This entry should only be used if you are 100% certain that you have an apartment ready to bring a pet to Japan! If you have no apartment lined up for you that allows cats/dog/birds/fish/big foots, than by all means...don't bring your pet to Japan! And if you're in the JET program, I have no idea how to also include your pet on the plane..
Now bringing one's pet to Japanland can be a double edged sword while you're looking for a job...
You see, you have atleast 6months to a year to get everything done in order to get your pet to Japan!
So lets say your job starts November 23rd 2013, you need to start preparing your pet for Japan...like NOW! I basically started working on my cat to come with me to Japan of October 2011 back in November of 2010 and he was ready to go to Japan basically by September 2011!
So when you do the math, you have 8 months to get ready!!
The steps to bring your pet to Japan aren't that difficult and just in case the information below in the links I provided seem to hard to understand here's a break down of what I did.
Step 1: Microchip your pet! The type of Microchip I used was the one's used from HomeAgain! They are in compliance to the standard Japanese ISO microchip guidelines.
Step 2: Get your pet a rabies Vaccine shot! Make sure its an inactivated one(most vets use this one anyways but just make sure to be safe and ask for it!) You can do the rabies shot right after your pet gets a microchip! Yeah, make your pet suffer!!
Step 3: 30-31 days after the first rabies shot, get another inactivated rabies shot!
Step 4: Get blood drawn 30-31 days after 2nd rabies shot and send it to an approved testing facility to see if your pets antibodies are high enough by Japan's quarantine standards! You also have to fill out a form provided by the Kansas testing center website! This needs to be filled out by you and your vet together!(It also helps if you can have a Vet who has done this type of work before and is willing to send the bloodwork for you!)Unless you want to try doing it yourself, and I have no idea how to send blood in the mail..
Step5: Get The Country of Export Certificate in regards to the state you live in! This doesn't take long but the sooner you do it, the better! You can get the forms to do this from the Japan Animal Quarantine website!
You need both forms A&C! Once again Form C needs to be filled out by your vet as well as the standard APHIS7001 form! Sometimes your vet has them,sometimes they don't! Send this all into the designated state HQ for export! Sorry for the shaddy memory here folks but I believe you also have to send them your rabies test showing it was okay! Call just to make sure and make sure you get the original back because you need to show that when you go to Narita airport! I got lucky with just showing a copy but I was on a luck streak that day..
Step6: Alert Narita airport that you're coming with your pet with another form 40 days in advance of your arrival!
Step7: If you have a cat and its a nervous wreck, relax! The plane is too noisy for people to hear it if you fly with it in the cabin and it will pass out from exhaustion in 3hours=).
Step 8: Don't forget to bring all your paperwork with you to Japan! When you get to Narita airport you should have your:
Advance notification form!
Kansas state form stating your pet is rabies free!
Certificate of Export from America(FORM A&C Stamped from the official govt)
And just to be safe your APHIS7001 form!
Also a list of airlines that allow your pet to fly in cabin, if it can fit in a traveling carrier(so basically cats and toy poodles) *that I know of, is AirCanada + Air France! United Airlines used to allow pets in cabin until they merged with Continental...and when it was Continental they said no to pets in cabin on international flights so...inquire about that...
AirCanada will also sit your ass WAY in the back so...your options of where you can sit aren't open to first class...sorry?
In total, the cost of all of this can vary, but for me this was my accumulated bill:
Rabies shot cost $20.00 a piece(so x2 that was 40.00)
Rabies blood test done by your vet to ship to Kansas
(and depending if your vet needs to gas down your animal): $475
Cost for Laboratory testing: $83.00
Export Certificate + a certificate signed by your VET that they believe your pet is okay to fly!: $114
Plane ticket for in cabin: $100.00
you're looking at a total of
$812.00!!
I didn't factor in the countless calming aids I bought for my cat and tried using which failed in the end..take my advice, that shit don't work.
So is all of this worth to bring one's pet to Japan?
I was really glad I brought my cat with me to Japan, but sadly he didn't come home with me...he lived a great 14years! I mean really, he was more spoiled than Oprah's dogs! He got to ride the shinkansen too!
No one noticed I had a cat due to my abundance of luggage and my cat too tired to make noises anymore
So in my opinion,
having a pet was a great stress reliever while I was in Japan,and I would do it all again if I could.
But if you decide to leave your furbabies behind, you can befriend the strays on the street. I didn't discover there were some stray cats I could actually pet until it was 7 days till I was to go back to the states. Cruel Irony...I hate you.
So for the non-fearful who can pet stray cats,always go to the parks or conbini's! Lots of strays hanging around!!
Useful links
Japan Website for Animal Quarantine in English
USDA guide to exporting pets to Japan
(somewhat easier to understand than the one on the Japanese website)
Kansas State University Rabies blood test center
*List of airlines that allow pets in Cabin
Coming up next time..how to have a good day at work(lesson plan!)
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