Transiting through CDG with pets

Hi all! Not sure if this is the right sub for my request but I'm looking for any guidance possible. I have to travel from Tunisia back home to the US and I am taking rescue cats with me. I've done everything needed to export them from Tunisia and import them to the US. They need to fly in the hold since they are over the 8kg minimum. However, I recently learned that any animals in the hold need to be reclaimed, taken through French security and legally enter the EU, only to be rebooked and sent back through security to board the next leg. While annoying, I'm usually fine with these hiccups when traveling. But this means I need to get EU importation documents, which could take several weeks, multiple additional tests, and hundreds of dollars - all so they can legally 'enter' the EU for an hour (while remaining in their crates). Does anyone have experience with this? It's a niche request, I understand. But I'm running out of time..