何もしらないMISOがペットキャリーの中でお昼ね中
Unsuspecting MISO relaxing inside her carrier...
サンフランシスコ空港にて
Waiting for our flight @ SFO
自分に何事が起っているのか理解に苦しむMISO
MISO can't believe what is happening to her :(
KUMOは、今回もまた騙された！と悲しみにくれている模様
KUMO says "Not again!"
１年半続いた「カリフォルニア‧アドベンチャー」が、終わりを告げることになりました。カナダに帰ります。今回の引越で一番辛いのが、我が愛する猫達をまたもや、飛行機に乗せなければいけないということ。猫達は、客室内の自分達の足下（正確には前座席の下）に入ることになります。狭いキャリーの中で怖い思いをしながら、飛行するのですから、猫親（猫ばか親）としては、心が引き裂ける思いなのです。カリフォルニアへ引っ越して来た際に、既に一度経験済み。心構えはできてはいるのですが、それでも心配で仕方がありません。幸運なことに、サンフランシスコとバンクーバーの飛行時間は2時間半。それでも、アパートを出てから、バンクーバーのコリンの両親宅へ到着するまでを考えると軽く8時間も、狭いキャリーの中で過ごすことになります。罪悪感で一杯！人間の勝手で、動物を飛行機に乗せるということは、「どうしても！」という時以外は避けたいもの。その「どうしても！」の場合に、どなたかのお役に立てばと思い、私達の経験から、ここに幾つかの心構えを記しておきます。
（１）航空会社認定のキャリアーを選ぶこと。私達はユナイテッド航空でした。キャリアーは、ユナイテッド航空等多くの航空会社が認定している『Sherpa』のキャリアー（これ）。出発の数週間前から、リビングにキャリアーを配置し、猫達をキャリアーに慣れさせるのが大切です。MISOの場合、すっかりキャリアーが気に入り、毎日のお昼ね場として利用していました（笑）。
（２）猫達のことをしっかり伝え、飛行機のチケットを購入した後も、後日、航空会社に再度確認の連絡を入れましょう。溺愛する猫達と飛行機に乗る場合は、決して手違いがあってはならないのです。初めて猫達を飛行機に乗せた時などは、航空会社に3度も連絡を入れ、確認したほどです（とてつもない心配性なのです）。国内便なら、1人30ドルほどで座席のアップグレードができます。アップグレードのオプションがあれば、迷わずしましょう。座席が広ければ広いほど、人も猫もリラックスできます。
（３）猫達の習慣を熟知しましょう。MISOとKUMOの場合、お手洗いを使うのは、決まって朝ご飯と晩ご飯の前後。お手洗いをほとんど使わない時間帯をねらって、飛行機の予約を入れました（午後１時）。この時間帯は、空港の移民局内も列がなくスムーズに進むことができました。
（４）バスタオルをキャリアーの底に敷いてあげましょう。バスタオルは、ガタガタと揺れる飛行中、猫達のクッション代わりになります。空港内でキャリアーをX線に通す際、猫達を一度キャリアーから出す事になります（ここが一番の心配の種）。その際、おびえる猫をバスタオルで包んであげることもできます。
（５）猫達と旅行する際に必要な書類を忘れずにチェックしましょう（健康診断や予防注射の書類等）。国によって、マイクロチップが必要な場合と必要でない場合があります。どちらであっても、万が一のため、マイクロチップは入れておいた方が安心です。
（６）空港のスタッフ、移民局の人達、航空会社のスタッフには、人一倍丁寧に対応するよう心がけましょう。こちらが丁寧に対応すれば、相手もほとんどの場合、親切に対応してくれます。そして、猫達にもやさしく対応してくれるのです。愛する猫達のためです、無愛想な空港スタッフにも、笑顔を振りまきましょう。
Our California adventure has come to an end, and we are going back to Canada! The hardest part of moving (other than saying good bye to friends) is flying with your feline children. We've done it once so we know what it entails, but it is still the most stressful part of moving for the cats and for us. No cats enjoy flying, especially not ours. It feels like we are torturing our beloved cats. We feel absolutely awful about it. The flight between San Francisco and Vancouver is about 2.5 hours. It's not that long. But, if you think about the door to door time, it's really about 8 hours (8 hours in those very uncomfortable carriers). It is awful. I hope you never have to fly with your cats, but if you do, this is what we've learned:
(1) Choose a carrier that is approved by the airline of your choice. We flew United both ways, and we purchased Sherpa pet carriers (this one). A few weeks before the trip, leave the carriers in a room where your cats hang out. Let them get comfortable with them. MISO loves her carrier, and she often takes naps inside it (she's an amazing kitty cat).
(2) Double and triple check with your airline about your reservation. For United, they allow two small pets in the cabin per flight. Book it early. If you can, upgrade your seats so that both you and your cats feel more comfortable. For United, we upgraded our seats to Economy Plus. It costs about $30-50 dollars more, but the leg room is worth it.
(3) Know your cat's schedule. Our cats usually use their litter boxes before or after meals (breakfast and dinner). That meant that flying in the early afternoon is the best time to fly. For the flight between SF to Vancouver, a 1pm flight proved perfect both ways. Immigration was not busy at all.
(4) Put some towels at the bottom of the carrier to give them extra cushion as the flight can be bumpy. Also, having towels helps when you have to take your cats out of their carriers. We wrapped our very frightened cats in a towel so we could easily hold them while their carriers went through the X-ray machine. Yes, I know this is the worst part of flying with your cats !
(5) Make sure to have all the paper work for your cats to travel by air (ex. health certificate, rabies vaccination, etc.) Although not all countries require your cats to have ID chips, it is best to get them if you're traveling. Remember you are required to remove your cats from their carriers at the airport! It's very stressful for them.
(6) Be extra nice to the people who work at the airport. The nicer you are, the nicer they are to you and your cats. Everyone with airport security and United airlines was extremely kind to all of us.
(1) Choose a carrier that is approved by the airline of your choice. We flew United both ways, and we purchased Sherpa pet carriers (this one). A few weeks before the trip, leave the carriers in a room where your cats hang out. Let them get comfortable with them. MISO loves her carrier, and she often takes naps inside it (she's an amazing kitty cat).
(2) Double and triple check with your airline about your reservation. For United, they allow two small pets in the cabin per flight. Book it early. If you can, upgrade your seats so that both you and your cats feel more comfortable. For United, we upgraded our seats to Economy Plus. It costs about $30-50 dollars more, but the leg room is worth it.
(3) Know your cat's schedule. Our cats usually use their litter boxes before or after meals (breakfast and dinner). That meant that flying in the early afternoon is the best time to fly. For the flight between SF to Vancouver, a 1pm flight proved perfect both ways. Immigration was not busy at all.
(4) Put some towels at the bottom of the carrier to give them extra cushion as the flight can be bumpy. Also, having towels helps when you have to take your cats out of their carriers. We wrapped our very frightened cats in a towel so we could easily hold them while their carriers went through the X-ray machine. Yes, I know this is the worst part of flying with your cats !
(5) Make sure to have all the paper work for your cats to travel by air (ex. health certificate, rabies vaccination, etc.) Although not all countries require your cats to have ID chips, it is best to get them if you're traveling. Remember you are required to remove your cats from their carriers at the airport! It's very stressful for them.
(6) Be extra nice to the people who work at the airport. The nicer you are, the nicer they are to you and your cats. Everyone with airport security and United airlines was extremely kind to all of us.
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