I am moving to the Cayman Islands in a few months and want to bring my 6-year-old cat. Is this possible?
Auntie’s answer: The good news is that since your cat is older than 10 months, you can bring him or her with you. The same is true for dogs. But the process is a bit arduous and, depending on the history of rabies shots, may require a six-month waiting period. Details on requirements can be found on the Cayman Islands Customs website.
Here are the basic steps for applying for the permit, which must be completed in order:
- Get a microchip implanted in your pet
- Vaccinate your pet against rabies, followed by a blood test at least 30 days after vaccination
- Treat your pet for tapeworms and ticks within 14 days of travel
- Get your pet examined by a licensed veterinarian and issued with an Official Veterinary Health Certificate within 14 days of travel
- Submit completed application with required documents
If the application is approved, you must give at least 48 hours notice of your pet’s expected arrival to the Cayman Islands Department of Agriculture. Their email address is ciagriculture@gov.ky.
And please be aware that some landlords do not allow pets, so it would be good to make sure that when Kitty or Rover arrive they can actually live with you.
CNS it is actually the Dept. of Ag that approves and issues the Pet Import Certificate and the requirements can be very expensive and burdensome. Dept of AG will notify Customs and all relevant airport authorities of the arrival. Another caution to this person is that all airlines have very strict temperature ranges that they will take pets on board an aircraft. Both too hot or too cold and they will not fly them. Trust me I know my dog came from MASS in December and it was one degree above acceptable temp range so luckily he made it but it was touch and go for hours waiting for the mercury to rise!
To the OP. I brought my cat here on a BA flight from the UK. My advice…
1) Get a decent pet shipping agency involved early.
2) carry out the steps above re rabies etc
3) be prepared to spend a lot of time dealing with various agencies such as Customs and Agriculture. I was actually asked to put an dollar value on my part by Customs………
4) be prepared for the govt vet to know nothing about your pet when it arrives
5) finally be prepared for your cat to be dumped on the baggage carousel at Owen Roberts and meow at you as it goes round and round…
Just my input…..
I flew with my cat in the cabin under seat. Just have to have right size carrier and they are all over Amazon.com.
No worries about luggage carousel or heat/cold temps. Hassle through Customs, but isnt it always anyway?