Sooty and Smudge fly to Seattle

[ilumiari]

I've mentioned this in my chronicle, but I thought I'd start a new thread specifically on my upcoming piggie relocation. Basically I'm moving from Perth, WA (Australia) to Redmond, WA (USA). We don't have flights booked yet, I'm still applying for my visa, but the anticipated flight date is April 5.

My main concern at the moment is that I'm not sure if Sooty or Smudge are drinking from the water container in their travel cage. I've kept them in there for about 12 hours at a time at this point (the journey will be about 36). They don't rush for their bottle as soon as I put them back in their cage, but I can't catch them actually drinking. They do manage to get hay, hair and even poopies in the bowl.

For food during the journey they'll get Oxbow pellets and hay cakes. They aren't huge fans of the hay cakes, but they do eat them.

I obviously can't take most of their things with me in my suitcase, so I'm getting lots of goodies from Jen's Custom Crafts that will greet me when I arrive. I still need to organise a cage and food.

[mkkayla]

Can you add some veggies to their in flight diet? That will give them water. Like cucmber, greenleaf lettuce, etc?

[bpatters]

I think both Feylin and Pimpinpuji taped baggies of wet veggies to the outside of the cage so their animals could be fed during the flight.

Thirty-six hours sounds like a very long time. Will you be able to get them out and let them run around anytime during that period?

[ilumiari]

mkkayla - I'll make inquiries about that with the individual airlines once the flight is booked, but probably not.

bpatters - 36 hours is actually a best-case scenario estimate involving about 2 hours layover in Sydney, 2 in LA and travel time to and from the airports. I'll probably spend most of that time changing terminals, I have no idea how I could go about giving the pigs a safe place to run around in. They have enough room in their case to pace around a bit, but during our 12 hour "practice" sessions they just flop and seem very chilled about the whole ordeal.

[mkkayla]

You must find a way to get them wet veggies. I don't know how they will do without them. What airlines are you using? Continental has a pet safe program and they will feed them as per your instructions with wet veggies if provided by you.

[ilumiari]

It will be Qantas from Perth->Sydney and Sydney->LA, then I'm not sure. I had heard that Continental was good, but it seems the only Continental flights from LA to Seattle (when I need them) are actually United flights codesharing with Continental.

[mkkayla]

See what Qantas will do, but I would not think they would survive 36 hours without water. Hay and hay cakes have no water content.

[ilumiari]

I'm of the understanding that the flight attendants have access to the area the animals are kept, so that they can give them water after takeoff, right? I suppose I could take a baggie of veggies in my own carry on and then pass it to the flight attendants periodically.

[ilumiari]

I just caught a glance of Smudge with his paws on the bowl and nose in the bowl, so I assume he has figured it out.

[bpatters]

Continental Airlines no longer exists -- it's been merged with United. I have no idea what will happen to their PetSafe program.

[mkkayla]

bowls spill on bumpy airplanes, then they are not only out of water, but they are sitting in wet bedding. Hopefully you can give the attendants a small cooler with ice packs in it and several small baggies of veggies and a sign that says feed another bag at 2, 5, 8 pm or whatever.

[Feylin]

Continental and United are now the same thing. The Pet Safe Program still exists, in it's same form. The numbers to call and everything are still the same.

You can still absolutely travel through the Pet Safe Program. They will feed your pet at layovers and all of that.

You need to call the following people and ask about the papers to travel on the plane and to get through US customs:

-The US Embassy
-US Fish and Wildlife
-USDA

And then call your country's versions of those people to be sure that the pigs don't need papers to LEAVE your country.

You may get told that you need nothing, but you need to be absolutely sure that that's the truth.

A cooler won't be happening, sorry. The best you can do is tape a baggie of veggies on the side.

[ilumiari]

My visa application was approved this morning, so my relocation consultant can start looking into flights.

Feylin - I'm not sure why I'd need to contact the embassy, I was at the consulate this morning, and it's not the kind of place you go to ask questions.

The relevant links I could find are:
http://www.fws.gov/permits/faqs/FaqR.html Fish & Wildlife don't say anything about guinea pigs, but rabbits basically need to be notified about 48 hours in advance, and declared upon entry.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_pets.shtml USDA mentions that there are no animal health requirements for importing piggies.

I'm debating dropping by the vet tomorrow to get them looked over and chat about flying with pigs (she was also Casper's vet) to make sure everything will be in order for their pre-flight inspection.

[bpatters]

I've just found out that Frontier Airlines allows pets in the cabin, if that helps you out any.

[ilumiari]

A number of US domestic airlines allow pets in the cabin, but they need to be in a different (soft) style of carrier. No Australian domestic airline allows it, nor do any international flights.

[slavetofuzzy]

"allow pets in the cabin" make triple/quadruple sure this includes guinea pigs, as it has been a lot of other's experience that this is NOT the case.

[ilumiari]

It turns out that my airport won't allow pets on passenger planes, so Sooty & Smudge will be flying on cargo planes. Their travel will be organised by WorldCare Pet Transport. We'll be separated for longer this way, but at least someone else will be looking out for their welfare. I leave Perth at about 6am next Thursday and will arrive in Seattle at around 3pm (local times).

I'd better get back to packing! Why do I own so much stuff?

[Feylin]

You've checked the company out really well?

I'm assuming you have but....
When I was researching I heard some pretty ugly things about them. They charge easily tripple what you would pay and charge for things that don't have a fee (like certain paperwork from countries). There were people complaining that they could not get any updates on their animals or that the animals were not fed or watered.

I'm really hoping that the stuff I found was just random people.

[ilumiari]

The company is covering all of the fees, I imagine that their relocation team has a business arrangement with them. So far I feel pretty good about them, I'm having a phone chat with a representative soon.

[Cinnabuns Legacy]

I live in Washington, but I live about two and half hours from Redmond; still, if there's anything I can help you with supplies or otherwise, let me know.