Moving Cats from Hawaii to the Mainland United States

Hi PetRelocation,

What is required to bring my cat from Hawaii to North Carolina? Proof of rabies shot? Health Certificate? Quarantine? Other?

Thanks,
Wendy


Hi Wendy,

Thanks for checking in with us! Here are the pet import requirements for the mainland United States.

Essentially you just need to meet the airline's requirements -- your cat's travel crate should be airline approved and they'll probably ask to see a Health Certificate stating your cat is healthy and fit to fly. Though proof of a current rabies vaccine isn't technically required, we do recommend keeping your cat up-to-date on rabies and also having them microchipped (and keeping the contact information current).

Luckily there is no quarantine, and in general the United States is one of the easiest countries to bring a pet. Another thing we would recommend, however, is working to crate train your cat if they're not already used to spending time in a travel kennel. This will make the trip much less stressful for your cat (and in turn, for you). 

Hope this helps! Let us know if you're interested in hiring assistance with your cat's move and good luck with everything.

Pet Travel Question Details:

Name: Wendy
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Cat
From: Hawaii
To: North Carolina

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in September 2011 and has been updated with new information.