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Bringing my Cat along

Genzou

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6 Dec 2017
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Im going to fukuoka in the coming week, to celebrate the Christmas and Western new years.
Along with me there will be my cat.
Now i know a lot of you have travelled with their pets, and that surely you must have some kind of idea of what there is to expect. It is quite the ordeal.
Approximately 10 hours of flight time and then some.
You know, and finding a suitable location to camp out. That sort of thing.
I am merely sketching this out by now. But I do not want my cat agonizing over this either.
Any helpful things will do.
Thanks :)
 
Sorry , it won't be possible unless you jump through many hoops and procedures. I suggest you GOOGLE about bringing pets into Japan and read how difficult it is to do. Best to find someone or someplace in Denmark/Norway to take care of it while you are traveling.
 
You want to drag your cat halfway around the world and back and put it through all that stress and misery just so you won't have to be away from it for a week or so?

That ought to count as animal cruelty.

Other regions:動物検疫所
 
Im going to fukuoka in the coming week.
Along with me there will be my cat.

By strange coincidence I came to Fukuoka from a foreign country with my cat a few months ago. I could write an encyclopedia about the requirements.

But I wonder if we have misunderstood your post. How long are you and cat-san planning to stay in Japan?
 
You will not be able to take them with you. Arrange for someone to care for your cat, and you'll see them when you get back. Enjoy your trip!
 
Be sure to read the second link from thomas. Here is the key point:
Dogs and cats are required to undergo a wait of at least 180 days between the date the sample is collected for the rabies titer test and the date the animal arrives in Japan. If 180 days have not passed before the animal's arrival in Japan, the animal will be quarantined in an AQS facility to make up the number of days remaining in the 180-day wait period. Antibody levels are measured in order to confirm whether or not the animal has developed immunity to rabies. The reason for the wait is to make sure that the animal has not contracted rabies prior to developing immunity to it as a result of immunization, 180 days corresponds to the incubation period for the disease.

I don't think many hotels will allow you to bring in a cat, either, so you will be limited in your choice of accommodations. You didn't say whether you were going to stay in one, or with friends, so we're kind of short on information.
 
i was thinking of sending the cat well ahead my arrival. I have a GF that will take care of it for the time being. that being so, i will have to resume full responsibility for the feline once my arrival is final. thus accomodation is of vital importance. there has to be pet friendly. vaccinations, transportation vessels, all taken care of.
 
Did you read any of the links provided above? Please don't do this to your pet, it is guaranteed to be a traumatic experience for them, and you will be separated from them for much more than the duration of your trip (especially if you haven't followed all of the instructions in the link).

Whatever fantasies you have about traveling around Japan with your cat are not realistic if you are days away from your trip and haven't already made all the necessary arrangements. If you aren't actually moving to Japan, arrange for a petsitter and everyone will be much less stressed about it.
 
Of course they will be less stressed about it -- but i won't.
See, that's the point. The Cat is coming along for a reason.
Once I am in Fukuoka for myself and have the apartment laid down, there will be no problem.
But I have encountered problems before when i was holding the cat in another place.
And that is why I don't want to actually have to run around looking for lodging with the cat underneath one arm, and my carry on underneath the other.
 
Your first post is ambiguous about this because it seemed like you were talking about popping over for the holiday. So I'll ask again:

How long are you going to be in Japan, and how much of the steps mentioned in the official links above have you followed? If your trip is any less than 6 months, and you don't have all the necessary paperwork to show that your cat is fully vaccinated to their satisfaction, it will be quarantined for 180 days before it is released to you. That is the law; they don't care if your cat is an emotional support animal, their job is to make sure that no foreign pathogens enter the country. Your pet will be held in a facility that is most likely similar to a vet kennel, and you might not have any access to it.

Again, if you are about to leave for your trip and you still haven't read these links, you are putting yourself and your cat at risk of having a really bad trip.
Japan Pet Passport - Current Dog and Cat Import Requirements
USDA APHIS | Pet travel from the U.S. to Japan
 
I'm with nice gaijin here. You just seemed to indicate you're coming to set up an apartment for long-term stay, not vacation, but your first message didn't suggest that at all. Just stay for the holidays.

If you think you'll be stressed leaving your cat behind now, think about the stress you'll have trying to negotiate everything in a foreign language here, and being without your precious feline before you arrive wondering how things are going. I don't mind pets, but this is obsessive, IMO.

See, that's the point. The Cat is coming along for a reason.
What is it? If it's that you are staying longer, tell us. If it's because you couldn't find a suitable friend or relative or shelter to keep him while you went on vacation, I'd suggest you look harder.
 
I'll ask a different question - where is the cat coming from? Denmark? So the 180 day quarantine rule applies. Unless you also have a status of residence that allows you to stay in Japan, it seems odd you would send your cat half way around the world so you can spend time in Japan in Dec/Jan - and your cat gets released in June!
In my situation I could ship one of my three cats from New Zealand to Japan (cost is around 100,000yen) and the 180-day quarantine requirement doesn't apply (that is covered in the pet-passport link given). But, I am not allowed pets so it doesn't matter (and lots of apartments don't allow them).
 
