Expats With Pets In Chiang Mai

[Cyrus2Ray]

Greetings everyone,

I am planning on moving to Chiang Mai, and I will have to come there with my cat ( little kitten who is growing up fast ! ), and I would like to know what challenges should I expect to deal with because of my cat.

I have read on some other forums every imaginable suggestion and comment persuading one NOT to bring a pet to Chiang Mai, however, I kind of do not have a choice, and have to be his father for now.

I would like to make this forum a place where expats and locals who do live in Chiang Mai and have pets living with them either in an apartment/condo or a house, to share their experiences, and also the daily challenges that they face for having pets, ( prices we pay for being kind to animals ! )

Originally, before this little kitten had come into my life, I was looking to rent an apartment/condo in Chiang Mai, but now I guess I have to rent a house so my cat can go in & out freely, and not miss out on his natural life and his right to feel the fresh air, sunshine, rain, and the beautiful nature in Chiang Mai. I know some argue that cats should be kept inside at all times, but I just can not lock him up inside while he is already so used to and eager to go outside, he'd be miserable to look at the world from behind a window glass or from a balcony all his life, I just can not do that to him, would not be fair.

I have had 4 cats and two dogs ( not all at the same time ! ) over years in my life, but after the last of them passed away a few years ago , I had promised myself not to have any more pets, because losing them was just so emotionally painful,...... until suddenly.... this little kitten shows up at my door and just walks into my life ! ..an unexpected and seemingly permanent guest ! ...so much for my promise.... just my luck ! ....

......" of all the gin joints in all the world, this kitten just had to walk into mine !! .... "

Wishing you all a great time out there in Chiang Mai.

peace !!

Edited March 11, 2011 by Cyrus2Ray

[ThaiPauly]

You will find that there is a whole forum on Thai Visa entitled "Plants, Pets and Vets".

I would imagine that you will find all the answers you are looking for on that forum.

Good luck with your move and I hope that you enjoy Chiang Mai as much as we do

[Cyrus2Ray]

Thanks for the info, I looked it up, and that brought a new issue to mind, and I am now concerned about something that I had originally overlooked.

The beautiful nature in Chiang Mai does have lots of snakes and other crawly creatures that are often found out in the yard or even inside the house, and that is something I had originally overlooked, so this is a concern !

Please do not take me wrong, I do love all creatures, and I am a big animal rights person, however, my cat is the only other creature I am willing to share my living space with for now, and I have to make a confession that I have a phobia of creatures that have no legs such as snakes and creatures that have too many legs such as all those crawly creatures, and now I see that living in Chiang Mai, specially living in a house with a yard, I would have to deal with these creatures out in the yard if I am lucky, and somewhere within the house if I am not so lucky, and that is a concern !

Also, my little kitty is so naive, and playful at the same time, and his whole world revolves around wishing to find something that moves and for him to playfully chase it and play with it ! those who have cats know exactly what I am talking about. So I would be putting him in danger too, and he may play with and chase the wrong toy sooner or later and risk getting bitten by one of those crawly creatures out in the yard !

So here comes a new dilemma; living in a house with crawly creatures versus living in an apartment/condo, a safe place far far away from crawly creatures !!

Any suggestions ??

[PlanetX]

I brought a cat here and rent a house. Immigration was very simple but I did extensive research and had all of the paperwork and shot records. I do not let her outside. Thailand is a very different from back home. There are many soi dogs, diseases, traffic, etc so if you do let her out dont expect much.

The Flora House just opened up a brand new building and they allow a cat. It is 9,000 baht and includes a living room/kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and balcony. It is a good place to start while you look for more long term accomodations.

There are many pet stores in town. There is one off of ChangKhlan that serves as both a vet and pet supplies. You can also easily get the Royal Canin or Science Diet brand pet food (the higher quality cat food).

Cat litter is available at all major supermarkets. I bought a big plastic tub and used that as a cat box. I also bought a water station that continually moves the water around to encourage the cat to drink. It is important that they drink alot of water to get used to the new climate.

