Pet Move of the Month: A Multi-Pet Move to South Africa
Moving one pet can be stressful enough, so imagine moving four furry friends from the United States all the way to South Africa.
That's the great endeavor that our client Patsy faced recently, and while things didn't always go according to plan, she and her crew (Pomeranians Teddy and Foxy, cats Magic and Mystic) are now settling in and enjoying life in their new home.
Read more about this multi-pet move, and help us in wishing this fun family all the best!
What were some of your concerns going into the move?
I was very worried about them being on the plane themselves. I was worried about the whole procedure because South Africa has so many import rules and the dogs had to have a huge blood test. The paper work was very overwhelming..... When I saw what my vet had to fill out and what Cara (my Pet Relocation Specialist) organized I was so grateful I was not on my own.
Did anything surprise you about the international pet moving process?
I was surprised by all the details, import permits etc. etc., however what surprised me most was how amazing the pets were when they arrived and how well they actually traveled.
How are your pets adjusting to the new location?
The dogs were totally amazing and the whole experience did not seem to affect them at all. One of our cats, Magic, has had a complete character change. He is like a dog following us everywhere and so so loving -- we are loving our "new" cat.
Our other cat, Mystic, who Cara nicknamed "Houdini", escaped the day of the move. We had been so careful to keep him inside and just before the agent came to collect him we could not find him anywhere. We searched the house from top to bottom, which was not hard as we had no furniture. Jack arrived and he was fantastic and helped us search. We were in a terrible state. Both Jack and Cara reassured us that they would come back for Mystic and make it happen for him to come.
Jack had to go off with the other three to connect to their flight. We continued to search for Mystic the whole day and we were in a terrible state because we were leaving at 4 a.m. the next day. Jack was beyond wonderful telling us if Mystic came back he would come any time of the night and collect him. We found our "bad" boy under a huge pile of blankets completely hidden at 4 p.m. He had been there through all the shouting and banging the walls (which we did in case he was inside a wall), and he kept completely hidden. We were so happy to see him and once again Cara and Jack were beyond fabulous and so happy for us -- they truly were like our very best friends and I honestly do not know what I would have done without them.
Jack came back and we boarded Mystic for a week, then Cara got him onto a plane and he arrived a week later. Since then he has been sleeping all day under the bed and refusing to get out and then playing all night and purring and kissing me and keeping me awake. His jet lag has lasted about three days now and I am praying he will eventually turn his nights into nights! We are just so happy to have him with us, however. Once again, thanks to PetRelocation.
(UPDATE: Today Patsy told us that Mystic is doing much better and has been going outside and exploring the house a bit more, and Magic is "beyond wonderful and owns the place inside and out")
What is life like in South Africa? Is it a pet-friendly place to be?
I have only been back for a week but I know the South Africans love their animals. I am in Johannesburg at the moment but can't wait to fly to Cape Town where my daughter is going to go to college and take the doggies to Hout Bay beach where everyone goes, especially around 5 p.m; it is a wonderful social scene.
What advice do you have for people who might be planning a move?
Do not do it on your own. Call PetRelocation and then know that you can trust them completely to handle all the details. I drove Cara crazy with all my "silly" questions and she always had time for me and always reassured me!