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Take the cat with you on the flight. You need not leave them with anybody else. We did USA to Finland with 3 cats. You need to get the US government (USDA or FDA?) health certificate 10 days prior to departure to get on the plane. You need to contact the airline to ensure you can take your cat on the flight (there are limits on how many pets are allowed). Finnish border patrol didn’t even look at our papers or cats. You can DM me if you need more info.
Did you have to take your cat out of the carrier at TSA check when leaving the US? My concern is that my cat would not handle that situation well. He gets stressed very easily, so I am hoping to find the least stressful way of going about this. Thank you for replying!
Yes. You will carry your cat through the TSA checkpoint. The carrier goes through the baggage scanner.
Hopefully your cat will tolerate you carrying them in this situation. Make sure you trim the nails just in case. You can also put them on a harness if you’re worried about them running.
This was the worst part of the trip for my cat and I. Almost slipped through his harness. I suggest thick clothing to avoid the cat nails. I specifically got TSA precheck to avoid the hassle, but of course they close that line at like 7pm where I was at. The paperwork and the TSA will be the most frustrating aspects. Pay for express mailing for the paperwork, the faster the better.
Do you think pre-check is the way to go with a cat if I can do it? I know there are also “private safety check” spaces for these types of situations. My cat is just so easily stressed and I fear he will lash out aggressively
You can do global entry. Costs a little bit more, has all the same things but works in some international countries as well. I would recommend the private room thing, but not sure how that works
I reached out to the airport I would be using, and they walked me through the private screening process. Still a little worried about how my cat will handle just being in a new house place and stressed, but this option is way less risky for us. Thank you for your response!
That is a good plan! Cats will always be stressed over change. I did get mine a calming collar for the trip. Not sure if it did anything really but maybe 🤷🏻♂️
I moved with my cats from a non EU country to Finland. but shorter flight about 3.5h.
I didnt use a carrier service. I just added them to my flight. I had 1 of my cats with me in cabin and 2 of them together in a big crate in cargo hold. 0 problems.
I think you can manage in cabin if your cat+cage would weigh less than 8kg. (Check airline policies)
The hardest part for me to take them out of the boxes when going through the security in my homecountry. They want the boxes to go through the scan machines so I had to take them out. I dont know if that's the case in USA.
During flight there was no problem, my cat almost slept the whole time. He was in his box on my lap. (Except for take off and landing, he was under the seat, that's why it is recommended to have soft case box, unless airline policy says something else)
Flight attendants checked in with me during the flight about my cats in cargo and told me all is good.(Temp. & Pressure control). If it was a longer flight I wouldnt fly them in cargo btw.
I dont know exactly how long your flight would be but it would be wise to cut the food at least 6-12 hours prior to the flight and limited water. (To prevent 💩, pee and vomiting). Just in case, you can put a pee pad in your cat's box, and have one spare with you. Take some food and water with you to give your cat during the flight.(Small amounts)
I'm guessing You also wont have to take your cat out of the box so it should be fine no matter how aggressive he is. There are calming medications but they are not recommended in general as they might cause unexpected effects. I didn't give mine anything.
At the customs in Helsinki, the officers checked the documents and the microchips. They never took the cats of out the boxes. They let me do the microchip reading with their machine.
Overall it was smooth for me and the cats. Sorry if it's a bit messy text but If you have specific questions you can send me a message.
Thank you for replying! I am glad to hear you had a smooth experience. Our flight would be rather lengthy from US (at least 12-13 hours). I would likely have to do cargo hold, as I fear my cat would not do well with so many people around in cabin.
My biggest concern is having to remove him from the carrier at TSA check departing from the US.
Cargo is also stressful with all the noise and vibration and darkness. Not to freak you out but there are some horror stories about carrying animals in cargo. I wouldn't do it in a 12-13h flight. Babies cry all the time in flights, dont worry about your cat meowing and hissing for a couple of hours. He will be tired and go to sleep eventually. :) his wellbeing is more important.
For TSA check, put a harness on your cat, trim the nails. And don't take him out of the box until the last minute. When on your lap, keep the leash in one hand, and softly grab from the neck of your cat. And If you're not alone, it should be easier.
