So, what'll it cost if I do all the work?

Right. I just got a quote from a pet-relocating service. For picking up my two cats at my door in the States and delivering them to Heathrow: $3,500. That's <koff> a little steep for me.

Ballpark, for two cats...with all fees, licenses and airfare, what am I looking at? Not counting all the preliminary vet appointments and the cat carriers and all, just Moving Day...?

For my two dogs, it is going to cost me $916 on Virgin.  That is not including the £232 charge at Animal Reception in Heathrow.  My dogs weigh 13 pounds and 10 pounds.  I believe it is $75 to have the USDA notarize and sign the documentation.  I am driving it to the USDA vet to avoid the overnight mail charges.

So, total for me, not including all the vet stuff will be: $1455

Edited to change the wrong price quote on my original post.

For airfare for my 2 cats on Continental from Dallas, TX to Glasgow, Scotland cost just a little under 2K....craziness

Ow. So they really aren't charging all that much for handling, considering they're picking up the fees and transport to the airport.

This is just getting more fun by the day. Good thing I drink.

Two (fat) cats from Newark, NJ to Gatwick on Continental, just over $1200.

It is still cheaper to do it yourself, honestly.  It would cost nearly $4500 if I used a Pet service.  I'll take the $1455 instead.

For two cats, weighing approx. 11lbs each, from ATL to LGW via British Airways on 3 October 2006:

Vet visit #1 (10 March 2006: microchipping & vaccination): $150
   $60 x 2 (microchips)
   $15 x 2 (rabies vaccination)

Vet visit #2 (1 April 2006: blood draw): $195
   $75 x 2 (blood draw)
   $45 (overnight shipping to lab at KSU)

Vet visit #3 (27 September 2006: exam & health certificate): $70
   $35 x 2

USDA vet visit (2 October 2006: signed off on all paperwork): $80.25
   $76 for first animal, $4.25 for second

Vet visit #4 (2 October 2006: tick and tapeworm treatment): $16.50
   $7 for Toby
   $9.50 for Xander
      Note: I have no idea if these prices are accurate, as the vet used the wrong treatment   
      (Cestex) and the boys had to be retreated upon arrival in the UK, delaying their
      homecoming by approx. 28 hours.

Airfare (two containers, 26kg total weight): $1708.46 (to give you a bit of perspective, I was quoted approx. $3,750 for the same journey by two different animal transport companies)

Carriers, cat beds, water containers, etc.: approx. $150

Total costs: approx. $2,370 

Obviously we also spent money on petrol to and from the local vet (about a mile each way, so around 10 miles total), two trips to the USDA vet (approx. 45 miles each way, so 180 miles), a ridiculous wild-goose chase while trying to find the necessary pet carriers (around 100 miles), and the trip to the airport (180 miles round trip) - so that's about a tank and a half of petrol in the US.  We also had a 600-mile round trip in the UK, from Middlesbrough to Gatwick and back, so that's another couple of tanks of petrol at UK prices.  And we had to pay £300 to board the cats for the extra day, so that they could be given the right meds and released to us (stupid vet!), but hopefully no-one else will have to do that!    

Keep in mind that BA is reputed to be the most expensive airline for PETS travel, so if you're using Virgin (both are approved carriers for Boston), you may well save money.  Also keep in mind that if you're moving from Boston (or thereabouts) to London (or thereabouts) you won't have to worry about the transport factor quite as much - I moved from 90 miles away from Atlanta to 300 miles away from London, so I was quite worried about how we'd make it through the requisite driving without killing each other.  (I shouldn't have worried, though - the boys were absolute angels on the way up from London.  The plane trip over must have put car trips into a bit of perspective!)

Hope this helps.  I'm still working on sorting out which documents to scan to make that huge PETS post I was talking about earlier, but hopefully that'll happen this week.  If I can find the right cord for the scanner, that is....

Oh, I forgot to mention that my flight will be from Boston to Heathrow.  Sorry, I am so scattered today.

Dh & I used a pet courier service from the States to get my 2 cats here to the UK in March 2005. I think in all total we paid around $2600 dollars but that included getting my cats from Indiana to Newark Airport then to Gatwick airport, the vaccines, rabies test each, & microchipping each. all the vet stuff just before the cats flew to the UK. a cat carrier apiece, the processing fee at animal reception at Gatwick, a delivery charge of bringing the cats to my house from Gatwick & last the service fee they charged us. I'm sure that price has more than doubled by now. Dh said he was more than pleased with the service we got from our animal courier well worth the we money paid.

That's very helpful, Meg! I am going Boston to...either Heathrow or Gatwick. Doesn't matter. My two are chipped, but I haven't started the vaccination countdown. And now I'm feeling stupid about that, because things are moving faster than I expected.

I put it off and put it off because mine are a little feral. They're lovely animals, but hard to get into carriers. And they sulk for days after they get home from the vet.

I put it off and put it off because mine are a little feral. They're lovely animals, but hard to get into carriers. And they sulk for days after they get home from the vet.

Mine hate carriers, too - but don't mind the car or the vet at all if they don't have to go in a carrier.  I usually put a harness and a leash on them and carry them to and from the car - it works pretty well!  Then again, there's nothing feral about mine - they're just being bratty.

Shugga----who did you use for your pet courier??

I used Airborne Animals they were absolutely fantastic & very professional. they are based out of New Jersey I think. I sent you a PM with there details if you wanted to  contact them yourself.

Thanks!  That would be great.  I'm looking for the easy way at this point! 

Thanks!  That would be great.  I'm looking for the easy way at this point! 

Sure no problem thats why we used them.  we let someone else deal with all the hassles & headaches while we sat back & relaxed knowing that everything would be done properly the first time.    You can ring the lady at any time when they have your pets and they are extremely helpful and friendly.