Noah & me (GA)
Very Active Member
Air Canada would only fly our dog at night, cargo was too hot during daylight hours.
Moving abroad with a diabetic kitty [Mission accomplished!]
- Thread starter Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
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Sam & Esse
Member
Hi Jenna,
@Jenna & Kitsu
I was just wondering how you and Kitsu were doing leading up to the big move
I hope Kitsu is doing fantastic after her dental.
Two things I thought about, that you might want to do before leaving
I know that you'll need (and have with you) the physical, original copies of Kitsu's records and paperwork. When I travel with Sam, I have those things, too, but I also keep an up-to-date pdf file online, just in case something catastrophic happens to the physical records. I know the veterinarians and government agencies keep records, but it's handy having them in one place that's accessible anytime, anywhere (there's wifi lol!). Second, which I also have for Sam, is a special red tag with the caduceus saying he's diabetic, what insulin he's on, my contact info, and what food is safe to feed him. Actually, I have two, one for his harness, and one for his carrier. I can't hardly imagine ever losing my big boy, but if I did... whoever finds him will want to turn him in instead of keeping the big luv-a-butt. I think my concern comes from living in a neighborhood where people think pets are interchangeable. But when they see Sam's handful of tags, they ask, "Hey, that cat sick?" and I nod and say, "Yeah, needs shots every day." It's funny how quickly they walk away from the fence.
I hope everything is going smoothly for you
And that the fireworks are tapering off where you're at.
@Jenna & Kitsu
I was just wondering how you and Kitsu were doing leading up to the big move
I hope Kitsu is doing fantastic after her dental.Two things I thought about, that you might want to do before leaving
I know that you'll need (and have with you) the physical, original copies of Kitsu's records and paperwork. When I travel with Sam, I have those things, too, but I also keep an up-to-date pdf file online, just in case something catastrophic happens to the physical records. I know the veterinarians and government agencies keep records, but it's handy having them in one place that's accessible anytime, anywhere (there's wifi lol!). Second, which I also have for Sam, is a special red tag with the caduceus saying he's diabetic, what insulin he's on, my contact info, and what food is safe to feed him. Actually, I have two, one for his harness, and one for his carrier. I can't hardly imagine ever losing my big boy, but if I did... whoever finds him will want to turn him in instead of keeping the big luv-a-butt. I think my concern comes from living in a neighborhood where people think pets are interchangeable. But when they see Sam's handful of tags, they ask, "Hey, that cat sick?" and I nod and say, "Yeah, needs shots every day." It's funny how quickly they walk away from the fence.I hope everything is going smoothly for you
And that the fireworks are tapering off where you're at.
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Time for an update! Sorry to keep anyone who wanted to know more waiting. There have been a lot of things progressing for both Kitsu's situation and my own, so I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and think back on what has happened since my last update.
Dental recovery: She did wonderful on her recovery. The antibiotic she was prescribed (ZydaClin) gave her a bit of diarrhea, but I took some canned pumpkin and added water, then fed it to her through a syringe 1-2 times daily. She hated that, but it did help with her stool consistency. She was on ZydaClin for 10 days, so we just finished that up last Sunday. Her pain med was Buprenex, which was a 5-day treatment. All meds were given as per instructions of the vet and she is now med-free (aside from insulin, of course)!
Flying in-cabin: I booked my flight with Air Canada last week using their online booking process. I called immediately after and made sure she could be in-cabin for both flights and they said yes and got her booked in on both the first and connecting flights. I also checked Canada's regulations with bringing pets into the country, just in case that stops me for some reason. Their Department of Agriculture website basically just states that a pet must have a valid pet passport or equivalent, which is what her USDA-endorsed EU health certificate will be. I emailed the one of two vets that got back to me about clearing her after we arrive in Dublin and they booked my appointment for the day/time I fly in. Their courier is supposed to meet me before I go through immigration. I emailed the Department of Agriculture again and asked if they needed anything else from me, or if the vet would take care of it all, but they have yet to respond to that. I'm 99% sure that the vet relays any information over to the DoA, so I don't think I have to do anything, but I'll keep trying to get an official response before I go.
Carrier: I returned her carrier to Amazon and ordered the Delta Deluxe Sherpa carrier instead, because the other one didn't fit the carrier dimension requirements for Air Canada. It was a bit too tall, even for a soft-side carrier, and even though I can squish it down under the seat, I don't want to give them any reason to deny her boarding. I've been rubbing cat nip and putting treats in the carrier to get her to warm up to it. She does go into the carrier to retrieve the treats, but she will not lay down in it yet. I'm hoping I can get her to lay down in there at some point before her trip, but that's asking a lot, haha. Also, her harness and leash came in today, so I put the harness on immediately to make sure it fits. She was able to slip one arm out of the arm hole, but the other arm and her neck were still secured. I left it on her for about 20 minutes, then took it off, since I'm going to let her warm up to it a bit each day. I also gave her treats as soon as I put it on her.
Sedation/Feliway: As already discussed, I will not be sedating her. Feliway doesn't seem to work on her very well, judging from the effectiveness of the wipes. The spray may be another story, but I went ahead and ordered some Bach Rescue Remedy for pets instead. I feel like that might be a better option for her. I plan to do a trial run with it tomorrow to see how it affects her. The fireworks are slowly tapering off, but still lots of them being shot off each day and night, so we will see how the trial run goes.
Now to catch up on some replies...
Red & Rover: I've been noticing that Ireland, UK, Australia, and a few other countries are really hard to get pets into via the cabin. It was very tedious looking through every airline's requirements and restrictions. I did a double-take when I saw that Air Canada directly states they can fly pets in-cabin to Ireland. That's why I called them as well to confirm it. It still baffles me how they can do it, but most other airlines cannot. I'm glad she didn't have any problems once she got everything figured out. Thanks for sharing that story, it's reassuring!
Noah & Me: Thanks for the warnings! I expect to run into some over-zealous gate agents, but I'll be prepared to counter anything they try to throw at me. I'll have printed copies of their in-cabin policy, as well as flying to Ireland policy, and my receipt of payment to book her through the entire flight, not just the first one. Hopefully things will go smoothly and there will be no need for me to have to pull all my paperwork out for them. I'm glad it worked out for you, although it does sound like a pain for what you had to endure. Cute dog, by the way!
Kimberbee: Thank you! I did read about the weather restrictions, which is why I opted for in-cabin as well. Nearly every day has been 90-100 degrees here for the last several weeks, and it's only going to get hotter and more miserable when August rolls around. There aren't a lot of options for early morning or evening flights where I live, so in-cabin was the only way I was going to get peace of mind. I can't see why they would restrict her travel in-cabin, but I'll definitely keep it in mind. Hopefully they don't go to that extreme, though!