I never stayed in a condo or apartment but I know of others that have. All of the serviced apartments will not allow pets but I am sure there are plenty of owners renting out condos that would allow a pet.

House hunting can be done a variety of ways - if you go through an agent just tell them you have a cat and they will find places for you. If you look on your own have a Thai friend call the owners and ask if a cat is ok.

[Cyrus2Ray]

Thank you for all the detailed info, much appreciated.

Immigration : I also have done some research online, and so far I see that he must have his shots before coming to Thailand, but since I have only had him for a couple of months, and seems quite healthy, and is inside most of the time, not gone out to the vet yet,

Q 1 : what specific shots does Thai immigration require ?

Q 2 : Are these shots to be administered a certain amount of time prior to arrival in Thailand ?

Q 3 ; Must he be neutered too ? ( I hope not, but do plan on doing it perhaps in Thailand, any suggestions ? )

Q 4 : Are the problems and dangers with snakes and other crawly creatures as bad as I read on some online pages ? should I be really concerned about it ? or is it more hype than reality when it comes to the issue of snakes in the yard ? I can keep him inside the house, only to let him out when I myself am around to watch him since he is so used to me and looks up to me as his body guard that he never wonders off too far away from me,

I am glad to see that there are others in Chiang Mai who also care for our four-legged friends !

Wishing you and your cat all the best.

Thanks again for your time, and God bless !

[lis41]

I agree with PlanetX, there are so many soi dog neighborhoods that, should you decide your cat has to be outdoors, you have to find a neighborhood that is more cat friendly. I could never have a cat where I live, it is heavy soi dog territory and a kitten would not survive it.

When you do first arrive, get a cat friendly condo and then check out any moo ban you may be interested in renting a house in. Are there cats or dogs roaming around the streets? I only know of one moo ban that is more about cats but I'm sure there are plenty more. The difference with cats is that having a gate is completely ineffective and some of the bigger, nastier toms will come around whether you and your kitten like it or not.

The creepy, crawly critter in the yard thing could happen anywhere. Just know where the emergency vet is. My dog, when a puppy, got stung by something nasty and her face instantly started swelling up, but we got her to the 24 hour vet near airport plaza and got her a shot. Your bigger concern really is dogs. Bringing your kitten here is not impossible, nor is renting a house where he/she will be safe and get to explore the outdoors (loads of my friends do have cats), just be aware when you choose a place to live.

[Cyrus2Ray]

PS : Planet X ? .... the 12th planet ? ... and the book series by Mr. Zecharia Sitchin ? I am a big fan !

[Cyrus2Ray]

PS 2 : I am sorry, did not mean to pry ! ...... that subject would be for a whole different forum !

Edited March 12, 2011 by Cyrus2Ray

[dave2]

planetx.

re ... There are many pet stores in town. There is one off of Chang clan that serves as both a vet and pet supplies

no offence but there are three vets just off of chiang clan road .... and one on it almost opposite the shangrila !

which one did you find ?

just interested ... dave2

Edited March 12, 2011 by dave2

[Cyrus2Ray]

what if I adopt a dog from one of the dog rescue centers in Chiang Mai ?

((((...play it again Sam ! I guess I am back in Casablanca again !, turning one problem into two ?! ))))))))))) (((please read the last line of my first post ))))

thought the dog could play bodyguard for the cat, would that work ? protecting him against the soi dogs and tom cats ?

Edited March 12, 2011 by Cyrus2Ray

[PlanetX]

PS : Planet X ? .... the 12th planet ? ... and the book series by Mr. Zecharia Sitchin ? I am a big fan !

PlanetX was an old, rundown bar I used to go to

[PlanetX]

planetx.

re ... There are many pet stores in town. There is one off of Chang clan that serves as both a vet and pet supplies

no offence but there are three vets just off of chiang clan road .... and one on it almost opposite the shangrila !

which one did you find ?

just interested ... dave2

Sorry about the vague post -- I am really hung over

The blue one

[Cyrus2Ray]

By the way, please, a moment of silence for all the victims of the tsunami in Japan today.

