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Bringing my cat from Panama

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tombseekers
3/22/2017 17:54 EST

We are taking a 2 month vacation fro Panama and I would like to bring my cat if it is't terribly tedious or expensive. I will have all the mdical forms required for re-entry to Panama. I cant seem to find anything online except companies. I just need the requirements. tyia

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Jimbeam7
3/22/2017 18:44 EST

Think twice for bringing cat for a short time. The following is from last September when we brought our dog:

We arrived at our new home in Colombia last week and I wanted to share or experiance with bringing our dog - a 25 pound Australian Terrier.

We got all the last minute documents done for Simon (our dog) and drove to Houston dropped Simon off at the cargo area and made our flight without incident. Our flight was to Bogota and I gave us 7 hours to get the dog through customs and make our connection on to Cali. But then we ran head on into Colombian bureaucracy – it’s quite impressive. We were told it would only take 10 or 15 minutes to clear Simon through customs but it seems that’s only for hand carried dogs when they fly cargo they’re treated like cattle. We arrived at 5AM and found that the cargo area doesn’t open till 8AM – no problem right? At 8AM we received a list of 12 offices (really 12), we had to go to with paperwork. First stop was to go to the bank and pay a fee, but the bank doesn’t open until 9AM – it’s starting to get aggravating. So we wait till 9 and continue the shuffle from office to office returning to the bank at one point to pay a different fee. At some point I realized we would not make our noon connection so I sent the wife to check into a Hotel with all our 9 suitcases (she had been waiting in a taxi van until then) as I continued the shuffle. Twice I had to go to a store an make copies because there were no functioning copiers in the building. Finally at 2:30PM we were permitted to rescue Simon; he had been the kennel since 8:30PM the night before – a full 18 hours. Simon was quite the trooper he did not pee in the kennel for the 18 hours.



The following day we made our flight and arrived at our finca at about 5PM Friday 9/23/16 only a full day late.

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bigjailerman
3/22/2017 21:05 EST

They're are several factors, foremost is the port of entry . If you can avoid Bogota, you will benefit. Secondly what airline are you using. I found JetBlue and American the most helpful. I would never did my pet through Cargo.. To many negative possibilities in my opinion.
Now with a car, it's an easy carry on pet. Just make sure you are covering all you legalities. I went through back and forth from the USA, BOTH Kennedy and LaGuardia. Never had an issue but here is a secret.
Your pet can travel for free of any breed of dog, cat, bird, duck frog (size doesn't matter) whatever ..as an emotional support pet. Very simple. No special training, no best or tags. Just a letter. You can Google online.

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bigjailerman
3/22/2017 21:06 EST

Cat, not car lol

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tombseekers
3/22/2017 22:00 EST

Wow, that's more red tape than Panama But, thanks to your story, the cat stays with the sitter. thanks

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