Esse: Thank you! I actually did just order a tag for her harness, it has her name, my phone number, and it says, "Diabetic diet only" and "Insulin dependent" on it. I plan to stick it on her harness or her collar, if I decide to make her wear one. I'll probably just opt for the harness and put her rabies tag and her custom tag on both. I did plan to print out a small slip of paper to put on the actual carrier, though, basically with the same information as the custom tag, plus a bit more. I like the idea of keeping digital copies of her records, so I'll definitely take pictures of those and store them both on my phone and in my email, in case something happens with my phone. I'm also going to have her Young Again Zero Mature dry food in a baggie in her carrier pouch and I will label that, too, so people know she has food with her. I plan to give her a little at the connecting airport if there's time and if she will eat (I don't think she will, but a couple of kibbles would be nice), and the vet can give it to her when she lands in Dublin. At first, I was pretty worried about her going off to the vet without me while I was dealing with immigration in the airport, but honestly it's probably for the best. She will be delivered to them while I deal with long lines and paperwork to get myself into the country, and they can give her insulin/feed her/give her water/let her go to the bathroom as needed. I'll only be an hour, two tops without her, then we'll go on the 3 hour car ride to our new home and be done with this whole deal. I can't wait! Thanks again for your suggestions and feel free to throw any more that you think of my way.
I will post my next update when something significant happens, but right now, the plan is to continue packing up my place so I can move in with my mom next week. I'm living with her since my lease expires at the end of the month, so Kitsu's going to have to get used to another new house for a month before her flight to her new permanent house. Things are definitely moving quickly! Thanks to everyone who has been helping us along the way so far.
Dental recovery: She did wonderful on her recovery. The antibiotic she was prescribed (ZydaClin) gave her a bit of diarrhea, but I took some canned pumpkin and added water, then fed it to her through a syringe 1-2 times daily. She hated that, but it did help with her stool consistency. She was on ZydaClin for 10 days, so we just finished that up last Sunday. Her pain med was Buprenex, which was a 5-day treatment. All meds were given as per instructions of the vet and she is now med-free (aside from insulin, of course)!
Flying in-cabin: I booked my flight with Air Canada last week using their online booking process. I called immediately after and made sure she could be in-cabin for both flights and they said yes and got her booked in on both the first and connecting flights. I also checked Canada's regulations with bringing pets into the country, just in case that stops me for some reason. Their Department of Agriculture website basically just states that a pet must have a valid pet passport or equivalent, which is what her USDA-endorsed EU health certificate will be. I emailed the one of two vets that got back to me about clearing her after we arrive in Dublin and they booked my appointment for the day/time I fly in. Their courier is supposed to meet me before I go through immigration. I emailed the Department of Agriculture again and asked if they needed anything else from me, or if the vet would take care of it all, but they have yet to respond to that. I'm 99% sure that the vet relays any information over to the DoA, so I don't think I have to do anything, but I'll keep trying to get an official response before I go.
Carrier: I returned her carrier to Amazon and ordered the Delta Deluxe Sherpa carrier instead, because the other one didn't fit the carrier dimension requirements for Air Canada. It was a bit too tall, even for a soft-side carrier, and even though I can squish it down under the seat, I don't want to give them any reason to deny her boarding. I've been rubbing cat nip and putting treats in the carrier to get her to warm up to it. She does go into the carrier to retrieve the treats, but she will not lay down in it yet. I'm hoping I can get her to lay down in there at some point before her trip, but that's asking a lot, haha. Also, her harness and leash came in today, so I put the harness on immediately to make sure it fits. She was able to slip one arm out of the arm hole, but the other arm and her neck were still secured. I left it on her for about 20 minutes, then took it off, since I'm going to let her warm up to it a bit each day. I also gave her treats as soon as I put it on her.
Sedation/Feliway: As already discussed, I will not be sedating her. Feliway doesn't seem to work on her very well, judging from the effectiveness of the wipes. The spray may be another story, but I went ahead and ordered some Bach Rescue Remedy for pets instead. I feel like that might be a better option for her. I plan to do a trial run with it tomorrow to see how it affects her. The fireworks are slowly tapering off, but still lots of them being shot off each day and night, so we will see how the trial run goes.
Now to catch up on some replies...
Red & Rover: I've been noticing that Ireland, UK, Australia, and a few other countries are really hard to get pets into via the cabin. It was very tedious looking through every airline's requirements and restrictions. I did a double-take when I saw that Air Canada directly states they can fly pets in-cabin to Ireland. That's why I called them as well to confirm it. It still baffles me how they can do it, but most other airlines cannot. I'm glad she didn't have any problems once she got everything figured out. Thanks for sharing that story, it's reassuring!
Noah & Me: Thanks for the warnings! I expect to run into some over-zealous gate agents, but I'll be prepared to counter anything they try to throw at me. I'll have printed copies of their in-cabin policy, as well as flying to Ireland policy, and my receipt of payment to book her through the entire flight, not just the first one. Hopefully things will go smoothly and there will be no need for me to have to pull all my paperwork out for them. I'm glad it worked out for you, although it does sound like a pain for what you had to endure. Cute dog, by the way!
Kimberbee: Thank you! I did read about the weather restrictions, which is why I opted for in-cabin as well. Nearly every day has been 90-100 degrees here for the last several weeks, and it's only going to get hotter and more miserable when August rolls around. There aren't a lot of options for early morning or evening flights where I live, so in-cabin was the only way I was going to get peace of mind. I can't see why they would restrict her travel in-cabin, but I'll definitely keep it in mind. Hopefully they don't go to that extreme, though!
Esse: Thank you! I actually did just order a tag for her harness, it has her name, my phone number, and it says, "Diabetic diet only" and "Insulin dependent" on it. I plan to stick it on her harness or her collar, if I decide to make her wear one. I'll probably just opt for the harness and put her rabies tag and her custom tag on both. I did plan to print out a small slip of paper to put on the actual carrier, though, basically with the same information as the custom tag, plus a bit more. I like the idea of keeping digital copies of her records, so I'll definitely take pictures of those and store them both on my phone and in my email, in case something happens with my phone. I'm also going to have her Young Again Zero Mature dry food in a baggie in her carrier pouch and I will label that, too, so people know she has food with her. I plan to give her a little at the connecting airport if there's time and if she will eat (I don't think she will, but a couple of kibbles would be nice), and the vet can give it to her when she lands in Dublin. At first, I was pretty worried about her going off to the vet without me while I was dealing with immigration in the airport, but honestly it's probably for the best. She will be delivered to them while I deal with long lines and paperwork to get myself into the country, and they can give her insulin/feed her/give her water/let her go to the bathroom as needed. I'll only be an hour, two tops without her, then we'll go on the 3 hour car ride to our new home and be done with this whole deal. I can't wait! Thanks again for your suggestions and feel free to throw any more that you think of my way.
