01
Assessment before anything is booked
We check your cat's age, condition and size against airline and destination-state conditions, then settle cabin or manifested cargo. That single decision shapes the rest of the timeline.
VIP handling
Cat relocation from Asia to the United States
Cats enter the United States through a far simpler path than dogs. We handle the Asian side of that journey, with our own team escorting in the cabin where the route allows it.
Why cats, and why now
Since August 2024 the CDC has tightened how dogs reach the United States. Dogs from countries counted as high rabies risk, which includes several popular Asian origins, now face titer testing, a six-month minimum age, an import form and a restricted list of arrival airports. None of that framework applies to cats. There is no federal rabies vaccination requirement for cats entering the US.
That does not make it requirement-free. The cat still has to be healthy on arrival, the export paperwork from the origin country has to be clean, and airlines and some states apply their own conditions. What changes is the weight: for a cat, the hard part is usually logistics and animal comfort rather than a regulatory wall.
How we run it
02
Export documents and vet work
Microchip, health examination and the export health certificate are sequenced so they are still valid on flight day rather than expiring the day before departure.
03
Routing chosen for comfort, not only price
We avoid long transit gaps and the hottest hours on the apron. For a cat, one calm connection usually beats the cheapest itinerary with two aircraft changes.
04
Escorted through to arrival
Our team stays with the cat from check-in to handover at the destination, with an update at each stage. You know where your cat is without having to ask.
The in-cabin escort itself is covered in full on the VIP escort by airplane page.
From our own journeys
Routes people ask about
Questions we get
- Why are cats simpler to bring into the US than dogs?
- The CDC rules that changed in August 2024 are dog rules. Dogs need a CDC Dog Import Form, a minimum age of six months, and, when they come from a country the CDC counts as high rabies risk, titer testing and arrival at an approved airport. Cats sit outside that framework: there is no federal rabies vaccination requirement for cats entering the United States. Cats still have to look healthy on arrival, and airlines and some states set their own paperwork conditions, which we check for the exact itinerary.
- Can my cat travel in the cabin the whole way?
- Sometimes, and it is the first thing we test. The cat has to fit an under-seat carrier and every airline on the itinerary has to permit pets in cabin, not just the first one. Long Asia to US routings almost always involve a connection, so the answer depends on the weakest leg. When in-cabin does not hold end to end, we plan manifested cargo from the start instead of risking a refusal at the gate.
- What does VIP handling actually mean here?
- It means a member of our team travels with your cat rather than handing the carrier to a counter and hoping. Someone is with the cat through check-in, the transit stop and arrival, sending updates as each stage clears. For nervous cats, senior cats and long multi-leg routes, that presence is the difference people are paying for.
- How far ahead should we start?
- Six to twelve weeks is a realistic window for most Asian origins. Vet appointments, the export health certificate and airline space for live animals are the parts that cannot be rushed at the end. Starting early also keeps the in-cabin option open, since cabin slots for pets are limited per flight.
Tell us about your cat's move
Send us the origin city, the US destination, and your cat's age and weight. We come back with routing options, whether cabin travel is possible, and an indicative cost.
Talk to our team