In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people have immigrated, and most of them choose to immigrate to the UK. Pet Holidays has been arranging pet flights and private jet services for pet guests immigrating to the UK, and will follow up the living conditions of the guests in the local area. If you are planning to immigrate to the UK, you may think that the immigration procedures and flight arrangements are already “big bosses”, but in fact, there are many situations that need to be paid attention to after arriving! The following is the sharing of Mr. Zhao, a guest of Pet Holidays, hoping to better prepare for pet owners who are preparing to immigrate!

diet

In terms of drinking water for pets, most places in the UK have “hard water” that contains a variety of minerals. Long-term drinking by fur children may affect kidney function. Therefore, it is recommended to install a filter at home, or buy “soft water (Soft Water)” in the supermarket, such as Spring Water, for furkids to drink.

In terms of pet food, whether it is dry food or wet food, before immigrating to the UK, it is recommended to switch to the brands that are sold in the UK, such as Tast of wild, Wellness core, Josera, Purina, Royal Canin, Hills, etc. The price of most brands in the UK is similar to that in Hong Kong, but some brands such as Fromm are more expensive in the UK. It is recommended to search for which brands are available locally and their prices on websites such as Amazon, Pets at home, Zooplus, Pet Planet, and Pets Supermarket before transferring food.

In addition, if the fur child is used to eating raw meat, although it is not popular in the UK, it is sold in supermarkets, and the price is more expensive than raw meat for human consumption. Therefore, if you have price considerations, you can refer to Mr. Zhao’s practice: buy raw meat for human consumption, take chicken thigh as an example, the UK only sells it for about £1/kg, and then cook it in a steamed or steamed way for fur children , relatively healthy and “calculated”!

Life aspect

Cat owners should be careful not to pour cat litter into the toilet. If the toilet is blocked, it will affect the neighbors at the same time. The choice of cat litter is less than that in Hong Kong, but there are the most basic mineral sand, wood sand, paper sand, and tofu sand. Most cats in the UK are kept in free range, but no matter whether they are kept indoors or outdoors, they must pay attention to safety to avoid violating animal protection regulations. For example, avoid planting dangerous plants, opening windows, or placing toxic chemicals in the home.

Dog owners should remember to bring their own garbage bags to pack their poop when walking their dogs, because it is against the law to leave poop anywhere! And dogs barking frequently will also be regarded as the owner breaking the law, because the owner has not disciplined the dog well. In addition, the British law has strict regulations on “controlling dogs”. If a furry child hurts a person or other animals, the owner may be imprisoned for 6 months, and the furry child may even be humanely exterminated! (For details, please refer to: https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public)

housing problem

Since only about 7% of private homes in the UK are pet-friendly, it is difficult for pet-owner families to rent a house locally. Mr. Zhao provided several methods to increase the success rate of renting a house, you can refer to them!

1) Explain to the owner that the fur boy is “well-behaved”, and promise that once the lease is terminated, a professional cleaning company will be hired to clean it thoroughly, so it will be relatively easier to find a rental property. (In order to help pet families rent houses, the United Kingdom has established “well-behaved” pet regulations. For details, please refer to: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-standard-tenancy-agreement-to- help-renters-with-well-behaved-pets)

2) You can consult real estate companies face-to-face, because many rental properties are privately held by real estate agents, but not listed on real estate websites such as Rightmove and Zoopla, so there is a higher chance of asking about “Xunpan” face-to-face!

3) If you are not afraid of trouble, you can choose to rent a house in a remote area; or if you meet your favorite and the finances are affordable, you can try to increase the rent to show your sincerity.

Veterinary

Since many families in the UK keep pets, there are two or three self-employed veterinary clinics in each district. The quality of self-employed veterinarians varies, and the prices range from moderate to expensive. It is recommended to refer to Google reviews before visiting. Take Mr. Zhao as an example. The veterinarian charges about £50 for each of his two cats. The services include physical examination and annual vaccinations. Because the UK has a value-added tax (VAT), the price will be a little more expensive than Hong Kong.

In addition to self-employed veterinarians, there are also chain veterinary clinics, such as Pets at home, the largest chain pet store in the UK, which is relatively large and diversified, and includes one-stop pet supplies, food, veterinary, beauty, insurance and other services, although The fees are more expensive, but the service is complete.

traffic

The UK is a pet-friendly city. Pets are allowed in local public transportation, shopping malls, restaurants, and shops. Compared with Hong Kong, it is more convenient for the owner to take their pets out! However, it should be noted that if pets are not allowed, there will be a special announcement at the entrance, and some shopping malls will require pet owners to use BB cars or hold pets to enter.

animal rights

British law protects the rights of pets. For example, it is illegal for dogs to cut their tails or ears. In addition, cats and dogs need to be implanted with microchips. After arriving in the UK, all owners should remember to register the microchip number, owner’s name, phone number and address. (If you want to know more about animal rights laws, please refer to: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/dog-laws-uk)

In addition to arranging pet immigration procedures and flights in Hong Kong, Pet Holidays also has a professional team in the UK to assist pet owners and families in dealing with local difficulties, including pick-up after landing and arranging pet isolation places. All-round services to help you adapt to local life as soon as possible!