Have Animal, Will Fly

The list of things I have to do to prepare the cat for the move is longer than my own. I should have known that which I imagined to be simple would be the most complicated.

Due to the very recent regulations changes regarding pet travel, one can only have an animal on their same flight if they have a written relationship with the airline as of thirty days before flying. Though it seems logical, the ticket itself is not considered a relationship. Most airlines, like Continental (which I am flying), are getting around this by enrolling people in their various benefits programs, which then allows passengers to have, for an additional cost, their pet in the pressurized cargo hold on the same flight as them. However if you, like me, are totally unaware of this new regulation - which, by the way is NOT on Continental's website - are not a Continental OnePass member, and find out this information 29 days before you fly, then you will be forced to send your animal third party.

Imagine the scramble that has ensued.

The cargo department at Charles de Gaulle wasn't particularly helpful, but after a few calls around and some internet search engine magic, I managed to get on the phone with a very nice woman in Florida who directed me to the IPATA website which contains a directory of animal transport services. In France there are four.

Naturally I chose the one based out of Charles de Gaulle, a certain GoldenWayPets. I was immediately on the phone with the owner, Colette, who sounds perfectly French but is in fact delightfully British. After a fifteen minute conversation she had me reassured that my little Boo would be on a direct flight to Philadelphia where I could happily meet him, and cuddle his smelly little guts out. The price hurts my ass (as the French say) but like any reasonable pet owner the cost is nothing to bring my little hairy ball of love safely to my new home. And, as the other option was to pay a similar price but simply drop him off at the cargo bay and just kinda cross my fingers that he gets on safely, I choose the more expensive option.

Somehow this does not make my list of preparations for him shorter. He needs a new collar, a crate pad in case he pees himself, spray shampoo for the clean up after flight, another trip to the vet for various stamps and papers, I have to cross check the prices of IATA approved crates, and I am sure I will think of other things while I am out. I imagine this is similar to get a baby ready to go on a trip.

Where the baby flies in the cargo hold of the airplane in a box. You know, they are just alike. But I am not at all stressed.

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And then I got the REAL quote from the transporter and she was all "1,000 euros," and I was all "FAINT" and now I am back where I started. But like I said, I am not stressed.