The kitties were all ready to go. They had a long process to go through to move to the UK and I was dreading the fact that at any moment something could go wrong. I was assured by my vet that it was fine and that I had everything.. plus my vet had personally shipped his own pets so I immediately felt better. But it was not meant to be..
Six and a half months ago the kitties had to go to the vet to be checked out. They needed microchips first to start their process and not any microchip, the only one approved by the UK government as there are many out on the market. The they had to be given a series of shots each time scanning the microchip to ensure that the cat that was in front of them 10 minutes ago was the same cat. Tedious and silly. The final shot was a rabies antibody shot which builds up well... antibodies against rabies.
They had both been given rabies shots as kittens but I never kept them up as they were indoor cats. I really had no documentation anyway of those kitten shots either. They get their shots and I was told that since it had been more than 3 years since their shots, I had to give them 3 weeks to build up antibodies to rabies before I got them tested FOR rabies.
The weeks pass and I get them tested but the blood work could not be done at any old lab, it had to be the UK approved lab in Kansas City. SO it was shipped. Negative! Yay... I coulda told you that, but who would beleive me without piles of paperwork to prove it. Fair enough..
That was done on November 21st 2007 and on May 21st 2008 they could be exported and join us in our new home. What happens in the meantime? Quarantine. Why? Just in case in the 3 week period between getting the rabies shot and the blood testing they contracted rabies, it would show physically in 6 months. Kitty drools normally and it is not foamy, and neither of them have tried to eat me yet so I am guessing they don't have rabies
We had to move in Dec./Jan. so we did and after searching for 2 months to find someone to care for them for 5 months, I finally found a volunteer 350 miles away in Santa Barbara. Thanks Brian!!! I drove to Santa Barbara and back in a day and dropped them off and then went back 5 months later to pick them up... thanks Noelle for keepng me company on that leg of the journey :)
Oh yeah, but before they went fly, they had to get more shots. Tick/tapeworm shots and flea treatment NO LESS THAN 24 HOURS AND NO MORE THAN 48 HOURS PRIOR TO CHECK IN. So I booked a flight for the 23rd and a 1230 check in, made their vet appointment the 22nd at 0900. Perfect.. everything seemed fine. Alex was even ready with a rental car at the other end to drive us home after the 10 hour flight/ 20 hours total ordeal.
I was surprised they remembered me after all that time away so at least that is comforting. Stinky still sleeps with me in bed in the same spot and Kitty is still a wus who loves cuddling. These are still my kitties and I am still VERY much in love with them. I didn't want anything to go wrong and I am still nervous that the flight will be harsh on them.
It was time to fly and I had packed all of my clothes, junk, and crated the kitties. Oh and the crates had to had screw on food and water bowls, pet pee pads, and ventilation on all 4 sides of the containers. My dad had fun drilling holes in the backs of the crates because they were approved for every other airline with 3 sides of ventilation, just not this airline.. whatever. I had ALL of their paperwork. I get to the cargo company completely confident yet wondering what I would do if something was wrong. The vet said to call if I have problems... I should be fine.
I head to customs because that is where it says to go on the form for a stamp of some sort. The guys there had no idea why I was there as they only handle imports but they stamped my paperwork anyway which was kinda cute/weird? Then I head to the cargo company... oh yeah after driving for like 30 minutes up and down the same roads looking for both facilities. But yeah I am there...
Check in:
I line up my paperwork sorted and coalated beautifully on the table and wait for my check in clerk. he comes up and just says instantly and completely casually.. oh hey you are missing a form. Form? what form? I have them all... look...!!!
Nope I apparently didn't. AND I needed to go to the USDA not the CUSTOMS office as it had stated on my check in welcome packet. WEAK. I call up the USDA guy thinking I have an hour or so, not a big deal. Well it was. And he was a dick to me. I get it.. it is my fault but do you really have to be such a degrading asshole to me? You are the one person approving USDA shit through this port of entry.. and you are so f'ing full of yourself. Ass.
My vet had one more peice of paper to sign that said the SAME shit as all the others did except this one had a header about the European Union or something. I was told by my Cargo guy that the vet was supposed to have it and give it to me. I should have known I guess so it is my fault but honestly I never came across this stupid paper before online.
Here is the deal. It is 1130am now, usda punk said he could see me reluctantly that day BUT.. I had to have the hard copy of a form, signed by my vet which was a 40 minute drive away then to him at another location which was an hour from my vet then another 20 minutes back to the airport ( my vet signed like 80 different other peices of paper btw.) It was only 2 hours but the cargo company would not accept a check in after 1230. Not gonna happen.
This was a Friday btw. Can I have the paper signed and ship them tomorrow? No live cargo cannot fly on Saturday and Sunday. Can they fly Monday? Sure but they have to have to their final shots done again because of the 24/48 hour rule and my vet was not open. Can they fly Tuesday? No because Monday is a holiday and the vet and USDA guy are on vacation. Wednesday?????? Sure.
I obsessively search online for this one LAME form and find it after about 30 minutes of searching. Yay. I have it now. So here it is a few days later. I have been cramped in a tiny room with my cats waiting. Tomorrow is Tuesday and I have an appointment with the vet then the USDA guy. I fly Wednesday with all the same rules but hopefully my mind will be at ease after Tuesday because I will SERIOUSLY THIS TIME have all my damn paperwork.
Infuriating. No words can describe my anger and frustration over the last few days. Not being home, missing my husband, keeping the cats in a tiny room paranoid they will piss on my dads carpet. Let alone saying good bye to family again and my grandma especially.
That and so much more. Nothing witty to say but it better work out this time or else I will probably scream, rip someones head off , and break a family record of how many times someone can say the "f" word in one day.