Travelling with 2 cats from Thailand to Greece

[CattravelGreece]

Hello,

I have traveled with my cats before, and they have microchips and pet passports already. However, I let their rabies booster vaccinations lapse for 2 years and only gave them a booster shot in October. I know I have to get the titer test for both of them to bring them into the EU, but my question is, do they need another booster shot as about 3 months has passed since the latest one?

Or will the October booster shot provide enough antibodies for them to pass the titer test? The test is not cheap and I do not want to have to do it twice, but I also would like to move asap as I am pregnant.

Please let me know, I have tried asking the vet but the language barrier is an issue.

Many thanks for any replies!

[admin]

Re: Travelling with 2 cats from Thailand to Greece

Hello CattravelGreece - as your cats' rabies vaccinations expired, the vaccination administered in October is referred to as the "primary" vaccination. The vaccine used for the primary vaccination should be one that is specified by the manufacturer as suitable for a primary vaccination, not a booster. (generally, one year vaccines are suitable for primary vaccines) You can confirm this with your veterinarian. (if language is an issue, try Google Translating your questions on paper before going in.) Assuming that the vaccine is appropriate and, as you have waited for over 30 days after your cats were vaccinated, you can have the rabies titer test (FAVN) done anytime, and the rabies antibodies should still be strong at this point. We are not veterinarians, and you can confirm this with your vet, but we anticipate that they should not need to be re-vaccinated prior to the test. Avoid feeding them the day of the test if possible.
Susan