Moving my cat to Finland

Gineke · Post by **Gineke** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:26 am

I already Iive in Finland, but I feel that the time is right for my cat to join me. She's coming from another EU-country, so for as far as I know, she only needs the right vaccinations, which she had a couple of months ago. (I don't know for how long they were valid, but I could check with my vet.) I'm just worried, do cats have difficulties adjusting to the new climate etc. What are your experiences with moving your cat to Finland? I want to make sure I'm also making the right decision for her and that I'm not just being selfish.

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interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:38 am

Have a look at the Evira site (http://www.evira.fi/portal/en/animals/i ... itzerland/)

I'm not an expert on this, but I've been taking cats from Finland to Sweden & home, so I know how that works at least.

The cat needs to have the basic vaccinations, and rabies vaccine also (there may or may not be a requirement for an antibody test to see that the rabies vaccine is working). The cat needs to be chipped, and to have a pet passport. There may also be special rules depending on the specific country the cat is in now, check the Evira pages (I also emailed them to ask about some things at some point and they were helpful in answering my questions).

About the climate. Well it's hard to say how the climate will affect your cat. It depends on what country it is in now & the climate there. It also depends on how much the cat will be running around outside (if it's an indoor cat the hours of light per day will affect the cat more than the outdoor temperatures). Is the cat older and really likes routines? You need to consider how your particular cat copes with change.
We have long-haired cats, and the older one just loves running around in the snow and patrolling the area (of course her paws get cold after a while). The younger one is still getting used to the snow/cold (it's her first winter) but I'm sure she will also enjoy it eventually. We have friends with very short-haired cats, the cats still run around outside in the winters. If the cat's personality is of the flexible kind, it might just need one winter or two to get used to things. You have to make that decision.

Good luck, hope you get your kitteh to your side soon.

Gineke · Post by **Gineke** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:43 am

She does also have the passport and chip, I forgot to mention that. She's turning 5 in April, so she's quite young. She loves being outside, not just to play and hunt, but her favourite passtime is sitting on a balcony or stairs and looking at the view. She's just relaxed and seems to like the fresh air. She's coming from Holland, so she's used to it being wet outside, but the low temperatures will be new for her. Thanks for your reply!

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:56 am

She'll do great

Just be a little bit careful when she goes outside into her first snowstorm, she may want to come back pretty soon again the first times.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:22 am

Gineke wrote:She loves being outside, not just to play and hunt

hunt... oh boy... remember that cat is considered feral if it acquires it's food from nature.

Gineke · Post by **Gineke** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:42 am

She doesn't eat what she catches, she brings it home as a present. Does that make a difference

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:40 am

Gineke wrote:She doesn't eat what she catches, she brings it home as a present. Does that make a difference

Remember to adhere to game species: http://www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?node=12499&lan=en
If your cat catches one of these, well you see the compensation that you should expect to pay...

If other people who don't like cats on their yard see it hunting there, they can come to conclusion that the cat is feral and get a trap to catch it.

I'm fine with cats going around, as long as they don't come to my yard, nor leave any stuff behind, like piss or !"#¤% or paw prints on the car and stay away from the places where they shouldn't be as per law.

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:31 am

You are by law required to ensure that your cat cannot get into children's playground or other areas which are forbidden.

http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2 ... jestyslaki

Essentially only way to make this happen is to put leash on your cat. I recommend starting to get used to the idea for both you and your cat straight away.

Gineke · Post by **Gineke** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:56 am

I guess I might have to then. I just wonder whether she will then have difficulties adapting to the fact that she can't go outside whenever she wants. It's weird how difficult things are here to Holland. There she can just run around and no one really cares. I've never had to be scared of my cat getting shot, or caught in traps before.

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:08 pm

Gineke wrote:I guess I might have to then. I just wonder whether she will then have difficulties adapting to the fact that she can't go outside whenever she wants. It's weird how difficult things are here to Holland. There she can just run around and no one really cares. I've never had to be scared of my cat getting shot, or caught in traps before.

Guess Dutch do not care about toxoplasma either. Yes, quick search hints that it is much more of a problem there compared to many other countries. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19430666

Also, as a father I prefer cats kept in a way that they never get chance to come soil the sand of the sandbox of my children.
In my eyes, health of my children beat freedom of your cat.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:35 pm

Gineke wrote:I guess I might have to then. I just wonder whether she will then have difficulties adapting to the fact that she can't go outside whenever she wants. It's weird how difficult things are here to Holland. There she can just run around and no one really cares. I've never had to be scared of my cat getting shot, or caught in traps before.

Holland has had a bit denser population for a while. Here the norm has been "if you see wood chips on the stream, fetch the axe and drive the trespasser into the bog". Sure here too cats have been used to get rid of mice, but when the neighbor has been outside of shouting distance the cat has basically roamed on own yard/land. People, laws and customs have evolved from that.

People have been fined when their cat is where it shouldn't be. But most likely they get terminated/trapped before people involve authorities. Or you. Easiest way would be to involve the owner, but cat owners are even worse than dog owners to take critique, imho.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:37 pm

Tiwaz wrote:Also, as a father I prefer cats kept in a way that they never get chance to come soil the sand of the sandbox of my children.
In my eyes, health of my children beat freedom of your cat.

That reminds me from a discussion where cat owner(s) thought that it would be the responsibility of the sandbox's owner to cover it up so the cats wouldn't use it as a toilet. Seriously.

AldenG · Post by **AldenG** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:13 pm

I just hope your cat is really good at languages and has approved winter paws and there is an EU Certificate of Compliance for her whisker type.

You'll probably also have to get the ears measured to ensure they they meet Finnish standards for minimum and maximum length.

Plus if they can't fit her in an early integration course, she may have to spend several months to several years of boredom lying on a windowsill above a radiator, watching the world outside go by and grooming. Do you think she's up for that?

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