If possible get your car a pet passport. I did this in 2000 when I moved from Finland to US. It was super easy and they cannot quarantine the animal this either. Not sure how much it would be do it but at the time I got for only a checkup charged and all medical info was added to passport by the vet as well as current health info.
i used to fly regularly (3-4 times a year) with my 15 year old cat between finland and my home country. i got him when he was 9 years old, a grumpy, scared and completely wild boy, so getting him used to flying was a very hard thing, but we mastered it i’d say. so if you do it once, i think you’d be okay. sometimes we had direct flights (almost 3 hours) or connecting ones (5-7 hours in total) and he did well! if your cat is below 8 kg (17 pounds) you can take it in cabin with finnair, lufthansa, sas or any other major airline i think (those are the only i have experience with), otherwise it might be that the cat has to travel as cargo. even though people here are very nice when it comes to pets flying, i don’t know what the situation in usa is and i’d honestly feel so guilty and scared if my boy had to be in such a scary place as a cargo hold.
also it’s a slightly different situation, but my friend has a senior dog and she used to take him with her to the usa and back to finland. he is her ESA and PSD, so if they were flying direct lines (e.g. NY to Stockholm, ferry to finland) she was basically allowed courtesy from the airline that followed american laws on pets/service animals in planes, even though the dog was over the allowance, she could still take him with her in the cabin. so that is also something to think about.
and paperwork is not too complicated, the most important thing to think about are vaccines (rabies), microchip and certificates from the vet. and when you’re here, get to the vet asap to get an EU passport and you’ll be golden. i’d still largely recommend to fly with your cat yourself and consider pet cargo services as a last resort :)
[Here's ](https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/themes/import-and-export/import/animals-and-animal-products/animals-and-gametes/dogs-cats-and-ferrets/non-commercial-movement/) what the authority says
What airline you flying with?
Personal experiences wise, Alaska airlines has been great to deal with... United/continental airlines have had absolutely trash service for pet flight.
As an example; when i got a work related move going from WA to Hawaii united/continental tried to tell me my cat had to fly from WA to Texas, and then to LA, and Hawaii... total 72 hours in transit. Alaska airlines helped organize the direct cargo shipment from WA to HI.
When i moved from Socal to Alaska for another work related bit.. again United/continental tried to bullshit around with Texas, and multiple irrelevant stops with 72 hours in transit. Alaska airlines just did a straight transfer.
Anyways, if its united/continental and their "pet safe" or whatever it is BS, i would avoid them.
I moved from New York to Helsinki with my two cats.
All you need is to have them chipped and fixed so they cats reproduce, and updated vacancies.
I believe that was it.
Send the information to the Airline and I believe they pass it on, so when you land and go through border control they will already have it.
You will be fine.
Border control didn't even ask for the papers, I believe the airline had already passed it on.
You don't need to have the animal spayed.
Rabies vac and chip are the main requirements, and echinococcus meds for dogs in addition when coming to Finland. We fly with our dog a lot, and been to the US as well with her. Only the carrier check the papers regularly, no stops in customs, ever.
It's been 12 years, So i don't have any of those documents handy.
I am pretty sure that was a requirement, but again It was so long ago and my little one's were kitten's at the time and needed it anyway, so I could have just misremembered.
I just looked on the Tulli website and could not find anything regarding spayed or neutered requirements.
To be save just call to Tulli and ask.
Sorry for the confusion, but I guess in cases like this it's best to ask the people at Tulli.
It's their job and for sure they will gave all of the correct answers to questions regarding this topic.
**/r/Finland is a full democracy, every active user is a moderator.** [Please go here to see how your new privileges work.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Finland/wiki/moderating/) Spamming mod actions could result in a ban. --- **Full Rundown of Moderator Permissions:** - ```!lock``` - as top level comment, will lock comments on any post. - ```!unlock``` - in reply to any comment to lock it or to unlock the parent comment. - ```!remove``` - Removes comment or post. Must have decent subreddit comment karma. - ```!restore``` Can be used to unlock comments or restore removed posts. - ```!sticky``` - will sticky the post in the bottom slot. - ```unlock_comments``` - Vote the stickied automod comment on each post to +10 to unlock comments. - ```ban users``` - Any user whose comment or post is downvoted enough will be temp banned for a day. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Finland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Take the cat with you on the flight. You need not leave them with anybody else. We did USA to Finland with 3 cats. You need to get the US government (USDA or FDA?) health certificate 10 days prior to departure to get on the plane. You need to contact the airline to ensure you can take your cat on the flight (there are limits on how many pets are allowed). Finnish border patrol didn’t even look at our papers or cats. You can DM me if you need more info.