My heart goes out to all the victims and their families, may God grant them all inner peace to get through this tragedy.

[Cyrus2Ray]

I am getting kind of depressed and really discouraged at the thought of coming there with my cat after reading some of the facts about what I would have to deal with, but the other fact is that i do have the cat and am kind of stuck with him for now, so a few more questions;

if I move away from Chiang Mai city center, perhaps to a housing community at a distance, would there be less soi dogs or tom cats to worry about ?

are soi dogs and tom cats concentrated in certain areas, urban vs. suburbs, etc ?

perhaps living in a non-managed/serviced apartment where I can take him outside for a play and then bring him back in ?

My other option would be to go to Cebu, Philippines, I imagine it would not be much different there either, would it ?

[miltonbentley]

We have 4 cats who are closely monitored by my feline obsessed wife. We have a big garden which soi dogs can't access. Not that this constrains the cats, they still go off a wandering. Three years and no disasters yet. The cats are watchful and too smart I think. The cats have to be in by 6pm every night and they have got used to the regime.

We also have two dogs who are confined to the garden and not allowed to roam the streets Thai style.

[NancyL]

Why not try to find a new home for your cat in your home country? Hubby and I have enjoyed the company of five cats (at different times) for over 30 years prior to moving here. In every case, we acquired the cats as adults, some because their owners were moving overseas.

Here, we tried to entice the soi cats, hoping one would like to move with us. It soon became apparent that adult soi cats are wary. At best they'll eat the food we put out with us sitting nearby, but never would show any affection. We ended up adopting a soi kitten and didn't enjoy all the hassle of dealing with a kitten, but it was worth it now that he's almost an adult. Incidentally, he's a great lap cat, unlike his soi cat parents. Like all our previous cats he's been neutered and never goes outside. All our cats have lived in excess of 20 years, undoubtably because they never go outside. If they have enough activities inside they don't miss the outside.

We rent a condo and found the landlord willing to accept a cat, but we didn't ask until we'd lived here for over 6 months and by then he knew we were taking care of his place and paying our rent on time. I don't think he would have been willing to accept the cat when we first asked about renting.

[amykat]

I live on the edge of CM, in an older mooban, which I chose because of the green areas here, the quiteness, and the good care the homeowners take here of their properties.

Many in my mooban, really like animals, we all have multiple dogs and cats. Not many, or any, true soi dogs. However, there is a serious snake problem. They prey on cats here. One going missing or two, every week. Sometimes you can hear them getting caught, it is ugly.

Anyway, I took in a few babies over a year ago, as their mother seemed to have gotten nailed and eaten maybe the same day they were born. Only found two babies. I had a vacation planned, so put them both with a vet, who took them home at night, only one survived that. Then that little boy, after scratching the hell out of very piece of furniture in my house, and after months of expensive, imported milk, started to become a really good cat that I loved.

I really tried to control the snake situation, and never let him out early morning, and got him back inside before night. However, one of my neighbors built a big cage sort of thing around his property, trying to keep his own cats in, and the snakes out. My cat fell inside this netted off fence, then got attacked by his dogs, and 24 hours later, died from a head injury. He was just 14 months old.

I also, have often seen the cats here, playing with snakes, little ones, don't know what kind.. However the ones that eat them are big Pythons, and those we try to catch and they are either re-homed or eaten by someone. There was a huge outbreak of those snakes here due to the excessive amount of cats we used to have ...now they are all dead ...or 90% of them.

Maybe, you could consider getting your cat declawed, and letting him live inside? Up to you, I know they enjoy the outside, but there are a lot of dangers here, including the dogs, that is how my cat died, and several others here have been ripped apart when the people let their dogs out free every single day. Doesn't matter how much land they have here, they let them out to roam free, poo outside, where they (Thai people) don't have to clean up.

Anyway, good luck whatever you decide, and good job, feeling this commitment to your animal, I wish more people felt this way.

Edited March 13, 2011 by amykat

[CMFarang]

Pets in Chiang Mai are no problem.

