When you are thinking about relocating to Malta – whether for personal or business reasons – you might want to take your cat or dog with you, or adopt a pet here. In today’s article I would like to talk a bit more about renting an apartment with a pet, veterinarians on the islands, and where to get pet supplies.
Cats and dogs in flats
The biggest problem you will face is to find a place to live in Malta that accepts pets. It is important to have an agreement with your landlord that a dog or cat is allowed. Most landlords are reluctant to accepting pets, and often house or neighbourhood policy forbids keeping animals, especially dogs, as they might be loud and disturb neighbours. Some landlords reconsider allowing pets when you sign a longer than 6 months rental contract with them, and an extra agreement to replace furniture that had been damaged by the pet. It is advised to ask the landlord directly about pets, and not just the rental agent, as they will often say No without even inquiring with the landlord.
Adopting a pet in Malta
There are many stray cats in Malta, sometimes even stray dogs. The many animal shelters are over-crowded, mostly with cats. Adopting a pet from a shelter is desired, and you will find a broad variety of breeds waiting to be adopted. One of the largest animal shelters in Malta is the SPCA Malta, and they home dogs and cats.
Taking a pet to Malta
When taking your cat or dog to Malta, you will need to make sure that the pet is vaccinated and micro-chipped according to the pet travel rules outlined in the EU regulation on pet travel.
Veterinarians in Malta
There are several veterinary practices on Malta and on Gozo, and they are scattered all over the islands. You can make appointments or visit them as a walk-in. However, it is recommended to call before you go there to see how crowded they are. As there are not many practices it can happen that they are crowded and you will have to wait a long time.
If you love cats, but you cannot adopt one where you live you can also support the local shelter by making food or money donations, or spend time with the cats in the parks. Many people feed strays on the street and in the parks, but food is not everything, and the animals do enjoy attention as well. Many friendly cats are living at the Independence Garden in Sliema and the Romeo Romano Garden in Santa Venera for example.