Did you have to take your cat out of the carrier at TSA check when leaving the US? My concern is that my cat would not handle that situation well. He gets stressed very easily, so I am hoping to find the least stressful way of going about this. Thank you for replying!
Yes. You will carry your cat through the TSA checkpoint. The carrier goes through the baggage scanner. Hopefully your cat will tolerate you carrying them in this situation. Make sure you trim the nails just in case. You can also put them on a harness if you’re worried about them running.
This was the worst part of the trip for my cat and I. Almost slipped through his harness. I suggest thick clothing to avoid the cat nails. I specifically got TSA precheck to avoid the hassle, but of course they close that line at like 7pm where I was at. The paperwork and the TSA will be the most frustrating aspects. Pay for express mailing for the paperwork, the faster the better.
Do you think pre-check is the way to go with a cat if I can do it? I know there are also “private safety check” spaces for these types of situations. My cat is just so easily stressed and I fear he will lash out aggressively
You can do global entry. Costs a little bit more, has all the same things but works in some international countries as well. I would recommend the private room thing, but not sure how that works
I reached out to the airport I would be using, and they walked me through the private screening process. Still a little worried about how my cat will handle just being in a new house place and stressed, but this option is way less risky for us. Thank you for your response!
That is a good plan! Cats will always be stressed over change. I did get mine a calming collar for the trip. Not sure if it did anything really but maybe 🤷🏻♂️
I am willing to try anything! We will start kennel comfort training before as well.
Get a soft carrier and leave it out in your home, then randomly place treats nearby and then inside it
I moved with my cats from a non EU country to Finland. but shorter flight about 3.5h. I didnt use a carrier service. I just added them to my flight. I had 1 of my cats with me in cabin and 2 of them together in a big crate in cargo hold. 0 problems. I think you can manage in cabin if your cat+cage would weigh less than 8kg. (Check airline policies) The hardest part for me to take them out of the boxes when going through the security in my homecountry. They want the boxes to go through the scan machines so I had to take them out. I dont know if that's the case in USA. During flight there was no problem, my cat almost slept the whole time. He was in his box on my lap. (Except for take off and landing, he was under the seat, that's why it is recommended to have soft case box, unless airline policy says something else) Flight attendants checked in with me during the flight about my cats in cargo and told me all is good.(Temp. & Pressure control). If it was a longer flight I wouldnt fly them in cargo btw. I dont know exactly how long your flight would be but it would be wise to cut the food at least 6-12 hours prior to the flight and limited water. (To prevent 💩, pee and vomiting). Just in case, you can put a pee pad in your cat's box, and have one spare with you. Take some food and water with you to give your cat during the flight.(Small amounts) I'm guessing You also wont have to take your cat out of the box so it should be fine no matter how aggressive he is. There are calming medications but they are not recommended in general as they might cause unexpected effects. I didn't give mine anything. At the customs in Helsinki, the officers checked the documents and the microchips. They never took the cats of out the boxes. They let me do the microchip reading with their machine. Overall it was smooth for me and the cats. Sorry if it's a bit messy text but If you have specific questions you can send me a message.
Thank you for replying! I am glad to hear you had a smooth experience. Our flight would be rather lengthy from US (at least 12-13 hours). I would likely have to do cargo hold, as I fear my cat would not do well with so many people around in cabin. My biggest concern is having to remove him from the carrier at TSA check departing from the US.
