Im moving abroad - what do I do? from BPG Magazines on Vimeo.

The age, type of animal, its personality, quarantine costs if applicable and practicality of the situation etc are all going to be things you’ll need to consider first.

Pets can travel out of most UK airports but if they are travelling under the Pet Passport scheme, you’ll need to check with DEFRA, the government department responsible for animal health and welfare, in order to find out which airports they can travel out of under this scheme – only certain routes are applicable!

Once your cat has been microchipped, blood tested, vaccinated and treated for tapeworm and ticks at a registered vets, your cat can freely enter or re-enter the UK and, after his paperwork has been checked, can join you on your journey home.

All cats travelling into the UK must be microchipped and the number must correspond with that on the paperwork. Although stringent rules still exist, flying with your pet into the UK is relatively straightforward.

Charges differ for pets depending on the size of container, weight of your pet and distance being travelled. Taking your cat abroad tends to be less complicated than dogs as he can travel as baggage so the cost is relatively low — around £40 to £60.

Your pet will be placed in its carrier in a special animal hold on board the aircraft which is located underneath the passenger deck. The hold is heated and pressurised throughout the duration of the journey and it remains unlit throughout the flight which helps the animals to relax and to sleep. You can buy specially fitted carriers for this purpose. They are usually tailor made to ensure that the carrier is large enough for the animal to stand up, lie down and move around in relative comfort and all of these carriers can accommodate water and food which the airline will refill if you’re on a particularly long journey with stopovers.

If you are travelling by ferry on one of the longer routes, DEFRA recommends that you arrive at the port early so your vehicle can be positioned in the best place in the car deck for the welfare of your pet. In hot weather, travelling overnight is recommended when there is less risk of overheating.

Animals are only permitted to travel in the owner’s vehicle. There must be space for them to move freely in a secure carrier and they should have access to water. A window must be left partly open to provide sufficient ventilation.

It's also straightforward to travel across on the Channel Tunnel and since February 2000, over 138,000 pets have crossed the channel. Your pet remains with you throughout the 35 minute crossing by shuttle. A Euro Tunnel pet ticket costs £30.

Click here for more detailed information on the Pet Travel scheme, or tel. 0870 2411710.