I'll definitely check into the drug thing. Rescue Remedy is all natural hippy stuff so I'm pretty sure it's allowed but I'm all for no surprises. I have this terrifying image of my cat being turned back at the swiss border!
I actually have some information of my own to post now:
Lufthansa does allow cats in the cabins but they only have so many per flight, some cap, so you have to reserve a 'cat spot' as soon as you can. Also, there is an additional cost of (for me, from the west coast of the US) $127. The phone clerk did ask me an approximate weight of my cat, so it's possibly based on that. Interestingly, my cat does NOT count as a piece of luggage. I'm allowed to bring a carry on as well. The carrier is allowed to be a maximum of 22 inches x 16 inches x 8 inches (Sorry, I'm not on metric yet! Very soon though.)
Hope that's helpful to someone out there.

Re: your cat. Try Rescue Remedy before you go, to see how the your cat reacts (especially as she was feral). The pre-trip prep, car ride and airport alone will probably frighten/excite it (as it does us humans). The airline asked about it's weight, to determine if the cat will fit comfortably under the seat in front of you. And yes, there is a limit about how many pets in the cabin are allowed and where they can be seated (to avoid any "misshaps"). Since you are bringing a cat on board, you might want to limit your carry-on to a minimum as the cat alone will be a handful!

(As a tidbit of information, I worked for airlines both in the cabin and on the ground)

Oh, you can also call the BVET- I did and I can't praise them enough- the person I spoke to was wonderful.

I will be coming in August/September for 6 months with 2 13-year old beagles. I am looking for

(1) an english-speaking vet around Lausanne, and

(2) a reputable kennel and/or dogsitter around Lausanne as I will be doing some travel.

Any suggestions will be welcome.

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).

I wanted to update everyone on what transpired on my way in to Zurich. First of all, thanks to everyone and your feedback, all which made me feel better about our stressful move. When we got the dog from the baggage folks she we obviously stressed and ready to get out of her crate. We hit customs and they looked at our paperwork and never scanned the dog, which was good. They charged us 40 FR and we went on our way.

A week or so later I took her to an appointment at a local vet in Basel and their scanner could not pick up her "Euro Chip", which was BS to me. I called Avid, the manufacturer of the chip before we left the U.S. to make sure it was rated for here and they swore it was but the scanner here could not read it at all! I immediately had her chipped here too since she is screwed if she gets lost in Europe as the "Euro Chip" was useless. I am not sure what I am telling you here other than insist that your vet confirms that your chip will work with European scanners (ISO) so you don't have any problems.

mrmiller117--
how was it bringing your cats over? We'll be bringing 2 cats over in November. Do we do the Euro Chip in the US or just wait until we get to Zurich? What suggestions/advice can you give us to make this as smooth as possible? Much thanks in advance!

Hi,

Though it seems like a lot of work to prepare for bringing your dog here, it really isn't all that bad. As fduvall said, we brought a lab here 2 1/2 years ago. There are just a few steps you need to take. I'm happy to answer any more specific questions you may have, or feel free to PM me!

Meanwhile, check out a great yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dogs-Switzerland

You'll find lots of good info there.

Best,
Elizabeth

Hi,

I just thought I'd share this article with you, for those of you have thought of taking your dog on a train to Italy. Outrageous. Just last year, we took our 5-year old lab to Milan and had a great time. ...

Dogs banned from Italian trains to fight fleas
By Nick Squires in Rome

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 24/09/2008



Passengers on the country's extensive railway network have complained of arriving at their destination itching and scratching and plagued with insect bites.



Blaming the bug problem on pets, Trenitalia has announced that from October 1, passengers will no longer be able to travel with large or medium-sized dogs – defined as weighing six kilograms or more.



Small dogs, as well as cats, rabbits and all other domestic animals, will have to travel in portable cages.


