Worldwide kitten transport
At Cattery Mickey we place kittens with carefully selected cat lovers, both inside and outside the European Union. Transporting a kitten is a serious process. Below you can read how it usually works, which documents are needed, and which costs fall outside the kitten price.
Transport options
Delivery by car
If the trip takes 1 to 2 days, we are happy to bring the kitten to you ourselves by car.
Delivery to the airport
Another option is that we take the kitten to an airport of your choice.
Pet nanny
A pet nanny is a woman or a man who agrees a meeting point with us to take over the kitten. From that point, this nanny is responsible for the rest of the journey. We usually meet the pet nanny at an airport. You choose a pet nanny yourself. They will usually live in your country.
Pet shipper
A pet shipper is a company that collects the cat from our cattery and brings it to your home. From the moment the pet shipper collects the kitten, they are responsible for the rest of the journey. You choose a pet shipper yourself. They may be based in your country, or close to us in the Netherlands.
Pet Relocator
This company is based at the airport. If a cat travels ‘alone’ without an owner or accompanying person on the same flight, this is officially treated as unaccompanied air cargo. For safety reasons, airlines require this type of transport to be arranged by a specialised animal freight agent, called a Pet Relocator. If you want this type of transport, you must arrange it yourself; we will take the kitten to the Pet Relocator at the agreed time.
Who pays which costs
Who arranges what
| Who arranges it | Cattery | Buyer |
| Regular vaccinations | x | |
| Rabies vaccination | x | |
| EU passport (completed) | x | |
| Microchip | x | |
| Microchip registration | x in NL database | |
| Castration of a male at the buyer’s request | x | |
| Health certificate for travel | x | |
| Check IATA rules | x | x |
| Check import rules per country | x | x |
| We deliver by car | x | |
| We deliver to the airport | x | |
| Handover at Pet Relocator | x | |
| Arranging a Pet Relocator | x | |
| Flight | x | |
| Handover to pet nanny | x | |
| Arranging a pet nanny | ||
| Directing the pet shipper | x | |
| Arranging a pet shipper | x | |
| travel carrier | x | |
| other travel forms completed by veterinarian | x | |
| Rabies titre test | x | |
| import permits for certain countries | x | |
| additional health tests by veterinarian at buyer’s request | x |
Payment
You first pay a deposit via the website. We then set everything in motion, check all rules and laws for the journey, and let you know on which date everything is ready for the kitten to leave. From that date we want to deliver the kitten, or it must be collected. If you ask us to postpone this date, that is possible; we will then ask you to pay boarding costs. When the kitten is handed over to you, or to a transport company or intermediary, the remaining balance must be paid. You can pay the remaining balance via the website, or you or your intermediary can pay the remaining balance in cash at handover. Sales go through Cattery Mickey (Pet4All BV). The deposit and remaining balance can be paid via the website with (business) PayPal, iDEAL/Wero, Bancontact or credit card. A regular bank transfer is also possible, but it is less convenient if the payment gets stuck. See boarding costs.
Boarding costs
For extra boarding we charge € 100 per week. Again, this is only charged if you have asked us to keep the kitten with us longer. We also ask for a boarding fee if the kitten has to stay longer because a rabies titre test must be done, or you want a particular test carried out and we then have to wait for the result. Boarding costs must be paid in advance, and this is a separate payment that is not refundable once the service has been provided. Any veterinary costs, medication costs or food costs are included.
Regular vaccinations
By this we mean the core vaccinations, against cat flu (niesziekte) and feline panleukopenia (kattenziekte). We follow the American schedule because it offers the most protection. The American guidelines for cat vaccinations were drawn up by the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) and the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners). They divide vaccines into core vaccines (for every cat) and non-core vaccines (based on lifestyle and risk). Read more at aaha.org/feline-vaccination-guidlines
Rabies vaccination
Rabies is a fatal viral disease that can also be transmitted to people. Anyone travelling to another country with a cat must therefore have the cat vaccinated against rabies. A kitten can receive this vaccination from 12 weeks of age. We give it as standard, at our expense.
Waiting period for rabies validity
After the rabies vaccination it takes some time before the kitten is protected. That is why the vaccination is only valid 3 weeks later, and the kitten may only then cross the border. During that time your kitten stays with us. See boarding costs.
EU passport (completed)
The EU pet passport is an official blue booklet: your cat’s identity document. Our veterinarian fills it in with, among other things, the chip number and all vaccinations. You need the passport when you travel with your cat. Also take it with you to every visit to the veterinarian.
Microchip
A microchip is a very small chip, about the size of a grain of rice, that is placed under the skin in the neck. The chip carries a unique number that a veterinarian or shelter can read with a scanner. That way your cat can always be identified, even if it has run away.
