Editha

The cats' check up today was without incident. We will find out whether the CFIA and Petsaway are happy with the paperwork in the next couple of days. The Calgary Trail Pet Hospital had the cheek to charge us another $281. They have had $981 from us since we took the cats to them to start the process in January.

I know I said I'd refuse to pay and I think I would have been justified in doing so, but it could have proved awkward if they have managed to balls up the paperwork yet again and I need them to revise it in the next couple of days.

In the eight years I've lived here I've developed a loathing for Edmonton vets and Edmonton dentists. In this city, both professions combine gouging with incompetence in equal measure. Six days to go and I'll never have to experience either ever again. Callooh Callay!

between two worlds

Oh frabjous day! Light is really at the end of the tunnel now. You seem very calm--(at least online!)--may it continue over the next six days-- and I cross fingers and toes for you that all goes smoothly.

Editha

Ah! It's the Food Inspection Agency, not 'Import'. Silly me.

feelbritish

Same here on Vancouver Island, think it is Canada wide to be honest. They say that if they are not millionaires by the time they are 40 they are doing something wrong! One of the reasons we have not got another pet!

Editha

CFIA tip:

Take the right money with you. The fee is $20. Nobody in the building could change a $50, so the clerk had to find someone who knew how to take a credit card payment. This was done with an old fashioned carbon copy machine; I didn't know they still existed! Although I shouldn't be surprised in a country where they still use fax machines.

Editha

We are now in the Alberta Place Suite Hotel, which is OK despite the shit brown decor. We left our house with everything packed and labelled, ready for the container tomorrow.

The moggies are traumatised, of course, but surviving.

I got a call this morning from our managing agents with the revelation that our house in Devon is flooded. The outside tap came away from the wall and the resulting mains leak flooded the interior. The good news is that it will probably be dry by the week after next, when we move in. There's another upside for me: OH and I can never agree on replacing carpets; we have very different ideas about how you define 'shabby'. At least that's one argument we won't be having.

between two worlds

Oh NO!! Good grief. You sound incredibly blasée about this...I am impressed.
Or perhaps you have progressed, what with all the moving and packing and etc, through all the emotions to end up in numbness. Whatever it is, I hope that the house is indeed dry when you get there...even if a bit shabby after the inundation.

rebeccajo

I wonder. Can you still get shag carpet anywhere? In shit brown?

curleytops

Now that's the spirit!

Editha

This morning the loading of our container went smoothly, thanks to Jason and Ken of Highland Movers aka Starline. They reached an agreement with the truck driver that the container could in fact be parked at the back of our house, not on the other side of the street. That speeded up loading, which they did very efficiently.

They asked us to go and buy some ratchet straps to help contain the load (easily found in Canadian Tyre). If I'd known about them, I'd have bought some in advance. The Upakweship loading advice only talks about building a bulwark with wood, which would have been beyond our DIY skills.

I felt rather proud of our packing, which has been a lot of work, but I know we did a much better job than Pickfords did for us in '06. Also, the project has been fun.

The loading took the full four hours which Upakweship allow in the price, but we did not incur a surcharge for extra time. We had an almost perfect day for the loading -- a bit too hot for comfort, but dry.

between two worlds

Yay! wow, everything just trucking along.

Editha

Yesterday we cleaned the house and took a load of stuff to the thrift shop. We haven't got much to do today: this afternoon we are handing back the keys to the landlady and getting our deposit back, then this evening we are taking our electricals to some friends and having dinner with them.

Tomorrow we've arranged a late check-out from the hotel so that the cats won't be stressed by spending hours in the car. They have to be checked in to cargo 4 hours before our flight at 6.25 pm.

I'll be very glad to get back to look after my mum. Her health continues to be worrying. I see myself spending more time in Sussex with her over the next few weeks, than settling into life in Devon. That can wait.

Editha

We are now in Sussex.

Our cats arrived in good health. Our old cat Spud's reaction to being back in the UK, after eight years, was interesting. Even in the Animal Reception Centre at Gatwick she seemed to know that she was home. She was sniffing the air and showing a lively interest in what was going on. When we got back to mum's we let her out into the garden and she spent the afternoon prowling around in the shrubbery. She spent longer outside than at any time when she was in Canada and protested loudly when I got her in for the night.

Our other cat has also been exploring his new surroundings and seems quite happy.

So that ends this thread for me. I'll be posting on the "Back Home" forum from now on.

Editha

No, not my last comment. I forgot that I meant to conclude with a summary and review of the agencies we've used.

Our relocation costs, including airfares, car-hire, hotel, pet transport, and a 20' container for our possessions, have come to just under £9,500, which compares with £13,000 that we paid in 2006 going in the other direction, so I'm very pleased about the money we have saved by careful planning.

Top marks to the British Ex-Pat Forum, because every firm we used was recommended by forum members.

It will be several weeks before our container reaches us in Devon but, on the basis of our experience so far, I would not hesitate to recommend Upakweship, or Starline (for Calgary and Edmonton) whose men did the loading for us.

Having decided to fly with Air Transat because of the convenience of the Gatwick connection, Petsaway were essential to our pet transport. We could not have done it without their help, not least because Air Transat will not deal direct with pet owners, but also because our vet was as well informed and competent as a nun in a brothel.

But, I did not find Petsaway easy to deal with. Dave Galliard did not give advice and information in a timely fashion and, by his tardiness, increased the stress for himself, as well as us. The 21 day cut off for the rabies vaccination means that you really want to know the paperwork is in order before that date to avoid a last minute panic. After receiving queries from myself over many months, Dave finally contacted me about the paperwork on the 20th day. If he'd given our case his attention just a fortnight earlier our vet's incompetence would have been an administrative hassle to overcome, but not the crisis it became.

rebeccajo

Welcome home.