Transporting pets to Qatar
By canadianinqatar •
Hello all,
I am wondering if anyone out there can tell me about their experience or give me any advice on taking my two cats to Qatar. It seems like an awfully long trip from Canada to Qatar for them but it also seems like too many years to farm them out to someone.
I am wondering about costs and logistics for one. The other is having cats living in the compound. Would cats annoy people too much? They are house cats but cats do roam, dig in the neighbours plants, etc. They are female, spayed, young and somewhat antisocial.Â
Any observations?
Hi andysbunny,
Please send a word about what transport company/airline you are using and how it goes.
Good luck with your move. I am sure everything will go very well for your furry friends.
having a kitty in the cabin, but for us, he has to be. He is diabetic, and with a minimum of 14hrs of air travel, he has to be with us in order to get an insulin shot every 12 hrs. So, I don't have a choice. The other 2 furries will be in the hold, but the "special" one will be with me. Already making those arrangements.
Before I came here I did one of the hardest things I have ever done, I re-homed my dog. We had hoped to foster her with friends or family but this didn't work out so re-homing was the only option. I was adamant that the Middle East was no place to bring a dog who had spent her life in a cool climate with fields and parks to run free in. My dog has a nervous disposition and I was worried that the flight might literally scare her to death (it isn't safe to drug dogs and then leave them unattended in an aircraft hold) and furthermore she would have had to spend extended periods in kennels while we returned to our home country on leave. She is a pedigree dog. The re-homing volunteers of her breed society were extremely helpful and sympathetic. They allowed me to see that I should put the dog's interests before my own and they found a new family for her who could give her a similar lifestyle. I have been told that she is happy and settled in her new home. It broke my heart to give my dog away but when I look around me I know that it would have been cruel to bring her here. I'm sure I made the right decision. Canadianinqatar, think about where your cats would be happiest. If you decide to leave them behind you can join me and we'll cry on each other's shoulders.
I think you are absolutely right. There is no point of keeping one in the cabin. They would drive the other travellers crazy with their cries I imagine. Though I love cats and dogs, I have lived in a country for many years where cats are detested. Though I can't keep an eye on them all the time and they do like to roam around their neighbourhood, I am aware that not all people appreciate that. I guess I'm in a pickle.
... it is really not all that common - most airlines will not allow it.
Even if KLM allows one animal in the cabin, they will not allow two. IMHO, you may as well put them both in the hold so that if they wake up, they can keep each other company (somewhat).
It's not like you will be able to keep the one in the cabin on your lap or anything during the flight, so either way they are separated from you - you may as well have them together, and pick them up at the other end.
Just my 2c. :)
Ms.Canadianqatar, I welcome you on this website. I thank those great qatari people who created it. I have a friend of mine, who has a couple of cats. They are friendly, but they always roam as you said. They can't stay in their place. But hey, they don't like heat out there with 50 degrees, better to stay home. It depends on your neighbours, if they like or afraid from cats.Most they welcome cats, but dogs maybe.
Thank you, Omar, for letting me know that. The problem with cats, and something nobody can solve, is that they are tricky and don't listen as well as dogs do. They get out, get into the neighbour's house, yard or houseplants. Other than that, they are usually afraid of strangers (unlike some dogs). I wouldn't want to bother the neighbours but sometimes it is inevitable. They are great escape artist!
In any case, thanks for the tip. What airline did you use from Jordan?
peapole here are familer with cats but some of them can treat them badly.
anyway you said they are house cats so most their times will be indoor or either with you when you out.
i have experince in birds to be shiped with me from jordan to qatar
the airline charged me about 20 dollars on each one.
Thank you both for the tips. I hadn't thought of there being a compound that doesn't allow pets but it makes sense. The only way I could take one cat or both on board would be to drug them into a coma, otherwise they'd make life impossible for all on board!
That's good to know about KLM.
www.qatarpetrelocators.com
Hi, we are about to bring our cat out there. I contacted my employer who were very helpful, perhaps you could do the same. There is quite a lot of paperwork - a health certificate to process, vaccine certs, obviously. They also arranged for us to fly with an airline who allows us to travel with our pet in the cabin -(KLM)- although this is only possible with one animal.
From what QU said (and I may have misunderstood) some compounds allow pets, some don't. Obviously we are being put in one that does, perhaps you should check,
Hope this helps a little
L
More on the same question about pets...
Are there people that stay around over summer or Christmas break in the expat villas/compounds that will take good care of pets over breaks?