I will post my next update when something significant happens, but right now, the plan is to continue packing up my place so I can move in with my mom next week. I'm living with her since my lease expires at the end of the month, so Kitsu's going to have to get used to another new house for a month before her flight to her new permanent house. Things are definitely moving quickly! Thanks to everyone who has been helping us along the way so far.
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Just a quick update, as I need to get to sleep. Kitsu's health certificate day was yesterday, so I took her into the vet. It was an hour and a half visit, mainly waiting on the vet to complete paperwork and fax it to the USDA office for approval. Once everything was approved, they said I could run the official copy down to the USDA office and get it endorsed. However, they close at 2:30pm, and my vet appointment was finished up at 1:30pm. The time it would have taken to drive Kitsu home and then go to the USDA office wouldn't have worked, so I had to put that step off until today. Today, I drove the paperwork to the USDA office and had it endorsed. Basically they added an official embossed stamp to every page of it, and signed off on a page or two. When they handed the paperwork back to me, I asked, "So this is it, right? This is all I need?" and the lady told me I would need to check with my airline to make sure that's what was needed, since it was only good for immigration/customs. She mentioned something about maybe getting a smaller health certificate for the airport, although I don't know why that matters. Sigh. I'm PRETTY SURE what I have is all I need, but to be safe, I called Air Canada. They had a hold time of over an hour and I never connected with anyone, so I'll try back tomorrow. It's been a crazy rush to get everything squared away for both Kitsu and me before our flight, which is coming up this weekend. I will try to update again before the flight, but may not have time. Here's to hoping I have everything we need!
Noah & me (GA)
Very Active Member
Not wishing you bad luck but a lot of Air Canada's call centers are in India. When my mom lost her walker that word was not on their list of 100 English words to know. "Mobility device" finally did the trick. That might not be PC but it's really not in tune with today's world.
Once you get to Irish soil and let Kitsu smell some Celtic grass this will all seem like a distant memory. Keep us informed.
Once you get to Irish soil and let Kitsu smell some Celtic grass this will all seem like a distant memory. Keep us informed.
Susan&Felix(GA)
Very Active Member
Looking forward to hearing that it's over, it went well, and you're all contentedly at home in Ireland!
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Hey, everyone! Typing this up from the Emerald Isle. Kitsu and I made it safe and sound with no issues!
So where I last left off, I said I was going to call Air Canada again to make sure I had whatever they needed to let Kitsu board her flight. The first day I called, I got a rep that sounded like he didn't want to be there, and he just said, "They don't really check anything." I knew this was false, so I called back the next morning. The lady had a very hard-to-understand accent. She said I would need an identification tag with some information on it, but I couldn't really make out everything she said other than departure address, phone number, etc. and arrival address, phone number, etc. She said it would need to be attached to the carrier. I think she thought my pet would be flying in cargo, even though I said cabin. I went ahead and made/printed a label for it, anyway. I called back the next day just to make sure everything was squared away one final time. The guy I got said all I needed was the EU health certificate. So basically all 3 reps told me something different. I just figured with my EU health certificate and my label, I should be good.
Onward to the journey! Long story, but want to include detail for anyone who reads this in the future and has questions about how it all worked out.
So the day of my flight, I got up and started getting things ready. My vet told me to give her a half-dose of insulin if she would eat. If no eating, then skip the insulin. I got her to eat, so I gave her the half dose. She had 2 hours to continue eating a bit before we hit the road, which she did eat a tiny bit more. I gave her some treats with Rescue Remedy for Pets on them. We had a 2 hour drive to the airport, then about a 30-minute check-in process with Air Canada. The rep I got had never checked a pet in before, so she got her supervisor. Between the two of them, they were the hardest part of the trip with their incessant questioning of things that were mentioned in the paperwork they asked for (that I gave them). First, they assumed she was a dog, I'm unsure why. Then they asked why I didn't have a pet passport and I had to explain that the EU health certificate acts as a pet passport. Then they said the rabies vaccine shouldn't have been done the same day as the microchip install - this is only true if the rabies vacc is done BEFORE the chip install, but Kitsu's was done after the chip install, which is correct. I had to explain this to them. They argued with me on it for a bit, until they finally checked into it and realized they were wrong. They also thought the health certificate was done back on June 28th, which is when her chip/rabies vaccine were done, so I had to explain the health cert was done on August 6th and was still valid. Then they said I owed $100 for the pet in-cabin fee, which I told them I already paid by phone when I booked her into the flight. They said they didn't see that I paid it, so I had to show them my receipt (good thing I printed everything). Finally, after a few more stupid questions, they printed my boarding passes and I was able to go through security.
Security was easy-peasy. I read on TSA's website that you need to declare things like syringes and insulin to the agents before screening, so I did. They said it didn't really matter, so I left them in my bag. They had me remove Kitsu from her carrier and I walked past (not into) the body scanner. When my bag and her carrier passed through, the agent took them off the belt and inspected them. She said she knew that I had the medical supplies, but they still had to screen it, which is fine. After a thorough search of both the carrier and my backpack, they had me put Kitsu back in her carrier, then they swabbed my hands. I came back negative on whatever they were testing (Explosives? Not sure), and was able to continue on to the gate. At the gate, I gave Kitsu some more Rescue Remedy by rubbing it into her ears, since she wouldn't eat or drink. We got on our flight and I was lucky enough that several people didn't show up, so I got my own row to myself, which I used to store my bag and her carrier under the seat. She only meowed a few times through the 2.5 hour flight. She did try scratching through the carrier a few times, but her nails were trimmed, so she didn't succeed. We landed in Toronto and got off the plane to head to our next gate.
Toronto was... kind of a nightmare to navigate. They dropped us off on the tarmac, which isn't the first time I've deplaned on one, but I was hoping to avoid it with Kitsu because of loud noises. I quickly hurried inside the airport and the walk was long and tedious to the next gate. With her 15 pound carrier (her + carrier weight) in my arms and my 30-pound backpack, I was dripping sweat when I got to customs and immigration. I dipped off into the nearest bathroom to get Kitsu cleaned up (she had only peed, thankfully) and to clean myself up a bit, too. She got many compliments and strange looks from the women entering and leaving the bathroom as I had her on the baby changing station (which I thoroughly sanitized after I was done with it), giving her a baby-wipe bath. I cleaned out her carrier with the wipes and put new puppy pads down for her. Off we went to customs and immigration, which was... fun. They have these kiosks that you check in at. The crowds are enormous, even after 9:00pm. People were shouting and pushing into each other to get to the kiosks. As soon as I got in line for a kiosk, they all suddenly went down. Mass panic ensued as people didn't know what to do. The airport staff was trying to herd us all into a line to get to the customs and immigration agents, but people were yelling about this or that. I felt so sorry for Kitsu having to endure what probably felt like another planet to her. We finally made it through that and it was another long walk to security.