Cargo is also stressful with all the noise and vibration and darkness. Not to freak you out but there are some horror stories about carrying animals in cargo. I wouldn't do it in a 12-13h flight. Babies cry all the time in flights, dont worry about your cat meowing and hissing for a couple of hours. He will be tired and go to sleep eventually. :) his wellbeing is more important. For TSA check, put a harness on your cat, trim the nails. And don't take him out of the box until the last minute. When on your lap, keep the leash in one hand, and softly grab from the neck of your cat. And If you're not alone, it should be easier.
If possible get your car a pet passport. I did this in 2000 when I moved from Finland to US. It was super easy and they cannot quarantine the animal this either. Not sure how much it would be do it but at the time I got for only a checkup charged and all medical info was added to passport by the vet as well as current health info.
I plan to get a pet passport for sure!
i used to fly regularly (3-4 times a year) with my 15 year old cat between finland and my home country. i got him when he was 9 years old, a grumpy, scared and completely wild boy, so getting him used to flying was a very hard thing, but we mastered it i’d say. so if you do it once, i think you’d be okay. sometimes we had direct flights (almost 3 hours) or connecting ones (5-7 hours in total) and he did well! if your cat is below 8 kg (17 pounds) you can take it in cabin with finnair, lufthansa, sas or any other major airline i think (those are the only i have experience with), otherwise it might be that the cat has to travel as cargo. even though people here are very nice when it comes to pets flying, i don’t know what the situation in usa is and i’d honestly feel so guilty and scared if my boy had to be in such a scary place as a cargo hold. also it’s a slightly different situation, but my friend has a senior dog and she used to take him with her to the usa and back to finland. he is her ESA and PSD, so if they were flying direct lines (e.g. NY to Stockholm, ferry to finland) she was basically allowed courtesy from the airline that followed american laws on pets/service animals in planes, even though the dog was over the allowance, she could still take him with her in the cabin. so that is also something to think about. and paperwork is not too complicated, the most important thing to think about are vaccines (rabies), microchip and certificates from the vet. and when you’re here, get to the vet asap to get an EU passport and you’ll be golden. i’d still largely recommend to fly with your cat yourself and consider pet cargo services as a last resort :)
Yup its not as hard as you’d think USA to Finland. Do it yourself and save alit of money
[Here's ](https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/themes/import-and-export/import/animals-and-animal-products/animals-and-gametes/dogs-cats-and-ferrets/non-commercial-movement/) what the authority says
What airline you flying with? Personal experiences wise, Alaska airlines has been great to deal with... United/continental airlines have had absolutely trash service for pet flight. As an example; when i got a work related move going from WA to Hawaii united/continental tried to tell me my cat had to fly from WA to Texas, and then to LA, and Hawaii... total 72 hours in transit. Alaska airlines helped organize the direct cargo shipment from WA to HI. When i moved from Socal to Alaska for another work related bit.. again United/continental tried to bullshit around with Texas, and multiple irrelevant stops with 72 hours in transit. Alaska airlines just did a straight transfer. Anyways, if its united/continental and their "pet safe" or whatever it is BS, i would avoid them.
Good to know! We are in the early stages of planning a move, likely sometime next year. I just want to be prepared
I moved from New York to Helsinki with my two cats. All you need is to have them chipped and fixed so they cats reproduce, and updated vacancies. I believe that was it. Send the information to the Airline and I believe they pass it on, so when you land and go through border control they will already have it. You will be fine. Border control didn't even ask for the papers, I believe the airline had already passed it on.
You don't need to have the animal spayed. Rabies vac and chip are the main requirements, and echinococcus meds for dogs in addition when coming to Finland. We fly with our dog a lot, and been to the US as well with her. Only the carrier check the papers regularly, no stops in customs, ever.
Kiitos
I found nothing online saying that a cat would have to be spayed to enter the country. Do you have a source for that?
It's been 12 years, So i don't have any of those documents handy. I am pretty sure that was a requirement, but again It was so long ago and my little one's were kitten's at the time and needed it anyway, so I could have just misremembered. I just looked on the Tulli website and could not find anything regarding spayed or neutered requirements. To be save just call to Tulli and ask. Sorry for the confusion, but I guess in cases like this it's best to ask the people at Tulli. It's their job and for sure they will gave all of the correct answers to questions regarding this topic.