Also before you arrive give a thought to where you maybe going after your time in China! China is a non-registered country from an export perspective, hence the EU will require a rabies antibody titer blood sample before your return, as will many other countries; the Americas do not.

Hence if you are coming form the EU, get this blood sample and a pet passport before coming. This blood sample aside, the export process has the same steps as the export process from all other countries i.e. an export health certificate and permit from an approved veterinarian, though there is a little bit of blood sampling that this author deems unnecessary.

During my time in China, while dogs and cats were predominantly the pets that I have treated, iguanas, chameleons, parrots, terrapins, turtles, and all of the small furries found their way though my door. It should be noted that the export of all these exotic species from China is becoming increasingly complicated and in certain instances prohibited e.g. birds, hence I would recommend leaving your more unusual pets at home.

Obviously China isn't presently as pet friendly as many other expat destinations, however it is getting there and if we wanted the familiar and risk-free we would have stayed at home.

Hence while the countries we visit may well have rules and regulations, beliefs and perspectives that we may find frustrating or unacceptable I think we should remember that in their society we are the oddity. If a local stares or grimaces at us as we walk our 30kg dog down their street I think we should swallow a big dose of humility and accept that in our world experiences vary and mature over time.

Dr. Tony Beck is CEO, Doctors Beck & Stone Pet Health Care Center.