I was hoping to avoid going through security again, but that wasn't going to happen. Fortunately, Canada's security is a hell of a lot more relaxed, so I was able to keep my shoes on and didn't have to take liquids out of my bag. I took Kitsu out again and we walked through a metal detector. They didn't search my bags, they just did the hand-swab again and I tested negative, so we were free to go. I took Kitsu into a family restroom for some privacy. I took her out of the carrier and let her walk around in the clean area for a bit. I put her on the baby changing station and offered her some food and water. She didn't want either, there was too much noise outside the bathroom. I tried for a bit longer, but ended up giving up, as we needed to get to our gate. Once I got us to the gate, I took her into another family restroom nearby and she did eat a few treats and drank a small bit of water. I tested her BG and she was over 400, the first time in a LONG time, but it was to be expected with the traveling. I gave her some more Rescue Remedy, this time on the nose so she would lick it off.
We boarded the second flight and I didn't get lucky to have the row to myself again, but I did sit next to a very nice Northern Irish man. We chatted for a bit at the beginning of the flight. His reaction to me moving to Ireland was priceless. I didn't mention to anyone on either flight about my cat, I figured it would just cause a fuss if my seat neighbors were allergic or something. Kitsu did great on the second flight as well. She meowed every so often, but the engines of the plane made it hard for anyone else to notice it unless you were specifically listening for it. She did try to claw the carrier again, but thankfully the nail trim stopped any damage. She was quiet for a large majority of the flight, so I assume she either nodded off, or she just sat in silence. When we landed in Dublin and sat on the tarmac waiting to deplane, she did meow a few times, audible enough for other people to hear, but no one cared since we were getting ready to leave the plane anyway. We finally got off the plane and headed for immigration. This was the part that confused me - in the emails I received from the Irish vet and the Irish Department of Agriculture, I wasn't exactly sure where to meet the courier. I figured I would just speak with immigration and find out. I tried to find a bathroom to dip away into again to check on Kitsu's puppy pads and to see if she needed to be cleaned up, but there were no bathrooms on the way to immigration, so I just had to skip it.
My immigration agent was... unpleasant, to say the least. I've had good immigration agents when I visited the country before, and one other sour one, but this one took the cake. Just a crab, I guess I could say, to put it nicely. He made snark remarks every time I answered his questions. Anyway, after he checked my paperwork and stamped my passport, I asked him where I could take my cat to be picked up by the vet courier. He told me to take her down to customs and they had agents there to accept her. Off I went to customs, which is also where baggage claim is, so I grabbed my bags first. I was going to head for the restroom to check on Kitsu, but because I had scheduled the appointment for 10:45am for the vet courier to pick up Kitsu, and it was already 11:30 after going through immigration/getting my bags, I decided not to delay the process any longer (and there were no bathrooms nearby). I talked to the customs agents about Kitsu and they were very nice. They told me the vet courier was at the other terminal and he would circle back around in about 5 minutes to pick up Kitsu. They had me take a seat and I waited for him to arrive. A lady came over to me and told me that the courier wasn't going to make it over, but she worked directly with him, so she would be taking Kitsu to the vet instead. I handed her my paperwork - the EU health certificate, her rabies vaccination certificate, and her shot records. She was really nice and helpful. She told me she would take Kitsu to the vet and her compliance checks would take about an hour, so I could come pick her up then. Off she went with Kitsu and all of her paperwork.
I went to pick up Kitsu about an hour later and the vet said she was cleared and everything was good to go. The fees for the courier + importing her into the country were 230 euro - not bad because I never did check on how much this was all going to cost. It definitely gets pretty spendy if you add everything together - $137 for the EU health certificate, $38 for the USDA endorsement, $100 for the in-cabin pet fee, $260 (converted from 230 euro) for importing into the country, not to mention the other small stuff (rabies vacc, microchip, carrier, traveling supplies, etc.) But it's all worth it. I knew it wouldn't be a fun experience for her coming here, but I honestly think she will like Ireland, and I can trust myself to take care of her rather than leaving her with a friend/family member who won't give her the care she needs because they don't want to do BG tests or shots.
Anyway, Kitsu and I had another 3 hours of driving before we finally arrived at our new home. She has her own shed that has been nicely fixed up and is honestly something I wouldn't mind living in... haha. She will be allowed outdoors soon, I'm just keeping her in the shed for a few days to let her get adjusted to the new climate, smells, and sounds. But she is doing great. Been a little shy on eating, but that's usually how she is when she goes somewhere new. It takes her a few days to adjust and get back to eating normally again. I'm making sure she gets enough food in the meantime.
There's my story. I can't thank you all enough for the help you've offered me through one of... wait... maybe THE hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I've been to Ireland several times so I knew I what to expect for myself, but ensuring the comfort and wellbeing of another creature, especially with not having experience with flying a pet before, was definitely a challenge. Yes, I defnitely did worry too much on certain things, but on other things, I'm glad I triple-checked and asked the annoying questions that people probably groaned about. Everything went so smoothly, and like I said in the beginning of the story, the hardest part was dealing with Air Canada's check-in agents. But TSA, Canada's security, Canada's customs/immigration, Ireland's customs/immigration, and Ireland's Department of Agriculture/compliance vet were all extremely easy.
I'll submit this post and attach some pictures of Kitsu soon!
So where I last left off, I said I was going to call Air Canada again to make sure I had whatever they needed to let Kitsu board her flight. The first day I called, I got a rep that sounded like he didn't want to be there, and he just said, "They don't really check anything." I knew this was false, so I called back the next morning. The lady had a very hard-to-understand accent. She said I would need an identification tag with some information on it, but I couldn't really make out everything she said other than departure address, phone number, etc. and arrival address, phone number, etc. She said it would need to be attached to the carrier. I think she thought my pet would be flying in cargo, even though I said cabin. I went ahead and made/printed a label for it, anyway. I called back the next day just to make sure everything was squared away one final time. The guy I got said all I needed was the EU health certificate. So basically all 3 reps told me something different. I just figured with my EU health certificate and my label, I should be good.
Onward to the journey! Long story, but want to include detail for anyone who reads this in the future and has questions about how it all worked out.