@Genzou, have you notified the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) at least 40 days before your departure? It's literally some of the first steps in both the links we provided. I don't know if the airline would let you even board with your cat if you don't have any supporting documentation for it (it would irresponsible for them to let you, only for you to get turned away by Japanese immigration, but they may see it as your responsibility and not theirs to comply with Japan's pet importation laws).

Here's the official english page for importing pets from non-designated countries. In the parent page, even certified assistant dogs (no mention of cats) are subject to the same regulations, and they urge you to make EARLY contact with AQS to make preparations: Other regions:動物検疫所

It seems like you haven't taken any of the required steps, in which case your cat will NOT be allowed in the country, and you may be forced to accompany it back home at your expense.
 
rt_edited-1.jpg My cats howl like they are dying if we take them outdoors or in the car.
 
@nice gaijn idk my GF said it is best to have it certified inside Japan and not before leaving on my trip. The animal is chipped, vaccinated and prepped in any way whatsoever. I know it bothers me because I would rather have someone else take care of it. But i can't so I will have to take it with me.
 
@nice gaijn idk my GF said it is best to have it certified inside Japan and not before leaving on my trip. The animal is chipped, vaccinated and prepped in any way whatsoever. I know it bothers me because I would rather have someone else take care of it. But i can't so I will have to take it with me.

You still haven't answered how long you are coming for. Is this just a short visit around the holidays?
 
@nice gaijn idk my GF said it is best to have it certified inside Japan and not before leaving on my trip. The animal is chipped, vaccinated and prepped in any way whatsoever. I know it bothers me because I would rather have someone else take care of it. But i can't so I will have to take it with me.
Your girlfriend is not an authority on this subject. Did you read the links and follow all the instructions? Have you contacted the AQS? If not you are going to waste a lot of time and money.

Starting to think this is a troll, there is no way someone who actually cares about their pet would be so obtuse.
 
vaccinated and prepped in any way whatsoever.
Actually, from what you have said, that still does not get around the quarantine requirement.
Even more basic, have you bothered to ask the airline or do you plan to just show up for your flight with your cat as hand luggage? You mention sending it in advance, so the people doing that will be telling you the same material as this thread - six months quarantine.
(As for no-one else being able to look after a pet while you are travelling, that is hardly a believable claim or did pet minding services just vanish overnight?)
 
Im going to fukuoka in the coming week, to celebrate the Christmas and Western new years.
Along with me there will be my cat.

i was thinking of sending the cat well ahead my arrival.

Those are two mutually contradictory statements.

If you were planning to leave within a week with your cat, then how did you plan to send your cat well before your arrival? (And based on the dates, you should have been here by now...)

Even if by some miracle you had magically completed all the rabies test stuff, there is still a requirement for 40 DAYS ADVANCE NOTICE. You don't have 40 days.

Are you aware that if your cat gets stuck in quarantine YOU are responsible for hiring a designated pet care service at the airport to care for and feed it? It isn't free.

I'm also starting to think you are either a troll or have serious trouble understanding things. Have you read any of the links? Has your girlfriend?
 
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"I don't think many hotels will allow you to bring in a cat, either, so you will be limited in your choice of accommodations. "

I am not talking about an apartment here but an actual Hotel/Motel kind of setting that would allow for having a Cat pet. I mean, that should not be too difficult, right?

For a period of time no longer than two weeks or a month, and most probably consecutively. I do not speak the language so I find great difficulty in making this sort of inquiry, and my girlfriend is reluctant to doing it. And I don't want to force her either, you know. This was supposed to be a holiday but now it's turning out to become much more of a sore thumb.
 
You won't see your cat at all the entire time you are here. I'm not sure if they would release it from quarantine early so you can take it with you when you leave or if it has to finish the whole six months. Either way, this is an entirely impractical and completely unworkable bad idea.

There must be pet boarding services in your country. If you don't know of any, consult with your veterinarian. You could probably hire a neighborhood teen to come feed the cat while you are gone.
 
"I don't think many hotels will allow you to bring in a cat, either, so you will be limited in your choice of accommodations. "

I am not talking about an apartment here but an actual Hotel/Motel kind of setting that would allow for having a Cat pet. I mean, that should not be too difficult, right?

For a period of time no longer than two weeks or a month, and most probably consecutively. I do not speak the language so I find great difficulty in making this sort of inquiry, and my girlfriend is reluctant to doing it. And I don't want to force her either, you know. This was supposed to be a holiday but now it's turning out to become much more of a sore thumb.
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OK, now I can say with great certainty that you either a troll or foolish. Or maybe you're just rich, and think that everything will work out without you doing any actual work?

  • You have taken NONE of the REQUIRED steps to bring your cat to Japan
  • The duration of your trip is LESS than the MANDATORY quarantine period
  • You DIDN'T contact AQS 40 days in advance, which is the first and most basic requirement.
Not that it matters, because your cat won't be allowed to leave the airport, but you HAVEN'T actually made inquiries as to whether your accommodations will allow you to bring in a pet. It sounds like you can't because of your language barrier, but your girlfriend maybe can but doesn't want to? So you think you can just show up and hope it'll work out?

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I'll just reiterate this because it's still 100% true
You will not be able to take them with you. Arrange for someone to care for your cat, and you'll see them when you get back. Enjoy your trip!
 
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