Life can be unpredictable, but one thing is always certain: everything is better when your pets are by your side. That's how we feel here at PetRelocation and that's how our clients feel -- Tipsy and Misty's owners included.
These two kitties recently moved from New Zealand to Brazil when their parents had a change in life plans, and we're happy to report the family is back together and doing great.
Read more about Misty and Tipsy's move!
Our move from New Zealand to Brazil came about due to family issues. We relocated to Brazil for what was intended to be a temporary time, and so placed our cats into a cattery in New Zealand. However, we ended up having to stay on permanently. As a result, we decided that we had to bring our cats over!
Honestly, what surprised us most about the pet travel process was how smoothly it all went. We've traveled back and forth between New Zealand and Brazil for years, and were well acquainted with the long flights involved and the customs formalities on both sides. So our biggest concern was the trip itself for the cats and how they would fare through the bureaucracy. But the travel itself went very smoothly, with no major issues and they arrived safe and sound and on time!
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), we had to keep the cats in a cattery in New Zealand for a year before they came here to Brazil. This was due to the uncertainty in our situation. During their time in the cattery they would run around during the day, but at night were placed in secure cages, which were about the size of their travel crates. So, in a sense, they spent a year getting accustomed to small spaces, and so had no dramas when they had to make the trip.
The transition to their new home has been remarkably smooth, and we attribute this to their great trip! They arrived tired, but well looked-after and quite curious. And it's absolutely amazing that after a year apart how they remember us! As soon as they saw us the meowing and purring started right up.
Both countries have their advantages and disadvantages for pet ownership, but we're most grateful to Brazil for letting the cats in with absolutely no issues whatsoever! We attribute this to the great team that PetRelocation has working for them in Brazil, who know the ins and outs of the system here very well. They literally did all the paperwork in getting them through customs, and it could not have been smoother.
I think the most important thing to remember is that, for the pets, the trip itself will be very smooth mainly due to the fact that they don't really understand what's happening around them. As owners, we know and understand the details and complexities of air travel, transport, vet checks, customs formalities and paperwork, etc.
We know about all that could go wrong and so we worry about the pets and their well-being during the journey. But for the pets, realistically, they just sleep for 10 hours or so during the flight, then get to come out of their boxes, eat, rest, and then maybe go on another flight where they go back to sleep for a bit. They don't know that they're 30,000 feet up in the sky. For them, it's actually pretty relaxed. I think if you remember that, then the stress of the trip for you as the owner will be less.
Relocating the cats from New Zealand to Brazil is not an easy operation. There are at least three countries involved no matter how you fly. I contacted several agencies to see what the best route would be, what services were provided, and to compare costs.
In the end, PetRelocation was the only agency that provided an incredibly transparent, detailed and thorough explanation of the entire process from start to finish. Their journey would be longer and involve more stops, but this was done to ensure the cats traveled with the best pet-friendly airline and had dedicated pet-rest facilities en route.
The team who worked with us were all incredibly professional and courteous and kept us updated throughout the entire move of the cats' status and well-being. They even sent us photos of them at the rest-stops, which was a huge relief for us to see them happy and content. PetRelocation was the best option up front, and they certainly delivered at the end; our cats arrived safe, well looked-after and happy to see us!