I have a Dog - Good :jerk:

Have been thru 7 Cats in 6 years - Not so Good

Given all the Cats the same name with a Number to suit .. Chewy 4, Chewy 7 , you get the idea.

Soi Dogs, runaways ( they get jealous of the Dog ? ) , disappearances, etc make cats a poor choice.Keep them inside and safe, Please....

Vets are OK , some are better than others, same as anywhere else..

$10 to have the Vet come to the house and give all the Pats Vaccinations.. That includes the Shots, visit and all.

Image of Cat and it's Body Guard.. This WAS a Great Cat..

Edited March 13, 2011 by CMFarang

[slapout]

Have to agree about keep inside. Our dogs, 3, will kill cats who come inside the wall of our house. A few chickens came over the wall and they became dog kill. Even other dogs (only male) are not safe from this pack of killers.

Serial killers best describe them. Once they make the first kill they watch for the next victim. Did I mention they are 'the one who must be obeyed' dogs?

[TacoBoy]

Snakes do not seem to be a major problem even here in Thailand in the country side. But one must always be careful not to let their pets roam. Cats are impossible to restrain within a property and will roam if you let them out even once.

Best if you want to have your pet for a long time to train it to be an inside pet. Not only Thailand but just about anywhere in the world.

Cars, traffic, people, dogs, and yes even someties a natural wild thing like a snake or other animials are a danger to domesticated pets.

IMO pets can and are happy to be inside pets if trained properly. A condo or house should be no problem, just don't let your pet wander.

[Cyrus2Ray]

Thanks to all the participants who have been kind to contribute to this forum so far,

now I would like to ask all those who can, to move this to a different level;

to post some more specifics about different parts/neighborhoods of Chiang Mai, where there are more soi dogs/cats versus areas where there are not quite as much,

to identify the more cat-friendly areas/communities/buildings in Chiang Mai versus places where a cat is neither safe nor welcome,

to post buildings/communities where cats are safer versus other areas where they are not,

to post which apartments/condos allow pets ( cats ) versus those that do not,

to share own experiences and eye-witness reports regarding the situation of cats in your own building/neighborhood, etc.

to post specifics which I or anyone else in my situation could use and benefit from in selecting the right part of town, the right neighborhood, the right community, the right house, the right apartment, condo, etc.

I think selecting the right home in the right area is key and most essential for long-term happiness for my cat and myself, and once that is solved I will worry about other issues, such as finding the right vet, the right pet food/supplies store, etc., of course all such information is also welcomed since I am sure there are those who currently do live in Chiang Mai and will be able to definitely benefit from such information as well.

Please let's help continue this post and volunteer info so that everyone from any part of the world who is considering a move to Chiang Mai with their pets ( cats or dogs ) can read up on it and benefit from your personal experiences and kind contributions.

May the force be with you all .....

Edited March 18, 2011 by Cyrus2Ray

[NancyL]

We used to live in Nakorn Ping Condo. They permit cats and small dogs. I heard something about a 10 kg limit, but never saw it in writing. I do know of two cats that were allowed to wander within the building that had problems. One fell from a high-floor balcony onto the pool level. Fortunately, its fall was broken by the plants around the pool. Another cat wasn't so lucky. It end up in the transformer station behind the building where it was fried.

I also know of a small dog that was killed by soi dogs in the neighborhood, when the owner was taking it for a walk on a leash! Of course, the soi dogs weren't on a leash!

Some rental condo owners in the building don't permit pets, but the building itself doesn't have restrictions on small pets.

Edited March 18, 2011 by NancyL

[Cyrus2Ray]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/452951-canadian-with-links-to-downtown-hotel-becomes-7th-mystery-chiang-mai-death/

what's going on in this off-the-beaten-touristy-path little heaven Chiang Mai ??

I have been worried about my cat....but may be I should worry about myself too ??, hope not.

[Cyrus2Ray]

I think all the animal rescue non-profits in Chiang Mai would benefit form a stronger web and forum presence, but I have not seen them on forums yet, so if you know of a link on Thaivisa forums where they are active, please add it on !

live long and prosper !

