We are flying are 2 cats over from the US in November. First of all, do you HAVE to get your cats microchipped? If so, which brand is the best to get. I have read many posts from people saying their pet now has 3 microchips because they had the wrong one inserted in the US. Please, please let me know which kind to use or even I need to get them microchiped?

Everything you need to know about importing a pet can be found on the BVet website:

http://www.bvet.admin.ch/themen/0161...x.html?lang=en

Yes, a cat needs to be chipped to bring him/her into Switzerland, and yes, the standard US chip is sometimes not readable here. Chips must conform to ISO 11784 or Annex A of ISO 11785, or if you already have a US chip implanted you must bring your own chip reader. (Scanners aren't all that expensive in the US.)

But do note - while bringing your own reader will get you through customs, a non-EU readable chip won't help you much if your cat gets lost during your sojourn here - so implanting an ISO 11784 or Annex A of ISO 11785 chip is really your best option.

Click on the pdf,'Traveling with pets - dogs, cats, fettets from third countries' for specific information.

Whenever you have questions it's best to go to the official source. Contact the BVet by phone or email - they have always been very helpful whenever I've had questions.

To contact the Federal Veterinary Office (FVO):
Tel +41 (0)31 323 30 33
Fax +41 (0)31 323 85 22
info@bvet.admin.ch

Hope you and your cats enjoy your time in Switzerland.

... and yes, you have to post pictures of your cats on this thread on the forum.

Check as well with your US vet. He/she should be able to see from the documentation on the chips that they sell if it meets the European standard. As mentioned not all brands meet the European standard.

You might also check with the Swiss authorities if there is a specific position suggested for the chip. There is on dogs. From memory, in North America the chip is normally positioned in the fat of the neck between the shoulder blades. In Switzerland it is more towards the shoulder (someone might be able to confirm this). On a cat I doubt that it matters but on a large dog like I had, they have to scan a bit more to localize the chip. Mine had a model that matched the European standard.

It is good that you are checking.

Most US vets do not have the correct chips and many are unaware that there are two standards!

However, you can purchase your own:

http://www.pettravelstore.com/store-...ly-chips1.html

They will ship the chip to you (we bought ours from this web site and they are indeed the correct chip). Even though the chips come with instructions, I suggest you let your vet handle the chipping (it's a big needle!). Also, if you have American chips in your cats already, it's not a problem as they are read on different frequencies so won't interfere with each other (this is also the reason that the US chips are not recognized by the European scanners).

Hope this helps!

Much thanks to everyone who replied to this post! Our 2 cats are now microchipped. Home Again actually sells an ISO 15 digit microchip & my vet actually had it in stock already!!! So our cats are chipped & up to date on their shots. How did you all handle getting them a litter box as soon as you arrived?

Good news! As for the litter boxes, you can order them online from www.qualipet.ch (if you already have a billing address). They are under hygieneartikel (and called Katzenhaustoiletten). Otherwise, there are also qualipet stores.

In a pinch, you can also bring a makeshift litter box. Here's the "kit" I brought: a cardboard box top, folded up in my luggage, + a roll of tape + a plastic garbage bag + newspaper + some clean litter of the same type the cats had before (enough to fill a small ziploc bag). The idea is to tape up the box lid, put the plastic liner in it, fill with shredded newspaper and top with litter. We ended up not needing it, but it was good to have.

Oh, and either way, you should definitely bring some of the old (clean) litter with you-one of my cats would not use the new litter box with the new Swiss litter until I put a handful of the old-type litter on top! I guess he was just confused...

I had my two cats micro-chipped with Home Again last month - we arrived in Zurich a week ago. Unfortunately the vet used the old chips that aren't European standard. What we did do - that other people in a similar situation might find helpful - is borrow a digital scanner to take with us. The bvet website states non-standard chips are okay if you carry your own scanner.

There is an organization called Digital Angel that will ship you a scanner free of charge anywhere in the US that you can take with you when you travel. I just called them and they got it to me within a few days. (800) 328-0118. You just have to mail the scanner back to them within 30 days. They take a credit card number in case you don't return it.

After all that, no one at the airport (on either end) ever asked for any documentation for the cats (we travelled with them in cabin). Better safe than sorry though.