But bringing a cat here is challenging. Like the majority of island countries, Japan is hyper-cautious about the spread of rabies.
Fret not, nevertheless: It is possible, with adequate preparation and a well-padded cost savings account.
The Washington Post has actually assembled this guide after comprehensive field research study. Our procedure took 13 months to finish, however it is possible within 8. Here are 28 simple actions to import your neko-chan from the United States to Japan.
1. Find a skilled, U.S.-based veterinarian to guide you. Preferably one who provides you a mix of forewarning and optimism, like our veterinarian, who said: “This will be complicated, but we can make it happen.” (If you’re relocating to Japan initially without your family pet, have a partner and/or buddies who can take your family pet to visits for you. This action might take longer than 8 months.)
2. Fall into a subreddit bunny hole investigating suggestions from others who browsed the process.
3. Get overwhelmed, then demand a quote from an animal moving service. Receive a quote for $5,400 to move both of your cats. Shake your fist at commercialism, and choose to figure it out by yourself rather.
4. Schedule your cat for a rabies shot, rabies booster and rabies antibody titer, which determines whether your cat will produce an immune reaction versus rabies. Check with your veterinarian to ensure their laboratory is on the authorized list from the Japanese federal government. Your cat’s rabies antibody level should amount to or higher than 0.5 IU/ml. Look up “IU/ml” on Google.
5. Ask your Tokyo real estate representative to help you discover a house that permits family pets. This will considerably restrict your real estate search due to the fact that there aren’t numerous choices for immigrants with family pets.
6. If you have numerous cats, choose which one will take a trip very first (airline companies typically permit one cat per traveler). The option ends up being simpler when it’s in between Liddy, an extremely chill cat, and Penny, who has extreme stress and anxiety and responds to significant life modifications by peeing and pooping beyond her litterbox, and who consistently poops in your partner’s bed after you relocated to Tokyo without her. (Penny’s note: I can’t help it.)
7. Pro suggestion: When your cat has a bad bout of stress and anxiety and soils your partner’s bed 7 times in one weekend, order him an amusing “World’s Best Cat Dad” product online. It’s not ha-ha amusing, however it will include some levity.
8. Make sure your cat has an ISO-compliant authorized microchip.
9. Wait 180 days for your cat to be cleared for travel to prevent quarantine upon arrival.
10. Cope with your isolation by promoting cats through companies such as Animal Refuge Kansai, which serves immigrants awaiting their family pets or who wish to look after animals while working short-term in Japan. (Meanwhile, foster 2 kittens: Mimosa and Piña, who are from a litter called after alcohols and rescued from Tokushima, in southern Japan. Take Piña to the veterinarian due to the fact that she has an eye infection. Struggle to provide her eye medication, and after that discover that Mimosa captured it from Piña. Take both cats to the veterinarian. Internalize the pity from the veterinarian’s dissatisfied appearance. Successfully help them conquer their eye infections, and get them embraced into a caring home. Then change your drapes, which the kittens got on and tore apart on their method down.)
11. After your cat is cleared for travel, call your airline company to discover their global family pet travel policy.
12. After a 30-minute hold with United Airlines on a worldwide call, discover that you require to call ANA due to the fact that it is an ANA-operated United flight.
13. After another 30-minute hold with ANA, include your cat to your appointment, and discover that family pets taking a trip globally should fly in the freight hold.
14. Search Google for safety dangers of global freight travel for older cats. Have a small anxiety attack upon learning that Penny, 12, has a nonzero possibility of passing away.
15. Frantically purchase products online to help your cat feel as comfy as possible, consisting of however not restricted to: relaxing spray, relaxing collar, pee pad, water dispenser and an ANA-approved dog crate.
16. Japan needs a notification to the Animal Quarantine Service a minimum of 40 days prior to arrival, with paperwork of the highflying feline’s rabies antibodies. Load the online website, however discover it’s not working. Glance at the telephone number on the website, and briefly consider it. Instead, ask your Japanese-speaking coworker to call Narita International Airport to request an email address for their Animal Quarantine Service. Email them.
17. Receive an action from the Animal Quarantine Service representative alerting you that you made numerous mistakes on your form, consisting of writing “cargo” to show your cat will remain in the freight location. You were expected to compose “hand luggage.” Don’t ask why, simply customize the form and resend it.
18. Take your cat to the veterinarian for the International Health Certificate, which should be provided within 10 days of departure. Due to a hold-up at the U.S. Agriculture Department, schedule your appointment as near the 10-day mark as possible.
19. Purchase a UPS over night form to increase the possibilities of USDA mailing it to you on time.
20. Take your cat to her pre-departure look for intestinal tract parasites within 4 days of departure. Ask the veterinarian for stress and anxiety medication.
21. Test the stress and anxiety medication prior to travel to ensure she reacts well.
22. It’s departure day. Arrive at the airport an additional hour earlier to sign in your cat. Ignore the odor when you recognize she peed in her dog crate due to the fact that she’s distressed. (Penny’s note: Again, I can’t help it.)
23. Show your cat how to utilize the water dispenser inside her dog crate by putting her nose on the dispenser and stating: “Look, this is how hamsters drink water. If they can do it, you can do it, too. It’s there if you get thirsty.”
24. Take your cat to the Transportation Security Administration look for freight products. Feel powerless seeing the representative zip-tie a green net around the dog crate. Wish her the very best on her very first trans-Pacific journey.
25. Pick up your cat at Narita Airport’s animal pickup desk at luggage claim. Hold her close throughout the import assessment.
26. Take your cat home in her very first Japanese taxi flight. Realize she pooped on your white carpet as quickly as she left her dog crate due to the fact that she’s distressed. (Penny’s note: I informed you, I can’t help it.)
27. Clean it up and family pet her. At last: She’s home.
(28. If suitable: Repeat this procedure for your 2nd cat. Your turn, Liddy.)
Congratulations, you have actually endured your very first brush with Japanese administration, and it will not be your last.
Don’t forget to commemorate Japan’s National Cat Day on Feb. 22, referred to as Nyan Nyan Nyan Day (“nyan” is “meow” in Japanese), when the nation’s heartfelt display screen of love for cats will make you almost forget what it required to bring your feline friend here.
