Does your Cat have her Passport?

Most pet owners would agree that they consider their dog or cat to be a member of their family. And just like any other member of the family, pets sometimes need to move or travel internationally. Accordingly, the European Union (EU) requires all pets to have a valid pet passport to exit the country along with the rest of the family.

Pet passports are primarily for dogs, cats, ferrets, and some other rodents. They contain biographic information about the pet and the owner, as well as medical history and vaccine records. Most importantly, the passport verifies that the animal does not test positive for rabies or other spreadable diseases before it exits the EU and travel to another country.

The purpose of the EU pet passport is to make traveling easier for families and their pets, as it streamlines the process of verifying an animal’s veterinary records. The passport can be used when traveling or moving to a new EU member state, as well as when traveling to many other countries (in place of traditional vaccine/medical records).

While the EU has standardized this process specifically for EU member states, there are also companies that offer pet passports for pets traveling to and from nearly any country. These passports include all helpful and required information about the pet to help simplify the process of traveling with animals.

So next time you’re planning an extended family vacation, or perhaps relocating abroad, you’ll want to consider whether or not your pets have all their paperwork in order!