Multiple cats traveling on American Airline into Ecuador

Welcome to the Ecuador forum, Molly.

How many cats did you say you're bringing?

Perhaps you should contact someone at the Department of Agriculture's APHIS agency which handles this stuff every day.  If you follow this link, you should be able to find a forward link to someone in your specific state who can assist you....

www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs … ador.shtml

                                                                        .

I have contacted them and  they have been helpful with some questions but not the ones I am asking here.  Only persons who have actually experienced traveling with pets could.

mollyb wrote:

Can you bring one (cat)...then return and bring another etc? (Will you get red flagged returning a few days later and then repeating again.?)

Common sense tells us that if you are bringing six cats into Ecuador, you do not have to make six trips from the U.S.  If AA indicated two at a time, that does not mean all airlines have the same restriction.

Your best sources for the information on your first questions is the DOA agency I stated or the airline(s), not someone who traveled with pets in the past.  The agency and the airlines know the latest rules, special rules for time of year (you cannot fly certain pets in the summertime under certain circumstances due to heat factors), up-to-date paperwork requirements and enforcement information.

How many cats do you want to bring to Ecuador?

cccmedia in Quito

mollyb wrote:

If you used cargo did your pets have to stay in quarantine or did you just pick them up....I have a few that are likely to eat through the screen.  (They were Ferrel to begin with and will always have that instinct.)...I have thought about bring a burlap sack as well....I also thought about placing them in luggage but hate this idea.

I think it is a less than brilliant idea to try to bring feral cats into Ecuador.

As for using "cargo," that will likely end badly.  SENAE, the EC customs agency, will possibly hold or quarantine them for days...if they agree to consider allowing them into Ecuador at all.  It doesn't matter what anybody tells you now, SENAE is not going to want to allow cats that are acting dangerously into this country.

Although your "burlap sack" idea was not explained it detail, if it would be a way to hide the animals, it's a recipe for disaster.

Do everyone a favor -- and that includes the cats! -- and bring only non-feral cats into Ecuador.

cccmedia in Quito

I am very much aware of the rules of the airlines. Also the temperature conditions for pets flying in luggage.
I will be flying American Airlines (the only ones from Miami to Ecuador) and they say you can bring 2 cats per person however that is if they are in one carrier and together they do not weigh 20 pounds with the carrier.  This does not apply in my case.

When I said 'feral' that was 11 years ago.  He is now very loveable and not at all dangerous (never was.)  Yet the survival instinct in him is what scares me having never heard    the noise involved with a plane taking off. They will always be indoor cats in Ecuador as they have been here in the states.

The burlap sack was an idea I had as it is something I could pull out in the even I saw a cat in cabin actually creating a hole in the soft carrier.  I would at least be able to put the whole carrier into it.  Just a thought.

mollyb wrote:

I have a few that are likely to eat through the screen.  (They were Ferrel to begin with and will always have that instinct.) I have read so may reviews on them. What can I do if one chews out of it?

This previous quote indicates that you want to bring in multiple cats that have either been feral or are considered likely to eat through a protective screen, i.e. "They were feral to begin with and will always have that instinct."

So your clarification about supposedly just one feral cat appears dubious.

Seriously, how many cats do you want to bring into Ecuador?

cccmedia in Quito

I am actually look for help to my questions from persons who have the experience of bringing in their pets to Ecuador.  I am sorry if I did not explain my questions clearly enough. 
One of my cats was feral 11 years ago if that really matters.  I am concerned about his traveling safely via plane not if he is coming. I am sorry if it sounded like "they" are all feral. Only the one.  The other questions I have relate to all in general.
I have more than the two allowed per person on the plane.
Thanks kindly to anyone who's had experience bringing pets into Ecuador and can answer any of my questions.

