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Adopting a pet in Cyprus

Last activity 29 February 2020 by Toon

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Loïc

Hello,

Are you a dog or a cat person? A pet can add life to a home and make an ideal travel companion during your expatriation in Cyprus.

However, formalities or regulations might put you off traveling with your pet making adoption a better option.

Are there any particular rules or procedures for the adoption of an animal in Cyprus?

What are the costs associated with adopting a pet in Cyprus?

Are there different procedures depending on the animal?

Are pet-sitting options available?

Have you ever adopted a pet in Cyprus? Is he or she still with you today?

Thank you in advance for your feedback,

Loïc

Manoubea

I came to Cyprus with my dog which had to travel as cargo, landed in Larnaca. Even with information (that its difficult)  it was a nightmare (that it was night didn't help either) to find the warehouse and the Emirates office to pay handling fee in the Cargo area located in the old airport.
I'm thinking about another dog. I got told the adoption as such doesn't cost but for Vet, ( e.g. blood test) it costs between 150.- /200.Eu.

theresa1028

Hi,

Having a pet is a big responsibility, i had a dog and i gave her away recently because of my neighbors, if you’re living in a flat! Its a big No No, specially if you have a neighbors that hate pets 😅😅😅.

Toon

Hi Manou

many of the shelters have dogs for adoption/fostering and will usually do the veterinarian work for a small donation - paphiakos, paws, stray haven - even talk to the the vet next to the post office as he often gets strays brought in....

Toon

I am both a dog and a cat person - I am currently a cat person with my own feline furball brought here from Malta over 5 years ago... so we have him and 7 others all feral cats and kinda rescued from their plight. We take care of them in our garden they have all been neutered with the help of ONLY TNR (who I volunteer for)  they have shelter from the winds rain and sun, they have fresh food and water every day.. tick and flea collars and are wormed as required. All characters in their own rights.

yes there are rules and legislation to be adhered to - and for Brits this may well change dramatically once Brexit is completed by Dec 2020...

note - -https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit

Cyprus sadly isnt the most accepting of pets  = most animals are seen as tools to be used until of no further use then dumped.

Thus many people rescue them to become pets.... its a very serious decision to bring pets with you, keep them on leads as poisoning is rampant.....and be sure to have anti venom kit with you all the time.. snakes, poisonous procession caterpillars  and of course the odd large spider too .....not to mention sand fly which can lead to a killer in leishmania....   

shelters are full to the gunnels with strays so think long and hard about adopting or fostering rather than buying here... vet services and treatments arent cheap.

There are many people who not only pet sit ( in their own homes or in yours) but some also do dog walking too.

So take care everyone, look after yourselves and your pets be very wary and aware of the dangers

shotokan101

Hi Toon - my wife and myself are planning to bring our two housecats over to Cyprus when we come over - hopefully later this year.

We had been hoping to give them a but more freedom over there but from what you say it doesn't sound like a good idea :(

Jim

Toon

House cats are fine we have one we brought over with us from malta 6yrs ago.... but we also take care of 7 gorgeous ferals 3 gingers  3 tabbys  and one oh so cute ginger and white... they get fed watered are flea and tick collared treated when required at our own cost..and all are neutered / speyed.. so no unwanted pregnancies or ability to procreate from them...  and we have a very good vet close by too...

 
Lots of people here bring  their pets here and allow them out to be free....and cared for.... just have to be aware that there are some people who dont like cats or have some reason to deter them...

i think that if you think long and hard about the area where you expect to rent or buy and cater for your cats outside life you should be ok.... but remember some people dont like their gardens used as poop stops or scratching posts...

we have been lucky so far as we have a quiet grassy area close by with trees etc and they all play and hunt there keeping snakes  at bay.....

shotokan101

Thanks Toon - though not what I expected you to say as I originally asked after seeing this in your earlier post...

".... its a very serious decision to bring pets with you, keep them on leads as poisoning is rampant.....and be sure to have anti venom kit with you all the time.. snakes, poisonous procession caterpillars  and of course the odd large spider too .....not to mention sand fly which can lead to a killer in leishmania...."

I'm obviously happy that it's not as bad as I read into that response :)

You also mentioned the cost of vet care in Cyprus - how expensive is it ?

Thanks

Jim

Toon

There is no getting away from the fact that poisoning of dogs and cats happens and it is an all too common occurance here as many facebook group pages will testify....

Am sorry if I worried you too much it wasnt meant that way ...but its about awareness be aware that it happens- sometimes its by accident cats and dogs rummage and seek out food all day and sometimes they get hold of rat & cockroach poisons....  sometimes it is not so accidental more deliberate with poisoned meats being placed in known cat runs and dog walks.....    it is not unheard of for threats of poisoning a pet because of barking or poo in a neighbours garden... .Just be aware of the dangers...

this time of year we get a lot of processionary caterpillars.... very dangerous for pets and children too, Blunt nosed vipers and black whiptails are also about along with the tarantulas generally near the banana plantation areas such are found all over the Pegeia area,. but to be fair we have lived here for 6 years and only seen 4-5 of these. Anti venom kits are standard kit to have with you when you walk your dogs.

Sandfly is a bigger problem for dogs on or near beaches or long grassed areas ,., we have a friend whose three dogs were infected by these wee beasties and its a  problem and can lead to a lifetime of medication expense

as for vet expenses. i can only speak of cats as thats what we have... and have so far been lucky in that we havent needed much vet care

worm tablets are about €4.... pipettes are about €6
tick and flea treatment pipettes €4-6 - I now get these from amazon and friends bring them over for us
tick and flea collars are about €5 although we have found some good ones and quite effective from Jumbo in the mall for €2,99
male cat neuter about €35-40  female cat spay is €55-60
if you have specific concerns it may be a good idea to identify a vet in the area you are planning to move to have a look at their facebook pages and ask a question by PM ... Pet insurance can be a difficult to find here but am told you can get it.

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