So the day of my flight, I got up and started getting things ready. My vet told me to give her a half-dose of insulin if she would eat. If no eating, then skip the insulin. I got her to eat, so I gave her the half dose. She had 2 hours to continue eating a bit before we hit the road, which she did eat a tiny bit more. I gave her some treats with Rescue Remedy for Pets on them. We had a 2 hour drive to the airport, then about a 30-minute check-in process with Air Canada. The rep I got had never checked a pet in before, so she got her supervisor. Between the two of them, they were the hardest part of the trip with their incessant questioning of things that were mentioned in the paperwork they asked for (that I gave them). First, they assumed she was a dog, I'm unsure why. Then they asked why I didn't have a pet passport and I had to explain that the EU health certificate acts as a pet passport. Then they said the rabies vaccine shouldn't have been done the same day as the microchip install - this is only true if the rabies vacc is done BEFORE the chip install, but Kitsu's was done after the chip install, which is correct. I had to explain this to them. They argued with me on it for a bit, until they finally checked into it and realized they were wrong. They also thought the health certificate was done back on June 28th, which is when her chip/rabies vaccine were done, so I had to explain the health cert was done on August 6th and was still valid. Then they said I owed $100 for the pet in-cabin fee, which I told them I already paid by phone when I booked her into the flight. They said they didn't see that I paid it, so I had to show them my receipt (good thing I printed everything). Finally, after a few more stupid questions, they printed my boarding passes and I was able to go through security.
Security was easy-peasy. I read on TSA's website that you need to declare things like syringes and insulin to the agents before screening, so I did. They said it didn't really matter, so I left them in my bag. They had me remove Kitsu from her carrier and I walked past (not into) the body scanner. When my bag and her carrier passed through, the agent took them off the belt and inspected them. She said she knew that I had the medical supplies, but they still had to screen it, which is fine. After a thorough search of both the carrier and my backpack, they had me put Kitsu back in her carrier, then they swabbed my hands. I came back negative on whatever they were testing (Explosives? Not sure), and was able to continue on to the gate. At the gate, I gave Kitsu some more Rescue Remedy by rubbing it into her ears, since she wouldn't eat or drink. We got on our flight and I was lucky enough that several people didn't show up, so I got my own row to myself, which I used to store my bag and her carrier under the seat. She only meowed a few times through the 2.5 hour flight. She did try scratching through the carrier a few times, but her nails were trimmed, so she didn't succeed. We landed in Toronto and got off the plane to head to our next gate.
Toronto was... kind of a nightmare to navigate. They dropped us off on the tarmac, which isn't the first time I've deplaned on one, but I was hoping to avoid it with Kitsu because of loud noises. I quickly hurried inside the airport and the walk was long and tedious to the next gate. With her 15 pound carrier (her + carrier weight) in my arms and my 30-pound backpack, I was dripping sweat when I got to customs and immigration. I dipped off into the nearest bathroom to get Kitsu cleaned up (she had only peed, thankfully) and to clean myself up a bit, too. She got many compliments and strange looks from the women entering and leaving the bathroom as I had her on the baby changing station (which I thoroughly sanitized after I was done with it), giving her a baby-wipe bath. I cleaned out her carrier with the wipes and put new puppy pads down for her. Off we went to customs and immigration, which was... fun. They have these kiosks that you check in at. The crowds are enormous, even after 9:00pm. People were shouting and pushing into each other to get to the kiosks. As soon as I got in line for a kiosk, they all suddenly went down. Mass panic ensued as people didn't know what to do. The airport staff was trying to herd us all into a line to get to the customs and immigration agents, but people were yelling about this or that. I felt so sorry for Kitsu having to endure what probably felt like another planet to her. We finally made it through that and it was another long walk to security.
I was hoping to avoid going through security again, but that wasn't going to happen. Fortunately, Canada's security is a hell of a lot more relaxed, so I was able to keep my shoes on and didn't have to take liquids out of my bag. I took Kitsu out again and we walked through a metal detector. They didn't search my bags, they just did the hand-swab again and I tested negative, so we were free to go. I took Kitsu into a family restroom for some privacy. I took her out of the carrier and let her walk around in the clean area for a bit. I put her on the baby changing station and offered her some food and water. She didn't want either, there was too much noise outside the bathroom. I tried for a bit longer, but ended up giving up, as we needed to get to our gate. Once I got us to the gate, I took her into another family restroom nearby and she did eat a few treats and drank a small bit of water. I tested her BG and she was over 400, the first time in a LONG time, but it was to be expected with the traveling. I gave her some more Rescue Remedy, this time on the nose so she would lick it off.
We boarded the second flight and I didn't get lucky to have the row to myself again, but I did sit next to a very nice Northern Irish man. We chatted for a bit at the beginning of the flight. His reaction to me moving to Ireland was priceless. I didn't mention to anyone on either flight about my cat, I figured it would just cause a fuss if my seat neighbors were allergic or something. Kitsu did great on the second flight as well. She meowed every so often, but the engines of the plane made it hard for anyone else to notice it unless you were specifically listening for it. She did try to claw the carrier again, but thankfully the nail trim stopped any damage. She was quiet for a large majority of the flight, so I assume she either nodded off, or she just sat in silence. When we landed in Dublin and sat on the tarmac waiting to deplane, she did meow a few times, audible enough for other people to hear, but no one cared since we were getting ready to leave the plane anyway. We finally got off the plane and headed for immigration. This was the part that confused me - in the emails I received from the Irish vet and the Irish Department of Agriculture, I wasn't exactly sure where to meet the courier. I figured I would just speak with immigration and find out. I tried to find a bathroom to dip away into again to check on Kitsu's puppy pads and to see if she needed to be cleaned up, but there were no bathrooms on the way to immigration, so I just had to skip it.
My immigration agent was... unpleasant, to say the least. I've had good immigration agents when I visited the country before, and one other sour one, but this one took the cake. Just a crab, I guess I could say, to put it nicely. He made snark remarks every time I answered his questions. Anyway, after he checked my paperwork and stamped my passport, I asked him where I could take my cat to be picked up by the vet courier. He told me to take her down to customs and they had agents there to accept her. Off I went to customs, which is also where baggage claim is, so I grabbed my bags first. I was going to head for the restroom to check on Kitsu, but because I had scheduled the appointment for 10:45am for the vet courier to pick up Kitsu, and it was already 11:30 after going through immigration/getting my bags, I decided not to delay the process any longer (and there were no bathrooms nearby). I talked to the customs agents about Kitsu and they were very nice. They told me the vet courier was at the other terminal and he would circle back around in about 5 minutes to pick up Kitsu. They had me take a seat and I waited for him to arrive. A lady came over to me and told me that the courier wasn't going to make it over, but she worked directly with him, so she would be taking Kitsu to the vet instead. I handed her my paperwork - the EU health certificate, her rabies vaccination certificate, and her shot records. She was really nice and helpful. She told me she would take Kitsu to the vet and her compliance checks would take about an hour, so I could come pick her up then. Off she went with Kitsu and all of her paperwork.
