Has anyone moved to BA with a cat??

[sarakaile]

My husband and I are moving in January from the US and we are aware of all the red tape that comes along with bringing a pet. We are only going to be living there for one year and are weighing our options between taking her or leaving her with my parents for a year (there are some conditions that come along with the latter).

I'm hoping someone has insight on finding a great vet in BA, getting certain types of cat food and especially any info on cat-sitters as my husband and I plan on traveling while we're down there but would need to find someone trustworthy to watch or check in on our cat.

I refuse to use a pet relocation service or fly on an airplane without her in the cabin (working on this part as well), so I'm definitely curious if anyone had the same challenge moving from the US. If you have all of your paperwork, what are the steps you go through in customs and with SENSA?

ANY help or advice will really help us through this process and guide us in making our decision!

 

[Bigboxer]

http://www.senasa.gov.ar/contenido.php?to=n&in=739&io=8463

 

[2GuysInPM]

Our cat has been traveling back and forth with us for two years.

The process is not complicated, so don't be discouraged. You just need to have the paperwork in order and you'll be fine.

If you arrive with her at the airport here be prepared to wait. Pets usually come in last at the belt after all the luggage. Then you have to go through the customs check and that can take a bit as well. We had an issue last time where the airport vet was not present and had to wait about an hour until they could get a hold of him and get the approval over the phone.

I don't think there are any airlines now that will let you fly with her in the cabin to BA, unless she is officially registered as a service animal and you have all the paperwork and requirements in order. We've always had to put ours under, but she's great traveling and does not seem to get stressed out with the whole ordeal (~ 16 hrs of traveling with 1 layover).

We have a great vet here. His name is Federico, speaks english and he makes house calls. He also helps us get the paperwork ready for every trip. His website: http://www.housecallvet.com.ar/ His fees are very affordable as well.

As far as food, that may be a bit tricky. We feed ours Science Diet and we have to order it from a few pet shops that carry it. Being an imported item, there can be shortages at times and the possibility they may stop importing it altogether. But once you find a source you can usually call and have it delivered to your home.

Can't help you with pet sitters, but I'm sure there are options here. When we have to go away and leave her, we rely on friends and our housekeeper here to watch her.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask here or PM.

 

[Davidglen77]

I know of a really great pet sitter:

http://www.facebook.com/buenosairespetsitting

Hope this helps, I have a kitty and he is wonderful!

 

[Ashley]

There are a lot of good vets here. I have two cats and highly recommend mine. Perhaps once you're here and established, people on this forum could recommend a vet closer to where you'll be staying. As for food, a lot of brands can be bought here (though I'm sure not nearly as many as in the US/Europe...If you let me know what brand you buy I can check). I feed mine Royal Canine (a special "gastro" mix as one of the cats has tummy problems) but there are plenty of good brands available...wet food is a bit more limited but I think Royal Canine also have a range that you can get from some places here.
I've had a couple of pet sitter recommendations...We're going to use one in December so if all goes well, I'd be happy to pass her details on.

 

[sarakaile]

Thank you so much for this reassuring info! I found the same thing about the service animal/ emotional stability animal caveat for flying so we will see. I'm so glad to hear that it is manageable because so many websites make it sound beyond painful to take care of!

 

[steveinbsas]

Even if you have all the papers you need you may still have to pay more than you could ever believe just to get your cat into the country.

Good luck!

 

[2GuysInPM]

Even if you have all the papers you need you may still have to pay more than you could ever believe just to get your cat into the country.

Good luck!

We only paid $313 pesos at EZE's SENASA when we flew in last month ($40 for tariffs and $273 for pet services). You can pay this at the Banco Nacion window right at customs.

 

[ElLatingo]

Our cat has been traveling back and forth with us for two years.

The process is not complicated, so don't be discouraged. You just need to have the paperwork in order and you'll be fine.

If you arrive with her at the airport here be prepared to wait. Pets usually come in last at the belt after all the luggage. Then you have to go through the customs check and that can take a bit as well. We had an issue last time where the airport vet was not present and had to wait about an hour until they could get a hold of him and get the approval over the phone.

I don't think there are any airlines now that will let you fly with her in the cabin to BA, unless she is officially registered as a service animal and you have all the paperwork and requirements in order. We've always had to put ours under, but she's great traveling and does not seem to get stressed out with the whole ordeal (~ 16 hrs of traveling with 1 layover).

We have a great vet here. His name is Federico, speaks english and he makes house calls. He also helps us get the paperwork ready for every trip. His website: http://www.housecallvet.com.ar/ His fees are very affordable as well.

As far as food, that may be a bit tricky. We feed ours Science Diet and we have to order it from a few pet shops that carry it. Being an imported item, there can be shortages at times and the possibility they may stop importing it altogether. But once you find a source you can usually call and have it delivered to your home.

Can't help you with pet sitters, but I'm sure there are options here. When we have to go away and leave her, we rely on friends and our housekeeper here to watch her.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask here or PM.

This is a little late in the game, but wanted to add that I'm flying Copa (from Miami) to Bs. As. next month and for just $75 my cat is flying with me IN the cabin. Not only is Copa one of the few airlines that allows pets in the cabin (TAM was another), but they're also much cheaper; just to fly a pet within the US costs $100+ on most carriers. F'ing thieves.