Flying pets to USA
Oct 24th 2004, 4:05 am
#1
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Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Bristol, UK and Morehead City, N Carolina
Posts: 269
Flying pets to USA
Finally got everything packed up into shipping container , cleared out the Bristol flat, and flew Gatwick to Raleigh-Durham NC for the last time for a long time.
But Rosie, our beloved three-legged Maine Coon moggie, ex cats and dogs home, had to fly with us and though we knew she is a survivor, having lost a hind leg before she adopted us, we did not know how many lives she had left and how she would react to 3 hours in car, night smuggled into hotel, 4 hours waiting at airport, 8 hours flight, more waiting, 3 more hours in car, and finally meeting up with 2 cats and 2 dogs in a new home.
Glad to say that all our worries were completely unfounded and we cannot praise American Airlines and the two terminals more! While we were paying the £51 cat fare at Gatwick, Rosie in her large Pet Planets kennel attracted admirers from passengers and staff alike, and a nice man took charge of her paperwork and sorted everything out until a nice lady catlover took her off to the plane. Health certificate (obtained from her usual vet 2 days before) and rabies vaccination certificate were checked, food and water attached to the kennel, and prominent labels stuck on the kennel. The kennel had layers of newspaper and a towel for her to lie on.
We had enough airmiles to get upgrades to business class, well worth it for us in the Boeing 777, and it seems Rosie did pretty well too! She was brought out by a baggage handler, no scary carousel for her, and was bright as a button looking round at everything though obviously nervous at all the strange accents from more admirers! And no problem at all getting her through immigration, her papers were not even asked for.
Then she sat on my knee in the car looking at all the passing cars and moving lights in the dark as we travelled home, and even meeting the other animals held no fears for her.
Cats are SURVIVORS!!
But Rosie, our beloved three-legged Maine Coon moggie, ex cats and dogs home, had to fly with us and though we knew she is a survivor, having lost a hind leg before she adopted us, we did not know how many lives she had left and how she would react to 3 hours in car, night smuggled into hotel, 4 hours waiting at airport, 8 hours flight, more waiting, 3 more hours in car, and finally meeting up with 2 cats and 2 dogs in a new home.
Glad to say that all our worries were completely unfounded and we cannot praise American Airlines and the two terminals more! While we were paying the £51 cat fare at Gatwick, Rosie in her large Pet Planets kennel attracted admirers from passengers and staff alike, and a nice man took charge of her paperwork and sorted everything out until a nice lady catlover took her off to the plane. Health certificate (obtained from her usual vet 2 days before) and rabies vaccination certificate were checked, food and water attached to the kennel, and prominent labels stuck on the kennel. The kennel had layers of newspaper and a towel for her to lie on.
We had enough airmiles to get upgrades to business class, well worth it for us in the Boeing 777, and it seems Rosie did pretty well too! She was brought out by a baggage handler, no scary carousel for her, and was bright as a button looking round at everything though obviously nervous at all the strange accents from more admirers! And no problem at all getting her through immigration, her papers were not even asked for.
Then she sat on my knee in the car looking at all the passing cars and moving lights in the dark as we travelled home, and even meeting the other animals held no fears for her.
Cats are SURVIVORS!!
