grrr cats and transport

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I hope your stay in SA is great for all of you and you havent abandoned her and am sure you wont in the future. 

[lucy]

Thanks - I do feel guilty for taking her but would feel worse for abandoning her. Have same issues with uprooting daughter and moving so far from my mother, the move is great for OH but not what I want really. But one of us loses out either way, so am making the best of it and being as positive as I can.

Xanthe's silver and white, with the odd brown splodge!

[Team Svartalfheims]

I am sure Xanthe will be just fine with the travel At least you love her enough to take her with you unlike some people who'd just abandon her or send her to a rescue to save themselves the money.

P.S: Is she a blue tabby and white or a silver tabby and white? Couldn't tell which from the pic.

[lucy]

Yes, but that will be at least 3 or 4 years down the line. OH will need to find another job, and there is a chance that could be in Europe. If she spent 6 months there, then no quarantine.

Moving abroad was not on the horizon when Xanthe arrived, though.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

So that means she will have to go into quarantine for 6 months when she comes home then?

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

Because rabies is still prevalent (sp) in South Africa, so coming back to the UK any animal needs to be quarantined to ensure they are not carriers of the disease.  Its the same for most countries that are on the quarantine list.

[lucy]

Poor Misa and poor you! 

I am hoping that we can get her cleaned up before the long part and she will be OK after that, it will be horrid for her otherwise but don't have much choice.

The vet said today that the pet passport system doesn't apply to South Africa as rabies is so prevalent. I guess there may be other things there we don't have here too, but it does seem hard on pets who have always been innoculated properly.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I hope it works cos Misa is terrified of the cage and put it back upstairs today and he ran away and hid 

He wet it when he went to vets last week as did Duca before him and he would not sit where the wet bit was and I didnt know it was wet till he was out of carrier on vets table.

So he pushed himself against the door the whole way crying  as he had wet the middle grrrrrrrrrrr. The cage is big cos I like him to be able to sit up and stretch out cos he is too big for even a large carrier but it will be very unpleasant if she makes a mess and then  has to travel like it for a long time.

If she only does it once then you maybe able to clean her up before the long journey.

I have a freind who came back from South Africa after living there for many years but could not bring her dogs back into UK without quarantine. So why can a pet have a passport starting in this country but not the other way round?

[lucy]

Will get OH to give it a go then!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I agree litttle and often would be the best but a couple of harmless trips would be better than nothing 

[lucy]

He will go any day now (should have gone in Jan but waiting for visa). I was thinking that it would take little and often over period of time to get her used to it, which I won't be able to do, or do you think a couple of trips are worth trying?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

So why cant he take her out in car or has he already left?

[lucy]

Thanks, she is fine now. It may be difficult to get her used to travelling in advance as OH is only driver, so when he goes so does car. She seems to have a panic, poo  ,  and then settle down, so hopefully will cope OK with trip, although I am prepared for her emerging in a right state the other end. I will probably try Feliway, but any other tips from seasoned cat travellers would be gratefully received.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I hope she is OK after jab 

I would be a bit worried if she that bad a traveller cos its a long way to SA. Maybe you could strat taking her out regularily in the car so she understands she has nothing to be worried about.

[blackcat]

what is it with long-hair cats? I have never had a cat who pooed in the cat carrier, until I got Bob. And long hair and hysterical pooing 

[Tiggy's Mum]

 

She's got such an expressive little face, and as for that furry chin 

[lucy]

Thanks! I love pics of your cats too!

[Team Svartalfheims]

She's gorgeous! 

[lucy]

We should be going in August, OH is due to go any minute now but has been waiting for his work permit for ages. This is about the most up to date one of Xanthe I have - camera needs new batteries so can't take any of her looking sorry ofr herself!


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[Team Svartalfheims]

Sounds like a nightmare day! When are you off to South Africa? Hope Xanthe is ok after her jab. I bet she's grown so much since we last saw pics of her, can we see some new ones? The next bit of fun is the blood test in 3-4 weeks time! I took Minxy Moo for her rabies jab on Tuesday afternoon and whilst she travels fine she was such a wrigglebum when the vet needed her to stand still!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Bless her, it'll all be worth it in the end!  Do we not get treated to a pic of Xanthe as reward for hearing about her poo encrusted fur? 

[lucy]

Had to take xanthe to the vets today for rabies shot to start getting paperwork sorted for South Africa. Got her there, but found we had got the time wrong and were an hour early.  Planned to go to Waitrose so I could get dinner while OH sat with Xanthe, but she pooed in the box. Dashed home, washed her as it was embedded in her fur  , got back to vets with bedraggled and sad cat and super stressed people. She is fine now, but I wish she was better traveller!