I went to pick up Kitsu about an hour later and the vet said she was cleared and everything was good to go. The fees for the courier + importing her into the country were 230 euro - not bad because I never did check on how much this was all going to cost. It definitely gets pretty spendy if you add everything together - $137 for the EU health certificate, $38 for the USDA endorsement, $100 for the in-cabin pet fee, $260 (converted from 230 euro) for importing into the country, not to mention the other small stuff (rabies vacc, microchip, carrier, traveling supplies, etc.) But it's all worth it. I knew it wouldn't be a fun experience for her coming here, but I honestly think she will like Ireland, and I can trust myself to take care of her rather than leaving her with a friend/family member who won't give her the care she needs because they don't want to do BG tests or shots.
Anyway, Kitsu and I had another 3 hours of driving before we finally arrived at our new home. She has her own shed that has been nicely fixed up and is honestly something I wouldn't mind living in... haha. She will be allowed outdoors soon, I'm just keeping her in the shed for a few days to let her get adjusted to the new climate, smells, and sounds. But she is doing great. Been a little shy on eating, but that's usually how she is when she goes somewhere new. It takes her a few days to adjust and get back to eating normally again. I'm making sure she gets enough food in the meantime.
There's my story. I can't thank you all enough for the help you've offered me through one of... wait... maybe THE hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I've been to Ireland several times so I knew I what to expect for myself, but ensuring the comfort and wellbeing of another creature, especially with not having experience with flying a pet before, was definitely a challenge. Yes, I defnitely did worry too much on certain things, but on other things, I'm glad I triple-checked and asked the annoying questions that people probably groaned about. Everything went so smoothly, and like I said in the beginning of the story, the hardest part was dealing with Air Canada's check-in agents. But TSA, Canada's security, Canada's customs/immigration, Ireland's customs/immigration, and Ireland's Department of Agriculture/compliance vet were all extremely easy.
I'll submit this post and attach some pictures of Kitsu soon!
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
"Why a leash? Do I look like a dog to you?" - Taken before boarding first flight.
"Are we there yet?" - Taken before boarding second flight.
Kitsu's new shed!
"Welcome to my new pad!"
"Finally, the long journey is over! My new permanent home."
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Noah & me (GA)
Very Active Member
Yay for Kitsu! Did everything I told you about Air Canada agents seem like an exaggeration? I'm Canadian so there's no built in bias, it's just been that way forever. They are the definition of miserable. Toronto airport is fun isn't it? The signage is terrible, you never really know what level you're on and the security is (thankfully?) a joke. I've never been scanned in Canada, just groped.
I know that had to be hard especially with all the driving and waiting between flights. Now you'll never have to fly AC again. I hope you and Kitsu have a wonderful new life. You don't have to thank us, it was a pleasure and we hope you stay in touch. This is everything the internet should be; more compassion, less Kardashian.
Oh yeah, God save the Queen! (and those stupid Corgis, nasty little dogs). Oh wait, you're in Ireland, not the other Ireland. God save Kitsu, all hail Kitsu!
I know that had to be hard especially with all the driving and waiting between flights. Now you'll never have to fly AC again. I hope you and Kitsu have a wonderful new life. You don't have to thank us, it was a pleasure and we hope you stay in touch. This is everything the internet should be; more compassion, less Kardashian.
Oh yeah, God save the Queen! (and those stupid Corgis, nasty little dogs). Oh wait, you're in Ireland, not the other Ireland. God save Kitsu, all hail Kitsu!
Anne Biddle
Active Member
Congratulations on your new home. So glad it all went smoothly for you. They travel far better than we think they will. Lol
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Yay for Kitsu! Did everything I told you about Air Canada agents seem like an exaggeration? I'm Canadian so there's no built in bias, it's just been that way forever. They are the definition of miserable. Toronto airport is fun isn't it? The signage is terrible, you never really know what level you're on and the security is (thankfully?) a joke. I've never been scanned in Canada, just groped.
I know that had to be hard especially with all the driving and waiting between flights. Now you'll never have to fly AC again. I hope you and Kitsu have a wonderful new life. You don't have to thank us, it was a pleasure and we hope you stay in touch. This is everything the internet should be; more compassion, less Kardashian.
Oh yeah, God save the Queen! (and those stupid Corgis, nasty little dogs). Oh wait, you're in Ireland, not the other Ireland. God save Kitsu, all hail Kitsu!
No exaggeration on the AC agents, they were pretty incompetent at times, haha. I can't complain too much since I actually made it here. Toronto's airport was very strange. I've been to several airports, I think Chicago O'Hare is still my least favorite, but Toronto was pretty bad. Like you said, the signage is terrible, I had to ask for help because I had no idea where I was or where I was supposed to go. I followed all the signs that lead to "Connections" and then I ended up in some weird baggage claim room with a guy just sitting there. I showed him my boarding pass and asked where to go and he said, "out the door and 2 levels up" And just like you said, the levels are confusing because they aren't signed well, so I had to ask for help again once I got out of that room. Thankfully I was not groped, had that done plenty on my last trip, haha. Maybe they took pity on me because I had a cat in my arms.
It definitely was difficult with all the driving between airports and waiting for flights. I think it was a total of about 22 hours from the time we left my old home and the time we got to the new home. The longest trip she's ever been on without a break is 1 hour, so I imagine she felt like she was passing through so many unknown portals of hell or something. I'm just glad she made it without any injuries. She really likes her new shed and I just got done applying some Advantage Multi on her, so she will be able to go outside once it dries and once it stops raining, which should be in about an hour or two.
Haha, yes, I'm in the Republic, not the UK, so no Queen here! ... But I do have to pass through Northern Ireland enough to carry the Queen's currency every so often, so... it's not totally avoidable.
Thank you, Anne! You're right, she did excellent on her travels, I couldn't be more proud of her!
Idjit's mom
Very Active Member
What a story! Thank you so much for sharing. I am very glad the grand travel is over for you and Kitsu. I hope both of you will be very happy there and, yes, please do keep in touch. Just because you moved, doesn't mean you aren't still part of the family/community. Will there be any issues getting the insulin, test strips, proper food? Again, I am so happy you both arrived safely.
Dyana
Very Active Member
I just finished reading your entire story. I'm know you are so glad that is over with.
I always used the Large Sherpa carrier that you had previously on flights and never had a problem as they fold down to fit under the seat ahead of you. And even though I always had the Health Certificates with me, not once did they ever ask to check them. I had my hands swiped about half the time on flights with my cat, and I never did understand what they were testing for.
I'm taking my two cats on a 6+ hour car ride tomorrow morning and will be returning with them back again on Sunday, and I will be using their hard carriers (because it's a car and safer) and Rescue Remedy. We go on this trip once a year. They will have snug fitting harnesses on while in the car. They do their soft meows for about the first 2 to 3 hours, and then are pretty quiet. Once we are driving home, they always seem to know and sleep the whole way home.
Is Kitsu's shed connected to the house. I was just wondering why she is not staying in the house with you.
