student with cat, bird, and turtle going to london in fall

I will be moving to london in the fall for school and i would like to take my cat, and bird with me since there is noone to care for them when i leave. i have fulfilled all of the defra requirements for the cat and the US fish and wildlife dept. says my bird can go as domestic livestock. from what i understand it may be a problem on the uk side as far as my bird is concerned and if they do let him in, i hear that i may not be able to bring him back when school finishes next year. does anyone know of any troubles that i might have entering with my bird and leaving with him as well?  he is a 15 year old healthy rock dove.
thanks,
slider

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/index.htm

I ran into this problem with my budgies.  It may have changed, but when I moved here, there was a mandatory 6-month quarantine period.  I felt it was too much stress on the birds, plus the fact that if DEFRA suspect one of the birds sharing quarantine with yours has contracted avian flu, they will euthanize all stock without further ado (as has happened in the past).  I couldn't risk that, myself.  I ended up rehoming mine.  I miss them, but their quality of life had to come first.  Can yours stay in the US with family?  The PETS scheme makes it worthwhile to bring your cat - it's just a shame there isn't a similar program for birds. 

Hi,

I moved over with my cockatiel. I obtained the paperwork from DEFRA a few months before we moved. My vet in the States had to check him over and fill out some forms which had to accompany the shipping crate on the flight over.

Once in the UK there was a quarantine period, but it was only three months AT HOME quarantine. During those three months, my bird wasn't allowed to leave the house or
come into contact with any other birds. I arranged for a local DEFRA-approved vet to come see him when we arrived in the UK, he filled out the forms, and then returned at the end of the three month period. It was very easy and straightforward. Nothing like the hoops you have to go through for dogs and cats!

Whether or not you feel your bird can handle international plane travel in the cargo hold of a plane is another matter...especially if it is only for one year. It is incredibly incredibly stressful on them, and they cannot be sedated to make it easier. I was seriously torn about bringing my bird with me, as I know they can literally die of fright. I spent the entire flight in tears, in fact, wondering if he would live through it. But I used to travel with my bird in the car quite often, and he always took it in his stride (and this was a permanent move for me)...so I decided to take the risk.

I was told at the time that I shouldn't have any trouble bringing him back into the States if we should decide to return. But I never looked into it officially, because we aren't planning on returning. I would be interested to know if you come up with anything official on the US side.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I think I still have the forms here somewhere, and unless things have changed in the past four years, I might be able to help.
 

This is a wee bit late, but I noticed no one answered your question about your turtle:

Defra says, "there are no animal health import requirements for pet reptiles. These animals can be brought into the UK as long as they are accompanied by their owner and a letter from a vet or the owner stating that the animals are fit and healthy to complete the journey."

For your bird, please check out this Defra Importer Information Note: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/imports/iins/birds/a12.htm

Pet birds or family pet birds imported into the United Kingdom must be accompanied by a "Family Pet Bird Import Licence", which is issued by Chelmsford Animal Health Divisional Office.  For all imports of pet birds from third countries, importers should contact Chelmsford Animal Health Divisional Office for information:

Animal Health Divisional Office
Beeches Road
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 2RU

Tel:  01245 358383 (option 4)
Fax: 01245 351162
Email:  AHITChelmsford@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk


Hope that helps!  I actually work for Defra answering questions like yours every day, so give me a shout if you've got further queries. :-)