Selkirk Rex
& Devon RexKittens for Europe
European Union Switzerland
From our cattery in Canada — every step of the journey, explained
A cat from Canada can join a family anywhere in the European Union under a single set of rules, the same in all twenty-seven countries. Canada is on the EU's list of approved countries: no rabies antibody test and no waiting period after one — a kitten can leave from fifteen weeks of age. Because your kitten changes owner, the trip is handled as a commercial movement, with an official certificate and a veterinary check on arrival.
We have been breeding purebred cats since 2009 in Canada. This page explains how a kitten from our cattery reaches its new home in Europe: what the rules require, in what order, and how long it really takes. These rules apply to every cat, whatever the breed: they are the same for our Selkirk Rex and our Devon Rex kittens. See our kittens.
The rules at a glance
Minimum age: rabies vaccine at 12 weeks or older, then 21 days before the kitten can travel
Canada is on the EU list of approved countries: no blood test and no months of waiting
The official veterinary examination takes place within 48 hours before departure
One set of EU rules, from Paris to Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid and Rome
The journey, step by step
Six steps, in this order. None of them can be skipped.
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Reservation, in Canada
Your adoption is concluded directly with our cattery, under a written contract, exactly as for every family. How our priority list works.
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Microchip in your name
An EIDAP microchip, implanted before any vaccination and registered in your name — the order EU rules require. Your kitten travels as your own pet.
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Rabies vaccination
Given at 12 weeks of age or older. The vaccination becomes valid 21 days later, and the kitten can travel from that day. No antibody test is required for cats from Canada.
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Official EU health certificate
Because your kitten changes owner, EU law treats the trip as a commercial movement. The official EU health certificate is completed after a veterinary examination within 48 hours before departure, then endorsed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) before the kitten leaves Canada.
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Flight & border control
By cargo or with a flight nanny, depending on the route, arranged with our IPATA-certified shipping agent. The kitten lands at an EU border control post, announced at least one working day ahead in the EU's TRACES system, where a veterinarian checks the documents and the animal. The date takes the season into account: in the hottest and coldest months, airlines may restrict the transport of animals.
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Arrival
Once the border checks are complete, you collect your kitten at the arrival terminal.
When does a kitten leave for Europe?
Our kittens usually leave the cattery between 14 and 16 weeks of age. For Europe, the rabies vaccine at 12 weeks and the 21 days that follow set the earliest departure at 15 weeks — very close to our usual timing.
Switzerland is not in the European Union and has its own rules: a cat arriving from Canada enters only through the airports of Zurich, Geneva or Basel, with a check by the border veterinary service. Until departure, your kitten stays with us — and you can watch it on our 24/7 live camera.
Why European families choose us
Breeding since 2009
Selkirk Rex and Devon Rex, bred in Canada. Our cats and pedigrees are registered with TICA (The International Cat Association) and CFA (The Cat Fanciers' Association).
Certified cattery
MAPAQ permit and ANIMA-Québec certification. Our certification is active, and our audits are up to date. What this means.
Health, verified
Kittens individually DNA tested for over 200 genetic diseases and traits; breeding cats checked every year by echocardiogram, by a veterinary cardiologist. Our health program.
Written guarantees
Two-year congenital and hereditary health guarantee (see contract for details), and a lifetime guarantee against PKD1.
Export done right
An IPATA-certified shipping agent, documents endorsed by the CFIA, and commercial import and export licences held by the cattery.
24/7 live camera
Watch your future kitten in real time from our cattery, any time of day or night — whatever the time difference.
- Requirements change without notice. Every departure is revalidated with the CFIA and with the country of arrival, whatever this page says.
- Each country may add its own formalities after arrival, such as registering your cat in its national pet database.
- New EU rules are coming. A regulation on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats, adopted in 2026, is expected to apply from 2028: cats entering the EU will have to be microchipped before arrival and registered in a national database. Our kittens are already microchipped before their very first vaccination.
- Every adoption is concluded directly with us, under a written contract. We do not sell through classified websites or intermediaries.
- The United Kingdom has its own rules, separate from the EU's — write to us. Outside Europe, see our guides for the United States and the UAE, or shipping worldwide.
The rules on this page are taken from the European Commission, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office. National formalities vary and are checked for each family. Last checked: September 2026.