As excited as I was to move from LA to the UK to be with my fiance, my first thought was "How on earth am I going to get the cats there?" I have three of them -- Scout, Sammy Jo, and Elsa -- and there was no way I was leaving them behind. I did a lot of research and there was one company that stood out well above the others in terms of expertise, experience, services offered, and rate of success, so there was no question in my mind that PetRelocation was our best bet.
We started crate training months in advance and I bombarded my extremely patient coordinator, Katy, with endless questions and "What if?" scenarios. I later learned that Katy once worked as a wedding planner, which struck me as a great background for her current job -- freaked out brides and anxious pet owners have a LOT in common. She calmed my fears and assured me that my cats were going to do just fine, and she even put me in touch with another American who had recently relocated to Aberdeen with her own three pets. My first friend in Scotland!
There was a great deal of paperwork to deal with and it was great to have Katy expertly guide me through that process, which involved exams, health certificates and international microchips, all carefully coordinated with my local vet. I was a nervous wreck the day of the Big Move and it was very hard to say goodbye to my kitties, knowing I wouldn't see them again until we'd all endured a long transatlantic flight and customs procedures.
At the airport in Newark, I watched out the window as my cats' carriers were gently unloaded off the plane and whisked away to the airport's pet hotel for a brief respite between flights. Eventually, I arrived in Edinburgh and reunited with the cats, and was amazed to find them perfectly fine after their adventures in the air. We drove up to Aberdeen, where all three cats have spent the past few months getting familiar with their new house and family.
I would highly recommend PetRelocation to anyone considering moving abroad with their pets!
Pet Travel Details:
Pet Names: Scout (black cat), Sammy Jo (white with black markings) and Elsa (young tuxedo cat)
Pet Types: Cats
From: Los Angeles, California, USA
To: Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Ready to plan your cat's travels? Contact us today to organize your move plan.