[Cyrus2Ray]

Question : the situation regarding the difficulties for the owner and dangers for the cat......

are the other cities in Thailand better in comparison to Chiang Mai ? how about Phuket ? is there a city in Thailand where my cat may be in less danger than in Chiang Mai ?

Anyone lived in Cebu, Philippines before ? how is the situation there like ? would my cat be in as much danger in Cebu as in Chiang Mai ?

Edited March 23, 2011 by Cyrus2Ray

[Cyrus2Ray]

well, answered one of my questions myself....

joined a Cebu, Philippines, forum, and wow ! the situation there seems worse, ...

in Thailand the dogs are simply called Soi Dogs....in Cebu, they are called "WILD" dogs, and they seem to live up to their name quite effectively.

I guess I will have to either not bring my cat with me or just keep him inside if I do.......not very safe !

.....except for pockets of safety, certain areas, certain neighborhoods, in Chiang Mai that seem rather safe my for cat, as I was told by some kind and caring members who took the time to write to me, and I am grateful to all of them as well for providing me with the info.

[TacoBoy]

No place in the world is safe for any animal to roam unattended. Especially if they are smaller like cats or small dogs.

Have seen and known of cats, dogs, you name it, poisened by neighbors, or attacked by larger animals or dogs.

Life for you cat willbe what you make it. In general dogs etc are not a big problem to persons in Thailand especially in the cities. but there is always the danger anywhere in the world of crazed and agressive dogs on the loose.

There are certain areas in every city where soi dogs are not so prevelant, so you would need to look for yourself.

Just depends on your lifestyle if you want to be in a apartment/condo or home.

but always best to supervise your pet for their safety and your piece of mind. :jap:

[Cyrus2Ray]

No place in the world is safe for any animal to roam unattended. Especially if they are smaller like cats or small dogs.

Have seen and known of cats, dogs, you name it, poisened by neighbors, or attacked by larger animals or dogs.

Life for you cat willbe what you make it. In general dogs etc are not a big problem to persons in Thailand especially in the cities. but there is always the danger anywhere in the world of crazed and agressive dogs on the loose.

There are certain areas in every city where soi dogs are not so prevelant, so you would need to look for yourself.

Just depends on your lifestyle if you want to be in a apartment/condo or home.

but always best to supervise your pet for their safety and your piece of mind. :jap:

well-said, I agree totally, you are right !!!

[NancyL]

Hubby and I have had five cats during our marriage. All but one lived beyond the age of 20, and we adopted that one knowing he had feline leukemia. I can't believe how many of our Chiang Mai friends express amazement about the lifespan of our cats and immediately ask what we fed them. They're shocked when we say commercial cat food and go onto to tell us how they fed their cats a diet of organic, free-range meat and organic veggies that they'd go to great lengths to cook themselves. Yet they let these same pampered cats wander around outside because "after all, cats need to roam, don't they?"

Our secret for bringing cats into old age is to never let them leave the house or courtyard with really high walls and to take them to the vet regularly for shots and at the first sign of any problems.

[Mapguy]

Poor cats! Not that I wouldn't rush to save a cat (or small dog) threatened by a large dog (not an idle concern in this place) and I have often visited the vet with pets under my care, but what are the existential problems associated with not letting cats roam just because "caring" humans" want them to live a long life? I think this is a real concern.

Are pets substitutes for children? Considering their safety, is it the extension of the age of pets that is important, or something more than that makes for the fulfillment of their lives? Maybe: Is it better to live in a zoo or in the wild? And we haven't even begun to talk about "neutering" pets for the "good" of.........for the good of.......for the good of... Well, for what good? And think about the bad: Denying them the enjoyment of a good screw!

I do agree that life outside the house or beyond the wall can be brutal. (Just like it is for humans!!) If that is a concern, perhaps the most kind option is not to have pets. They can be a sweet part of our lives, but how much right do we have to live their lives?

This post has not been sponsored by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Welfare League...or even organic farmers.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Mapguy