I wish The Best to you and Kitsu, and hope you will continue to post here, and send pictures
I always used the Large Sherpa carrier that you had previously on flights and never had a problem as they fold down to fit under the seat ahead of you. And even though I always had the Health Certificates with me, not once did they ever ask to check them. I had my hands swiped about half the time on flights with my cat, and I never did understand what they were testing for.
I'm taking my two cats on a 6+ hour car ride tomorrow morning and will be returning with them back again on Sunday, and I will be using their hard carriers (because it's a car and safer) and Rescue Remedy. We go on this trip once a year. They will have snug fitting harnesses on while in the car. They do their soft meows for about the first 2 to 3 hours, and then are pretty quiet. Once we are driving home, they always seem to know and sleep the whole way home.
Is Kitsu's shed connected to the house. I was just wondering why she is not staying in the house with you.
I wish The Best to you and Kitsu, and hope you will continue to post here, and send pictures
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Lou, I brought my ReliOn Prime meter with 120 test strips to hold me over until I can get a new meter and test strips here. Insulin should be no bother, I'd actually like to talk to a vet here about switching her to ProZinc or Lantus, since I'm not happy with Vetsulin, but I have enough Vetsulin and syringes to get me through the next month while I get settled in. As for food, she loves Young Again Zero Mature, which does not ship to Ireland, and it would cost way too much to order it in the States and have a family member/friend ship it to me, so I brought an 8 pound bag of it over (~3 month supply) and will try to transition her to a new food during that time. I had already ordered some foods from Zooplus to be delievered before my arrival, so she's gotten to try one of the new foods already. Not a fan yet, of course. Picky cat! But I'm working on it.
Dyana, yeah, the differences can be funny when flying with a cat. Who knows when or if they will check your paperwork. I could have probably used the large Sherpa, but just wanted to be safe. Of course, no one really checked the carrier dimensions, so it would have been fine. That car ride does not sound fun, but it's good that you are prepared and know what to expect with it. Also good that they sleep on the way home! As for Kitsu's shed, no, it's not connected to the house. I would have her in the house with me, but my SO (who I moved in with) does not enjoy the company of animals as much as I do, so she has to stay outside/in the shed. She's probably happier this way, anyway, as this is the way she grew up - she used to live in a garage and come and go as she pleased. The same will be with the shed here, although I'll need to lure her in for BG tests/shots every so often, haha.
Thanks to both of you for the well wishes!
Dyana, yeah, the differences can be funny when flying with a cat. Who knows when or if they will check your paperwork. I could have probably used the large Sherpa, but just wanted to be safe. Of course, no one really checked the carrier dimensions, so it would have been fine. That car ride does not sound fun, but it's good that you are prepared and know what to expect with it. Also good that they sleep on the way home! As for Kitsu's shed, no, it's not connected to the house. I would have her in the house with me, but my SO (who I moved in with) does not enjoy the company of animals as much as I do, so she has to stay outside/in the shed. She's probably happier this way, anyway, as this is the way she grew up - she used to live in a garage and come and go as she pleased. The same will be with the shed here, although I'll need to lure her in for BG tests/shots every so often, haha.
Thanks to both of you for the well wishes!
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
I think it's safe to say that she likes it outside. She got to go out twice so far today, might take her out another time before dark. Trying to slowly acclimate her to it, since it's a way different environment than she is used to. She will be allowed to go outside whenever she wants next week.
She got to go out twice so far today, might take her out another time before dark. Trying to slowly acclimate her to it, since it's a way different environment than she is used to. She will be allowed to go outside whenever she wants next week.
Noah & me (GA)
Very Active Member
Watch out for these guys.
See what happens when you learn about other cultures from a box of cereal. Lucky Charms my butt!
Can I ask what made you make such a big move? What a lot of people don't think about is how close you are to so many other cultures and countries. Italy, Spain, Portugal are now almost short-hop flights. My wife is Scottish/Irish and although she's never been back it's in her blood. My mother in law packed parachutes for Lancaster bomber crews. What we think of as being a long time ago was yesterday for some people.
I envy you making such a big leap. Too many people I went to high school with just stayed where they were, had six kids and drive a 12 year old minivan.
This is my mom coming to Canada in 1954 on (what else) a boat. My sister is my only sibling born in Holland, also know as "the old country".
Can I ask what made you make such a big move? What a lot of people don't think about is how close you are to so many other cultures and countries. Italy, Spain, Portugal are now almost short-hop flights. My wife is Scottish/Irish and although she's never been back it's in her blood. My mother in law packed parachutes for Lancaster bomber crews. What we think of as being a long time ago was yesterday for some people.
I envy you making such a big leap. Too many people I went to high school with just stayed where they were, had six kids and drive a 12 year old minivan.
This is my mom coming to Canada in 1954 on (what else) a boat. My sister is my only sibling born in Holland, also know as "the old country".
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Haha, I love Lucky Charms! They are unfortunately imported here, and the marshmallows are not as soft as they are in the States, so they aren't as enjoyable. I made the move to Ireland for several reasons, but the main one being to end the long-distance with my SO, who I've been with for nearly 6 years now. We visited each other once or twice a year, but we're sick of the distance. Second reason is that I'm going back to school for a bachelor's degree (currently have a 2-year associate's degree), and third reason is like you said, it's a skip away to get to mainland Europe, and I want to travel and explore! Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, and so many other places are on my list to visit eventually. So it was a lot of reasons that brought me here. I do plan to move back to the States eventually, just not sure when. Will be a while from now, at least.
That is a great picture you have of your mom coming over on the boat, it's crazy to think how much advancement has happened in the travel perspective. I never would have dreamed that I'd be taking Kitsu out of the country, and I'm very fortunate that a plane (well, two) was able to do the job for us. Technology has come a long way and made impossible things possible. And I know it will continue doing so in the future. Teleporters will be a thing, I tell you! Haha. Anyway, yeah, like you said, there is a lot of rich history all over the world, and coming from a 'young' country to an 'older' country is definitely something special. It's funny because my ancestors from my grandma's side (dad's side) of the family came from the same county in Ireland that I'm living in now. It's like we've come full circle or something. So you said your wife is Scottish/Irish and has never been back... not even for a visit? Have you been on a visit? If neither of you have, I highly suggest you take a trip if you're able to. I haven't been to Scotland yet, but I hear it's great, and I've been around bits of Ireland to recommend it to anyone who likes temperate climate and beautiful scenery.
