Q: If my cat has been vaccinated against rabies abroad, will it have to go into quarantine?

Answer: This depends upon the countries between which you intend to transfer your cat. As a general rule, countries where rabies is already well-established in the wildlife do not require cats to be quarantined, e.g. the continental U.S.A. and India. On the other hand, countries which are rabies free may insist upon a period of quarantine for cat entering the country, e.g. Australia, Great Britain and Hawaii (despite being a state of the U.S.A.). The requirement for compulsory quarantine may be waived if the cat comes directly from other rabies-free country without being offloaded or otherwise coming into contact with other possibly infected animals en route (e.g. from Great Britain to Hawaii, or New Zealand to Australia).

However, Great Britain always requires’ six months quarantine for cats regardless of the country of origin. Cats entering Australia have to undergo sixty days’ quarantine if the arrive by ship and ninety days’ if transported by air, though if the crates use for transport have and their seals broken this period is automatically extended to none months. (In fact, Australia and New Zealand will in general only import animals from each other and from Great Britain and Ireland. Animals from other countries have to serve six months’ quarantine in Britain or Ireland and then further six months’ residence there before they can be exported to Australia or New Zealand). Cats entering Hawaii from the rest of the United States, whether vaccinated or not, have to undergo a minimum 120 days’ quarantine.

Quarantine any appear a harsh measure, but those countries which are fortunate enough not have reservoirs of rabies in their wild animals wish to avoid this happening, and many believe that a period of quarantine is the most effective method of prevention. The vaccination of the dogs and cats against rabies will, in general, prevent from them acquiring the disease and thus from being a source of infection for man. However, with a disease that has a long incubation period as rabies at the time of vaccination. Once admitted to a country, such as animals could readily transfer it to the wildlife, such as foxes, which in Europe are believed to be the main reservoir of infection. Certainly in Britain there is evidence of nightly contact between foxes and cats in urban areas. Therefore, although a vaccination policy is the best one for countries infected by rabies, it is regarded as inferior to a quarantine policy for countries where rabies is not established.

Once there is reservoir of rabies in wild animals of a country, these constitute an important source of infection from man and for any vaccinated domestic animals such as feral cats. Undoubtedly this alerts many people’s attitude towards wildlife conservation, and indeed avoidance of wild animals is recommended in infected countries. The periodic eradication of wildlife from various areas (by trapping, shooting, poisoning and gassing) may be required in an infected country to stop the spread of rabies. Rabies also causes a great deal of pain and suffering moving the wild species themselves.