Traveling to the US with a cat: what applies and what does not

In short

• The CDC Dog Import Form is for dogs only. Cats do not need it, whatever country they come from.
• The CDC asks only that cats look healthy on arrival. It does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats, but recommends it.
• Cats can be inspected at the border, and US states, airlines, Hawaii and Guam can add their own rules.
• Going back to the EU with a cat follows the same EU rules as for dogs, minus the tapeworm treatment.

No CDC form for cats

Since 1 August 2024, the CDC Dog Import Form has been required for every dog entering the United States. It covers dogs only. There is no CDC form, receipt or high-risk country pathway for cats.

So if you fly with a dog and a cat, the dog follows the full process described in the CDC form, step by step, and the cat does not. The high-risk country list, the titer test and the animal care facilities do not apply to the cat.

What US federal rules do apply

The CDC page on bringing animals into the US says:

• Cats must appear healthy on arrival. A cat showing signs of a disease that can pass to people may be refused.
• Cats are subject to inspection at ports of entry. If a cat seems ill, the owner may have to pay for an exam by a licensed vet.
• Cats are not required to show proof of rabies vaccination to enter. The CDC still recommends rabies vaccination for all cats.

USDA, the agriculture department, says it has no animal health requirements for importing a pet cat. That is different from dogs, for which USDA adds a screwworm certificate when they come from affected countries such as Mexico.

States and airlines can ask for more

Once in the US, the rules for moving a cat are set by the state or territory you go to, as USDA puts it. The CDC adds that your US destination “may have additional requirements,” such as a rabies vaccine, and advises checking with officials in your destination state before you travel.

Airlines also set their own conditions: whether the cat can fly in the cabin, crate size, booking deadlines and sometimes a recent health certificate. The US Department of Transportation notes that many airlines refuse short-nosed breeds in the hold. Persian and Himalayan cats are flat-faced too, and American Airlines, for example, does not accept brachycephalic cats as checked pets. Read your airline’s pet page before booking; see airlines and pets.

Hawaii and Guam: cats are included

The CDC notes that cats arriving in Hawaii and Guam, even from the US mainland, are subject to local quarantine rules. In Hawaii, a cat follows the same 5-Day-or-Less program as a dog: microchip, two rabies vaccines, a passing FAVN blood test, a 30-day wait from the day the lab received the sample, a health certificate and documents sent in advance. One difference: some tick products accepted for dogs are not accepted for cats, so check Hawaii’s list with your vet.

Guam also requires an entry permit and applies its quarantine program to cats. The details for both are in Hawaii and Guam.

Bringing your cat back to Europe

The EU rules for pets coming from outside the EU cover dogs, cats and ferrets in the same way. A cat traveling from the United States to France or another EU country needs:

1. A microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccine.
2. A rabies vaccine given at 12 weeks or older, at least 21 days before travel for a first vaccination.
3. No titer test, because the US is on the EU list of exempt countries.
4. An EU animal health certificate signed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA, no more than 10 days before entry into the EU.
5. A signed declaration that the move is non-commercial.

The tapeworm treatment some EU countries require is for dogs only. An EU-resident cat can sometimes return on its EU pet passport alone, under the same conditions as a dog. Everything is explained in returning to Europe and, for the endorsement step, in USDA endorsement.

Quick comparison: dog or cat