Fish will be exempt from the new regime, the train company pointed out, as will guide dogs for the blind. Pet owners caught in breach of the law will be fined 100 euros (£80)– the amount it costs to clean and disinfect a carriage.



The crackdown is based on a similar effort in Spain. "Spain is similar to Italy in many respects, starting with the climate", said Trenitalia chief executive Vincenzo Soprano.



But the initiative has outraged animal welfare groups, consumer organisations and many of Italy's seven million dog owners.

"This hygiene mania is ridiculous. What next? Will guards be checking that people's nails and ears are clean?" MP Carla Rocchi, head of an animal protection association, told the newspaper Corriere della Serra.



"Trenitalia can't hope to eliminate ticks. If the cleaning services were decent, the problem wouldn't even arise."

The ADUC consumers' association agreed.



"They should clean the carriages properly and fire the people who do the job badly before making these ridiculous statements about dogs and cats," a spokesman said.



Italy's Anti-Vivisection League said that on the day the laws come into force, its members will board trains up and down the country with large dogs in tow.



"Let's see if they can stop us," said the league's Gianluca Felicetti.



"Alitalia should be taking as an example railway companies that function, like the British ones. Spain has absolutely nothing to teach us".

I have a question which I don't think has been covered so far - please forgive me if it has & I missed it.

We are coming from the UK - Rusty the faithful Golden Retriever has his pet passport ready. We don't move permanently until the summer but we are coming for a month long visit soon. I was hoping to bring Rusty along on this month long visit with us but wondered if this was a) possible and b) advisable.

I see from previous threads that you have to register the dog in the canton when you arrive - does this apply for a short visit, what do I need in the way of insurance for this visit (is UK insurance enough or do I need a Swiss policy). Should I register him when we come on our visit as if we were here from then and just effectively take him home to the UK for a 4 month visit?

Any advice most welcome

All of your questions should hopefully be answered by contacting http://www.bvet.admin.ch/ They were always VERY helpful to me. My question to you is--can you bring your dog BACK in to the UK w/out any problems after being out of the country for a month? Cheers!

Thanks and good question - I'll call my vets tomorrow. I don't think its a problem this end as a friend's mum brings her dog here from France every Summer its just I wasn't sure about the Swiss end but I will check - thanks

For taking animals back into the UK you need to check out the DEFRA web site. There's a thead on here (Moving cats back to the UK I think it's called) with more info

Hi Angela, I don't know about dogs but if it's the same as for cats, you can't bring them back in UK before 6 months. I know that because I've got 2 beautifuls cats, wanted to take them to Zurich but as I will be back before 6 months, I have been lucky to find someone who will mind them.
For how long are you moving over there?

Just to clarify this point.
The 6 month rule is from the date of the Rabies blood test.

So.
1. Get Rabies injection
2. Get Blood test (has pet been successfully vaccinated against Rabies) my dog failed and you have to start the process again
3. You can now take your pet aborad....HOWEVER you can only bring them back into the UK after 6 months have elapsed.
4. Once 6 months have elapsed you are free to take your pet back and forth between the UK and the continent so long as you keep upto date with the booster injections.

Hello All,

Really nothing to add... just want to say 'thanks' for all the Q and A.
It has been extremely helpful.

Is it true that a new law was passed in April saying that if one gets any pet in Switzerland, apart from a cat, it must be two?

Maryisobelle, from your earlier thread on the same question:

New animal law query and advice on seeking a dog sculptor

We took our 3 ys old labrador into Zurich in October. Once you have right crate, rabies vaccine paperwork and accompanying USDA cert, EU readable microchip, you are set. We flew from JFK with Swiss and paid just $200 for dog (excess baggage). Whole process was very smooth.

I just flew my 1.5 year old pup with me from Boston to Zurich....

Like Kelly reported, very smooth....

Health certificate -- within 10 days of travel (which then had to be brought to the USDA for a confirmation stamp of approval)
Rabies Vaccination
Microchip certificate

All went quite smoothly . . . Feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions!!