uno to uganda
uno's spent the afternoon alternating between rubbing his face on my laptop screen and walking across its keyboard, and in doing so has effectively reminded me that i have yet to blog about him making his way to africa. this is uno's minnesota-to-uganda story, sort of like a rags-to-riches story but not really...
we'd debated back and forth for months on whether or not to bring uno to uganda, until i finally woke up one morning and knew there wasn't any other option than to have him here...with me...with us. uno's part of the family. for the cat people out there, you know what i'm talking about. (trish? chris?)
the hoop-jumping involved in making uno a real africat was extensive. if you're thinking of doing the same and want to get your cat into uganda, you'll need the following:
(1) veterinary import permit from the uganda ministry of agriculuture, animal industry and fisheries. write a letter to the commissioner on livestock health and entomology requesting permission to bring a cat in from the u.s. and a corresponding import permit; be sure to include breed, age, sex, color, name, vaccination status, and microchip # (if you don't have one, you should!). the commissioner's name is dr. wesonga wanderema, and the best way to get him is +256 (0)41 320376. (note: the ministry of ag is inconveniently located in entebbe, but dr. wesonga's pretty nice about arranging for delivery of the import permit to kampala.)
(2) current rabies vaccine, plus a rabies vaccination certificate signed by your veterinarian and certified by a USDA veterinarian
(3) blood test results of an approved laboratory indicating the neutralizing antibody titres achieved post-rabies vaccination
(4) clinical examination 48 hours prior to departure from the u.s.
(5) international veterinary health certificate completed by your vet and certified by a USDA vet
i also suggest bringing a current health record (showing all current vaccinations and internal/external parasite treatment) and duplicates of every document 1-5. remember, nothing in uganda is valid unless it's signed and stamped so don't hold back on that detail. considering my batting average for being turned away at the door for missing a minor detail (see this post and this) i went overboard on the details. there was no way my cat was going into quarantine because some document wasn't properly stamped.
there are all kinds of companies specializing in international pet relocation that cater to the career expats and are uber expensive ($thousands). doing it all myself cost $24 USDA services, $75 rabies titer, $60 pre-departure exam, $150 flight. i recommend the do-it-yourself route, but if you have the money to spend (or your employer's paying it for you) then more power to you.
uno and i flew on northwest/klm. uno made the weight cut-off for cabin carry-on for northwest (6.6 kilos), but didn't come close to klm's weight limit (4.5 kilos), which meant it was luggage check for him. i wasn't so sure i was comfortable with that, but decided i had the conviction and stubbornness to make anyone's life hell if they messed with my baby. so, with uno's adaptability and my fierce mother's instinct, i decided we could do it.
there's strict regulations on kennel make, shape, and size for animals that are checked as luggage. but, if you buy a kennel that's "airline approved" and fits your pet comfortably, you'll be fine. they inspect the kennel at the airport, but it's prefunctory and i imagine they'll approve most anything you can buy at petsmart. use this nifty guide to figure out the right kennel size for you and yours.
northwest has its "PriorityPet" program, of which the best feature is the hand-delivered confirmation to the owner that your pet has been safely loaded onto the plane. i took this feature seriously. i must have asked the steward 5 times if uno was on the plane before he finally brought me my confirmation note. i was able to relax MSP-AMS knowing that uno was safe on the plane, but switched quickly to panic mode once i landed at schiphol. my connection in amsterdam was supposed to be 1 hour, but i didn't de-plane until 20 min before my next flight (departure gate conveniently located on the opposite side of schiphol). i made it to the gate with enough time (delayed flight), but refused to board the plane until i saw uno with my own eyes get on the plane too. luckily the klm attendants have sympathies to match their looks and strikingly blue suits. they got on their walkie talkies, tracked uno down, and got a truck driver to promise he'd get uno to the plane on time. i waited and waited and waited. the gate area was empty and i had the unpleasant task of thinking about my options if uno didn't make the flight. thankfully, he arrived in the nick of time, i waited until they shut the luggage hold, then we were off to EBB. (i'd decided if he didn't arrive, i wasn't leaving. can you imagine me and uno stranded at schiphol airport? that would've been a sight.)
somehow when i arrived in entebbe, i was one of the last people to go thru immigration. i had all my documents ready (see list 1-5 above) and wanted to show them to someone, instead i just waited. uno got through immigration long before me and sat in baggage claim crying loud enough for the entire airport to hear (entebbe airport isn't all that big). people in the immigration line kept turning to me saying, "isn't that your cat?" waiting in that line tested my patience more than anything before as my heart broke every time he cried. but, then even worse...he stopped crying. for a l-o-n-g 20 minutes i had to rationalize that he'd been okay without food and water for 24 hours, that he'd just decided to stop meowing 'cos it wasn't getting him anywhere. finally, i got thru immigration, made it to his kennel, and he was good - i guess he was at the end of his patience, too.
