[mcacmartin]

I've been checking out the cost of bringing our wee furball with us and it looks like it may cost about $3000. We just don't HAVE that kind of money but I can't stand the thought of leaving him behind.

Am I looking in the wrong places? Is there a cheaper way to do this?

Also....for those of you who DID manage to get your pets down there with you, did it change their personalities at all? I mean going through a month (or more) in quarantine. Furball is the sweetest, most loving cat ever and I would hate for it to change him...the long long flight(s) and then being away from us for that long.

[sweetpea]

Also....for those of you who DID manage to get your pets down there with you, did it change their personalities at all?

My dog emerged unscathed, although very happy to see me after a month! He can be a sulker too (seriously, the only dog I know who has a specific disdainful expression!) I have heard of the odd pet not reacting well, but the one cat and 7 dogs I know who have made the journey from North America seem no worse for wear.

[bstlaurent]

we looked hard and long at all the options before deciding to find new homes for our cats. It was very nearly a deal breaker to be honest. We're coming from Ottawa to Wellington and yeah, the 3000$ estimate seems about right.

We had two cats.
You would need to get a proper carrier for each animal, get their airfare taken care of (the airlines couldn't guaranty their health on the flight which freaked us out) then 1 month of quarantine per cat. That's not counting the vets bills etc. Also, keeping our cats indoors for 5 months in Canada was pretty much impossible as they are both outdoor cats.

Usually traveling with animals is fairly safe, but the airlines can not promise that the animals will be in the heated part of the plane. if they travel with the baggage, it's unheated and can get quite cold.

[BkyMonster]

Seems about right for the estimate. The whole moving process in general can be really expensive over time. I've been keeping track and the money just goes like water...
You wouldn't have to pay it all at once, the 2 big lump sums would be the shipping (I recommend a pet shipper to steer you right) and the quarantine. Probably about 1k each. Smaller lump sums would be the vet fees.

[kanatakiwi]

yep those costs seem about right. Its a hard decision, only you can say which is the right one for you. We decided after much anguish not to bring our dog from Canada, and we now know we made the right decision for a number of reasons but it was the hardest thing about the move.
I did a lot of research into it, including the various quarantine places in NZ (there are not many). One thing for certain, if you bring your animals, be very clear with the shipper that you want them flown via Vancouver, San Francisco or Hawaii, NOT Los Angeles. I have heard some horror stories about the transit through LA for pets, and the pet shipper in Vancouver that I was in contact with was also definite that they will not ship via LA.

Good luck
G

[timeanzbound]

if they travel with the baggage, it's unheated and can get quite cold.

Here is a quote from American Airlines website:

Animals are transported in the same compartments as baggage, mail and other cargo. These compartments are pressurized and maintain a temperature range from 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit.

[timeanzbound]

My doggies are flying out of LA with a credible shipping company...hope they will be ok. And yes, the total cost with vet bills, shipping costs, and quarantine will be around $5000 USD. Very painful, but I love my little munch kins and would not have the heart to give them away. I think animals would suffer more by being given away forever than just going through a shipping process and quarantine.

[dilanium]

I think animals would suffer more by being given away forever than just going through a shipping process and quarantine.

I think this depends entirely on the situation. Older animals, or animals with health problems should probably not be taken with you- it's not worth stressing them out that much. If you have family or friends who love them and are willing to take them it's probably easier on the animal to leave them.

In many cases with certain animals it's not a good situation in quarantine. If I had a very large dog such as an Irish wolfhound or Great Dane I would have second thoughts about putting them through quarantine.

In general with most animals I would measure their age and health, and whether they are really better off coming with you. Most animals are very adaptable and would be fine if places in a good home.

If you have a young enough animals who will endure the stress of travel and settle into a completely new place with new scents very easily I would bring them along if you're planning on staying for awhile. I wouldn't put an animal through all of that just so they could be with you in NZ for a year or two before going home.

When parting from an animal I find it's generally the people who suffer more than the animals.

That being said- my cat arrives in NZ Sept 13.

It's cost me $3000 (going through a pet shipper) and that's after my discounts with veterinary care are taken into account.

[timeanzbound]

Dilanium,

I agree with you 100%, but in my case with chihuahuas, they would definitely suffer more if I gave them up. These little creatures get very attached to their owners, unlike larger dogs or cats, they would have separation anxiety for a long time.

[JandM]

get very attached to their owners, unlike larger dogs or catsSo often people claim that cats aren't attached to their owners. It's been our experience over a lifetime of living with cats (and dogs) that, treated 'personally' and talked to, they do become attached to their humans (and dogs), and have different relationships with different individuals within the family group. Whatever the personality of the cat, all of ours have related to us, specifically, not just humans in general. As a couple of examples, we had one cat whom we nearly lost because he pined and hardly ate when in kennels for three weeks, although this was a good kennels we knew well, and he was housed with his brother and sister for company (and they were all right). And one of our cats would growl when strangers approached the house, if they weren't accompanied by a family-member.

When does your cat arrive, Liz?

[timeanzbound]

JandM,

I really wasn't saying that cats or larger dogs don't get attached to their owners, I was saying that the attachment with small dogs like chihuahuas are greater and harder on them. Before you buy a chihuahua, a reputable breeder will warn you not to give them up at any point in their life for that reason and if that may be an issue, than chi's are not for that owner. I have never heard that said for larger breed dogs or cats for instance.

[dilanium]

My cat arrives in New Zealand Sept 13!!!

And I don't necessarily agree about it being harder on smaller dogs- but it depends on individual circumstances regardless of size or species of animal.

Actually- there were a number of smaller dogs in the states that I wish I could have forced rehoming on, but that's another topic.

[BkyMonster]

Our mini dachshund, as much as she obsessively and neurotically loves us, would have probably been easy to rehome in that she would have adjusted decently to some of the places we could have left her if we were leaving her. Our big dog on the other hand, I think he'd feel really betrayed and have a hard time getting over it. I think it is probably up to the animal and the place they would be left.

[trillian25]

I haven't made the move yet so I will be curious to see how they handle quarantine and being away from anyone they know. When I went on holiday to NZ for a month, the dogs stayed in the house with my brother, so they were home, with someone they knew quite well. I think it was harder on me than them. That said there was definitely a bit on anxiety on their part. They tended to panic a bit more than usual when I left the house, as if I was leaving again for a long time or forever. It took them about a month to get back into trusting me to come home again, so it was problematic, but not so much so that it will keep me from going to NZ and taking them with me. They are 2 now and will be 5 or younger when I move, so still pretty young and resilient. I don't think I would put an older animal through the stress of it all though.

[BkyMonster]

I thought my dogs would have a horrible time with the plane rides and quarantine. They had a grand old adventure :D
I got to see them coming down the oversized baggage conveyor belt at LAX (I flew them down from PDX) and they were just calmly looking around. As soon as they saw me the noise started though.
Same with the quarantine, they had heat lamps to lie under and nice beds and were quietly playing with each other but when we arrived to visit they started the noise.
I don't doubt they missed us but they seemed fine when we weren't there to see them doing fine. :D
They did come out of quarantine a bit skinny, but I think that's just them (one needed to lose some weight anyhow and the other one is just picky). They also came out with suntanned bellies which I thought was hilarious. Someone has been spending their days lying in the sun!

These are dogs that are always crated when we are gone (or sweeping or vacuuming or moving things around the house...) to help with separation anxiety and tend to cry if we go in another room and shut the door.