[drwhittaker]

Hi,

can anyone give me some advice about moving our two cats from England to HK?

They are British Short haired which means they are pure bred with quite flat faces - thus some breathing problems. We understand BA will fly them out and are aware of the pet relocation services but ultimately i worry about their quality of life when in HK.

My main concerns are:

That they will have to be indoor cats (because of the heat and potential for straying) so they will be in air con 24/7 - which may make their nasal paaages very dry and uncomfotable.

That i won't be able to get good quality food for them (i use Royal Canin dry food).

That the quality of vet care may not be as good as in the UK / too expensive.

Also, that British insureres don't seem to cover pets outside of Europe.

If you live in HK with your british cats please can you help me?!

Kind Regards,

Felicity

[Skyhook]

Hi Felicity, ( reply in Bold below )



That they will have to be indoor cats (because of the heat and potential for straying) so they will be in air con 24/7 - which may make their nasal pasages very dry and uncomfortable.

Just like you, your cats are going to go through a period of adjustment, to the climate and their more restrictive indoor environment. The air conditioning has never been an issue with our 3 BSH's, but in the same token, we never run air con 24/7 either, only on the hot days, and if its just humid, we'll run the dehumidifier, with a large fan going.

That i won't be able to get good quality food for them (i use Royal Canin dry food).
Royal Canin dried food is sold in every pet food shop in HK, and there are no shortages of them, you won't have a problem getting quality dry, or wet food for that matter.

That the quality of vet care may not be as good as in the UK / too expensive.
If vet care in the UK is priced around the same rates that are charged in Australia, then Hong Kong will be considerably cheaper. We use Victoria Veterinarian Clinics, 90% Australian or British educated vet staff, and have always been more than satisfied with their care and attention of our cats.

Also, that British insurers don't seem to cover pets outside of Europe.
Never felt the need to insure our pets, my last cat before our current 3 lived for 18 years, and was an outdoor /indoor domestic mitten.

Once your cats adjust to their new home, they will be fine, BSH enjoy the company of their family members and as long as you are there, that will provide the most comfort for them and it shouldn't take longer than a week to settle.

Our 3 BSH's were born in HK, raised together etc, but even when we have moved from one home to another, there was barely a hint of upset, they were just happy to be there with us, and just followed our usual daily routine, without any hitches. One of the many great things about the BSH, they are really easy going, go with the flow loyal family cats.

Good luck with everything, but I can honestly say that, you have nothing to worry about in Hong Kong.

[bsh]

My two are OK here.
As regards the heat, they don't mind it. They cope air-con or no air-con.

Royal Canin food is widely available here, as is Applaws and Whiskas. Other British brands I haven't seen here, mostly Japanese and based on tuna. The only problem food-wise is Sheba canned food.

Vets: Dr Maggie Bradley at 9Lives is very good if you're in the Central area. I book with Dr Adam West in Sai Kung.

The problem will be lack of space. It's best if your cats don't go out if you live in urban areas and even in villages, you have to be aware of wandering dogs, snakes,etc.

[dropdedfwed]

if your BSH are quite brachicephalic, then the flight would be more of a concern than life in HK, though you'd need your own vet to be the judge on that.

As stated below, Royal Canin is widely available in HK, so too is Hills/Science Diet etc.

Vet care/Pet care... in honesty most the vets I know in HK (I only know western Vets, sorry) surpass the skills and care I find in a lot of Vets from Oz etc, but that is just my opinion. I do believe this is because of higher client expectations, and the relative limited availability of specialists and diagnostics in HK has meant most the Vets have learned the extra skills themselves to fill in the gap. Charges are similar or maybe a tad cheaper than Oz, so I'd say also cheaper than UK.

[drwhittaker]

Dear all, thank you for your replies.

I really apprecieate you getting back to me and my mind is more at rest hearing about all your positive experiences.

Thanks again and hopefully speak to you all again.

Felicity

[drwhittaker]

Oops, those smileys were not meant to be there!

[bsh]

And the last thing is, and you probably know already, is try not to fly them in the summer. I believe the Uk is very hot now but in HK it will be hot for the next 4/5 months.

Pet insurance is also available here.

[bsh]

Oh... and quite a few shops will deliver food/litter if purchased in bulk ( at least 500 bucks)