Who has a Cruising Pet?

[Astrid]

Most places I have cruised to have not been difficult for my cat. She has her paperwork and generally not allowed shore leave.

[bobconnie]

We carry all our dogs papers from both a US Vet and a Mexican Vet with titers ect we have been pretty much everywhere in the Carib and Pacific, We have paid a little in a couple of places, but we passed up OZ last time cus they wanted to keep the dog's in a kennel for some long time ! so we just went elsewhere! we would never go where they can't lol heck they are our kid's now ! LOL

[zeehag]

bubba never leaves my boat..he guards his home well and is kept on board all the time.

he likes it that way, as land scares him.

so far, no problems. hoping will be same on other side of panama and islands....is no big deal to carry a cat to a vet from a marina, but it is a bit tough getting a cat of 16 1/2 pounds off into a dink..lol

i know some veterinarians in mexico , one in mazatlan, one in la cruz de huanacaxtle--she is good and will chip and make paperwork for those on the puddle jump

[JPA Cate]

To the OP:

To the best of my knowledge, the quarantine period in Australia is 6 months for cats and dogs. It's a long time for them to be away from you. Someone we met had two cats quarantined. One of them's personality was much changed by the experience, went from being outgoing to a fearful personality. Hawaii has strict rabies regulations, but you'd want to check directly, I don't know how that works.

[FLLCatsailor]

We used to sail back and forth between SVG and Grenada... In SVG there is a 6 month quarantine on dogs coming into the country... Since I had residency in SVG I never declared the dogs, and would just take them off the boat since we lived ashore... Never once did customs come down to the yacht to inspect...

I don't think I would recommend doing this though if you are cruising...

[onestepcsy37]

first time we took our two cats to the bahamas from florida we went the whole legal route. had to get paperwork from the bahamas, take them to a vet, fill out paperwork, etc. total cost was in the hundreds! when we checked in at cat cay (yes, CAT cay) they could care less; the officer didn't even ask to see our papers when i told him we had two cats aboard. i got the idea that cats were not looked at as closely as dogs.

next time, we just took the cats. they never leave the boat - rarely even leave the cabin. we adopted the "don't ask don't tell" policy and had no problems. don't have experience with any other country....

[zeehag]

i will not take bubba anywhere there is a quarantine on animals as he has a decent personality and i dont want him to attack me when he is done in jail...he would consider it my fault.
if these places that quarantine pets take them away from the home they live in, then i will not go to visit there until after my cat is dead...he is 7 yrs old this year and has a good 10 left in him, unless something horrible happens to him.

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

....we adopted the "don't ask don't tell" policy and had no problems. don't have experience with any other country....

This is great advice for the Caribbean. Our dog was not a problem at all there because we didn't ask questions. You have to take care your animal doesn't pick up some disease from the local animals, that's all.

Quarantine in Oz is 30 or 90 days depending on the previous countries you visited and which have rabies. So give Vanuatu a miss, spend at least 6 months between Panama and Australia and make Fiji your last port before Australia. No problem then with 30 days quarantine.

[zeehag]

jimbo--is there still a 1800 dollar fee on pets into fiji?
i know they want big check in dough....

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by zeehag

jimbo--is there still a 1800 dollar fee on pets into fiji?
i know they want big check in dough....

1500 Fiji dollars, Zee, which is refunded when you check out with your animal still aboard. The good things about Fiji is that the Aussies consider their quarantine laws to be so good that it helps reduce the quarantine time when arriving in Australia. The strictest in the Pacific are Fiji, Oz and NZ.

[zeehag]

ok...and how will they treat my involuntary pets--the termites and other stuff,...spideys and ambiant bugs bubba doesnt kill...what do they do to me for those..is it like oz where i have mandatory hole punching in my wood masts and involuntary poisoning of my boat?? i do that anyway as i dont like the pests, but tropical waters means tropical flying bugsdammit, so.....do they make ye exterminate them?? is pricey.
.how much usd is 1500 fijian dollars?

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by zeehag

ok...and how will they treat my involuntary pets--the termites and other stuff,...spideys and ambiant bugs bubba doesnt kill...what do they do to me for those..is it like oz where i have mandatory hole punching in my wood masts and involuntary poisoning of my boat?? i do that anyway as i dont like the pests, but tropical waters means tropical flying bugsdammit, so.....do they make ye exterminate them?? is pricey.
.how much usd is 1500 fijian dollars?

No worries with termites, as long as you don't have them. No hole punching. Bula, bula, all very friendly.

I can't remember the exchange rate. In USA pesos, it was something like 750 - 1000. All very correctly documented and refunded in full.

In the Galapagos, they want a fumigation certificate from Panama. We didn't have one, so they charged us $70, didn't fumigate and conveniently didn't give us a certificate. Other yachties paid the $70 and got a certificate but no fumigation!

[SaucySailoress]

Zeehag, there are some very good threads on how to deal with unwanted pests here:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tes-77826.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-do-61781.html

As far as pets go, thanks for all the useful advice I have had so far here

[monte]

Jimbo, Jen and I will be wanting to take our DOg Balrog into Australia in a few years time. He is French. Can you tell me how long he would have to be quarantined in Fizi or Australia or if there is a tactic that can avoid any quarantine? Thanks
Monte

[zeehag]

saucy--- we are dealing with thes lil fun guys and should be unwanted traveler free soon....even bubba is cooperating..lol