Bringing my cat to Jakarta

**skubbel** · 08-06-11, 15:19

Hi there,

we might move from Doha to Jakarta and want to bring our cat with us. Please, i need all details about the whole procedure. And if some body went through it already, please let me know who it went. I would also appreciate useful and helpful advices and addresses regarding that matter. I m really concerned about the quarantine matter.

Thanks a lot.

Best regards,

Skubbel

**Puspawarna** · 08-06-11, 15:51

There is a lot of information and many people's personal stories on the board - if you search on the terms "Groovy" and "Jakpetz" most of them will come up, because those are the agents that everyone uses. "Quarantine" is a good search term, too!

Everything you read pretty much distills to: use either Groovy ([email protected]) or Jakpetz ([email protected]) as an agent. It won't be cheap, but your pets will be fine.

**noname** · 08-06-11, 15:59

Originally Posted by Puspawarna

Everything you read pretty much distills to: use either Groovy ([email protected]) or Jakpetz ([email protected]) as an agent. It won't be cheap, but your pets will be fine.

Yes Skubbel,

You can try Groovy or Jakpetz. I'll be using Jakpetz. Agreed, it might not be cheap. But from my correspondence with them, they seem very professional. You might also want to refer to this thread to avoid such pitfalls. http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.or...karta-to-Yogya

**Krotz** · 11-08-11, 08:41

I just got through the whole process .... our cat was delivered to our home two days ago. We moved from Virginia, USA. An overview of what we did, with some questions:

* Our cat was small enough to bring in the cabin with us (<5kg with Sherpa carrier). This makes everything MUCH easier. Check with the airline you will use to see if this is possible and what the weight limit is. Also note that not all airlines accept pets on board, and that there is a strict limit of how many if they do allow it (e.g. all of Economy class is allowed 4). Usually the charge is based on the number of legs - our flight went USA - Korea - Jakarta, and it was $100 per leg, so we paid $200.

* You need to note the ROUTE your plane is taking, because there are some things that can change because of this. For example, Singapore does not allow pets to depart (or arrive...i don't remember) in the cabin (area where people are), so we could not fly via Singapore. Some issues like this also with Hong Kong and Japan (don't remember what), but at the end of the day Korea was a great place to go through, and it worked for us.

* We contacted both JakPetz and Groovy in Jakarta. Originally we were going to bring two cats, and then downsized to one .... when we asked for a re-quote, Groovy's price went way up, so we went with JakPetz. They were unresponsive at first when I asked follow-up questions on wiring them a deposit, and I sent an email to the owner, who apologized and did everything without me paying anything until we arrived. They provided good details as to what i needed to do and get in advance (I won't repeat them here ... all normal things). They met me at the airport when i arrived, took the cat to quarantine, and when the 14 days were done delivered the cat healthy and freshly groomed (the last part was very unexpected). Cat seemed happy.

* The price is different if you want the cat out of quarantine in 3 days or the maximum 14. The difference is ~$350. They won't say this explicitly, but that money is used to bribe officials to get the pet out earlier. We were trying to watch our $$ so we opted for the 14 days. Our quote for everything that JakPetz did was 7.5M rupiah, so over $800. NOT cheap, and I'd never pay that if i wasn't sure the kids wouldn't totally freak out without the cat as they got used to a new country. That cost does not include anything I did in the US or any of the transport to Jakarta.

* If you haven't done so, get your cat (a) fixed and (b) microchipped.

Others.....Let me know if i missed anything.....

Good luck!

**mtml888** · 02-03-12, 16:28

Hi,

We're moving to Jakarta from Taiwan, a rabies free country.

I was gonna hire an pets transporter here but was told that it was absolutely unnecessary and i could do everything on my own.

But i thought it might be necessary in Jakarta to hire one but the quotes that i've received are EXORBITANT!!

Is it absolutely necessary to hire pets transporters in Jakarta?

How much does the import permit, taxes, quarantine actually cost and where can i find the info??

My cats are old and one of them require medication, if possible, i would prefer to home quarantine them

My email: [email protected]

Thank you so much for your help!!

**Puspawarna** · 04-03-12, 07:56

Originally Posted by mtml888

I was gonna hire an pets transporter here but was told that it was absolutely unnecessary and i could do everything on my own.

Who told you that - someone with recent experience moving their own pet into Jakarta by themselves? Because that is the only person I would believe.

**mtml888** · 04-03-12, 21:57

An animal shelter that I volunteer for in Taiwan... :-)

**Puspawarna** · 05-03-12, 07:04

Originally Posted by mtml888

An animal shelter that I volunteer for in Taiwan... :-)

With all due respect to the people there, if they have not imported pets to Jakarta by themselves under the current regulations, I don't think they are qualified to advise.

It's true that services like Groovy and Jakpetz are expensive, but I'm not sure that it would be cheaper if you did it without their help, because you'll end up paying the nice man at quarantine a ton of "no receipt" money yourself, instead of letting the agent negotiate a lower fee for you.

On the other hand, if someone at the shelter actually has successfully imported cats to Jakarta without an agent and says "it's easy, you don't need an agent", then maybe they are correct. Ask them to walk you through the entire process in exchange for a donation to the shelter that is less than what you'd pay Groovy/Jakpetz - win-win! Especially if you report back to the forum so others can learn from the experience.

**Puspawarna** · 05-03-12, 07:17

Ouch, I just saw in a different thread that you have SEVEN cats! No wonder you are concerned about the cost.

In your position I would bargain hard for some kind of discount from the agent. Get detailed quotes from both Jakpetz and Groovy (and anyone else you can find who seems reputable) and let them know you are very cost-conscious.

Unfortunately, 7 cats are going to cost you a huge sum of money no matter what you do. Remember that a lot of the money you pay to the agent is not profit for them - it is the money THEY pay in fees to get your animals in.

**mtml888** · 06-03-12, 18:16

Yes! :-) 7 cats!!

they quoted me 55 million rupiah and there is NO breakdown of the fees at all!! And that doesn't include the 'home quarantine' which is an additional $400USD per cat.

*in case anyone is wondering* No, we're NOT breeders, I'm an animal lover and my cats are old, and spayed. They range from 7 yrs old to 11 yrs old. They're my babies, my life, my everything!! :-)

M