Bringing two cats into Bulgaria from USA

coming from Germany I am asking myself how equal the regulations will be, if I get my cats.

In Ger you need to get shots against Katzenseuche (FPV) as well as Katzenschnupfen (not sure if it is FCV or FeHV1).

Rabis shots are not neccesary.

Rabies shots are needed for cats coming from outside the EU. The official EU page on this is here: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/t … dex_en.htm

Alex, there's official paperwork, an actual EU pet passport. Your vet should be able to help with this or recommend another vet who can.

@janemulberry

Ok,

thanks. I will call around. I don't have a regular vet here. They cost as much as a doctor for people these days. One more reason to leave the US.

    @janemulberry
Ok,
thanks. I will call around. I don't have a regular vet here. They cost as much as a doctor for people these days. One more reason to leave the US.
   

    -@jetmon135

This also has some useful information for you.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/by-country/eu/pettravel-bulgaria

@jetmon135

If it's anything like the UK where I am, even if you had a local veterinarian they probably won't be able to help with the paperwork. It needs to be a vet specifically accredited to do this. In the US, the USDA is the accrediting agency, so your nearest USDA office should hold a list of veterinary offices who can provide the correct paperwork.

It does need to be paper, too, printed out, officially stamped, the whole bureaucratic thing!

We adopted our four cats from an EU country, so they already have EU pet passports, which I hope, with some updating, will also get them back into the EU!

@janemulberry you can't update EU pet passports in the UK. The only entry a UK vet can make to an EU passport is a wormer. Any other additions, ie vaccinations, rabies etc render the EU passport invalid. Sorry 😔

Oh, what a nuisance. Thanks for that info, Elaine. Another "benefit" of Brexit, making life so much better for us all!

@janemulberry

Indeed AHC are your only option I'm afraid. If you're lucky your own vet will do them, but if not you'll have to find one that does. A lot of vets won't do them because they're so time consuming. Last year for 6 dogs and 4 cats, it cost me £935. They stopped doing them after that. 😬

I expected expense and hassle. According to EU legislation, some EU countries will allow UK updated EU pet passports originally issued in an EU country, but the link for Bulgaria doesn't work! As we'll probably drive them there rather than air freight them (I think even a four day road trip with us will be less stressful than a full day as air freight), getting the AHCs for them will be safest.

@janemulberry

I wouldn't risk it, even though I brought mine over in 2 trips and I asked the border guards if they wanted to check the dogs, they said no! The cats were checked on the first trips, but they couldn't care less about the dogs.

I've heard that often checks are very cursory. But  I'll make sure I have both the pet passports and the AHC, to be safe.

I've heard cats have some kind of innate ability to walk long distances home when they are dropped off far away or get lost.

Assuming this is true, it must be disorientating to pop out of a box on the other side of the world.

I would keep them inside, and give them time to adjust to the  new environment before letting them  outside.

There are 3 cats that come by my house, I feed them but don't let them inside. They trade me rats, for sardines. I found a rat in my basement. So they are here.

This another thing the Realtors will not tell you. There are NO pest control services. They don't even know what it is. So you will have to deal with lots of insects outside and spiders coming in your house. I also had bees and wasps coming in.

And this is from an extremely clean house.  My house is extremely clean. And for the last 3 days I have worms or maggots coming in the house. They are on the ceiling. There is no rotting meat or anything that could be the reason. I have no idea where they are coming from. 

In America you call the pest control service, pay them a monthly fee.  They come to the house once a month and spray. Fill out form online or 1 phone call = Problem solved.

Over here there is no damn pest control services. And people complain about not having money or a job. There is a market for self employment and nobody here has a capitalist brain. Only a coffee brain. And they live with their mommy.

We  brought our two cats from Qatar. Chipped, rabies certificates etc. When we retrieved the cats from the plane and took them to Customs, I proffered the folders of documents. The officer  waved us through with a welcoming smile.

Once the cats are aclimatised..the rats mice will run away...

Spiders etc  can be kept at bay  with insect blinds on doors n windows...

So no worry there...good luck..as an added question..for my own curiosity

When flying with dogs n cats..are they kept in the hold in cages for the journey.

@wtruckyboy

It depends where you're flying from where animals can travel in the plane.

Unless the rules have changed, for some unknown reason on flights from the UK they can only travel BA and can only be sent as "freight", so will be kept in a pressurised hold.

Flights from most other countries allow cats or small dogs to be taken as one's carry-on luggage, provided the pet carrier will fit under the set in front. Which is why the original poster, travelling from America, wants a travel companion. That way they can take a cat each as their underseat bag.

We hope to overland ours when we leave the UK. A three or four day van drive with four cats in the back. That will be fun!

@Andy8612 Hi Andy, Rabies shots are not necessary in France either, but if you want to travel across a National border, they are absolutely necessary. As your cats already have the FIV etc, I would recommend that you maintain those in Bulgaria. There are lots of stray cats in Bulgaria and if your cat gets a bite wound from an infected cat, your cat could become infected also.