Good idea to take our 2 yr old cat over

[Ettiene]

Hi all,

We were wondering if it is a good idea to take our 2yr old male cat over to NZ . We have had all the necessary paperwork and shots done for the last 4 months, then we heard of a lady who emigrated with her 3 cats, which upon their return from quarantine were very different in character. So I have been thinking about this process extensively....

first a 4 hr trip to the airport, stuck in a cage ;
then a 24 hr trip to NZ, stuck in a box ;
then a 4 month long stay in a slightly bigger cage, but still a cage, at quarantine .

Now there is one thing you have to know about our boy and his temperament, he is a real wild one  who loves his space and is not too comfortable with strangers at first. Our previous cats we took in the car all over with no hassles whatsoever, but with him its a completely different story. He HATES a cage .

However i am sure that there are/have been similar tempered cats which were fine and survived, unchanged. But i don't like to go on probabilities, and i really want to be sure that we are making the best decision. We have some friends who are willing to adopt him if we decide not to take him so both options are available. Money is not a problem and the necessary law requirement are done.

So, really what i am asking are some honest replies from people who has been in a similar/same situation whom can shed some light on this topic to help us make an informed decision .

[Tui]

Hiya Ettiene! This is a tough call! As you mentioned he HATES cages and strangers....I would think twice about this massive move for him. Maybe the 'mental stress' will be too overwelming for him - I would personally chat to my vet regarding this. I do know of someone in Perth who did the same with a very nervous cat who hated cages - after just 2 weeks in Perth after all the quarantine time/costs.....she ran away....I must be honest - I do think dogs can cope better with this transgression, cats do need their space. Oh boy.....this must be worrying you, please do some 'research' before you make up your mind, this is so sad, as we all love our pets so much... Our dog did Cape Town - JHB Keringa quarantine (6 months) to Perth - one month quarantine there -  and then 21 months later -  to Auckland and another flight to Tauranga.....I will never put him through that again - but because he is part of the family - it had to be done. But dogs do cope better I think PERSONALLY!

As a big animal lover - please ask a animal pro what they think - I wish you all the best!!

x

[SusanJ]

Honestly, I think people who bring their animals and put them through this LONG process are doing it for themselves and don't have the animal's best interests at heart.

I know its hard to leave behind beloved pets - we left behind our darling kitty.  But the thought of having her stuck, by herself in a cage for up to 6 MONTHS or longer, was heart breaking and we felt we would have been very selfish to do so.  We gave her away to a very good friend of ours and we know she is in a good home.

I think it might be different with dogs, especially if there's two of them, as they tend to be more forgiving than cats.  but I would still have had to think long and hard about bringing a dog with - its just too long and too stressful for them!  But we definitely didn't think too long about putting ours through that process - she was an outdoor cat and we couldn't face caging her for that amount of time.  I know in my heart that she would never be the same again.

I do believe the quarantine laws are changing this year (in about April?) so it will end up being a MUCH shorter process (something like 10 days?) so if you're dead keen to bring your pet, perhaps wait until then?

good luck - its a tough decision!

Cheers
Susan

[SA3001]

As per SusanJ, I think cats are a much more difficult call.  They are all so different and have such individual personalities.  As your cat is still young, she should adapt easily to a new family, so if was me, I would not bring him.  Our cat was very old, so an easy call for us - in her best interests she was put down.  Also, just something else to consider when bringing pets - you have so much to sort out for yourselves when you first arrive and having pets can just add to the stress.  For us, I am glad we have no pets as we would not be able to do all the exploring we are doing at present.  They can really tie you down.  We would love to have pets again, but have decided that we will not go this route until at least 2 years time.  Wouldn't be fair on the pets.  These are just my opinions of course and not meant to offend anyone who decided differently 

[dievissers]

And with all the initial stresses of the big move, you do struggle to find "pet friendly" rentals in a lot of areas. 

[Tui]

And with all the initial stresses of the big move, you do struggle to find "pet friendly" rentals in a lot of areas.

Although I do find that agencies are more OK with cats.... So cat owners will not have to go through as much stress
as us dog owners.......should have stuck with budgies and goldfish......

x

[Gypsymom]

Oh dear, this is such a hard decision to make when a cat is involved.  I have also heard that the MAF is meeting in February and that the quarantinem period could be much shorter.  But then again, cats are different to dogs.
Regarding dogs, I don't think people who take their dogs are doing it for selfish reasons.  I am taking my 2 dogs with me, one is 9 and the other is 10.  Crazy?  Maybe, but it is either that or doggy heaven  and they are not ready for that.  I do not have family here who I KNOW would give them a good home. I will visit them in kennels, and once it is over they will soon forget about it.
Back to cats...they do like their space, and if you have someone whom you know would give him a loving home, it might be worth considering.  Maybe you should contact the quarantine kennels in NZ and find out exactly what kind of enclosure he would be in there, and how other cats have coped.
Would I bring a cat?  Probably, but then that's just me.

[Savayla]

Cats are different.  Even when you move houses their noses are out of joint .  Our lovely cat ran away because the idiot telkom guy left the door open.  It should have been in our room for 7 days .

A lady I know took her cat overseas, it ran off and got run over. R10 000 later !!!

I would leave it.  Not fair on cats. 

[Hopeful]

We left our cat with my sister-in-law because he wouldn't have survived in quarantine. He's very shy and we we once left him in a cattery for a weekend and he suffered. He spent the whole weekend huddled in the back of the cage and didn't eat. After that I realised that there was no way I could put him through that again. Some cats are fine with it, but you said your cat is also shy, so he will hate it too. My cat is having a royal life where he is now and I get to Skype him too! I know I did the best for him and I don't feel guilty about leaving him behind. I miss him - but I did the right thing.

[Tui]

Oh dear, this is such a hard decision to make when a cat is involved.  I have also heard that the MAF is meeting in February and that the quarantinem period could be much shorter.  But then again, cats are different to dogs.
Regarding dogs, I don't think people who take their dogs are doing it for selfish reasons.  I am taking my 2 dogs with me, one is 9 and the other is 10.  Crazy?  Maybe, but it is either that or doggy heaven  and they are not ready for that.  I do not have family here who I KNOW would give them a good home. I will visit them in kennels, and once it is over they will soon forget about it.
Back to cats...they do like their space, and if you have someone whom you know would give him a loving home, it might be worth considering.  Maybe you should contact the quarantine kennels in NZ and find out exactly what kind of enclosure he would be in there, and how other cats have coped.
Would I bring a cat?  Probably, but then that's just me.

You are not crazy Gypsymom - just a loving Mom! Friends of ours in Perth brought both their OAP dogs with them from Pretoria - both at the time were 13!! Extra care of course - but 1.5  years  later,  they are still thriving and loving their new Ozzie home..... Her explanation.....had them for 13 years, and the thought of them dying in a strangers home or worse - being put down was just NOT an option - I so love people like this! Our darn pets do not know just how good they have got it

x

Like I mentioned before - our pets have no concept of time - so 6 months for them is just a FREAKING long day......

[SA3001]

Cats are different.  Even when you move houses their noses are out of joint .  Our lovely cat ran away because the idiot telkom guy left the door open.  It should have been in our room for 7 days .

A lady I know took her cat overseas, it ran off and got run over. R10 000 later !!!

I would leave it.  Not fair on cats.

Yes, you are so right.  When we moved house in SA, our cat had to be locked in for a week and talk about nose out of joint.  Wouldn't "speak" to me for days    Generally they don't take too kindly to change.