we weren't allowed to leave the airport for a while because they were trying to track down the state veterinarian who would certify all my documents and legally allow us into the country. while waiting i let uno out of his kennel to stretch, explore, relax. he soon had an audience of 5 ugandan airport staff shocked by this crazy strange animal. "is that a dog?" no. "what is it?" it's a cat. "a cat?!? but, it's so big!" they wanted to pet him, pick him up, give him water, walk him around the airport by his leash. welcome to uganda, uno! eventually the airport workers gave up on getting the vet to the airport at such a late hour (10ish pm) and said we could just go on thru customs and go home. i was in shock. after all my work of getting all the documents, having them filled out in blue (not black!) ink and copiously stamped, and no one was even going to look at them?! uganda never ceases to astound.
our friend peter picked us up at the airport with his 6-year old daughter. similar to the airport workers, neither of them could get over that uno was a cat. he hardly made a peep the whole ride home, just sat on my lap, paws on the windowsill curiously looking out the window at his new habitat. not more than 5 minutes after walking in the door it was as if the last 24 hours had never happened. thank god for an adaptable cat with a short-term memory.
pets are a decidely expat thing in uganda since not too many ugandans have the money (or time) to add another stomach to the household. so, having a cat in uganda isn't cheap. the basic expenses:
- 5 kg bag o' litter = $12.
grocery store ordering and shipment schedules are pretty erratic here. one month they'll have a huge quantity of a particular item (e.g. litter), then once it sells out they won't stock it again for months. i'm waiting for another supply of litter to come into the country...i'm hoping it shows up soon otherwise i'm going to be borrowing sand from luc & majo next door.
- litter box = $28.
$28 for a small plastic bin that's no different than any other small plastic bin except that it has a fancy tag that says "litter box." nope, didn't buy it. i went and found the equivalent for $1.50. most anything plastic, electronic, or manufactured has to be imported, and since the expats are the ones interested, the prices balloon out of realistic proportions fast.
- 500g bag o' food = $6.
i found a brand that sells 1 kilo for $6, but then uno didn't eat for 3 days 'cos little did i know that he has a taste for the high-quality, high-cost stuff. i've since mixed the cheap and expensive, but he spends hours picking out the good stuff. crafty.
101paige 101africa 101ht
no matter the expenses, though, it's worth it. for those of you who know us, you know how much uno means to us. for those of you who don't know us, you can check out the "uno anthology" - it'll give you a pretty good idea of uno and the bowens. uganda feels like home already, but now that the family (me, phil, uno) is back together it's even more so.
we'd debated back and forth for months on whether or not to bring uno to uganda, until i finally woke up one morning and knew there wasn't any other option than to have him here...with me...with us. uno's part of the family. for the cat people out there, you know what i'm talking about. (trish? chris?)
the hoop-jumping involved in making uno a real africat was extensive. if you're thinking of doing the same and want to get your cat into uganda, you'll need the following:
(1) veterinary import permit from the uganda ministry of agriculuture, animal industry and fisheries. write a letter to the commissioner on livestock health and entomology requesting permission to bring a cat in from the u.s. and a corresponding import permit; be sure to include breed, age, sex, color, name, vaccination status, and microchip # (if you don't have one, you should!). the commissioner's name is dr. wesonga wanderema, and the best way to get him is +256 (0)41 320376. (note: the ministry of ag is inconveniently located in entebbe, but dr. wesonga's pretty nice about arranging for delivery of the import permit to kampala.)
(2) current rabies vaccine, plus a rabies vaccination certificate signed by your veterinarian and certified by a USDA veterinarian
(3) blood test results of an approved laboratory indicating the neutralizing antibody titres achieved post-rabies vaccination
(4) clinical examination 48 hours prior to departure from the u.s.
(5) international veterinary health certificate completed by your vet and certified by a USDA vet
i also suggest bringing a current health record (showing all current vaccinations and internal/external parasite treatment) and duplicates of every document 1-5. remember, nothing in uganda is valid unless it's signed and stamped so don't hold back on that detail. considering my batting average for being turned away at the door for missing a minor detail (see this post and this) i went overboard on the details. there was no way my cat was going into quarantine because some document wasn't properly stamped.
there are all kinds of companies specializing in international pet relocation that cater to the career expats and are uber expensive ($thousands). doing it all myself cost $24 USDA services, $75 rabies titer, $60 pre-departure exam, $150 flight. i recommend the do-it-yourself route, but if you have the money to spend (or your employer's paying it for you) then more power to you.
uno and i flew on northwest/klm. uno made the weight cut-off for cabin carry-on for northwest (6.6 kilos), but didn't come close to klm's weight limit (4.5 kilos), which meant it was luggage check for him. i wasn't so sure i was comfortable with that, but decided i had the conviction and stubbornness to make anyone's life hell if they messed with my baby. so, with uno's adaptability and my fierce mother's instinct, i decided we could do it.