You have already answered your own question about bringing the cats in the cabin  in a carrier weighing less than 20 pounds.
"That does not apply in my case"

We have a member in Cuenca Barbara Suderman  who if I remember correctly brought two small dogs and a cat from Canada with great difficulty. Would you like me to try to put her in touch with you?

Ecuador is not a pet friendly place and given what you have already written perhaps you need to rethink the idea of trying to enter a foreign third World country with that many animals. As well as your own very complicated requirements for  entering Ecuador (paperwork) animals also have special requirements (certificates from vets, vaccinations etc)

As a cat lover myself I have sympathy for your plight.  I found several documents by the government of Ecuador in Spanish concerning the importation of dogs and cats, outlining the vaccination and examination requirements.

However the one that would seem to be most applicable and be the limiting factor in your case is this one, from the national customs service of Ecuador, SERVICIO NACIONAL DE ADUANA DEL ECUADOR known as SENAE :

http://www.aduana.gob.ec/pro/border_entry.action

...which states about a third of the way down the page, among the many other limitations of what is permitted and what is not:

Máximo 2 animales domésticos vivos como mascota;

...which translated is "Maximum 2 live domestic animals as pets".

This is the same whether arriving by air or by land, and is presumably for each entry so multiple trips are not ruled out.

And, for cccmedia's benefit, you are also limited by SENAE to only two musical instruments, sorry.

Yes but that is per person.  A family may have two per person traveling into Ecuador.

The folks at SENAE are reportedly inconsistent (they to a certain extent do make there own rules which are highly changeable) in their handling of new arrivals and what people are trying to bring in. You might find yourself needing to pay significant extra charges or bribes to do what you are proposing

mollyb wrote:

Yes but that is per person.  A family may have two per person traveling into Ecuador.

Yes, you are correct, in that the document applies to a person. I am not arguing with you, I am only telling you what the document says.

But you are not quite correct that a "family" may have two per person.  In fact the only way this document addresses "family" is mentioning parents (or guardian) with children who are minors, and that they present themselves as a family unit.  They have a special treatment but that would not be necessary if the family is all adults, because then for each adult the same rules apply per person, per adult, as the documents outlines.  This is what it says:

¿Cómo esta conformado un grupo familiar?

Grupo familiar: Se considerará como tal a la unidad conformada por los menores de edad en conjunto con uno de sus padres o de la persona a cuyo cuidado hayan sido confiados. En caso de presentarse ambos padres con sus hijos, el grupo familiar estará conformado únicamente por éstos y uno solo de sus padres, siendo el otro progenitor un viajero individual.

So as it says a family with both parents (or guardians) would be considered as two separate units or persons for the purposes of the document.

However common sense says that if you are attempting to bring in "more than a few" animals, whether in a "family" group or not, you will likely run into problems that a person bringing in just two animals would not.

It is surprising that these good people are willing to aid Molly in figuring out a scheme to bring into Ecuador an undisclosed number of problem cats in multiple trips.

Do not infect Ecuador with this problem, Molly.

If the animals make it all the way to SENAE at UIO, the problem cats may be quarantined and ultimately put to sleep.  SENAE could fine you and charge you for expenses.

What if one or more cats act up on the plane, eating through the protective netting or jumping out of the burlap sack!  Havoc in the cabin, the plane diverted to Panama City, Molly in front of a Spanish-speaking court charged with knowingly endangering others in Panamanian airspace. 

Does she think it is all going to go smoothly once she just figures out the right strategic plan?

cccmedia in Quito

OK, now let me understand. If one adult and 2 minor gran children are entering Ecuador how many cats can be brought in? By the way the grans are to small to carry one of the 16 pound cats by themselves - thus my problems. Can a friend of mine bring two in for them? Would I need to have the USDA papers in her name not as mine?
Would my brother be able to bring two in if not a friend as he is family?  I want to do this the legal way but trying to find out just how to do it has been difficult. My brother would actually be moving to Ecuador but in the future he will be.

