T-minus 4 weeks and counting till cat launch!

[lyrajean]

It's March 4th, less than a month until I pack Aya up in her crate and accompany her to VT from Japan. Getting nervous.

We have a crate, feliway spray, crate pad, rabies vaccine (she was given a dog shot as they have no feline vaccine here!).

Wee have papers from an online shop that I hope are legit for a health certificate to be gotten sometime close to our March 28th departure. I will also have her revolutioned and toe nails trimmed. I also ahve to drag her all the way to the airport to the Naha quarrantine office before our departure to okay her exit from Japan (procedure here, don't know why?).

Still very nervous! She has such cattitude I am worried she will do something to one of the airline attendants and they won't let me fly, or that the cage size is wrong or that when we board for the second leg domestic US portion that they'll scoff at a health cert signed by a Japanese Vet.

 

[Willowy]

You can call the airline to confirm their size requirements for the carriers to set your mind at ease

. That way there will be one less thing to worry about!

The attendants shouldn't ever have to touch her or go near her, so that one shouldn't be a problem. And I'm not sure they actually look at the health certificates once the cat is in the U.S. (are health certificates even required for domestic flights? I wonder). I'm pretty sure only the USDA and customs people care about that.

You might want to get a harness and leash, in case they have you take her out of the carrier. I think they make you do that so you can put the carrier through the x-ray machine. Don't want a great escape!

(Dog rabies vaccine and cat rabies vaccine and even horse rabies vaccine are the same, except for PureVax. So that's not so unusual)

Our kitties did just fine from Japan to the U.S., but since we had the Navy vet's help I suppose it wasn't quite the same experience. We also weren't allowed to have them in-cabin back then, so they were cargo the whole way, poor things. But they came through like champs! Niji didn't even wet in her carrier the entire time, so she was really happy when we got the litterbox set up, LOL.

 

[catmom2wires]

Yes, you will likely have to remove her from the carrier here in the states so a harness/leash is an excellent idea. Be sure to not take her out of the carrier until you absolutely HAVE to. Make them wait on YOU! I suspect your little Aya will probably go into "shock" mode and just kind of be "catatonic," no pun intended.

Have a safe trip. I know you will be relieved when you are home!

 

[mystik spiral]

Good luck! I know you are doing everything you possibly can to ensure Aya a safe trip.

 

[aprilyim]

Best wishes on a safe and stress-free journey!

 

[lyrajean]

We got the measurements straigtened out a while back. She has to go checked for the first leg as no cabin critters allowed in Japan. And she has to go carrry on for the second trip 2 days later from Seattle to VT as it is cold outside.

What bugs me is that in talking to two or three different airline folks they don't seem to keep their story straight: One said rabies cert only. the other emphasized the need for a health certificate -which I will have.

I am also traveling with 2 differnt airlines United and ANA.

Grrr....