Charlie

I haven't posted much about our feline friend, but the truth is that he has caused me the most stress throughout the whole moving process. You see, our kitty is a horrendous traveler. The WORST. Within minutes of being placed into a carrier and then into a car, he... lets loose. Without going into graphic detail, let's just say that plenty of things that should stay inside of him end up coming outside. YUCK!

Anyway... The bird went across the country with Gus in the car, and that was no big deal. She just sat in her little cage and enjoyed the scenery. But we knew that would not be a viable option for the kitty. We needed to minimize his travel time as much as possible. Nor did it make sense for him to travel in the airplane cabin with us, since he would certainly meow and yowl and stink up the place. So... I have booked him a direct flight from Los Angeles to Boston tomorrow (flying as cargo). Which means that my dad and I need to bring the little booger to the airport no later than 5:30am tomorrow. I feel tired already!

As it turns out, sending a pet as cargo is pretty complicated! For one, they can only fly when the ground temperatures are between 45 and 85 degrees at all stops along the route. This isn't an issue on the west end, but Boston is pretty chilly this time of year. We were actually going to send him today, but tomorrow looks more promising. The high is supposed to be in the high 50s, with the low being 44. He'll be landing at around 2pm, though, so we should hit the higher end of that range. Fingers crossed that we are able to send him!!

In addition to that requirement, we also had to get a health certificate, rabies certificate, and a letter of acclimation (saying he can withstand temps between 45 and 85 degrees) from a vet. And a lot of warm, absorbent bedding for his carrier. The carrier requirements are also pretty specific, and we had to label the top and two sides with the words "LIVE ANIMAL" (with letters at least 1" high). I bought him a jacket, too, which was one of the vet's recommendations (he hates it). And the vet also suggested giving him just a small dose of Benadryl to help calm him.

Still, we don't want to risk him making a mess in his carrier before we get to the airport, so my dad is going to wrap him and carry him in a towel for the entire (1.5-hour-long) drive there. At 4am. Then we will get his jacket on (ha!), put him in there, and we will be good to go, I hope. Fingers crossed!

Anyway, we love our kitty, even if he can be a pain, and we want him to make it safely. Good luck, little Charlie! We'll see you in a week and a half!