TOKYO — So you ’re about to move to Tokyo and want to bring your cat. Where do you begin?
Japan is a nation of cat suckers Cat cafes are far and wide; 3D pussycats live on billboards; lucky cat charms gesture in storefronts. This is the country that gave rise to Hello Kitty.
But bringing a cat then’s tricky. Like utmost islet nations, Japan is hyperactive- conservative about the spread of rabies.
Fret not, still It’s possible, with enough planning and a well- padded savings regard.
The Washington Post has collected this companion after expansive field exploration. Our process took 13 months to complete, but it’s doable within eight. Then are 28 easy way to import your neko- chan from the United States to Japan.
1. Find an educated,U.S.- grounded warhorse to guide you. rather one who gives you a blend of warning and sanguinity, like our warhorse, who said “ This will be complicated, but we can make it be. ”( If you ’re moving to Japan first without your pet, have a mate and/ or musketeers who can take your pet to movables for you. This step may take longer than eight months.)
2. Fall into a subreddit rabbit hole probing tips from others who navigated the process.
3. Get overwhelmed, also request a quotation from a pet moving service. Admit a quotation for$,400 to move both of your pussycats. Shake your fist at capitalism, and decide to figure it out on your own rather.
4. record your cat for a rabies shot, rabies supporter and rabies antibody titer, which measures whether your cat will produce an vulnerable response against rabies. Check with your warhorse to make sure their lab is on the approved list from the Japanese government. Your cat’s rabies antibody position must be equal to or lesser than0.5 IU/ ml. Look up “ IU/ ml ” on Google.
Japan honors Tama the cat, stationmaster with four paws, at lavish burial
5. Ask your Tokyo casing agent to help you find an apartment that allows faves . This will greatly limit your casing hunt because there are n’t numerous options for nonnatives with faves .
6. still, decide which bone
will travel first( airlines generally allow one cat per passenger), If you have multiple pussycats. The choice becomes easier when it’s between Liddy, a super bite cat, and Penny, who has severe anxiety and reacts to major life changes by peeing and pooping outside of her litterbox, and who constantly poops in your hubby’s bed after you moved to Tokyo without her.( Penny’s note I ca n’t help it.)
7. Pro tip When your cat has a bad bout of anxiety and soils your hubby’s bed seven times in one weekend, order him a funny “ World’s Stylish Cat pater ” item online. It’s not ha ha funny, but it’ll add some frivolity.
8. Make sure your cat has an ISO- biddable registered microchip.
9. stay 180 days for your cat to be cleared for trip to avoid counterblockade upon appearance.
10. manage with your loneliness by fostering pussycats through associations similar as Beast Refuge Kansai, which serves nonnatives staying for their faves or who want to take care of creatures while working suddenly- term in Japan.( Meanwhile, foster two gibs Mimosa and Piña, who are from a waste named after alcoholic drinks and saved from Tokushima, in southern Japan. Take Piña to the warhorse because she has an eye infection. Struggle to give her eye drug, and also find out that Mimosa caught it from Piña. Take both pussycats to the warhorse. Internalize the shame from the warhorse’s disappointed look. Successfully help them overcome their eye infections, and get them espoused into a loving home. also replace your curtains, which the gibs climbed on and tore piecemeal on their way down.)
I live in Tokyo. He lives inD.C. Omicron forced us to marry if we ever wanted to see each other.
11. After your cat is cleared for trip, call your airline to find out their transnational pet trip policy.
12. After a 30- nanosecond hold with United Airlines on an transnational call, find out that you need to call Corpus because it’s an Corpus- operated United flight.
13. After another 30- nanosecond hold with Corpus, add your cat to your reservation, and find out that faves traveling internationally must fly in the weight hold.
14. Search Google for safety pitfalls of transnational weight trip for aged pussycats. Have a minor fear attack upon chancing out that Penny, 12, has a nonzero chance of dying.
15. frenetically buy particulars online to help your cat feel as comfortable as possible, including but not limited to calming spray, calming collar, pee pad, water dispenser and an Corpus- approved jalopy.
16. Japan requires a announcement to the Beast Quarantine Service at least 40 days before appearance, with attestation of the highflying nimble’s rabies antibodies. cargo the online gate, but find out it’s not working. regard at the fax number on the website, and compactly consider it. rather, ask your Japanese- speaking coworker to call Narita International Airport to ask for an dispatch address for their Beast Quarantine Service. Telegraph them.
17. Admit a response from the Beast Quarantine Service agent notifying you that you made multiple crimes on your form, including writing “ weight ” to indicate your cat will be in the weight area. You were supposed to write “ hand luggage. ” Do n’t ask why, just modify the form and resend it.
18. Take your cat to the warhorse for the International Health Certificate, which must be issued within 10 days of departure. Due to a detention at theU.S. Agriculture Department, record your appointment as close to the 10- day mark as possible.
19. Buy a UPS overnight form to increase the chances of USDA posting it to you on time.
20. Take your cat to herpre-departure check for intestinal spongers within four days of departure. Ask the warhorse for anxiety drug.
21. Test the anxiety drug before trip to make sure she responds well.
22. It’s departure day. Arrive at the field an redundant hour before to check in your cat. Ignore the smell when you realize she peed in her jalopy because she’s anxious.( Penny’s note Again, I ca n’t help it.)
23. Show your cat how to use the water dispenser inside her jalopy by putting her nose on the dispenser and saying “ Look, this is how hamsters drinkwater.However, you can do it, too, If they can do it. It’s there if you get thirsty. ”
24. Take your cat to the Transportation Security Administration check for weight particulars. Feel helpless watching the agent zip- tie a green net around the jalopy. Wish her the stylish on her first trans-Pacific trip.
25. Pick up your cat at Narita Airport’s beast volley office at baggage claim. Hold her close during the import examination.
26. Take your cat home in her first Japanese hack lift. Realize she pooped on your white carpet as soon as she left her jalopy because she’s anxious.
27. Clean it up and gentle her. At last She’s home.