Questions ahead of Vet Appointment

Off to our vet appointment this afternoon to get the cats ready to move next month. I have the paperwork printed out, just want to check:

1) Is it acceptable for me to fill in the basic information (i.e. owners name and address, description of the animal) or does the entire form need to be completed by the vet?
2) Am I correct that section V (Rabies Serological Test) is no longer required? Flying direct from US to UK.
3) We don't know the exact date the cats were microchipped - we adopted them from a shelter and they were already chipped then. Can we estimate?
4) I understand that, because we are flying into Heathrow, we don't have to worry about the ISO chip, is that correct?

I've emailed the reception center at Heathrow, but they didn't get back to me so now I'm a bit worried. Thanks!

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Yes, but you may want to get your vet to write a letter specifically stating that the microchip with number X was present in your cat before the rabies vaccination done on day Y, just to cover your bases. (I also had them write the microchip # on the rabies certificate.)

4. Yes, Heathrow ARC can read US-style chips.

Have you been informed about the so called "customs clearance agents" in Heathrow? This has gutted us to no end, such a nightmare this PETS process is.

Just found out you must hire one of these people to "clear" your cat. This means they look at your cat's crate leaving the plane, fill in paper work for the animal control centre, then...pass it on to someone else.

It's about £400 total, not including the cargo charges on your airline since the UK government will not accept a pet traveling on the same airline as "excess baggage" which would mean about £100 total if to any other country in the EU.

I had to give my cat away in America because the charges, the cheapest way possible to bring him into the UK would be about £1,200 total.

Unfortunately rent and leccy take precedence :/

leccy?

leccy = "electricity" 


(without I couldn't post on this website!)

Sorry for the late reply.

A) Thank  you so much for your help. I know I'm doing this all right and the instructions on this site are so clear, but they're my babies so I worry anyway!

B) Regarding the clearing agent, I was told that this was included in the pricing for United. I have been in contact with the agents at Heathrow, they confirmed that I won't pay there will be no further charge on their end.

Another question: I am reviewing the procedures that Heathrow sent me, and it says it requires a microchip certificate. Is this necessary? I ended up having my cats re-chipped at the vet that day (we decided that we would want them to have standard UK chips so that they could be returned if they ever got out), so the certificate has the date of their microchip. I don't have a certificate as such.

Thanks!

B) Regarding the clearing agent, I was told that this was included in the pricing for United. I have been in contact with the agents at Heathrow, they confirmed that I won't pay there will be no further charge on their end.

Some airlines include it in their fees, some don't. You may need to fill out paperwork for the agent (I did with British Airways), but if it's included in United's quote you shouldn't have to pay anything.

Another question: I am reviewing the procedures that Heathrow sent me, and it says it requires a microchip certificate. Is this necessary? I ended up having my cats re-chipped at the vet that day (we decided that we would want them to have standard UK chips so that they could be returned if they ever got out), so the certificate has the date of their microchip. I don't have a certificate as such.

As I said above, a letter from your vet should suffice. I didn't have any documentation of the microchips other than their number being written on the rabies vaccination and it was fine. (I've also never seen a microchip certificate, though I assume some companies/vet offices might offer them.)

Thanks again! I got a letter from the vet.

United does include it (as of right now, who knows how often these things change). I already sent the clearing agent the customs form. For valued I was tempted to put "priceless"!

Another question: I am reviewing the procedures that Heathrow sent me, and it says it requires a microchip certificate. Is this necessary? I ended up having my cats re-chipped at the vet that day (we decided that we would want them to have standard UK chips so that they could be returned if they ever got out), so the certificate has the date of their microchip. I don't have a certificate as such.

Thanks!

Be careful; I got a LOAD of crap from the Virgin pet agent yesterday (US side) for not having one! They nearly refused to fly our cats.

The UK agent said the paperwork was fine, but the US side was insistent we needed this non-existent certificate.

Thanks, Gwen - hopefully the letters will be ok! I had a similar problem with the USDA vet yesterday. I called to make sure I was sending everything they need, and she *insisted* that the cats had to fly within 10 days of the vaccine, no matter how many times I explained the procedure. She says they do it all the time, so she knows - clearly. I ended up agreeing and calling back to speak with someone else!