Microchip registration in NL database
The chip number only helps if it is linked to your details. We register the chip number in your name in a Dutch database. If your cat is found, you can then be reached quickly. If you live outside the Netherlands, it is important that the chip is also registered in the database of your own country — in Belgium, for example, with CatID. Unfortunately we cannot arrange this.
Castration
Castration means the testicles of a male cat are removed under anaesthesia. A castrated male cannot reproduce, and usually sprays, fights and roams less. At your request we have your male kitten castrated before departure, at no extra charge. The deposit is then 50% instead of 20%, and castration can only take place once you have paid the deposit. Sometimes male kittens with us are already castrated. Female kittens are usually not spayed, and we do not do this on request.
Health certificate for travel
This is an official document in which the veterinarian states shortly before departure that your kitten is healthy and may travel. If your kitten is moving to another country, this certificate is required. We arrange it at our expense. For travel within the EU, a statement in the EU passport is sufficient; for destinations outside the EU, another document must be completed. You must supply this document yourself; we are happy to help you look for it, but the responsibility is yours.
Travel carrier
Which travel carrier your kitten needs depends on how it flies. Every airline has its own rules. Therefore, check with the airline, your pet nanny or your pet shipper before you buy one.
If your kitten travels in the cabin with a pet nanny? Then a soft carrier is usually needed that fits under the seat in front of the accompanying person. The airline sets the maximum dimensions and weight; often that is around 8 kilos, including the bag. Choose a bag with good ventilation, a sturdy base and a closure your kitten cannot open itself.
If your kitten travels in the hold, for example via a pet shipper? Then a hard travel crate is needed that meets the IATA rules for the transport of live animals. Such a crate is sturdy and well ventilated, has a metal door and metal bolts, and a water and food bowl that can be filled from the outside. Your kitten must be able to stand, turn around and lie down in it.
We choose the travel crate together with you. The costs are for the buyer.
Other travel forms completed by veterinarian
Some countries ask for other forms besides the EU passport and the health certificate. Think of an export certificate, an import form from the destination country, or a statement in a fixed template or in a particular language. Our veterinarian fills in these forms for you and signs them. That is at our expense. Sometimes a form then still has to be approved by the government; in the Netherlands the NVWA does that. Have you received a form from the authorities in your country? Then send it to us in good time, so that everything is ready before departure.
Rabies titre test
For a rabies titre test, the veterinarian draws some blood. An accredited laboratory measures whether your cat has enough antibodies against rabies, and therefore whether the vaccination has taken effect. For certain (high-risk) countries this blood test is required to show that your cat is sufficiently protected. The blood may only be taken once the rabies vaccination is at least 30 days old. If the destination country asks for a titre test, then the test and boarding during any waiting period afterwards (€ 100 per week) are at your expense. See boarding costs.
Please note: if you later travel with your cat to a high-risk country, such as Turkey or Morocco? Then this blood test is also required to be allowed back into the Netherlands or another EU country. Therefore have the test done before departure at your own veterinarian. If you only have it done abroad, your cat may only re-enter the EU 90 days after the blood was taken.
Additional health tests by veterinarian at buyer’s request
Would you like extra certainty, or does the destination country ask for a particular test? Then our veterinarian can carry out extra tests at your request, such as a blood test, a FeLV/FIV test or a faecal examination. You will receive the results from us. These tests are at your expense and you pay in advance.
Waiting period after rabies titre test (boarding)
For a titre test, the blood can only be taken once the rabies vaccination is at least 30 days old. After that it often takes several weeks before the laboratory gives the result. Some countries also require a further period to pass after a good result before your cat may enter the country, sometimes even months. During that time your kitten stays with us. For this boarding we charge € 100 per week, which you pay in advance. See boarding costs.
Waiting period after health test at buyer’s request (boarding)
For some tests the laboratory first has to do the analysis, and then it takes a while before the result is in. Your kitten stays with us until the result is known. For this boarding we charge € 100 per week, which you pay in advance. Feel free to ask us in advance how long a test usually takes. See boarding costs.
Other waiting period at buyer’s request (boarding)
Would you like to collect your kitten later, or have it delivered later than agreed? For example because you are going on holiday, moving house, or need more time to arrange a pet nanny or pet shipper? Then your kitten stays with us a little longer, in the environment it knows. For this boarding we charge € 100 per week from the agreed date, which you pay in advance. See boarding costs.
Questions
Email: catterymickey@gmail.com
We are happy to think along about whether your country is realistic for a specific kitten, before you reserve.
Dutch version: Internationaal kittenvervoer