We moved to Switzerland from the U.S. about 4 years ago and had no troubles getting our Sheltie into the country. All we needed was an International Certificate of Health, which included verification of rabies vaccination. We asked our vet, and he knew exactly what to provide. Getting it signed, stamped, etc took about 2 weeks total to have it returned from the state government (Washington state). We flew Lufthansa Houston-Frankfurt-Zurich in late July and my 13 year-old dog had no problems with the flights. In 2004, Lufthansa charged an extra $75 to fly the dog in a carrier. I gave him a sedative and we had no problems with either my dog or the airlines regarding his sedation. We arrived at the Zurich airport and were the last people through Immigrations/Customs (because we were waiting for the pet carrier)--the officer gave a cursory look at the dog's paperwork, made some polite small talk and...that was it. No hassles, no vets, nothing. We just walked to our friends waiting minivan and drove to our new home. A week later, we registered him at our local Rathaus and had no troubles with that either. We live in Aargau, btw.
Suggestions I would have for other posters:
1. Despite the fact that the dog is supposed to be chipped, mine wasn't and we were never asked about it *shrugs*. He was old, slow, and always on a leash every time we went out so it was a non-issue for me. I think it's not such a big stress-issue for the Swiss.
2. @ mrmiller117--Rescue Remedy will be fine from the Swiss govt's point of view, as they sell it at pretty much any Drogerie over here. Whether it works for your cat or not, only your cat can say ;-)
3. Also @ mrmiller117--I don't think I'd take the bus from Milan to Lugano...just take the train unless it absolutely won't fit into your schedule. I quickly checked (www.sbb.ch) & trains leave 1-2 times an hour. I think it'll be a much more pleasant experience.
4. @ WorldFoodie--Find a pet sitter/kennel as soon as possible. It can take a long time to find one willing to accept new pets and the Swiss are pretty notorious for planning vacations well in advance (and booking out the kennels).