AirBnB? Are you basically a glorified couch-surfer? I'm "old" at 35 and have never used it because I never get to travel.)
To make this related to cats...does anyone who has moved with cats have any reports on how well they travel? If I do ever move there on a longer-term basis, the cats would have to make the trip. It's at least only from Boston, so basically the shortest US flight possible, but they tend to meow occasionally just on the drive to the vet. Oskar has also had both kinds of accidents in his carrier during a two-hour car trip before, and Marmalade gets carsick if he eats right before a trip. (My cats are basically awesome.)