there's strict regulations on kennel make, shape, and size for animals that are checked as luggage. but, if you buy a kennel that's "airline approved" and fits your pet comfortably, you'll be fine. they inspect the kennel at the airport, but it's prefunctory and i imagine they'll approve most anything you can buy at petsmart. use this nifty guide to figure out the right kennel size for you and yours.
northwest has its "PriorityPet" program, of which the best feature is the hand-delivered confirmation to the owner that your pet has been safely loaded onto the plane. i took this feature seriously. i must have asked the steward 5 times if uno was on the plane before he finally brought me my confirmation note. i was able to relax MSP-AMS knowing that uno was safe on the plane, but switched quickly to panic mode once i landed at schiphol. my connection in amsterdam was supposed to be 1 hour, but i didn't de-plane until 20 min before my next flight (departure gate conveniently located on the opposite side of schiphol). i made it to the gate with enough time (delayed flight), but refused to board the plane until i saw uno with my own eyes get on the plane too. luckily the klm attendants have sympathies to match their looks and strikingly blue suits. they got on their walkie talkies, tracked uno down, and got a truck driver to promise he'd get uno to the plane on time. i waited and waited and waited. the gate area was empty and i had the unpleasant task of thinking about my options if uno didn't make the flight. thankfully, he arrived in the nick of time, i waited until they shut the luggage hold, then we were off to EBB. (i'd decided if he didn't arrive, i wasn't leaving. can you imagine me and uno stranded at schiphol airport? that would've been a sight.)
somehow when i arrived in entebbe, i was one of the last people to go thru immigration. i had all my documents ready (see list 1-5 above) and wanted to show them to someone, instead i just waited. uno got through immigration long before me and sat in baggage claim crying loud enough for the entire airport to hear (entebbe airport isn't all that big). people in the immigration line kept turning to me saying, "isn't that your cat?" waiting in that line tested my patience more than anything before as my heart broke every time he cried. but, then even worse...he stopped crying. for a l-o-n-g 20 minutes i had to rationalize that he'd been okay without food and water for 24 hours, that he'd just decided to stop meowing 'cos it wasn't getting him anywhere. finally, i got thru immigration, made it to his kennel, and he was good - i guess he was at the end of his patience, too.
we weren't allowed to leave the airport for a while because they were trying to track down the state veterinarian who would certify all my documents and legally allow us into the country. while waiting i let uno out of his kennel to stretch, explore, relax. he soon had an audience of 5 ugandan airport staff shocked by this crazy strange animal. "is that a dog?" no. "what is it?" it's a cat. "a cat?!? but, it's so big!" they wanted to pet him, pick him up, give him water, walk him around the airport by his leash. welcome to uganda, uno! eventually the airport workers gave up on getting the vet to the airport at such a late hour (10ish pm) and said we could just go on thru customs and go home. i was in shock. after all my work of getting all the documents, having them filled out in blue (not black!) ink and copiously stamped, and no one was even going to look at them?! uganda never ceases to astound.
our friend peter picked us up at the airport with his 6-year old daughter. similar to the airport workers, neither of them could get over that uno was a cat. he hardly made a peep the whole ride home, just sat on my lap, paws on the windowsill curiously looking out the window at his new habitat. not more than 5 minutes after walking in the door it was as if the last 24 hours had never happened. thank god for an adaptable cat with a short-term memory.
pets are a decidely expat thing in uganda since not too many ugandans have the money (or time) to add another stomach to the household. so, having a cat in uganda isn't cheap. the basic expenses:
- 5 kg bag o' litter = $12.
grocery store ordering and shipment schedules are pretty erratic here. one month they'll have a huge quantity of a particular item (e.g. litter), then once it sells out they won't stock it again for months. i'm waiting for another supply of litter to come into the country...i'm hoping it shows up soon otherwise i'm going to be borrowing sand from luc & majo next door.
- litter box = $28.
$28 for a small plastic bin that's no different than any other small plastic bin except that it has a fancy tag that says "litter box." nope, didn't buy it. i went and found the equivalent for $1.50. most anything plastic, electronic, or manufactured has to be imported, and since the expats are the ones interested, the prices balloon out of realistic proportions fast.
- 500g bag o' food = $6.
i found a brand that sells 1 kilo for $6, but then uno didn't eat for 3 days 'cos little did i know that he has a taste for the high-quality, high-cost stuff. i've since mixed the cheap and expensive, but he spends hours picking out the good stuff. crafty.
101paige 101africa 101ht
no matter the expenses, though, it's worth it. for those of you who know us, you know how much uno means to us. for those of you who don't know us, you can check out the "uno anthology" - it'll give you a pretty good idea of uno and the bowens. uganda feels like home already, but now that the family (me, phil, uno) is back together it's even more so.
1 Comments:
i knew uno would survive the journey like the champ that he is. i was more worried about you, paige! thanks for sharing the story. and a big shout out to the new africat from his humble foster family back in the states. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home