Hi,
I've had experience transporting pets from one country to another. Have a look at www.expresspets.com.  They provide a list of airlines and contact information as to their carrier specifications which vary from one airline to another as well as third-party agent (scammers) to avoid. You will need to provide the airline with the dimensions and weight of the crate as well as the height/ length/weight of your pet.
Also, there are particular inoculation requirements. Your pet definitely must have the international microchip and up to date rabies innocs (and a flea Rx less than 30 days prior to departure).
Just a tip from my experience: most of the U.S. airlines do not have "trained, friendly" pet agents. They make false promises. However, some of the international airlines are more dependable (e.g., KLM and Lufthansa). It is so important to comply with carrier specifications (no wheels, certain dimensions so that your pet can stand up and turn around in the space) or they will be denied entrance. Also, please know that most American airlines require that your pet travel "cargo" status, which means thousands of bucks, whereas if you can transport your pet via "excess baggage," it is simply that- an extra $100-150. Please know, which most folks don't realize, is that whether your pet travels "cargo" or "excess baggage" status, they are in the SAME holding area of the plane. There are also restrictions as to times of travel (climate constraints). If you find an airline that allows you to transport your pet "in cabin," that is the best and cheapest option, of course.Please check out expresspress.pet. You can print out a gratis LIVE ANIMALS stickers from there. Don't believe those other websites that promise delivery of the "required documents" for a fee.  It just isn't so. Please PM me with any specific questions you may have.
Regards,
PS

I've also had experience transporting animals from one country to another, and back, and more than two.  Ecuador has a whole list of things to do to import a dog or cat, some of which must be done within 21 days of the date of embarkation and some that must be done within 10 days of the date of embarkation.

The airlines may have their own rules, but the rules of Ecuador will determine if the animals are allowed into the country freely.  By the way, there are many other airlines that fly from Miami into Ecuador, not just American Airlines.

You can go to this conversation and click on the second link of my message #2, which downloads or it may display depending on your browser settings, a PDF with the requirements in Spanish for Ecuador for importation of a dog or cat.  Inside that PDF is another link you can click on, that gives further specific requirements as to vaccinations and examinations and documentation necessary also in Spanish.  This is all official information from the government of Ecuador, of the agencies/offices who have jurisdiction.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 56#2686279

gardener1 has also transported pets

Dear molly,
Sorry I just saw the previous threads. I too had adopted two semi-feral cats and believe me, as any animal behavioral specialist will tell you, sadly, they never become social. Once they miss socialization during that critical period, it is irreversible.  I love animals and had my cats many years, but still, when fearful and defensive (which they often become by the mere presence of any human or anything unfamiliar), they would bite and scratch. That would  spell disaster for airline personnel handling your pets.  As cccmedia has recommended, it is simply not fair (to your pets or another country) to make such a move. Besides, I believe your vet who completes required paper work and/or the vet at the airport will more than likely determine their exit and entry to another country as "unsuitable."  Finally, as other posters have indicated, most airlines limit one to 2 (normal) pets. It's incredibly complicated and expensive. Sorry to deliver such news but better to be safe than sorry. Special needs kitties need a special environment.
Regards,
PS

Good post, P.S.    Maybe your kind tone will get through better than my directness.

cccmedia in Quito

Cheers, cccmedia. With respect to cats, it is extremely stressful for them to even relocate to a new home, let alone a new country where the water, the air, food (if available), etc. are different and I'm referring to socialized felines. They need to become familiar with every sq. m., every scent.  I have volunteered in shelters over many decades. Dogs are easier to transport--like taking another child on a trip--than cats. Vets have often commented that cats can tolerate only 3 traumatic experiences in life, again referring to socialized cats. Ferals are so fearful of human contact, it induces constant anxiety. So, one wonders how apt that phrase "9 lives" is. I know it may be heartbreaking, but we must consider our pets' needs vs. our own. Thank you again, ccc, for your succinct and sage advice.
Regards,
PS