That is a great picture you have of your mom coming over on the boat, it's crazy to think how much advancement has happened in the travel perspective. I never would have dreamed that I'd be taking Kitsu out of the country, and I'm very fortunate that a plane (well, two) was able to do the job for us. Technology has come a long way and made impossible things possible. And I know it will continue doing so in the future. Teleporters will be a thing, I tell you! Haha. Anyway, yeah, like you said, there is a lot of rich history all over the world, and coming from a 'young' country to an 'older' country is definitely something special. It's funny because my ancestors from my grandma's side (dad's side) of the family came from the same county in Ireland that I'm living in now. It's like we've come full circle or something. So you said your wife is Scottish/Irish and has never been back... not even for a visit? Have you been on a visit? If neither of you have, I highly suggest you take a trip if you're able to. I haven't been to Scotland yet, but I hear it's great, and I've been around bits of Ireland to recommend it to anyone who likes temperate climate and beautiful scenery.
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Noah & me (GA)
Very Active Member
Marshmallows here are made with gelatin (meat glue, yummy) and my wife is a vegetarian. I'm 90% of the way there, no Haggis here. Or Rice Krispie squares or a thousand other thing if you read the contents.
How on Earth did you keep a long distance relationship going for six years especially at that length? A transporter would be ideal but the Holodeck, you'd never get me out of there.
When my parents came here WWII had only been over for 9 years and a lot of Europe was still a mess and of course Stalin breathing down your back had to be unpleasant. Back then immigration could tell you where you would be living for the first bit of time so my parents grasp of English was useless as they were sent to Quebec.
My wife's family is whacked, my sister in law has already dragged my mother in law back to Scotland and Ireland when she was too old to enjoy it. She's a pompous ass because she thinks she will be the one going back to spread MIL's ashes when the day comes. And of course she won't be paying a nickel. If she knew what we did with her Dad's ashes she'd drop dead. He wanted them spread across the finish line at the Kentucky Derby so we snuck into the funeral home a day early and scooped some out for ourselves
I'd love to go to Ireland and Scotland. I've read couples who have only been together a short time are not permitted to get married in Scotland because it might be the scenery and culture that's swaying their decision. If I had to toss the caber I'd be staying an extra month in traction.
This is just another lame excuse to post a photo but we have another Irish connection. We have her family tree dating back five generations.
No sheep, only cats. Could have been Kitsu's best friend.
How on Earth did you keep a long distance relationship going for six years especially at that length? A transporter would be ideal but the Holodeck, you'd never get me out of there.
When my parents came here WWII had only been over for 9 years and a lot of Europe was still a mess and of course Stalin breathing down your back had to be unpleasant. Back then immigration could tell you where you would be living for the first bit of time so my parents grasp of English was useless as they were sent to Quebec.
My wife's family is whacked, my sister in law has already dragged my mother in law back to Scotland and Ireland when she was too old to enjoy it. She's a pompous ass because she thinks she will be the one going back to spread MIL's ashes when the day comes. And of course she won't be paying a nickel. If she knew what we did with her Dad's ashes she'd drop dead. He wanted them spread across the finish line at the Kentucky Derby so we snuck into the funeral home a day early and scooped some out for ourselves
I'd love to go to Ireland and Scotland. I've read couples who have only been together a short time are not permitted to get married in Scotland because it might be the scenery and culture that's swaying their decision. If I had to toss the caber I'd be staying an extra month in traction.
This is just another lame excuse to post a photo but we have another Irish connection. We have her family tree dating back five generations.
No sheep, only cats. Could have been Kitsu's best friend.
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Skype was our main bread and butter, but yeah, keeping a long distance relationship going that long was not easy. I couldn't wait another year, it was too difficult to think about. Each trip to see each other was made harder each time by saying goodbye at the airport. So I finally moved. That's really interesting how your parents have so much history going back to WWII and immigrating to Canada. Sounds like your sister in law is pretty unpleasant, but I'm glad you got to take your father in law's ashes to the Kentucky Derby finish line like he wanted. I didn't know that about Scotland and not being able to marry during a short time because of the scenery and culture, that is hilarious and probably for the best. I love those pictures, thanks for sharing! Kitsu is definitely making friends with the sheep, crows, magpies, and rabbits, haha.
Sorry for such a late response, things have been very busy since I got here. And since the purpose of this thread has been fulfilled, I guess I should probably stop posting here, too. If anyone has questions about flying with a cat or doing any of the required paperwork and such, just PM me and I'll try to help when I can! Aside from that, Dickson, and everyone else who has been helping me - thank you so much!
Sorry for such a late response, things have been very busy since I got here. And since the purpose of this thread has been fulfilled, I guess I should probably stop posting here, too. If anyone has questions about flying with a cat or doing any of the required paperwork and such, just PM me and I'll try to help when I can! Aside from that, Dickson, and everyone else who has been helping me - thank you so much!
Idjit's mom
Very Active Member
Please don't stop posting altogether, perhaps create a thread in Community and Off Topic? We still want to know how you and Kitsu are doing. We have all been companions of the heart on this journey and this part has just begun. I think it's great that Kitsu is getting to know the locals, I hope she is happy and well, same goes for you!
Noah & me (GA)
Very Active Member
Oh you're not done with us yet. Especially after all we've done for you! 
Kitsu is still diabetic so you're stuck with us, forever. We need more photos, stories about life, what Irish vets are like. I don't currently have a portrait of the Queen so I'll need a large one, framed of course.
I'm not sure about that marriage thing, might just be an urban myth but it sure is a nice one isn't it. Now if it was Finland or Zimbabwe I'd know it couldn't be true.
Kitsu is still diabetic so you're stuck with us, forever. We need more photos, stories about life, what Irish vets are like. I don't currently have a portrait of the Queen so I'll need a large one, framed of course.
I'm not sure about that marriage thing, might just be an urban myth but it sure is a nice one isn't it. Now if it was Finland or Zimbabwe I'd know it couldn't be true.
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
Oh no, I don't mean stop posting all together, sorry! I meant on this thread only, haha. Thanks Lou and Dickson. Sorry for another late reply, just getting things sorted still. I'll make a new thread in the off topic forum soon. I love those kitty stamps! Maybe if I stick about 50 or 100 of them on the portrait of the Queen, it will get to Canada?
Sorry for another late reply, just getting things sorted still. I'll make a new thread in the off topic forum soon. I love those kitty stamps! Maybe if I stick about 50 or 100 of them on the portrait of the Queen, it will get to Canada?
Noah & me (GA)
Very Active Member
I know it's not Irish but you'll need more stamps for this. Look at the pecks and quads on that guy!
Don't burst a vein Angus, it's just a game.
Don't burst a vein Angus, it's just a game.
Jenna & Kitsu (GA)
Member
That looks... uhm, painful? 
New thread up! http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/kitsus-new-life-in-ireland.201872/
So far just pictures, but will be posting more about experience with the vet, my new glucometer, and other stuff like that another time.
New thread up! http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/kitsus-new-life-in-ireland.201872/
So far just pictures, but will be posting more about experience with the vet, my new glucometer, and other stuff like that another time.
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