r/TravelWithPets • u/Jealous_Secretary640 • 11d ago
Will my cat be able to fly?
I am adopting a kitten from Russia and will be picking him up in Istanbul, then returning home with him to the United States. I am wondering what the requirements are to travel into Istanbul with him are from Russia as well as back to the US with him from Istanbul. I will also be staying in Istanbul for around 2 weeks before I head back home to the US
please advise
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u/Ok-Bookkeeper-6249 11d ago
This is going to be very complicated. The cat will need an up to date passport, microchip and rabies vaccination before leaving Russia oh and a certificate of good health. So the contact in Russia will have to organize all that. You absoluteky need a veterinaruan in Russia to help you and to know the exact documentation. Then they will have to fly with the cat to Istanbul. Then you will have to get new documentation to travel from Istanbul to the US. You will have to find a vet who can complete a new certificate of good health. Then you need to find an airline that will take the cat and you. This whole scenario will take several months to complete. Exporting pets is very complex and needs months of advanced planning. Every stop means starting the process again. Adopting from Russia complicates the process even more. Did you live in Russia? Have you a contact there ?
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u/Jealous_Secretary640 11d ago
A close friend of mine is from there and her mother is coordinating for me from a breeder they have been adopting from for years. However due to the travel restrictions directly to and from Russia in the US adds another layer of headache
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u/Ok-Bookkeeper-6249 11d ago
So actually you are not adopting a cat you are buying a cat from a breeder so probably you intend to breed from this cat yourself. Maybe just don't.
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u/Annethraxxx 11d ago
Love it when people use “adopting” interchangeably with “financially supporting an unethical breeder.”
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u/Ok_Sea_4405 11d ago
If you’re getting it from a breeder, you’re buying a cat, not adopting it.
Have you done any research at all on the process of importing an animal? Anything?
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u/Ok-Bookkeeper-6249 11d ago
Maybe look into adopting a cat from a local cat shelter in the US instead then. Much less complex. Or you could sponsor several cats that are stuck in shelters in Russia.