Cats are subject to federal regulation at ports of entry.
When planning travel for your cat, its safety, comfort and health are likely foremost on your mind. You're not alone -- 51 percent of pet owners planned to travel abroad with their furry loved ones during 2010 and 2011, according to a survey by PetRelocation.com. To help ensure the health and safety of your pets, there are some government regulations you should keep in mind when entering the United States.
Duty
While many animal species are subject to import duties when crossing border into the U.S., cats -- excluding some large or exotic cats -- are exempt. Although it may be subject to a port-of-entry health examination, you won't be required to pay for your cat to cross the border unless it needs to be quarantined or examined for health reasons. In that unlikely event, you'll need to cover kennel costs.
Health
Your cat needs to be in good health when it arrives at the U.S. Customs entry checkpoint. Normally, no health inspection of your cat is necessary. However, the official processing the entry of your cat has the authority to order an examination by a government-approved licensed veterinary professional if the cat shows signs of distress or exhibits symptoms of a disease that can be transmitted to humans. To help expedite the process, you can have a veterinarian provide a certificate of good health within five days of U.S. entry.
Quarantine
If your cat is healthy, the federal government does not require a quarantine period. However, this might be overruled by the state or local regulations regarding the importation of animals. For example, Hawaii and the territory of Guam both require cats to spend up to 120 days in quarantine to ensure that they have no dormant or incubating infections that may be spread to humans or other animals. Your cat may be allowed to spend less than five days in quarantine on these islands if it meets requirements of the 5-Day-Or-Less program, which includes documentation for recent health examinations, vaccinations and blood tests.
Customs Declaration
All animals, including cats, are required to be declared by the party accompanying them through a port of entry. When traveling to the United States via air, sea or rail, you'll be given a green customs card to complete before you arrive at the customs checkpoint. You must declare all cats either traveling with you or being shipped to you at a location within the U.S. Failure to declare your cat may result in your pet being quarantined, exported or worse -- destroyed.
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