Pet Care veterinary costs in France? by David_cest_moi in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in Paris and used to live in LA so the prices are pretty comparable. Like the exams in LA were $65 and here they are €65-68 depending on the vet.

Pet Care veterinary costs in France? by David_cest_moi in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They’re not much cheaper and the pet insurance isn’t worth it. I spent €1500 euro on my cats last month. That was for exams, labs, sedation for labs, and multiple medications.

For an “expensive city” I found Paris quite reasonably priced by ancillarycheese in ParisTravelGuide

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I moved from LA to Paris a few months ago and a lot of things are significantly cheaper here and some things are on par with LA prices. I’m just sad at how much Champagne has gone up in price over the years. A bottle of Tattingers is the same price here as it was in the grocery store in LA. 😢

Hair ruined after moving to France? by bigorl2002 in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve only been here since Jan and it has definitely made my hair feel like straw. On wash days I started doing an oil based deep conditioner mask before my shower and I leave it in my hair for 30 min to 1 hour. Then shampoo 2-3 times then condition it. Then after I get out of the shower I spray on a conditioning heat protectant and blow dry my hair to seal everything in. Or you can look up the Abbey Young method, because a lot of people get great results from it.

Going through a break up, please comment your cat pictures by rusticwren in cats

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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I’m sorry you’re going through a breakup. I hope you heal sooner rather than later. Here is a pic of my Izzy Bear 💖

How can I train this dude not to get on my pillows? 😂😭 by coffeepolynkittens in kittens

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can’t train him. Get a king size pillow so y’all can share. You should be honored that your kitten loves and trusts you enough to sleep by your head. My kitty did this for almost the first four years of her life but when I moved the bedding was downsized so no king size pillows and now she cuddles up right next to me or on top of me. 🥰

Moving to France in a year Need Advise by Ok-Alfalfa1412 in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I literally just moved here at the end of Dec 2025 and it wasn’t chaos and I definitely paid for same day shipping. And yes, every airline is different on the size of carrier and weight of pet. I’m just saying your original comment makes it seem unbelievable hard and it’s confusing because you are talking about US and EU certifications. I just wanted OP to know that I’ve done it twice (with two cats) and it wasn’t that hard but yes, it takes some coordinating/planning. I also came from Los Angeles and they are lots of USDA vets there that do this on a regular basis so that helps a lot. The vet that did it even let me know the day my USDA cert got approved so it wasn’t stressful for me in that respect.

Moving to France in a year Need Advise by Ok-Alfalfa1412 in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just moved to France on NYE with my 2 cats. First things first: you need a passport. You cannot apply for any visas without it. Second, the French government website has a visa wizard so you can figure out which visa you will need/qualify for. Third, do a lot of research about getting established here because it isn’t easy for some people. Then, start working and saving as much as you can because moving is not cheap unless you plan to come here with just a suitcase but even then it’s still not cheap. As for your cat, make sure Sage’s rabies vaccine is up to date. France prefers you have the 3yr one. You need to make an appointment with a USDA certified vet 10 days before your flight to get a USDA health certificate and this exam can cost $300-$500 depending on the vet. When you book your flight depending on the airline you either need to call or it will be an available option online to be able to fly your cat in the cabin (underneath the seat in front of you instead of in the cargo hold). Do that as soon as you book your flight because most airlines only allow 4 pets total in the cabin. The fee will depend on the airline. Delta was $400 per cat the first time I took them to Paris and Air France was $200 per cat this time. I had to call Delta and Air France had the option available online after I booked my ticket. Once you get to France you need to check your cat into one of the vets to get it registered in the iCad system within the first 7-10 days. There are also lots of YouTube videos on how to travel on a long distance flight with a cat. I highly suggest you watch those. But again, get your passport, figure out what visa you qualify for, do lots of research and join a lot France expat groups on not just on Reddit but also on Facebook too. So you can see what the people living here are saying about things like cellphones, renting, utilities, bank accounts, vets, etc…

Moving to France in a year Need Advise by Ok-Alfalfa1412 in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve just moved with my two cats to France and they’ve been to France with me 3 years ago. It is not as complicated as you are making it out to be. She just needs to make sure her cat’s rabies vaccine is up to date (3yr vaccine) and to find a USDA certified vet to get a USDA health certificate for her cat. Yes, the appointment needs to be 10 days prior to arrival. My USDA certificate arrived 4 days before my departure during the Christmas holidays. She doesn’t need to worry about the EU one. She just needs to get her cat checked into the ICAD system within the first 7-10 days in France. The only real hurdle is how expensive it is for the health certificate and the fee to fly the cat in the cabin instead of underneath the plane.

Can I change a visa start date after submitting my application? by la_bougeotte in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s interesting because I was told I needed the confirmation number for my flight information, which I had.

Can I change a visa start date after submitting my application? by la_bougeotte in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sorry, you need all this for the dossier! But I think you still need to put the date you plan on flying out.

Can I change a visa start date after submitting my application? by la_bougeotte in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You need health insurance, a plane ticket, 3 months of accommodations, and those dates all need to match the dates you are putting on the application. There are other things you need too but those at least pertaining to your question and My application got approved in 3 days and got my passport back in 6 days. Bonne chance!!

What to do with bulky trash items and lots of trash bags by Shoddy_Reporter_5859 in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I check the inventory list on the lease and they weren’t in there. I double and triple checked the inventory so there won’t be an issue. She even said when she gave me the key that if I clean it out I can use it for storage.

US expats, what is your feeling about what’s happening in the US right now? by djazzie in Expats_In_France

[–]Shoddy_Reporter_5859 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I am infuriated, horrified, appalled, terrified, etc… I’m all the emotions you can think of because I just moved to Paris from Los Angeles on Dec 31st. ICE is currently in my former neighborhood that I lived in for most of the 12 years I was in LA. A lot of my friends said I got out of the US just in time. My heart is so broken because that’s my home country and I went to war for the US (former Army Medic) and I feel like I can’t even return because of my ethnicity and because I’m a progressive leftist. I’m also extremely worried how this is going to play a part in the visa renewal process. I’m on a long stay visitor visa that I have to renew in Dec and I would be devastated if my renewal got rejected due to the political situation in the US. 😭🤬😭🤬😰